Mark McBeth
Support for the proposed legislation to improve ...
Support for the proposed legislation to improve the Upper Farmington River Flow
Mark McBeth
President's Message
President's Message
Mark McBeth
CVTU Rod Building Class
CVTU Rod Building Class
Mark McBeth
Volunteer Anglers Needed
Volunteer Anglers Needed
Mark McBeth
Changes to Inland Sportfish Regulations – ...
Changes to Inland Sportfish Regulations – effective 12/27/2022

Quarterly Newsletter - May 2022

President's Message

It’s Spring Time!

Mike Fatse

A time for renewed growth and greening, flowers and trees coming into bloom and the waters of our area coming alive with bugs and fish. It’s also a time for CVTU to get out and make a difference and I hope you will choose to join us. We have many opportunities for upcoming volunteer projects and fund raising efforts.

CVTU will be planting trees on Deep Brook and the Pootatuck River on May 7th, we will meet at the Kiosk behind the dog park in Newtown at 9:00 AM. We have 15 large trees to plant and so far turn out is light, please try to lend a hand. Conifer revetment projects are planned for numerous areas of Deep brook, these will have dates assigned as water levels drop and make it possible to complete the projects.

Our first ever Wine, Beer and Bourbon fund raiser is Saturday, May 21st at Dickinson Park In Newtown CT. This is our first opportunity in 2 years to raise funds for our Trout in the classroom, conservation projects and education for the community. I hope each and every member will support us, with friends, donations and participation on the day of the event. John Forlenzo is our event chair and is in need of volunteers, we need everyone to get involved for this to be a success! Please contact John at johnfo3@sbcglobal.net to lend your support. Get more details here or at the link in “Upcoming Events”

CVTU is your chapter and participation is crucial to our success.

Thanks for your support, and I hope to see you at an upcoming event.

Mike Fatse

President - CVTU

Upcoming Events

Tree Planting on the Pootatuck River and Deep Brook

Volunteers are needed

Saturday, May 7th - 9:00 AM

Meet at Deep Brook Kiosk

May Chapter Meeting

Featuring Phil Sheffield

Wednesday, May 11th - 7:00 PM at Edmond Town Hall

CVTU Spring Fundraiser

Saturday, May 21st - 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Dickinson Memorial Park Pavilion, 50 Elm Drive, Newtown,

Q1 Happenings

CVTU Has Been Busy in 2022

Jim Shafer

The first four months of 2022 were a busy period for CVTU. By March we pretty much moved beyond the pandemic and we were able to hold our first in-person chapter meeting March 9th, at Newtown’s Edmond Town Hall. That meeting was exactly two days short of two years since our last in-person meeting on 3/11/2020. Approximately 20 members showed up for the traditional pizza and beverages, followed by a presentation by CVTU Board Member Paul Shafer. He shared the adventures of he and son Jim, chasing Redfish in the Mississippi delta south of New Orleans.

January and February chapter meetings were held via Zoom. That platform continues to be of value, as our in-person chapter meetings are also broadcast via Zoom for those members who can’t make it to Newtown, or chose not to attend in person. As in the past all of our meetings include presentations from experts that share our passion.

Torrey Collins presents to CVTU

January’s meeting was all about Salmon River Steelhead and was hosted by Scott Prindle of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. He gave the chapter an unbelievably detailed look at the Salmon River, and shared the phenomenal work the state and volunteers have done to maintain and improve the watershed. February featured Torrey Collins of Upcountry Sportfishing with a valuable presentation on both the Housatonic and Farmington rivers.

CVTU members and friends took part in conservation events over the last four months. Our usual “Trees of Trout” collection of Christmas Trees was held on Saturday, January 8th. With the help of the Boys Scouts we were able to collect an abundance of trees that will be used in future conifer revetment efforts on Deep Brook.

April 23rd saw close to 30 volunteers come out on a beautiful Saturday morning to Sandy Hook for CVTU’s Earth Day trash cleanup on both the Pootatuck and Deep Brook. We had several new members participate along with all the usual suspects. The effort was coordinated with the the town of Newtown who sent trucks to pick up to dozens of full trash bags. About half the volunteers were kids from local schools.

Stay tuned to our website and emails for more conservation events and fishing trips…

Lets Welcome the Following New Members

  • Rory Ahearn

  • Tim Laughlin

  • Lewis Drzal

  • Patrick Brennan

We hope to see you all at an upcoming meeting or event

February Chapter Meeting - Recording Available

Here is the recording of Wednesday’s chapter meeting featuring Torrey Collins of Upcountry Sportfishing.

Torrey gave us a detailed look at the Housatonic and Farmington rivers, as well as some expert tips on Euro Nymphing, streamer fishing, and other methods for targeting highly pressured trout.

Take some time to view the video on CVTU’s YouTube channel.

And don’t forget to order your “Sweets” from Maple Craft Foods and support our chapter fundraising efforts. Go to https://maplecraftfoods.com/pages/cvtu and be sure to enter code “CVTU” at checkout to have 30% of your order go to CVTU.

"Ode to a Grove"

Here is CVTU Board Member Randy Walker’s poem about the fate of decades old trees in Housatonic Meadows State Park. Randy and many others have fished this section of the “Housy” for many years enjoying the shade provided by the many pines, oaks and maples.

Ode to a Grove

DEEP says hazardous trees must go

For tall trees land a powerful blow

Yet all trees in a grove rely

On their neighbors growing close by

Together against strong winds they strove

That is how they became a grove

Now take away part of its canopy and shield

Within its heart trees now yield

For roots never having the stress

Are now exposed to the winds’ duress

So DEEP you now see

Is in the business of creating hazardous trees

Both in their economic driven fantasy, and sadly in reality

United they will stand

Divided they all will fall

Chapter Meeting Survey Results

Click on Charts to zoom image

Included here is an overview of the results of our Chapter Meeting Survey. We had 38 respondents to the survey. We wish to thank all of you who answered the survey questions. Your input is valuable to us as we plan the future of CVTU. We closed the survey on Monday the 16th.

