October Meeting -Rick Little - Adventure Trip to Big Sky Country, Montana's Bighorn and Missouri Rivers

Travel with Rick on one fisherman's dream adventure trip to two of Montana's superb trout rivers - The Bighorn and the Missouri. Rick will share his experience on these two fabulous rivers and highlights the beauty of Montana's high plains, canyons and mountain scenery. If you have been to Montana, this program will bring back memories. If you have not been there, it will get you dreaming.

Monday October 5, 2015
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation) (Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

 

September Meeting - Eliot Jenkings of Greasy Beaks Fly Fishing - Fishing for False Albacore

Capt. Eliot Jenkins, guide and owner of Greasy Beaks Fly Fishing, will speak on fishing for False Albacore and Bonito.   Eliot also guides for stirped bass and tuna, as well as salmon and steelhead in N.Y., Michigan. and Oregon.

Monday September 14, 2015
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation) (Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

April Meeting - John Hansen - Fly Fishing the Colorado Mountains

John Hansen, is the fly fishing manager at Orvis of Peabody. John came to New England from the Vail Valley in Colorado, where he fished extensively and also guided for six years. He'll speak about fly fishing in the Colorado Mountains including the Colorado River.

John grew up fly fishing in Colorado and was groomed on such waters as the Colorado and Eagle Rivers, the Roaring Fork, and Gore Creek. His passion for fly fishing blossomed into a career, where John guided anglers, either wading or on drift boats, in Colorado and the fabled Kenai River in Alaska. He now calls New England home and thoroughly enjoys the enriching and tight-knit North Shore fly-fishing community. Whether he’s chasing stripers on Cape Ann or trout in western Massachusetts, John is doing what he loves and enjoys sharing his passion with others.

This months dining feast features our annual corned beef and cabbage dinner brepared by our resident Irishman Mike O'neill. Don't miss this delicious meal. See you there!

Monday April 6, 2015
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation) (Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

January 5th Meeting - Michelle Craddock - Flow Issues in the Ipswich River

Michelle Craddock
Mass Div of Ecological Restoration

 
Michelle is DER's statewide Flow Restoration Specialist.  Her topic will focus on the River Instream Flow Stewards Program (RIFLS) and the influence of people on the seasonal flows of water in the Ipswich River. TU NorEast has funded the purchase of equipment for monitoring the tributaries of the upper Ipswich. This will be your opportunity to learn about your impact on the science of managing stream flow and its importance to fish populations.

Michelle has a strong background in river science. She has worked with the EPA on water issues in the Great Lakes Region, done her graduate work at UNH on the influence of farms on rivers, and received her BA at BU. She has been working with the Division of Ecological Restoration for 3 years and brings a wealth of expertise to restoring our rivers.

Elections 

Just a heads up that we'll be holding elections for the chapter executives at our January meeting. All of the positions will be open. Taking a leadership role in the chapter is a great way to do a little more toward the protection of our local resources.

Thanks once again to everyone who volunteers time for the chapter. We truly appreciate all of your hard work.

Hope to see you Monday.


Monday January 5, 2015
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation) (Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

September Meeting: Armand Courchaine, Bugs over Bass

Armand Courchaine, master Fly Tyer of Marlboro will be sharing some of his secrets to motivate freshwater Bass to make that critical error in judgment. As the waters warm up, it would be timely to refocus from trout and stripers to large and smallmouth bass in some of the great ponds of the Nor'East region.

Arrive at 6 PM for a hearty meal prepared by the Chapter cooks. It'll give you time to tell us about your summer fishing adventures!!

Monday September 8, 2014
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation) (Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

April Meeting - Charlie Costello - Fishing In Iceland and Eel Grass Habitat on the Decline

Charlie Costello started fishing as a boy growing up in Rockport, Massachusetts. Has fly fished all of his life and traveled to many great fly fishing destinations. He regularly travels to Iceland to fish for salmon, brown trout and Atlantic salmon. He will present a slideshow of some of his fishing adventures on Iceland’s northern rivers.

