Reflections 2003

December 2003

The Flyrodders had their annual Holiday party at the December 2 meeting. As in the past,  there was no business conducted or a scheduled speaker, just a casual get together complete with fun, refreshments, a grab bag and camaraderie. 

This is the time to go over our equipment and our supply of flies and other material. Make sure your equipment is clean and, if applicable, lightly lubricated, and the drag on your reels loosened up. Take stock of your flies. The cold winter months are perfect for tying flies.

November 2003

The Long Island Flyrodders Annual Awards Dinner was held on November 8th and once again we have to applaud the efforts of the guys who put it all together and did such a great job. In spite of the cold temperatures outside there was an atmosphere of warm camaraderie in the VFW. Kudos go out to Wayne Becker, Jim Foley and Paul and Julie McCain for organizing, decorating the tables and cooking an excellent meal. 

In the tradition of past Flyrodder dinners Herbie Schneiderman led us all in a chorus of "God Bless America" (with a little help from Kate Smith). President Paul McCain then donned his apron to serve up a scrumptious buffet, including his now famous cilantro salmon, of which may of us had seconds. Then it was time to recognize the people who make the wheels turn and keep the train on track. LIFR mugs were issued to show appreciation for many jobs well done. 

The honors for Member of the Year went to Wolfgang Porte who serves on the Board of Directors as Advertising Manager and Welcoming Committee, in addition to always being there for us at Handicapped Fishing events and Casting For Recovery Retreats. The prestigious Ancient Order of Anglers Award went to Mike Piquette, Dr. Richard Jogodnick and Lee Weil. Reels of Appreciation also went out to several members who have organized trips, set up show booths, and served in other capacities throughout the year. 

I know from experience how hard it is to keep this club running on an even keel and it's impossible without the help of the "work horses" who consistently step forward when and where they are needed. Congratulations and thanks again to all of you.

Lee Weil

October 2003

Long Island Fly Rodders fortunate enough to accompany PETE YUSKEVICH and me on the First Annual LIFR Beaverkill Trip were entertained and educated by DAN SHERWOOD, co-owner of our home for the weekend, the Riverside Lodge and Café, and by RICH BRADLEY, owner of the nearby and quaint “Fir Brook Fly and Equipment Store.”

Dan, during the absolutely delicious Saturday morning Breakfast prepared for the LIFRs by his Culinary Institute of America graduate wife Tammy, gave a careful, entertaining, and full explanation of the nearby Beaverkill waters contained within the no-kill zone. He provided expert advice on flies to cast, pools to fish, places to park, and (treacherous) river areas to avoid.
This advice helped Shawn Sullivan, Jeff Farrell, and other LIFRs catch some nice browns and rainbows. Dan promises to offer updated guidance for the 2004 LIFR Beaverkill Trip that will take place in September 2004.

Not wasting the opportunity to buy something related to fly-fishing, Pete and Bill quickly purchased from Rich absolutely gorgeous 5.5 foot, 3-weight, specialty fly rod set-ups that were perfect for the diminutive Fir Brook and its pocket-sized natives. (NOTE 1: Bill’s wife, Eileen, told him to buy the rod because he deserved it!!! NOTE 2: Note 1 reminds me of another happy incident for Bill, wherein Eileen told him to buy a 24-foot boat, but that’s another story…)

Pete almost caught a short-strike brown on his new rod. I managed to land one 8-inch brown, on my big 4-weight, that rose to a size 14 Deerhair Attractor. A small brown did investigate Bill’s offering, gurgled something about a spoiled rotten Fly Rodder, and swam off. Ever the optimist, Rich suggested we practice on small Long Island streams, and come back next spring. That’s a done-deal!

Epilogue --- I asked Rich to order for me a 4-piece “pack” rendition of his little specialty kit rod, as I love to backpack and fish.

Rich and his wife Barbara run their guiding and specialty fly equipment business from a small shop astride the Fir Brook, in Willowemoc, about ten miles from the Riverside Lodge. (See their ad on the "What's New" section of this website or visit their web page at www.firbrookflies.com.) Rich is a native Long Islander, whose love of fishing, peace, and quiet drew him and his wife to move to the “Home of Flyfishing in America.” Be sure to visit Rich’s shop next time you’re in the area. Barbara’s delicious coffee and cake will be there waiting for you, as will Rich’s fish tales!

