July 2008

NEW JERSEY

• Beat the July heat at the Jersey Shore Classic, a two-day, all-inclusive inshore and offshore fishing tournament held on Friday, July 25, and Saturday, July 26. First, second and third-place cash prizes will be awarded for the heaviest weakfish, flounder, dolphin and tuna, but best of all, the tournament raises money for the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition. For more information or to register, visit www.jerseyshoreclassic.com.

CONNECTICUT

• Since 1952, the Hartford Surf Fishing Club has worked to promote and preserve the fine tradition of saltwater and freshwater fishing in Connecticut’s coastal areas. Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Rockville Fish and Game Club in Tolland. Meetings are open to the public, so go check one out! For more information, visit www.hartfordsurf.org.

• The monthly meeting of the Connecticut Surfcasters Association will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2, at the Madison Surf Club in Madison. Meetings consist of a review and discussion of club business followed by a raffle and then the guest speaker for the evening. For more information, visit www.connecticutsurfcasters.com.

• The Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association’s monthly meeting will convene at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, at the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 65 North Main St. in Wallingford. For more information, visit www.hffa.net.

• Casting for Recovery, a national non-profit support and educational program for women who have or have had breast cancer, will hold a weekend retreat at the Trinity Conference Center in West Cornwall from July 25 - 27. This retreat is free to women of all ages and in all stages of breast cancer treatment and recovery who live in Connecticut. For more information, visit www.castingforrecovery.org.
• Cool off at the 34th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race, the oldest, largest self-supporting raft race in the U.S., at 10 a.m. on July 28. The course is 4.1 miles long and runs from the south end of Gildersleeve Island to the west end of Portland Riverside Marina. For more information, visit www.ctriverraftrace.org or call David R. Malboeuf at (860) 707-3691.

• Celebrate the summer with The Connecticut/Rhode Island Coastal Fly Fishers’ Napatree Doubles Tourney, held July 13, or at the club’s Cape Cod Outing from July 20 - 24. For more information, visit www.connri-saltfly.com.

• Sailfest is Southeastern Connecticut’s premiere summertime event, a three-day festival bringing over 300,000 people to New London. Come enjoy the fireworks display, amusement rides, free entertainment, tall ships, and vendors of crafts and food. Go to www.sailfest.org for all the details.

• Come to Mystic Seaport for the Antique & Classic Boat Rendezvous, a gathering of classic vehicles built before 1965, including cruisers, sailboats, runabouts, launches, and more! Come enjoy a dazzling display of approximately 50 high-quality antique vessels along the museum’s waterfront all day Saturday, July 26, and Sunday, July 27. For more information about the Rendezvous, please contact Shannon McKenzie at (860)572.5341 or visit www.mysticseaport.org.

RHODE ISLAND

• Give back to your community and have a blast fishing at the Block Island Volunteer Fire and Rescue Fishing Tournament held July 18 – July 20. Anglers will be targeting striped bass, bluefish and fluke, and will be competing in boat and shore divisions in bait and artificial categories. The heaviest fish qualify for the prize drawing, and all anglers will receive a tourney t-shirt and admission to the all-you-can-eat (and drink) cookout on Sunday. For more details, visit www.bifishworks.com.
• Learn all about Fishing 101 at the monthly seminar of the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers’ Association, held on July 28. The meeting will convene at 7 p.m. at the West Valley Inn in West Warwick, and several speakers will be on hand to provide the basics of the sport we love. To learn more about the club, visit www.risaa.org or call (401) 826-2121.

• The Weekapaug Surfcasters Club holds monthly meetings on the first Sunday of the month at the Quonochontaug Grange Hall on Route 1. Their mission is to be a strong voice for surf fishing, to promote conservation, and to secure access to coastal fishing. For more information, visit www.weekapaugsurfcasters.com or contact Richard LaFaille at rlafaille@cox.net.

• Snug Harbor Marina’s summer tournament series continues with the 1st Annual Derby Fluke Tournament, a 30-day competition held from June 28 – July 27 in Wakefield. This is followed by the 27th Annual Snug Harbor Shark Tournament, held July 12 and 13. A variety of cash and merchandise prizes will be awarded, and there is a heavy emphasis on catch-and-release and tag-and-release fishing. For more information or an application, visit their website at www.snugharbormarina.com or call them at (401)783-7766.

