April 30, 2010 - Fishing Trip Report

Reel Addiction CCA sponsored trip April 25th.
Here's the report from member Dave Gedra (edited):

The trip aboard the Reel Addiction went off very well!!

There were five anglers on the trip; myself, my 11 year old son Stephen, Stephen's friend Connor, also 11, Bob Gregor and Chet Glod. Of the five anglers, I was the only one who had been on a trophy striper trip before; so when we hooked up with bubba, I put myself last on the rotation.

We met the boat and crew, Captain Ignash and mate Chris Sutton, at Anchor Point Basin in Edgewater, at the mouth of the South River at 5:30 a.m. The boat is a beautiful 35'Carolina Princess, an offshore boat with flying bridge. Go visit Captain Greg Ignash's web site reeladdiction.com for pictures. In addition to a great boat, all the fishing gear was brand new, including Shimano Tekota reels.

We motored down the bay in bands of light rain, with a light breeze; the seas were relatively calm with some small rollers. When we arrived in the area around Buoy 78, south of Parker Creek, the captain put out 18 lines with planer boards, and the game began.

We fished until everyone had their trophy fish in the box:

Bob was up first; he caught a nice 39" fish.

Connor was up next; he reeled in a 38" fish.

Chet was #3; he brought home a monstrous 45" beauty which dwarfed everything else in the box.

Stephen at 11 years old was up next to catch his first trophy Rockfish. He struggled to land a nice 36 incher....Fortunately we did not loose the boy, the gear, nor the fish...Chris Sutton, the mate did a great job letting him fight the fish, but preventing any accidents from happening.

I was last up, and settled for a 34 incher. Just as my fish hit the deck, another rod went down, and Bob brought a nice 36" fish in for a photo and release.

Based on observing the other boats, listining to the radio, and getting reports via cell phone, it seems that we did pretty well by comparison. A number of boats were really struggling to get fish in the box!

We headed back to Edgewater at about 27 knots where the mate expertly cleaned the fish for us...we headed back to Northern Virginia at about 3:00.

Captain Greg Ignash and his mate Chris Sutton put on a great trip for us....they are a 1st Class Operation. I highly recommend them for this type of fishing trip, and wouldn't hesitate to fish with them again!

March -April 2010 Newsletter

From the President:

Dear Members and Friends-
The 10th Annual Banquet was a big success - On March 6, 2010, the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association held its 10th Annual "Save a Fish" Banquet & Auction. This year's event drew close to 90 supporters of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia's Coastal Marine Environment.

The evening was highlighted with auctioneer Clark Carr conducting the exciting Live Auction that included lots of great items, including Charter Trips, weekend vacations, and rod and reel combos. Everyone in attendance agreed that this event was not only fun but also for a great cause as well! The event raised approximately $20,000 towards "Conserving, Protecting, and Restoring" the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia's Coastal Marine Environment! A truly amazing amount considering the current state of our economy - but nevertheless it shows that we have a very strong group that cares enough about our mission to support it.

Banquet Photos: Click on the words "CCA Banquet Photos" below to view, and download photos from the Banquet.

CCA Banquet Photos

Generous Donors -
This event could not have been a success without the support of our generous donors. We were very fortunate to be able to offer 15 Charter/Guided Fishing trips at the auction. The Chapter fishing trips during the year will be with these captains, so sign up and get to meet these generous donors. We were also able to offer top notch equipment and gear - plus numerous other fantastic prizes - LL Bean donated the Super Raffle Grand Prize - an LL Bean Angler Kayak Package.

The Super Raffle Kayak winner this year was one of our CCA members - Greg Rhatican of Springfield, Virginia - He seemed very happy to have his ticket drawn and I am sure he will put the kayak to good use!

Hugh Miller donated a Custom Rod to be built to the winners specifications - it was the subject of the 52 card raffle, always an exciting event!

