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Join Our Club!
See application in this Newsletter
OFFICERS
President
Vice President
Allison Brown
Treasurer
Kevin Stankiewicz
2nd Treasurer
Vacant
Secretary
Jay Hirsch
2nd Secretary
Vacant
Membership
Liaison:
Allison Brown
Joe Marchese
John Rossi
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Committees
Banquet
Max Ruggiero
Allison Brown
Conservation
Sam D’Ambruoso
Education
Fred Monahan
Expo
Paul Dinice
Fly Tying
Paul Dinice
Bill Goeben
Suguru Imaeda
203-481-3204
Hospitality
Dan Rodak
Newsletter
Sam D’Ambruoso
203-417-7120
Publicity
Sam D’Ambruoso
203-417-7120
Want to join our team?
Call Art Giulietti for more info.
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Our next membership meeting is Thursday, March 7 at 7pm. For new members, see directions to St Paul’s Episcopal Church in Wallingford below Up-coming Events.
We have some very exciting activities coming up in March. The HFFA Expo is March 2. Filled with all the information you will need to be successful in fishing the Housatonic, see the flyer on the Expo below.
After handling Conservation for over 35 plus years, it’s time for me to step down from this position. We need someone to lead the team of clean-up volunteers. We started this clean-up program around 1974. In the past, we had teams of individuals going to every section of the TMA. The River is a lot cleaner these days as Federal and State conservation efforts have played an important role.
However, there is plenty to do in conservation. In the past, we planted trout eggs in tributaries of the River, planted trees on the banks to stop erosion, planted fingerlings, planted 3 to 5 lb brown and rainbow trout (back in the old days before it was a TMA), made sure that we had TMA and “fly fishing only signs” tacked up everywhere, helped DEEP personnel with stocking the River, and helped categorize the different May flies on the river. Lately, we even researched the planting of Green Drake nymphs which we originally started back in the mid 1970s. Our current Conservation efforts, headed by co-Conservation Chair Dan Kenny, is further establishing the River’s trout refuges from summer heat.
What also happened with all this conservation effort was our understanding of just how valuable this River is as a natural resource and trout fishery. To many of us, it is a very special place, kind of our own refuge. Anyone interested in helping out as Conservation Chair and also joining us for the Annual Clean-Up of the banks of the Housatonic Trout Management Area, scheduled for Saturday, April 29, please contact Art Giulietti and he will pass your name on to the new Chair of this event.
During the last part of this winter season, there is always a chance of inclement weather. The HFFA is registered with the news networks of ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC. If our meetings will be canceled, you will see the information on the bottom of your TV screens with all the other cancellations.
We are always looking for speakers for our meetings. If you know of any knowledgeable speakers that speak at fly fishing meetings/annual dinners circuit, please let us know. Contact Art Giulietti at 203-606-7763.
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Send in your membership renewals for 2019. Please see our membership form at the end of this newsletter. Have a friend who is a fellow fly fisher? Please pass this newsletter along to them. We would love to have them join us.
Tight lines,
Sam D’Ambruoso
HFFA Newsletter Editor
State of CT Fisheries Advisory Council Member
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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SPEAKER FOR MARCH
The speaker for our March 7 meeting is Ben Bilello. He is an accomplished fly tier who specializes in Salmon flies & how to fish them.
His focus is the unique Salmon fishery here in Connecticut where he also offers Connecticut Salmon Guide services. He has an ibook out called “Flies for Connecticut Atlantic Salmon – How to tie & fish them”. It’s available at his website at http://www.benbilello.com/salmonflies/Home.html.
His presentation is called Traditional Techniques for Broodstock Atlantic Salmon .
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Annual HFFA Expo
St Paul’s Church, Wallingford
Saturday, March 2, 2019 10am to 3pm
Make sure you are at the Expo this coming Saturday. Take a look at the flyer below. This expo is full of important angling information, fly tying materials and presentations. This is one of our very popular events of the HFFA.
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Annual HFFA Dinner Meeting
Monticello’s, Wallingford, CT
Sunday March 24, 2019
1-4pm
Tickets available at the March meeting.
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Hunting and Fishing Show
March 29-31, 2019 Hartford Expo Center
This is another very important show for the HFFA. We need help with this one.
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Boy Scouts Fly Tying Class and
Annual Fly Fishing Merit Badge Class
Fred Monahan, Educator Chair
Deer Lake, Killingworth
April 5, 6, 7, 2019
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Housatonic TMA Clean-up
Sam D’Ambruoso, Conservation Chair
Meet at the Monument Hole
Saturday, April 29, 2019
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HFFA Campout
June 7,8,9, 2019
Call Jay Hirsch at 203-281-1522 to make reservations.