MASSACHUSETTS

• This year’s Annual MacKenzie Boat Club Rendezvous will be held July 25 - 27 at the Kingman Yacht Center in Cataumet, Massachusetts.  If you are interested in MacKenzie Bass Boats and would like to know more about the club or the rendezvous, Commodore Scott Allen can be reached at commodore@mackenzieboatclub.com, or visit www.mackenzieboatclub.com.

• Meetings of the Falmouth Fishermen’s Association are generally held at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month, are open to the public, and frequently involve a speaker and a tackle swap. The meetings convene at the St. Anthony’s Club in Falmouth. For more information, call (508) 328-1737.

• Monthly meetings of the Massachusetts Beach Buggy Association are typically held at 7 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. The MBBA is a conservation-minded club joined together in a common interest and dedicated to the preservation of natural beach resources. For more information, call (774) 836-6376 or visit www.mbba.net.

• Throughout the fishing season, club meetings of the New England Saltwater Fly Rodders are held on the water, with a local expert leading each trip and sharing the ins-and-outs of each spot. There will be no outing in July, but keep updated on future events at www.neflyrodders.org.

• Sign-ups for the Buzzards Bay Anglers Club’s 2008 Trashcan Derby have already begun! This fun-filled, season-long catch-and-release tourney began in May, and requires each entrant to submit $20 to the Trashcan. Then on July 26, the club’s 1st Annual Bluefish Derby kicks off along with the Scup Cup for Kids. Monthly meetings of the club convene at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month at the Mattapoisett Chowder House. For information on the tournament or the club, visit their website at www.buzzardsbayanglersclub.com.

• Registration is now on-going for the Plum Island Surfcasters’ 2008 Year Long Big Fish Tournament, held May 1 – October 31. Prizes will be awarded in bass, bluefish and small class bluefin tuna categories. To register or for more information, call Kevin McGrath at (978) 352-2403. In addition, the club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at the Newbury Fire Hall. www.plumislandsurfcasters.org or call Larry Craig at (978) 388-5994 to learn more.

• Get ready for the largest and most exciting offshore fishing event in New England, the 22nd Annual Monster Shark Fishing Tournament, held July 17 - July 19 in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. Whether you’re a prominent angler with a top-placing boat from a previous year or a tournament greenhorn, you will want to be part of the excitement. To find out how you can get involved, check out www.bbgfc.com.

• This month, join the Cape Cod Salties for a fluke trip on July 18, or come to the club’s July 23 meeting, where speaker Nuno Fragoso of the  UNH Large Pelagics Research Center will speak on the tagging of juvenile tuna. The monthly meeting will be at 7 p.m. at the Yarmouth Senior Center on Forest Road, South Yarmouth, and Nuno will have tagging kits available. Details on the fluke trip are still being finalized, so stay updated at www.capecodsalties.com.

• When the stripers began to show, the Baymen Outfitters anglers are out on the water as much as possible. This club gets together one night a week around 6 p.m. to search for the striped bass that patrol out water. There is an optional cash pool for the longest striped bass caught that evening, as well as an optional “who gets to go on a boat” pool. Many anglers fish from shore as well. If you would like to attend any of the outings, please RSVP Capt. Dave at captdaveb@baymenoutfitters.com.

• The Nantucket Anglers’ Club holds numerous tournaments, events and meetings throughout the course of the year. Sign up now for the club’s yearlong tournaments! On July 19 and 20, the club will be hosting the Bottom Feeders Tournament, targeting scup, black sea bass, sea robin, and fluke, and the Annual Billfish Tournament will kick off on July 29. For more information, visit www.nantucketanglersclub.com or email nantucket.angler2@verizon.net.

• The Massachusetts Striped Bass Association Annual Derby is already in full swing, and anglers in a number of categories and divisions can weigh in their bass and bluefish until November 1. In addition to the annual derby, there is a Special Fluke Tournament for the month of July. For official rules or to print weigh-in slips, visit www.msba.net.

• The MSBA’s July meeting will be held Wednesday, July 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the Viking Club in Braintree. Entertainment will be provided by renowned angler and OTW contributing author DJ Muller, so you don’t want to miss this night! The MSBA is a non-profit organization whose goals include upholding sound conservation practices and laws and furthering good sportsmanship. For more information, visit www.msba.net.

• The Osterville Anglers’ Club kicked-off their 2008 Open/Public Bluefin Tuna and Funny Fish Tournaments back in June, but it’s not too late to sign up! Both these tournaments end September 3, and prizes will be awarded for the heaviest tuna, bonito, false albacore and Spanish mackerel. For more information or to register, check out the Osterville Anglers’ Club web site (www.ostervilleanglersclub.com) or contact the Osterville Anglers’ Club at 1-508-420-4336.