I would also like to take a moment to thank the Banquet Committee members and their families....they put in countless hours in making this a great event: Carl Onesty, Tom Welch, Rich & Vivian Redler, Ernie Rojas, Bob Forbes, and George Lenard. Again, thank you all for your great support of this event; we look forward to putting the funds to good use in running our chapter events and providing support for our State-Wide conservation efforts.

CCA VA Infonet - Please keep a look out for notices from our CCA VA infonet - it will keep you up to date on all state-wide fisheries issues, and a new program that has been announced to increase membership in Virginia. It is called "Reel-em-in" ; there will be more information available on the state website.

Next Meeting April 14 - I look forward to seeing you at our next Chapter meeting on April 14th with Guest speaker John Page Williams, a fisherman and naturalist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Rob Allen, President,

CCA Northern Virginia

Calendar of Events for 2010:
Monthly Meetings - Mark your calendars:

When: 2nd Wednesday of the Month

Where: Grace Presbyterian Church meeting hall, 2381 Cedar Lane, Vienna, VA

Time: From 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

Directions: From the Outer Beltway:

Exit 47 West on to Route 7 (Leesburg Pike)

Take second left on to Gallows Road .3 mi.

Go 1.2 miles, turn right on to Cedar Lane

Go .8 miles, cross the Bike Trail, 2381 is on your left.

April 14th Meeting - John Page Williams - Chesapeake Bay Foundation

May 12th Meeting - Francis Zell - "10 ways to improve your your trolling and light tackle fishing techniques."

June 9 Meeting - Captain Tom Hughes - "Maximizing your GPS/Plotter/Fish Finder"

Sept 8th Meeting - Speaker to be determined


Oct. 13th Meeting - Speaker to be determined

Nov. 10th Meeting - Speaker to be determined


We are always looking for interesting speakers; if you know someone thw would make an interesting presentation, please contact Rob Allen. (rob.allen@princetoninformationl.com or 703-626-2668)


Our special thanks to CCA member Mark Stempler, a member of the Church Congregation for providing the meeting place for our use during the year!

April 14th, 2010 Meeting:

John Page Williams from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, a conservationist and recreational fisherman, will be our guest speaker with a presentation of the current state of the Bay, and the latest legislation that would empower the EPA to control pollution in the Bay. There will be lots of opportunities for questions and answers; we had a lively discussion session with John at last years' presentation!

Bio: In addition to his responsibilities as a fund raiser for CBF, field educator, and program administrator, John has hands-on experience running field trips by canoe, outboard skiff, and workboat on every river system in the Chesapeake.

John is also a free-lance writer on the subjects of boats, marine electronics, fishing and environmental issues for Boating, and Northeast Boating Magazines, (see his article on fishing in the latest Chesapeake Bay Magazine).

May 12 Meeting:

Francis Zell will be our guest speaker in May, with a power point presentation on "10 ways to improve your trolling and light tackle jigging techniques". Francis' presentation will include lots of the equipment he uses during the season for you to check out and ask questions about.

Bio: Francis has been fishing the Chesapeake Bay for over 15 years, which is more than half his life, and is a frequent contributor to "Tidal Fish". Fran is a full-time teacher, a former commercial hook and line fisherman, has mated on several charter boats, including the fin Finder, and "Miss Susie" out of Solomons, and manages to fish about 150 days a year. This will be an enjoyable and entertaining evening...y'all come!!

Charter Fishing Trip News - Fin finder Trip - April 19

Tom Welch Doug McNair Paul Henon

I received this report from Tom Welch (edited), who organized this trip out of Solomons on April 19th.

We left the dock for our afternoon Charter at 12:40 with Captain Andrew Turner and proceeded up the bay toward the power plant on the Western Shore. It was a great day to be on the water...normally I like to fish in the morning...but today I was very happy fishing in the afternoon. Captain Turner had a morning trip with another party and it was rough water and rough fishing that morning...they only caught 6.

