Fly Tying at Compleat Angler
February 25 - March 31
Beginning Saturdays in February and continuing through March The Compleat Angler at 541 Post Road in Darien will be hosting some of fly fishing's most innovative fly tiers as they showcase their skills and share techniques for developing flies.
The demonstrations run from 10 a.m. to 2 and are free. Drop in at any time and stay for some coffee and conversation with the tiers and fellow anglers. Upcoming tiers are:
Saturday, Feb. 25 - Mike Motyl - Mike is a commercial fly tier specializing in the hatches of the Farmington River.
Saturday, March 3 - Jonny King - Jonny combines natural and synthetic materials to create amazing representations of salt water bait-fish. Jonny is one of the most creative fly tiers you'll see.
Saturday, March 10 - Mike Bachkosky - Mike Has been tying commercially since 1993 and has vast knowledge of the Delaware River. His flies belong in every serious trout fisherman's arsenal.
Saturday, March 17 - Jeff Yates - Jeff is the author of Fly Fishing Fairfield County: Secrets of Suburban Streams and president of the Mianus Chapter of Trout Unlimited. He is a part-time guide and ties flies for finicky small stream trout.
Saturday, March 24 - Safet Nikocevic - A Self taught, hand fly tier, Safet was born and raised in Montenegro (former Yugoslavia) then immigrated to New York City in 1993 where he tied commercially for The Urban Angler. He combines natural and synthetic materials to create amazing representations of all stages of important trout hatches.
Saturday, March 31 - Rich Strolis - Rich is an outstanding and innovative tier specializing in Farmington and Housatonic River Hatches. An excellent teacher and knowledgeable angler, Rich will showcase some of his most productive flies.
Information: compleatangler@optonline.net or (203) 655-9400.
(Google Map directions at right)
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Fly Tying 101 at Orvis
Saturdays Feb. 11 - Feb. 25
Join the staff at Orvis at 438 Boston Post Road for free, 3-hour beginner fly tying lessons from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday through Feb. 25.
Learn the basics of tying dry flies, nymphs and streamers and the techniques that will open the door to tying the best local flies.
Along with the lesson, all students in the class receive a $25 discount of a purchase of $50 or more and $50 off the Orvis Silver Label fly tying kit.
Remaining class date is:
Feb. 25
Classes are limited to 6 students per day, and reservations are required.
Contact Orvis to reserve your spot. (203) 662-0844
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Fly Fishing Within Two Hours
of Fairfield County
Tuesday, March 13
If one were to take a
map, a pencil compass and make a 90 mile path west of the
Connecticut/New York border there are hundreds of high quality fly
fishing streams within this area. Join us as we take a tour of some
great fisheries in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania all within a
short drive of home.
Aaron Jasper's
early fly fishing took him to New Jersey trout streams such as the Flat
Brook, Ramapo and Pequest Rivers. Since that time, Aaron has been
fortunate to fish some of the greatest trout streams around the country,
fishing extensively in the Eastern United States, as well as travelling
across the country to experience some of the very best fly fishing
available out West. As a result of his travels, Aaron has learned many
techniques, flies and rigs that have enabled him to constantly grow and
improve as a fisherman.
In
2007, along with his friend and web designer Justin Massimo, Aaron
Jasper founded Trout Predator Online, a fly fishing community
specifically aimed at disseminating and sharing good information about
fly fishing techniques and destinations. Since then the community has
grown to over 2600 members and is home to some of the very best
information on the web about Euro-Nymphing. Aaron and Justin produce
multiple short videos every month on everything from fly tying tutorials
and tips to short destination adventure videos, all can be found on
their website including information on European nymphing techniques.
The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the mansion at Waveny Park, 677 South Avenue in New Canaan. (Google Map directions at right)
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Mianus River Outing
Saturday, March 31
Join the Mianus Chapter for a great day of early-season fishing on the Mianus River's Trout Management Area.
Chapter members will meet at 7 a.m. at the red barn on Merriebrook Lane, then head out on their own for a day of fishing.
The state will most certainly have stocked the river with hundreds of trout, making for an incredible opportunity to shake off the cabin fever of winter and get the season off to an early start. Fish with fellow chapter members, bring your friends and new anglers and join us for a great day on the water.
The chapter will provide coffee and doughnouts at the start of the day and then we'll break off on our own to ply the waters of the TMA for, hopefully, many eager trout.
Please email Tony Hill to register so we know how many to expect. Consider car-pooling with friends to the park due to the limited parking.
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Seminars at Westport Outfitters
Saturdays in March and April
Join
the staff at Westport Outfitters at 609 Riverside Avenue for free lessons and presentations from some of the region's best guides and angling experts. All seminars begin at 11 a.m.