The results of the survey indicate that the majority respondents would like the meetings to restart with the option of broadcasting the meeting live via Zoom. This would accommodate members that wish not to attend in-person (21% of respondents).

The best weekday for holding the in-person meetings is Tuesday, based on a convincing 60.5% majority. Tuesday would allow us to meet at the Reverie Brewery in private. Brewery ownership has offered to open the Brewery, one Tuesday per month and provide a bartender for our meeting. We would have the Tasting Room to ourselves for our meetings which will keep noise and crowds to a minimum. We’ll still be able to bring in Pizza and soft drinks, but beer would be for purchase. Additionally, the brewery has the necessary infrastructure to allow for presentation projection and a Zoom broadcast.

There was no clear majority on minimum COVID19 requirements. However 52% of respondents selected either masks optional or no precautions. Restarting our in-person will require us to follow TU, local, and CDC COVID guidelines, and we will keep abreast of those guidelines and any changes that may come with restrictions to public gatherings. Our goal is to reenergize our chapter happenings while keeping all members safe.

Stay tuned for an official announcement for our December meeting after Thanksgiving.

Enjoy the holiday!

Let's Re-Start our Chapter Meetings!

Chapter Meeting Survey

As we look to reenergize the chapter following the challenges of COVID-19, we would like the input of our membership. To that end we have created an anonymous survey with questions pertinent to future chapter meetings. I should take no more than 5 minutes to complete. The survey will be active until this Sunday, November 14th.

Your opinions on the structure, location and time for future meetings is extremely important. This is your chapter and your participation is what helps the chapter meet its goals. Over the past 18 months we have experienced challenges in maintaining member engagement and your Board is committed to restarting the monthly meetings in a way that satisfies all member wants and needs, in a safe environment.

The Survey is now closed

Pootatuck Cleanup, Conifer Revetment and CVTU Kiosk Update

Clear, cold water conservation starts with passion and commitment. In honor of celebrating “Trout Week”, October 25th through September 1st, Candlewood Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter volunteers, gathered on the banks of the Pootatuck River in Newtown, Connecticut to remove invasive weeds in and around critical riparian buffer plantings installed in the spring of 2020. In addition to the removal of invasive plants the group installed approximately 30 yards of conifer revetments. Conifer revetment work is the installation of discarded Christmas trees which trap sediment, leaves and other natural debris that over time create new banks which helps to keep erosion to a minimum. It’s this sort of chapter involvement that not only helps to restore key cold water habitat and critical spawning areas but strengthens our community.

In addition to the steam bank work on the Pootatuck, we were also able to update our two Kiosks on Al’s trail, at Commerce Street and behind the Newtown United Methodist Church. These Kiosks serve to inform visiters to the river and trail, about CVTU, our mission, how to contact us, and how to become involved in the chapter and TU national.

Thank you to all who participated in this event, and enjoy the pictures and videos.

CVTU September Chapter Meeting - YouTube Video

If you missed our Chapter Meeting last night, we’ve uploaded the Zoom Video to the CVTU YouTube channel. The video is about 2 hours in length and covers a lot of ground with regards to our upcoming chapter conservation work and fishing trips.

John Forlenzo with an Alaskan Dolly Varden Char

The central content of our meeting was John Forlenzo’s presentation on his recent trip to Alaska and the Bristol Bay region. He floated with Wild River Guides who presented to our chapter back in November 2018. His presentation focuses on the Northfolk Goodnews River.

We encourage you to find some time to view this video and enjoy John’s presentation. It may even inspire you to make the trip for yourself.

Link to Chapter Meeting Video

Stay tuned to cvtu.org for more news on upcoming events and meetings.

We Need Your Help!

Pootatuck River Stream Walk Surveys

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

HVA is looking for 1-2 volunteers who can provide support in the field during stream walk surveys. Stream surveys will occur in the Pootatuck River and its tributaries in the Town of Newtown. The surveys will provide key information to help identify stream restoration opportunities within the Pootatuck River watershed. HVA will train volunteers in the field and provide waders if necessary.

WE PREFER VOLUNTEERSWHO ARE:

  • Available during regular work hours(Monday-Friday, 9-5, actual survey hours will vary)

  • Comfortable working in inclement conditions

  • Capable of wading and walking in streams and rivers, especially among uneven terrain and slippery surfaces

  • Able to transport themselves to and from field sites

  • Able to commit to helping with multiple stream walks

VOLUNTEERS WILL:

  • Help carry gear

  • Assist with measurements

  • Assist with data collection and entry, using iPads and Trimble GPS devices

  • Learn about in-stream assessment protocol AND share their knowledge of the Pootatuck Watershed!

If you are interested or have any questions, please email Erik Hazelton at ehazelton.hva@gmail.com. Fieldwork will take place from late September to early December.

 

Penfield Reef 2021 Lives up to Promise

The annual summer trip to Penfield Reef in Fairfield certainly lived up to its promise. The weather couldn’t have been any better making the night a perfect one for wading the reef in search of Stripers and Blues.

Approximately 20 fisherpersons from both CVTU and Mianus TU made the trip. Between them 30 to 40 stripers were caught. Spin fishing was the choice for most but some fish were caught on the fly.

This is a trip that we may repeat in the fall as long as the weather cooperates, the tides are right and the fish are still prevalent. Look for additional information on future events at cvtu.org and via our regular emails.

Not subscribed? Go here and sign up; email subscription