Work wise, to allow him to go fishing in Iceland, he is a biologist who studies eelgrass, a important coastal resource that is declining at an alarming rate.  Most of the important Massachusetts finfish and shellfish spend part of their lifecycle in the eelgrass habitat.  He will present the results of his 20 year career mapping and monitoring the eelgrass meadows of Massachusetts.

Monday April 7, 2014
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation) (Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

Our Holiday Party and Fly Tying Get Together Featuring a Slideshow of The Crooked Pond Brook Culvert Project

Monday December 2, 2013
6:00 Pizza free to all!
7:00 Fly tying and Presentation
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

This months meeting will be our annual holiday pizza party and fly tying get-together. You don't have to be a fly tyer to come. We'll have pizza for all, so bring an appetite. Tim Twombly has promised us some samplings from Samuel Adams larder ;-) Like last year, fly tyers can bring their tools and materials and tie up anything they'd like. If you have an extra vice and tools bring them along and help a non-tyers find out about "the other half of the fly fishing sport." All are encouraged to try their hand at this wonderful pastime. This is a relaxed and cozy meeting where members can come and enjoy each others company as the year winds down.

We'll have informal discussion about the upcoming 2013 calendar and also discuss our Annual Chapter Business Meeting in January where we will hold elections. There will also be a slideshow of images taken by many chapter members at the Crooked Pond Brook Culvert site. We'll show the two years of progress made, starting with the original site and the problems we faced, to last weeks rains, which ended the current autumn drought which christened the new culvert with flowing water. Mark your calendars for this very spacial meeting.

June Meeting - "sea-swallow'd" A film by Ryan Peterson

Ryan Peterson is making a trip from Alaska to Nor'East TU to present to us his incredibly impactful short film "sea-swallow's." He exposes the faces of Bristol Bay and the truth about Pebble Mine. This Trout Unlimited sponsored piece should not be missed. Mark your calendars for this unique chapter event.

Here is a quote from the ArtsAlaska.org film festival where the film premiered:

There are films that change your mind, that get into your consciousness. sea-swallow’d, by Ryan Peterson of Alaskanist Stories did this perfectly. Without words, through music and images, this film showed the faces of people living in Bristol Bay, Alaska. One by one, we saw regular people living their lives, surrounded by Alaska’s vast wilderness and the world’s most productive salmon habitat. The landscape shots, the camera work… just stellar. In this film, we saw shots that I don’t think have ever been seen before, especially in the salmon scene when the camera was underneath, looking up at, the running salmon. Jaws in the theatre dropped, audibly, during this scene. Collectively, we felt we were seeing something amazing. It was an emotional, intrinsic feeling that swept the audience, without any need to use an overt “environmental” argument. The closing words, unspoken, and image of the “No Pebble Mine” banner had the theatre erupt in applause and cheers. This was the most electric moment of the entire evening.

Ryan on Ryan:

Born and raised in Alaska, went to college at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland to study American History. From 2001-2005 I worked in state politics in AK, first in the office of Governor Tony Knowles, then as an aide to a legislator representing downtown Anchorage. I've lived, travelled and guided flyfishers all over Alaska, and this year will guide my 10th season in Kamchatka, Russia. From 2005-2012 I worked as an international flyfishing travel specialist at The Fly Shop in Redding California, arranging flyfishing trips all over the world. I recently moved home to Anchorage, where I've founded a production company to document the flyfishing and broader outdoor culture of Alaska. Several of the films I have worked on have received wide-acclaim within the flyfishing and fish conservation communities and beyond. Among them are sea-swallow'd which examines the relationship between humans and salmon in Bristol Bay, AK in the context of the proposed Pebble Mine, and Eastern Rises (with Felt Soul Media) a flyfishing documentary romp through Kamchatka, Russia. The later won the award for Best Mountain Sport Film at the prestigious Banff Mountain Film Festival in 2011.

Ryan will also share with us some of his steelhead guiding and filming experiences.