Registration is required by emailing ejohnson@westportoutfitters.com or calling the shop at (203) 341-9490
March 10 - Shore Fishing The Western Sound - Derrick Kirkpatrick - Whether stalking trout or striped bass, Derrick’s ability to be one with his environment makes his angling ability almost like a sixth sense. His seminar will focus on inshore fishing in and around Fairfield County from shore. He will take you through a methodical process of the changing seasons and where he sees the best opportunity to get into fish. Tips and techniques for plugs, bait, soft plastics, fly and the different presentations for each tactic.
March 17 - Fishing Shallow Water For Trophy Striped Bass - Captain Mike Roy Captain Mike Roy of Reel Cast Charters will be speaking about targeting large striped bass in shallow water. He will focus on casting live eels and lures to target larger size striped bass. He will discuss the similarities and differences of fishing the Eastern and Western Long Island Sound waters. Captain Mike will talk about how to read structure and find locations that hold larger bass and the appropriate times to catch larger fish in shallow water and how tide and weather conditions affect the fishing. He will also discuss how to safely fish from your boat in shallow water at night and the appropriate tackle and gear to use.
March 24 - Fishing Jamaica Bay-NYC’S Hidden Jewel - Captain John McMurray Capt. McMurray will discuss the tips, tactics & techniques that apply to fishing this very unique body of water, encompassing approximately 10,000 acres of salt marsh. He will briefly touch on some regional as well as some national conservation issues.
March 31 - Light Tackle Trolling - T-Man-Captain Pat Renna Back by popular demand, this instructional seminar will cover equipment requirements, boat set-up and details of lure presentation for successful trolling of T-Man’s tubes, spoons and swimmers, to get more fish to the boat. Capt. Pat will cover all aspects of tube & worm fishing in Long Island Sound.
April 21 - Norwalk Islands Light Tackle Primer: Maximizing Your Time On The Water - Captain Mike Platt Capt. Platt's presentation will focus on our home waters and better adaptation to our changing months during the height of the season with the varying bait sources and how to get more fish to the boat. He will go over the baits, tackle and techniques that will improve your catch rate within the Norwalk Islands. Favorite tides and specific locations to match them will also be covered. Captain Mike will leave you with a “Road Map” to follow after you leave.
April 28 - Basic Outboard Service Tips/Tactics-All Seasons Marine Works Don’t get stuck adrift this year, come hear from one of the largest selling/ servicing Yamaha Key Dealers in the State of CT, with two on the water locations serving southwestern CT and beyond. On hand will be Yamaha Certified Mechanics completing hands on demonstrations on tune up procedures for popular two stroke and four stroke models. We will also cover cooling systems including impeller and thermostat replacement, fuel system tune ups with both internal and external filter changes and basic troubleshooting to get your boat back up and running quickly.
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CT DEEP's Peter Aarrested
Tuesday, April 10
With only a little more than one week until CT's Opening Day of fishing season, join the Mianus Chapter in welcoming Peter Aarrested, director of the Inland Fisheries Division of the CT Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Trout are Connecticut's most sought after gamefish, attracting more than 1.9 million fishing trips each year. The Inland Fisheries Division has implemented several programs which are designed to maintain and improve trout fishing opportunities for Connecticut anglers and visitors to our state.
While the most popular Fisheries program among anglers is the annual stocking of more than 700,000 trout in the state's 308 rivers and streams and 82 lakes and ponds, behind the scenes is a dedicated staff of biologists and others working to make Connecticut's rivers and lakes cleaner, safer and more productive for angling.
Along with a preview of what's in store for anglers in the 2012 season, Peter's talk will cover the important activities taking place across the state in terms of conservation, restoration, research and outreach. He will cover some of the most recent changes - including the new Streamflow Regulations approved with strong support from Trout Unlimited and other conservation organizations - and discuss what is on the horizon for the future of fishing in Connecticut, including the bold new goal of increasing participation in recreational fishing by 30% within the next five years.
Join us Tuesday, April 10 for this informative evening.
The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. at the mansion at Waveny Park, 677 South Avenue in New Canaan. (Google Map directions at right)
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Annual Fundraising Banquet
Saturday, April 14
Support the Mianus Chapter's critical restoration and education programs at our Annual Fundraising Banquet on Saturday, April 14 at the Riverside Yacht Club in Greenwich.
Featuring fabulous prizes, including fishing trips to Alaska, Chile, Montauk, Labrador and more, as well as several rods, reels, flies and other fishing gear, the banquet is also a great way to come together with friends and like-minded anglers the week before fishing season's Opening Day to celebrate the coming year.
If you or your company have items you wish to donate as prizes for the banquet, contact Dick O'Neill or Mike Law, banquet co-chairs.
Join us Saturday, April 14 for this great evening to support our conservation and education work and meet and mingle with like-minded anglers.
The banquet begins at 6 p.m. with an open bar and raffle and auction preview. Dinner is served promptly at 7 p.m. (Google Map directions at right)
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Norwalk River Cleanup
Saturday, April 28
Join the Mianus Chapter for our annual spring cleanup of the Norwalk River in Wilton. We will be meeting at Merwin Meadows Park in Wilton at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 28.