First mate Steve put out a spread of 24 lines, and then FISH ON.....Tom Welch made quick work of the 38" fish...the skunk was off the boat! We than had a steady pick, and within two hours each of the seven guests had boated a fish...the keepers were from 31" up to 42".

We hung around and did some C&R...caught another 7 fish...all released unharmed. The Bay was flat as a lake, and the sun really kept us warm. Back at the dock by 5:30, and back in Reston by 8:00....A great day with a great crew!! Bob Coy, Tom Welch, Doug McNair, George Hussey, Paul Henon, Ed McWilliams

February 2010 Newsletter

From the President:

Happy New Year fellow Conservationists and Fishermen. We are pleased to present the latest Chapter Newsletter, and hope to add content throughout the year. You received an e-mail directing you to this Newsletter because you are a CCA Northern Virginia member, or a supporter of CCA NOVA. The blog format will save trees, allow us more flexibility with color and photos, (which you can download), and also gives us the ability to contact you with timely information immediately. We will be featuring stories and information of special interest to our Northern Virginia members, including local fishing reports, information on upcoming meetings, and follow up stories with pictures from these events.

The CCC State and Chapter websites (http://www.blogger.com/www.ccavirginia.org) continue to provide internet access to anyone surfing the web looking for CCA contact information for the first time. We hope you enjoy our first issue for 2010 and welcome your input. Rob Allen - President

Calendar of Events for 2010:

Monthly Meetings - Mark your calendars:

When: 2nd Wednesday of the month

Where: Grace Presbyterian Church, meeting hall, 2381 Cedar Lane, Vienna Virginia

Time: From 7:00 to 9:00 pm.

Directions from the Outer Beltway:

Exit 47 West onto Route 7 (Leesburg Pike)

Take second left onto Gallows Road .3 mi.

Go 1.2 miles, turn right onto Cedar Lane

Go .8 miles, cross the Bike Trail, 2381 is on your left.

Feb. 10 Meeting -Captain Sean Crawford - Tides & Currents, Light Tackle, fly fishing.

Feb. 10 Meeting moved to Feb 17 due to Snow.

Saturday March 6th - 10th Annual Dinner and Auction - Kena Temple - Y'all Come!

April 14th Meeting - John Page Williams - Chesapeake Bay Foundation - Lots of info on fishing and environmental issues.

May 12th Meeting - Speaker to be determined

June 19th Meeting - Speaker to be determined

Sept. 8th Meeting - Speaker to be determined

Oct. 13th Meeting - Speaker to be determined

Nov. 10th Meeting - Speaker to be determined

Our thanks to CCA member Mark Stempler, a member of the congregation, for providing the meeting place for our use during the year.

Last year we had speakers on subjects that included Light Tackle Fishing, Trolling for Rockfish on the Bay, Fishing the CBBT - Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel - the impact of the Snakehead fish, an invasive alien in the Potomac, and fishing the Susquehanna flats. If you know someone who would make an interesting presentation, please contact Rob Allen. (rob.allen@princetoninformation.com or 703-626-2668)

February 10, 2010 Meeting:

Captain Sean Crawford - Sean Crawford will discuss Chesapeake Bay tides and currents and how to use both predicted and observed tides to locate fish. He will also discuss how they relate to fishing visible and off-shore structure.

Captain Crawford has been fishing the Bay for over 20 years and is a Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Fly Casting Instructor and member of the Sage Pro Staff. Sean has a Masters Degree in Oceanography from the University of Maryland and he will gladly share his knowledge and expertise on fishing the bay, fly casting and the Chesapeake Bay's complex tides and ecosystem.

Sean is President of the Kent Island chapter of CCA, and a member of Trout Unlimited. The bottom line is that Sean lives to take people fishing, teach them new techniques with fly rods or spinning rods, and most of all HAVE FUN!

For more information on Captain Crawford, go to his website:

www.terrapinbayfishing.com/Captain.html

Annual Banquet March 6, 2010

This is our annual fund raiser, and a really fun event! Go to our March 2009 blog, it is full of stories and photos from last years' Banquet; see what I great time we all had.