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Want to join one of our teams that put these events together? Contact Art Giulietti at 203-606-7763
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DIRECTIONS TO OUR MONTHLY MEETINGS
The Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association General Membership meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month, September to May. The Executive Board meets every third Thursday of the month, September to June. All members are invited to attend both meetings. Meetings will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (next to Archie Moore’s Restaurant) 65 North Main, Wallingford CT , starting at 7:00 PM.
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HFFA FLY FISHING & TYING EXPO
MARCH 2, 2019 TIME 10:00 AM TO 3:00 PM
****** $2 Donation******
Where: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
65 N. Main St., WALLINGFORD, CT.
(Go to HFFA Facebook Page for more info)
FLY FISHING & TYING ACTIVITIES
Salt Water Tying Class
You will learn to tie two flies. 9:00 a.m. start time. Cost is $1. All materials and hooks provided. Seating is limited contact Paul at the # or email below
Presentations
“Fly Fishing the Cape – revised for 2019” By Paul Dinice 12:15 p.m.
HFFA Members will be on-hand to tie many of the best patterns used on the upper and lower Hous. Your welcome to bring your vice and tie with them.
TYING & CASTING DEMONSTRATIONS
CASTING DEMONSTRATIONS & LESSONS! (weather permitting)
FLY TYING DEMONSTRATIONS !
TYING MATERIALS PROVIDED FREE !
TIE YOUR FIRST SALT OR FRESH WATER FLY !
TIE THAT FLY PATTERN YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO LEARN !
SOME OF THE BEST TYERS AND FISHERMEN IN THE STATE WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE TO ANSWER ANY ?’S YOU MIGHT HAVE !
VENDORS, GUIDES & HOUSATONIC FLY FISHING EXPERTS There will be a lot of unique materials offered by vendors at the Expo that aren’t normally available anywhere else !
-Including Dan Trela/Trela Rods & Nick Masi/Nick Masi Enterprises
-Noted author Ron Merly will be selling autographed copies of his book, “A Fly Fishers Guide to Connecticut”.
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Conservation Report
from
Sam D’Ambruoso, Conservation Chair
THE RIVER IS NOW JUST UNDER 1,270 cfs and running clear according to reports. Watch the ice on rocks however. Small black stone flies will start up shortly. Fish are not moving and are stacked up on the bottom.
Trout Stocking Schedule: Want to know where the State is stocking trout? Take a look at this link:
Fingerling stocking: We are still waiting to hear if the State of Connecticut needs any help with fingerling stocking. As soon as we hear something, we will let all members know. Target date: March/early April. These fingerlings work and grow into large browns and rainbows on the Housatonic as evidenced by recent River sampling of fish.
Come and join us! All we are asking is a few hours of your time to give back to the Housatonic TMA which has given so much to you over your lifetime. Call Sam D’Ambruoso at 203-417-7120.
Boy Scouts Merit Badge Class
by
Fred Monahan, Education Chair
The HFFA will sponsor our annual Fly Fishing Merit Badge class on April 5, 6, and 7, of 2019 at Deer Lake Scout Reservation in Killingworth Ct. We will teach scouts fly tying and fly casting as well as taking them out to the pond and have them try to catch their first fish on a fly. This project was very well-received by the Scouts and it was equally rewarding to the HFFA volunteers who helped introduce fly fishing and fly tying.
A special thanks to Fred Monahan, our project leader (year after year I might add), and all of the HFFA volunteers who contributed their time and energy in helping our young people learn fly fishing. It looks like we have already made some fly fishing enthusiasts!
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Fly of the Month by Paul Dinice
Spring’s Wiggler with variations
Hook: TMC 200R #4 to #10 hook.
Tying thread: 6/0 brown thread.
Weight: (Optional) Non-lead wire. You want to use wire at a small enough gauge so as not to impact the profile of the fly.
Eyes: (Optional) Small black bead chain.
Bead: (Optional) Color & size of choice.
Tail/shell back: Squirrel tail in color of choice. (I also substitute it with peacock herl.)
Body: Yellow Chenille, antron yarn, dubbing. (You can make this fly any color you desire.)
Hackle: Brown saddle hackle.