Each year, chapter volunteers haul more than a truck-load of trash from the river in coordination with the town of Wilton's town-wide cleanup day. The chapter cleans the roughly 1-mile stretch of river from Merwin Meadows Park to School Road from 9 a.m. to noon.
From noon on, volunteers are encouraged to break out their rods and fish the Norwalk River, which will have recently been stocked with fish for Opening Day the week before.
Volunteers should bring waders and gloves, the chapter brings the trash bags, coffee and donuts!
(Google Map directions at
right)
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Farmington River Outing
Saturday, May 5
Join
the Mianus Chapter for a great day of fishing on the Farmington River.
Fish with fellow chapter members, bring your friends and new anglers and join us for a great picnic lunch on the banks of one of Connecticut's best trout rivers.
While the fishing itself will be on your own and in small groups, everyone is invited to meet at the Pavilion at People's State Park at 2 p.m. for a barbecue. The chapter will provide the grills, drinks, chips and cookies - you bring the burgers, dogs and grilling fare that you prefer. (There's a great supermarket right nearby.)
The agenda for the day includes:
9 a.m. - Optional car-pool at Branchville Train station in Ridgefield (Google map at right)
2 p.m. - Barbecue at People's State Park
Please email Tony Hill to register and get full details and directions. Also let Tony know if you plan to meet for the car-pooling or will be driving up to the river on your own.
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Fly Fishing Clinic & Picnic
Saturday, May 12
Join the Mianus Chapter's fly fishing experts for a full day of fun, learning, food and fishing.
Perfect for families and to bring your friends who are new to fly fishing, the free clinic runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Merwin Meadows Park in Wilton and is followed by a barbecue picnic compliments of the Board. Bring your own rods, or borrow rods from the chapter if you don't have any.
May 12 is Free Fishing Day in Connecticut, when you won't need a license, so be sure to bring friends who are new to fly fishing.
Much more than a fly fishing clinic, the day includes several stations on the pond and on the Norwalk River which runs through the park where you and your guests will learn:
- Basic fly casting
- Advanced casts and techniques
- Knot tying
- Reading the water
- Mending line
- Aquatic insects
A special event at the clinic is a 9-hole Fly Fishing Golf Course where members and guests can compete through a series of challenging casting conditions.
Following the barbecue lunch, which starts at 2 p.m., members and guests are free to fish the Norwalk River where the local mayfly hatches should be in full swing.
Come for the clinic, the competition, the picnic or all three and enjoy a great day in the company of like-minded anglers.
Email Jeff Yates with the number of people you will be bringing to help plan for food, refreshments and equipment.
(Google map at right for directions to Merwin Meadows)
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Fly Fishing 101 & 201 at Orvis
Weekends in May and June
Join
the staff at Orvis at 438 Boston Post Road for free, 3-hour fly fishing lessons at their Fly Fishing 101 & 201 classes.
Running from 9 a.m. to noon, the free classes provide you with all the basics you'll need to get started in fly fishing - casting lessons, knot tying and basic fly selections. Along with special in-store deals for students in the class, all in attendance will receive a free one-year membership to Trout Unlimited.
For those who have already taken 101, the 201 course moves to a local river for lessons in reading the water, mending line and casting in and around trees and in-stream structures.
Class dates are:
Fly Fishing 101
May 5, 6, 12, 13, 26 & 27
June 2, 3, 16, 17, 23 & 24
Fly Fishing 201
May 19 & 20
June 9 & 10
July 1
Classes space is limited and reservations are required.
Contact Orvis to reserve your spot. (203) 662-0844
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Lou Tabory Saltwater Class
at Westport Outfitters
May 5 & June 2
Join legendary saltwater fly angler Lou Tabory and
the staff at Westport Outfitters
at 609 Riverside Avenue for special saltwater fly fishing classes on May 5 or June 2.
At a cost of $150, these hands-on lessons from on of the father's of local striped bass fishing provide beginner and intermediate anglers with a wealth of knowledge that will help them maximize their time on the water.
Starting at 6 a.m. at Compo Beach in Westport, the class provides casting lessons, reading the water to identify bait movement, currents, structure and fish feeding patterns. After fishing, the class returns to the store for a formal presentation reinforcing the lessons learned on the water and also covering gear selection, knot tying, fly patterns and presentation and much more.
Registration is required by emailing ejohnson@westportoutfitters.com or calling the shop at (203) 341-9490
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Mianus Chapter Events
Join the Mianus Chapter throughout the year at our monthly meetings, conservation projects, fishing outings and many other events.
You'll meet like minded anglers who share your passion for fishing and who serve as stewards of our local rivers. Mianus Chapter events are free and open to the public.
Use the calendar at right to quickly search by month and add events to the calendar on your computer or smartphone.
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