The food, prizes, and comraderie have gotten better every year. Charter Captains attending as guests will be mixing with folks, it's a really festive party for fisherman conservationists. The prizes include vacation trips, fishing gear, jewelry for the ladies and a great selection of conslumer electronics. We will be sending you a flyer soon, with all the details....Mark your calendar!

Location: The Shriners Kena Temple on Route 50 in Fairfax, Virginia

Time: 6:00 Social Hour - Hors D'Oeuvres, Open Bar

7:00 Dinner -

8:00 Live Auction

Silent Auction and Bucket Raffles all evening.

Tickets: $50 per person, includes one year membership to CCA.

Contact Carl Onesty @703-407-8921 or Rob Allen @703-626-2668

Chapter Fishing Trips:

George Lenard has been coordinating our charter boat trips for the past few years, and will have the line-up of trips for 2010 very soon. For most of us it is impossible to put together a group of friends to charter a boat for a day of fishing. George has put together a variety of trips from light tackle and fly fishing to Cobia, and off-shore trips for chapter members.

Fishing Reports:

We are in the middle of the armchair fishing season, when we look at the latest equipment catalogs and stories of catching bonefish and baraccuda in the warm clear waters to the South. Anyone with mid-winter fishing reports from the power plants, the Atlantic Coast, or Florida, please contact the editor, Rich Redler (richredler@verizon.net) with your reports.

2010 "Save a Kid - Catch a Fish" Trip - (Date to be determined)

Every year our chapter sponsors a day of fishing for kids who may otherwise never have the opportunity to experience a day of fishing on the water. Last August the Chapter sponsored our 8th youth fising trip. Our guests for the day consisted of 24 children and adults from the Northern Virginia Council of the Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

Captain Frank Carver; of "Loosenup Charters" in Deale Maryland hosted the trip for a second year on his 48 ft charter boat the "Loosenup". You can visit his website for charter information (www.loosenupcharters.com) and a picture of his boat. Captain Carver was assisted by Captain Bryan Schmitt who performed the duties of Mate. The participants enjoyed a great day of bottom fishing for white perch, sppt and croaker. The weather was perfect, and Captain Frank made sure the antlers had plenty of action.

For many of the youth anglers and some of their adult chaperones, this was their first fising experience. All were fast learners, and before long most were comfortable with handling their catch and baiting their hooks. The young anglers were eager to demonstrate their interest in conservation as most of the fish were released.

The Chapter provided lunch, soft drinks, and snacks, and at the conclusion of the trip each youth angler eas presented with a new spinning rod and reel to keep as a memento of the trip. Chaptermembers helping on the trip included George Lenard, Carl Onesty, and Paul Smith. George said that this year's trip will be sometime in August, when we'll do a report on it.

Events of Interest:

TIEFEST!!! February 27th- Kent Island Yacht Club, 117 Yacht Club Dr, Chester, MD. An event that started with 10 anglers has become one of the premier fly-fishing events in the Mid-Atlantic region, drawing up to 500 participants and some of the biggest legends of fly fishing. This is sponsored by CCA Maryland, Kent Island Chapter.

The DC Metro chapter of MSSA meets the first Wednesday of each month at 4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814, at 7:30 pm. This is one block from METRO and there is plenty of parking. mail me anytime for more details: President@DCMSSA.org, Check the website: http://www.dcmssa.org/, Tom Hughes will be presenting on the early season catch and release fishing on the Susquehanna Flats.

Conservation News:

1) Visit the CCA Virginia Website (www.ccavirginia.org) for legislative agenda items.

2) Menhaden Legislation - At the Virginia General Assembly, Companion bills in the senate and house (SB185, HB294) have been introduced, and we have assembled a large and powerful coalition to support the transfer of authority for monitoring the Menhaden fishery from the General Assembly to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), where it can receive much needed oversight.