Monday June 3, 2013
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)(Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

May Meeting - Bill and Janet Thompson of North Country Angler in North Conway, NH

Owners of the North Country Angler in North Conway, New Hampshire. Bill and Janet will present Fly Fishing the Eastern Slope of the New Hampshire White Mountains covering the home waters he has fished for over thirty years, including the Saco, Ellis, Wildcat and Swift Rivers. He'll also talk about Mountain Pond and the Androscoggin River. They are licensed NH Guides. Bill writes a weekly fishing column for his local newspaper and a monthly column for NH Outdoor Gazette.

Monday May 6, 2013
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)(Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

April Meeting - Three Rivers Lodge in Labrador - Meeting at Orvis Peabody

In an effort to switch things up a bit, the chapter will hold its April 1st Chapter Meeting at the
Orvis Store at the North Shore Mall.

Our speaker for the evening is Robin Reeve. As managing partner of Three Rivers Lodge, Robin
has spent the last fifteen summers along fertile rivers of the Labrador interior. He will be shar-
ing his images of this wilderness, of its trophy brook trout and perhaps divulging a few angling
secrets.





All purchases during the meeting will receive a 20% discount.

See you there.

Monday April 1, 2013
7:00PM Robin Reeve Presentation
Orvis
North Shore Mall
Peabody, Mass

March Meeting - Jim MacCartney - River Restoration

Join us this month for a presentation by Jim MacCartney, River Restoration Director for Trout Unlimited (TU). Jim works nationwide on a variety of river restoration projects including stream crossing remediation, channel restoration, bank stabilization, habitat enhancement, dam removal, and watershed assessment. Before joining TU, he worked for the NH Department of Environmental Services where he administered the NH Rivers Program and led development of the State’s instream flow policy. Jim previously was President of the River Management Society, and earned his M.S. in Resource Management and Administration from Antioch University New England. In addition to his job with TU, Jim also works part-time for the National Park Service on Wild and Scenic Rivers.

Jim’s talk will focus on some of TU’s restoration efforts in the region and the innovative techniques being employed.

We're also going to celebrate St' Patrick's Day a little early because our own Mike O'Neill will be making corned beef and cabbage for our pre-meeting meal. Join us and remember to bring your own green beverage!

Monday March 4, 2013
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)(Bring Your Own Green Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

January Meeting - Fishing the Rapid River

Photo: Lakewood Camps

Join us this month for a presentation on fishing Maine's Rapid River, presented by Whit Carter of Lakewood Camps. The big fishing attraction at Lakewood Camps is the Rapid River. Named the best natural brook trout stream in the lower 48 states, and listed as one of the top 100 best places to fish in the world, the Rapid lives up to this reputation. The Rapid often exceeds fly fishers expectations. Brook trout in the three to five pound range are common. The Rapids River's landlocked salmon must not be over looked either, they are prolific, and big. Many salmon exceed twenty inches, and three pounds. Landlocked salmon are a great fly fishing challenge, with long runs and lots of fighting and jumping which adds to the excitement. Find out more at www.lakewoodcamps.com

We will also have our annual business meeting, elections and member rod raffle. Don't miss out!

Monday January 7, 2013
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)(Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

December Holiday Party and Meeting

Monday December 3, 2012
6:00 Pizza free to all!
7:00 Fly tying and informal discussion
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

This months meeting will be our annual holiday pizza party and fly tying get-together. You don't have to be a fly tyer to come. We'll have pizza for all, so bring an appetite and your own holiday cheer. Like last year, fly tyers can bring their tools and materials and tie up anything they'd like. If you have an extra vice and tools bring them along and maybe help some non-tyers find out about the other half of the fly fishing sport. All are encouraged to try their hand at this wonderful pastime. This is a relaxed and cozy meeting where members can come and enjoy each others company as the year winds down.

We'll have informal discussion about the upcoming 2013 calendar and also discuss our Annual Chapter Business Meeting in January where we will hold elections. We'd also like to hear what's on your mind and what you'd like to see the chapter be doing in the future.

Mark your calendars for this very spacial meeting.

October Meeting - Wayne Castonguay - New Executive Director of the IRWA

Wayne Castonguay, new Executive Director for the Ipswich River Watershed Association, will join us to introduce himself and give a brief overview of his observations of the IRWA during his first month on the job that may be of interest to TU.  At this early stage in his tenure, he primarily wants to learn more about TU’s role relative to the river and how he can help us advance mutual goals. Please join us for this important and informational meeting between our like minded organizations.