Mike Lackey

September 2003

After having served as the trip coordinator since the inception of our Connetquot monthly fishing trips, Ron La Chase has decided to retire to the state of Virginia. Lee Weil has graciously volunteered to assume the vacancy effective with the September 15 outing. Thank you so much Ron for a job well done and we wish you the best in your new endeavors.

Some past Flyrodders trips have been known for rain, cold, wind and just plain bad weather. But Trip Captains Nick Friedmand and Morty Schneiderman really outdid themselves. They tried to give us a hurricane! On September 18, Long Island was supposed to be hit by one of the biggest storms in a long while. Because of these reports, a lot of Flyrodders opted out of the Montauk trip and missed out on a great weekend. The room and ocean view were beautiful, the food was great and the weather was perfect. (Although the remnants of the storm did make the fishing tough). Kudos to Nick and Morty with help from Jerry Berkson for a great job on this trip.

August 2003

Our most popular club trip, camping and fishing in Connecticut's Housatonic River hit an all time high this year, not just in attendance (55 members) but also in perks. As usual, Paul McCain outdid himself in planning and running this trip. Every attending member received a LIFR fly box containing 5 excellent Housatonic flies, all tied by Paul. At noon, on Saturday, Marty from the Housatonic Meadows Fly Shop, gave an interesting presentation about the river. We also had a raffle for two FREE Housatonic trips guided by John Hildebrand and Rob from the Anglers Den. The winners were Howie Solomon and Bill Farrington.

As in the past, Paul and Don Shea did much of the cooking with help from Jim Foley and Allan and John Manz.

After having seen the comfortable cots that some of our members had taken on previous camping trips, Bill and Eileen Curtin decided to have something better, so Bill built a foldable queen size bed, complete with storage space and a REAL mattress! A peek at the inside of their tent reminded one of the Waldorf's bridal suite.

The weather was not the greatest, with some heavy rains at times, but we still managed to do quite a bit of fishing, to eat all our meals under a waterproof canopy and to relax by the campfire on Friday and Saturday night.

July 2003

This year's Camping/Fishing trip on the Farmington was coordinated by Mike Gelber and his wife Corinne and daughter Elizabeth. Approximately 20 members signed up and they were not disappointed. Good food, good friends and good fishing.... especially during the evening hatches. Most people pulled up stakes on Sunday afternoon while the rest left on Monday morning. Paul Mc Cain, Bruce Krabel, Alan and John Manz came up for the day on Sunday and, together with rest of the members who opted to stay another day,  did very well in the evening when  fish were rising all over the river.

June 2003

How many pickerel would a pickerel picker pick if the pickerel picker was a Long Island Flyrodder? That question was answered at our 4th Annual Peconic River trip on Tuesday, June 10th. Jeff and I gave Maddlin a much needed bath and hoisted her on top of the truck for our "opening day" trip to Riverhead. The weather finally gave us a break and we had plenty of sunshine and a breeze which held at just castable levels. 

We had a great turnout; about 20 members showed up and being it was a weekday we had the whole lower section of the river to ourselves. Those members who didn't have cartops or canoes rented boats from the Fisherman's Deli. In spite of the high, coffee stained water and dire fishing forecast from the boat livery I believe all of the members had fish. June Boughton did very well using her home-tied version of a Muddler mutation; she was generous enough to pass one on to Joe Otterstedt and Linda Macy who also had success with the pattern. Jeff tied on a black Marabou Muddler and was immediately rewarded with a nice pickerel of 15", followed by another slightly smaller. Mike Friedland took his fish on a white Zonker, and Major Funderburk scored as well. Frank Chin had 2 bass, 16" and 14", and Don also took a bass, but for the most part it was a plethora of picks all day. Vito Laera chose to put in on Forge pond and had a mixed bag over there, of bass, bluegills and pickerel. 

