January 2017 Chapter Meeting Notice

Monthly Meeting Notice
Date: January 2, 2017
Time: 6:30 to 9:00 PM
Auburn Sportsman's Club - Auburn, MA

Happy New Year!  2017 is finally here and there are some big plans ahead for the Central MA Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

January will be more that our normal fly tying meeting.  In addition to Dave leading us in mastering the Griffith's Gnat, there are event coming in 2017 that we want to start planning for to make them a success.  But before we get into the events, we will be discussing several presentations for our 2017 meetings.  We hope to finalize our presentation selection with your input at the January meeting.  Looking forward to seeing you there.  FYI - We found a really good pizza place!

Cold Water Cold Beer!

The Boston Chapter of TU has set the Bar very high for the Cold Water Cold Beer events.  Their success in their November event at the Patagonia facility in Boston, drew more than 100 new faces to the event.  We are talking a large number of our younger generation (but over 21) that was interested in both Conservation and Fishing!  Boston (nor CMTU) sees this during our normal meetings and activities.  This is new "Water" for reaching out to our youth, and CMTU has a plan for success.

When you look at the region defined by our chapter, there is a very interesting statistic that become very apparent.  There are some of the top micro breweries in the state in the space defined by our chapter.  We've contacted a few, but the brewery which best fit the our needs for the event was the Wachusett Brewing Company in Westminster.  In addition, they were very excited about this opportunity.

Their facility could be thought of as one of the "Founding Fathers" of the Microbrew industry.  Back in 1994, Wachusett started brewing beer and never looked back. You can find their beer  throughout New England.  They make some of the best product out there and a they are always coming up with new ideas to keep their name in the tops as to MicroBreweries.

Our event is planned for Saturday, April 29th.  They have a large hall that is perfect for upwards of 60 Cold Water Cold Beer enthusiasts.  The evening is already taking shape and will include product tastings, Fishing videos and a tour of the facility.  We plan on moving our Banquet activities to this event and will add raffles for our Trip to the Farmington, and other prizes to interest all interested in fly fishing from rookie to the seasoned pro.

There is much to do as far as planning for this event.  We have a terrific college and professional base to tap into in the Worcester area.  This could be another strong display of support for TU and Cold Water Conservation that builds on the success of the Boston based event.  We want to make this fun for all and look forward to thoughts, ideas and participation to make this a success.

High School State Fishing Tournament

Each year, many of the High School sports in the state hold an event that allows contestants from around the state to compete in a State Wide event.  I have personally been to several of the State Track meets and they are Fantastic.  The competitions is at a high caliber and the sportsmanship is second to none.  Everyone leaves a winner.

Can we do this for Fly Fishing?

I know a large group of High School students who absolutely believe we can!

As you know, last year we started to see several of the younger generation starting to attend our meetings.  The efforts of Ian on our Website hit home with a good number of high school students looking to learn more about Fly Fishing.

Last year we had a Central MA High School fly fishing event and had 8 contestants.  This was with almost no planning and communication.  Since then, we've been contacted by 2 more High Schools with similar interest, and we have not really put an effort into reaching out to these youth.

Well, that is about to change.  Over the next 2 months, we are going to evaluate the opportunity to take our tournament to the next level, the State level.  There are already interested supported (Like Bears Den) in this type of event and I am sure there are many more out there!

At the January meeting we will have the first in a series of meeting to discuss this event and be in a position to spread the word at the Marlboro show to judge the interest.  We are considering the Trout Brook Recreation Facility in Holden due to the central location, great facility and darn good fishing.  We will actively work with the state to stock the stream in preparation for the event.

Mid April is our target for the event.  This could align with the school vacation and could make it a more easy to attend event than other times.  There are several High School students who already are showing an interest in helping to plan the event and are bringing their experience from similar tournaments held in PA.  Yes, we are not the first!!

The June Farmington Trip

This trip started several years ago with a few of us putting our tents in the back of the cars and heading to what we heard was some "good" fishing in central CT.  We got soaked, but we caught a some beautiful fish and realized what a gem lay to our south.

Over the years we've developed this annual trip into a bit of a following and have included some of the local TU chapters to CT in our group.  We've taken advantage of the new cabins that were built along the river.  There are 6 in all , and this year, we will have all 6 when you include the Nor'east Chapter.  This will provide us with spots for a total of 36 and there are more camp sites for those interested in tenting.

We already have a great breakfast solution.  We make enough coffee (thanks to the power that comes in the cabin) to service a small army.  We use this as a great means of meeting other fisherman coming off the river as nobody can pass up a nice hot cup of coffee.

But we have more that breakfast.  This year we are planning a Hot Dog buffet with all sorts of goodies to add to your favorite dog.

But enough about the event.  Come to the January and find out not only more about the event. but how you can take part in this wonderful fishing opportunity.

We hope to see you at the Auburn Sportsman's club on January 2nd  The Pizza arrives at 6:30, we have the raffles at a little after 7 and a good time from start to finish (a little after 8).

Enjoy,
Peter Sterndale
President, Central MA Chapter of Trout Unlimited