Monday October 1, 2012
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)(Bring Your Own Beverage)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

September Meeting - Fly Fishing Argentina

We are pleased to have Mark Foley of First Cast Fly Fishing presenting a 60 minutes slide show about fly-fishing and traveling in Argentina. At age 29, Mark spent one year hiking and fishing the Andes Mountain Range and he is a former Argentina fly-fishing lodge manager. During his presentation, he will take us on a fly-fishing journey from Tierra del Fuego to the border of the Bolivian rainforest. We will see spectacular pictures of the Andes Mountains, wildlife such as the Andean Condor, and of course, lots of photos of wild trout and Golden Dorado. Lastly, Mark will share a few secrets on how to travel on a dime, yet travel in comfort.

About Mark:
Mark is a native of New Hampshire and a graduate from Iowa State University. His love for adventure fishing and traveling has brought him to Africa, New Zealand, Mexico, Central and South America, British Columbia and Alaska. He spent 15 years in medical sales before starting a not for profit, donation only business called First Cast Fly Fishing. In addition, he is a licensed NH guide, a certified fly fishing instructor for the NH Fish & Game, the Phillips Exeter Academy fly-fishing adviser and ODC instructor (outdoor challenge) and a Boy Scouts of America Merit Badge Counselor. Lastly, he is a life member of Trout Unlimited and Federation of Fly Fishers.



Monday September 10, 2012
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

May Meeting - Current Cold Water Restoration Projects in Massachusetts

The chapter will host a presentation by Nick Wildman, of Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration. Following a brief description of the agency’s philosophy and guiding principles, the talk will focus on current coldwater restoration projects on the Shawsheen River in Andover, the Hoosic River in Clarksburg, and the Jones river in Kingston. There will be ample time for questions and discussion. With all of the recent activity regarding the Shawsheen, this will be a great opportunity to learn more about the river and prospects for restoring it.
 
Nick Wildman is the Priority Projects Coordinator for the MA Division of Ecological Restoration. As part of this work, Nick facilitates the progress of 26 river restoration projects across the state. He has over six years experience directing stream and wetland restoration projects in the northeastern US. Nick holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Duke University. He lives in New Bedford with his wife and two young children.

Monday May 7, 2012
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

April Meeting - “The Life Cycles and Spawning Behavior of Eastern Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon” A Video Presentation by Bob Michelson

© 2012 Photography by Michelson, Inc.

This month photographer/videographer Robert Michelson will present “The Life Cycles and Spawning Behavior of Eastern Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon.” Bob will share his photos and short videos during his presentation.

Photography By Michelson, Inc. is based in Braintree, Massachusetts. Bob is an underwater photographer and videographer who has been diving for 31years. His images and articles have appeared in numerous national publications, and his video footage and programming has aired on numerous broadcast and cable networks. Bob is also working with the MA/RI Council of Trout Unlimited to produce a documentary on several river restoration projects that the council is supporting.

Monday April 2, 2012
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

No March Meeting

Just a reminder that there will be no March meeting this month since we all attended the Fly Fishing Film Tour. See you again on April 2, 2012

February Meeting

Two reasons to come to our February 6th meeting:

First, we failed to give away the Winston Ascent rod at our last meeting, so we’ll be raffling it off at the meeting. As a reminder, you received a free chance to win the rod for every meeting you attended.

Second, Sean Smith will be presenting "Fishing the New Hampshire Seacoast" and providing great insight into fishing the seacoast rivers, including the Lamprey, Exeter, Isinglass and Cocheco. Sean has guided in this area for years and was the former president of the Great Bay TU chapter. We hope to see you there.

Monday February 6, 2012
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.

January Meeting

Attention All Members
Annual meeting and elections to be held this Monday at the IWRA. We will discuss the future events and happenings of the chapter for 2012. Please attend this import ant meeting.
Monday January 9, 2012
6:00 Dinner ($5.00 donation)
7:00 Meeting
Ipswich River Watershed Association
143 County Road
Ipswich, Mass
Click here for directions.