I fished to the most unusual species of the day; casting a tiny white popper into the shallows near the bank, where it was studied intently by a fat calico cat sitting in the reeds. She was extremely interested and crouched, tail twitching in frustration, but I couldn't get her to take. After a pleasant morning of paddling and casting we met at the parking lot for a lunch of hero sandwich and macaroni salad, which was so well received that I have decided to make it a feature of next year's trip. (I may even comply with the request for home baked brownies!) 

Lee Weil

Due to back problems, Ed Conte will no longer be able to serve as the Flyrodder Circulation Manager. Ed held that position since the very first newsletter was launched in 1985. "Thanks, Ed" for a job well done and "Thank You, Dennis Aron" for volunteering to take over the job.

May 2003:

The Club hosted a "Junior Members Fly Tying Class" at Pancho's Border Grill on May 8th. The students learned the basic procedure to tie four patterns including a Caddis Pupa, Woolly Bugger, Hare's Ear Nymph and March Brown. Congratulations to the graduates, who may use their new credentials toward getting their Boy Scouts fly fishing badges in the future.

Including Gil Padovani's three grandchildren, who along with their father Marco have a family membership, only twelve members signed up for the Hungry Trout trip. Those that didn't go really missed out on  perfect weather, excellent water levels and plenty of fish. Eight year old Justin Padovani hooked and landed a 13 inch brown trout. 

April 2003:

The Open House combined with the Used Tackle Sale went well. At the end of the meeting Gil Padovani collected used but usable fishing tackle of any kind which will be donated to "Fishing Buddies" an organization that sponsors fishing for inner city kids.

The Duchess County Orientation trip was well attended with approximately 20 members. A special Thank-you to John Hildebrand who helped  guide the members.

The annual Yellow Breeches/Clark's Creek trip on April 21-23 was met with typical "Flyrodder" weather, meaning 3 days of rain and wind. To make matters worse, fishing was slow but even this did not stop our members from having a good time,  a testimony to the Flyrodders' ability to make the best of their situation.

April 26 marked our annual  "Project Access" day. Approximately 2 dozen members showed up on the Willowemoc with their shovels, spades and rakes. The stream access rehabilitation work was completed just in time for our picnic lunch. After that it was a little fishing. That evening the group met for dinner at the Rockland House in Roscoe.

March 2003:
This March was truly a crazy month. We had freezing days, cold days and warms days. We have seen ice, snow, rain and warm sunshine. For some, this was the month to get ready for the traditional opening day of the regular fishing season. For others, it meant braving the cold on the Connetquot or fishing the warm waters further south. Check out our "Photos" section and you'll see what we mean. 

As in the past, we have put together a list of excellent fishing trips, so please sign up as early as possible or you may miss out since most of the trips have time and number limits. Remember: You must be a club member to attend one of our trips.

February 2003:  
Elections of officers were held at the February meeting. There were no changes in our leadership except for Mike Gelber assuming the position of Vice President. 

Again, at the February meeting, the list of our 2003 club sanctioned fishing trips was announced.  If you haven't signed up for any trip yet, we suggest you do it as soon as possible since some of these events have time or reservation limits.

January 2003:
We started our new year by having a booth at the "World of Fly Fishing" show in Danbury, CT. Paul McCain, Gordon Grimes  and Gil Padovani left their homes early on Friday (Jan.3) morning so that they could set up the LIFR booth in time for the show's opening. It was snowing slightly when they left their homes but by the time they arrived in Danbury, the snowfall had turned into a blizzard. This lasted for the rest of the day, resulting in very few people attending the show. Between 3:30 and 5:30PM only two diehards made it to the door, so it was decided to end the day at 5:45PM.

Saturday and Sunday, things got a lot better. The roads and the parking lot were cleared and a decent number of people including  20 + club members attended the show. Special thanks to Danny Van Buskirk, Cliff Dies, Morty Schneiderman, Jerry Berkson and Bob Skoy who came early on Saturday morning to help  Paul, Gordon and Gil man the booth for the remainder of the show.

The weather was much kinder for the Nassau Coliseum and Somerset Fly Fishing shows. Many visitors stopped at our booths either to ask questions, apply for membership or buy raffle tickets.