This is an extremely versatile fly. It can represent a number of different insects, such as stone flies, hellgrammites, and other large nymphs. The fly just looks buggy! It was originally developed as a Steelhead fly in Michigan by a man named Ron Spring. Also known as the ‘Pan Fish Wiggler’ and “Michigan Wiggler’, this fly can be used to catch a variety of fish, including steelhead, trout, small mouth bass, and pan fish. It can imitate whatever you want it to be and is a fairly easy tie. Tie it from very big sizes to size #10. My preferred material for the body is yellow chenille, but I have used antron yarn and dubbing.
To tie this fly begin your thread behind the eye of the hook and wrap down to the bend. Your going to tie in your squirrel tail hairs for a tail. They should extend about a hook gap length beyond the bend of the hook. (I also use peacock herl especially when tying stone fly or smaller flies.) Do not cut off the tag end of the squirrel. This will become your shell back later. Next, tie in your hackle. Now tie in your chenille or yarn for the body. (You can also dub a body of your preferred material.) End the body behind the eye and tie/cut off your material. Next, wrap/palmer your hackle forwards and tie it off behind the eye. Cut off the tag end. Now bring your squirrel tail forward to create your shell back. Make sure you hold your shell back down firmly and tie it off. It has a tendency to loosen up and pull away from the fly body. It’s important to firmly hold it down as you tie it off. Cut off the tag end of your squirrel shell back. Whip finish it off and apply head cement to your wraps. I also apply some UV resin on the shell back for extra durability.
No matter what size wiggler you tied, or materials you used, you have a very buggy and productive nymph. Last year the small mouth fishing on the Housatonic was killer. Big nymphs seemed to be the most productive way to catch them. This was a fly that was very productive for me.
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Fly Tying Classes
DO NOT MISS THIS OPPORTUNITY!
MEMBERS! Here’s the best deal in town! The HFFA is proud to have the very best in fly tying instructions by our well-noted fly tying instructors and members, Paul Dinice, Bill Goeben, and Suguru Imaeda. These are very experienced and professional-level fly-tyers with wonderful instruction on tying specific patterns they are willing to share.
Here’s a sample of the latest salt-water fly tying class recently held. If you are into salt-water fly fishing or thinking about it, this is what these tiers are doing under the guidance of our excellent salt-water fly tier, Paul Dinice. To register, call Paul at 203 305-3850 or email him at [email protected] The class make-up (beginners to advanced) will determine what saltwater patterns/flies we tie. 
From top to bottom:
Half & Half
The Shrimp Tail Gotcha
Fish Mash Deceiver
Sign-up for these classes! This past year we had 20 members sign up for this great class! Classes run Oct-March, the 3rd Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM and are structured for beginners to advanced.
The price right for the class: it’s a whole one dollar per class or $5 for 6 classes and you get materials for the fly you’re tying that evening. You just bring your tools like fly vices, scissors, tying threads. Beginners to advanced welcome. Don’t miss this opportunity!! You can join anytime!
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HFFA Membership Application
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Please help spread the word about the HFFA and introduce others to both the club and the great sport of fly fishing.
Please pass this on to a friend.
Application for Membership
Name:
______________________________________________________________________
Street:
______________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip:
_____________________________________________________________________
Renewal:_____ New:_______
E-Mail Address__________________________________Phone: __________________
Occupation _______________________________________________
How would you like to help us:
Conservation___ Camp-Out____ Annual Dinner_____
Annual Expo_____ Website/Facebook Development______
COMPLETE ALL INFORMATION ABOVE. Newsletter and important membership communications are sent by email.
___ Regular: $25.00 per year ___Junior (17 and under) FREE
___HFFA Fishing Guide (with Postage): $10 ($13)
___HFFA Fishing Guide Non-member price $15.00 plus 6.35% Ct St Sales Tax and $3.00 Postage ($15 + $0.95 + $3.00=$18.95 total)
___Pins$5.00 ___HFFA Patch $5.00 ___HFFA Decal FREE __River maps while supplies last. Total __________ All checks payable to HFFA.
MAIL TO: HOUSATONIC FLYFISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION INC.
P.O. Box 185092
Hamden, CT 06518-5092
Sorry… no credit cards.
Our HFFA Awards
“Charles Downing Lay Award”, presented by the Housatonic Valley Association, for Outstanding Conservation Efforts/ “The McKenzie Cup”, International Award presented by Federation of Fly Fishers/ “Outstanding Achievement Award” presented by Eastern Council Federation of Fly Fishers/Connecticut Sportsmen’s Alliance “Outstanding Sportsmen’s Organization/ National Wildlife Federation “President’s Award”/ Connecticut DEP “Environmental Award”
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