• Trout Unlimited, SE Mass Chapter 241 meets the second Tuesday of the month at the Mitchell Memorial Club, 29 Elm St., Middleboro. Doors open at 6:00 p.m. for fly-tying; the general meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. Two restoration projects include Red Brook in Buzzards Bay and Eel River in Plymouth. For more information, please visit www.southeastmasstu.com.

• Each year from March 1 through November 30, the Massachusetts Department of Marine Fisheries conducts the Massachusetts Saltwater Fishing Derby. This is a free derby, and fish must be caught by hook and line and measured and weighed at a MarineFisheries-certified official weigh station. All entries will receive a derby pin and at the end of the derby year, trophies will be awarded to anglers who landed the heaviest fish in each species category. Visit www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/recreationalfishing/saltderb.htm for more information.

VERMONT

• July 5 is Anglers Night at the Ballpark, hosted by Lake Champlain International in Burlington. There will be special events on and off the field just for LCI anglers and families, prizes, and a 50/50 raffle benefitting the Fishing for Friends mentoring program. LCI is also proud to bring you the 15th Annual LCI All-Season Tournament, a low-pressure competition for a variety of freshwater species that begins May 1 and runs continuously through September 30. For more information, visit www.lciderby.com or call (802) 879-3466.

• The Southwestern Vermont Chapter of Trout Unlimited holds regular chapter meetings each month. Check in at www.tuswvt.org to keep updated on meetings and activities and sign up to receive their e-newsletter, The Hatch.

• Meetings of the Lake Champlain Walleye Association are held the first Wednesday of the month at the Champlain Water District Building in South Burlington. Meetings start at 6:30 p.m. and are open to the public. For more information, visit www.lcwalleye.org.

• The Neshobe Sportsman Club meets on the second Monday of each month, and don’t forget the monthly dinners! A potluck supper begins at 6 p.m., followed at 7 p.m. by the meeting. The clubhouse is located at 97 Frog Hollow Road in Brandon. For more information or to become a member, visit www.neshobesportsmanclub.org.

• The American Museum of Fly Fishing in Manchester is currently featuring the acclaimed traveling exhibit Anglers All, in addition to the world’s largest collection of angling art and angling-related items. The museum strives to preserve the treasures of fly fishing by bringing it alive for anglers and others. Visit their website at www.amff.com for more information, or call (802) 362-3300.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

• New Hampshire’s bass fishing tournaments have already begun all over the state, so check out the NH Fish and Game Department website for tournament schedule. www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing/fish_tournament_table.htm.

• The Let’s Go Fishing classes, sponsored by New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, are a great way to learn how to fish or develop your fishing skills. Courses are free, and a typical course offers six hours of hands-on instruction by trained volunteers, plus a field trip. Classes will be held throughout July, so check out www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Fishing to find one in your area!

MAINE

• Maine’s 3rd Annual Kayak Fishing Tournament, benefitting Hooked on Fishing – Not on Drugs, will take place July 18, 19 and 20 in Freeport. There are divisions for spinning/bait-casting, fly-fishing, and children, and prizes will be awarded for each. Participants can fish from a kayak or canoe, and rentals will be available during the competition. For registration and information, visit www.mainekayakfishing.com or call (207) 478-5910.

• Celebrate the Presumpscot River at the Presumpscot River Watershed Coalition River Fest on July 19 in Westbrook. Join us on the banks of the Presumpscot from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for live music, food, speakers, guided walks, children activities, educational booths, and an opportunity to launch boats. Also learn about what is going on in the surrounding area to promote the recovery and long-term health of the Presumpscot River and its tributaries in a family-oriented way. For more info, phone Margaret Chabot at (207) 822-6331.

• The Fishermen’s Day celebration, held on July 20, has become a popular event, with a wide variety of activities for the whole family on and around the Stonington Fish Pier. These range from Coast Guard demonstrations to Wacky Rowboat Races to a very spirited Codfish Relay Race. For info, phone (207) 348-6980.

• Fishing clubs throughout Maine will be holding numerous derbies this spring and summer. For a full list of bass fishing derbies, visit maine.gov/ifw/fishing/derbies_tournaments/basstournaments/index.htm.

• If you like to fish and are interested in the health of saltwater fisheries, locally, regionally and nationally, consider joining the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA). CCA Maine is seeking to expand its work for the conservation and enhancement of Maine’s coastal marine resources and organize new local chapters in the state. This is a great time to get involved! Visit www.cca-me.org for more information.