May 2009 Newsletter

From the President:

Dear Members and Friends - I hope all of you are getting into the swing of things this Spring - Below you will find two of our recent Chapter fishing trips reported on. These trips provide an excellent opportunity to learn more advanced fishing skills, have fun with your fellow anglers, and CATCH FISH.

If you are not getting my e-mails that announce these trips, please call me so I can add your address to the list.

On June 19th, Captain Brady Bounds will be hosting our Chapter Fishing Trip from Solomons Maryland - Please let us know if you are interested - these trips sell out fast.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our June 10th meeting, as we have Captain Sonney Forrest as our guest speaker.

Rob

Monthly Chapter Meetings:

Location: Our Chapter Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at the Grace Presbyterian Church inn Vienna from 7:00 to 9:00. Thanks again to chapter member Mark Stempler, a member of the congregation for providing the meeting place.

Meeting Dates: June 10, Sept. 9, Oct. 14

Directions: The Church is located on Cedar Lane in Vienna, south of Tyson's Corner. From Gallows Road, turn west onto Cedar Lane, go .3 miles, the church will be on your left. Park in the rear, enter the rear door.

The May Meeting Report:

John Page Williams, from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation gave us an update on the "2008 State of the Bay", and it isn't pretty. John lives on the Severn, and spends a lot of time on the water as a scientist and fisherman, so his presentation was very hands-on. For example - At one point he showed us changes in oxygen and water temperature data he collected over several days in the Severn River near his house, and what this looked like on his fish finder. Fish were locating in the higher oxygen water, and you could see the separate layers on the fishfinder. For fishermen this means find the oxygen, find the fish. I was surprised to find that wind and rainfall can change the oxygen mix overnight.

John is a great presenter; he sparked a lot of animated conversation and follow up questions from our members, including from John Bellow who has devoted an enormous amount of time and energy to this subject. The discussion was only limited by the allowable time for the meeting, so John Page Williams has agreed to return later this year to continue the discussion. We will keep you informed!

June 10 Chapter Meeting:

Sonney Forrest will talk about light tackle fishing in the middle bay near Solomons' Island where he is located. Sonney is famous on the bay, best known as the captain of the Fin Finder, a large charter boat that specialized in trolling for Rockfish out of Solomons. Sonny has started a new charter service known as Reel Relief Charters, fishing in a new way - "Light tackle, smaller boat, and lots more fun!"
We are very pleased to have Sonney visit with us; he is a very entertaining speaker and a great fisherman. Don't miss it! You can visit his website at http://www.captainsonney.com/ and see his new boat.


Report on the Chapter Charter Fishing Trips:
George Lenard has been doing a great job of coordinating these trips! Here are a few reports from the happy fisherman who went.

Walleye Pete Trip - May 30th out of Solomons Island.
Here's the report from George, with a few pictures, including a speckled trout! That's Pete with his thumb in the stripers mouth.
















Chapter Members on board were Art Reynolds, Rich DiGiovanna and George Lenard, (Specialized Baits). The plan for the day was to hit Cedar Point first thing, than cross the Bay and work our way south along the Honga River from the lower Hooper Island bridge to the islands below the Hooper Strait.

At Cedar Point we worked the rock piles for a few minutes but didn't get a hit. Captain Pete was determined to find us fish at the Point and his persistence paid off as we worked our way along the Cedar Point Rip, and found scattered schools of stripers. Most of the action was jugging but occasionally the schools would surface and the action would be on the top.

Most of the stripers were in the 18" to 22" range with a couple slightly larger. Included in our catch at the rip was a lone 14" croaker that hit a 2 oz. Chartreuse Li'l Bunker worked along the bottom.

After about an hour at Cedar Point we headed to Hooper Island. Captain Pete found us a nice school of stripers at the northern end of the bridge. We had an outoing tide and on numerous drifts we had doubles on. Dirty water in the Honga and some wind made the fishing tough as we worked our way south, but by the end of the trip we probably caught 20 to 25 fish each.

Rich Di Giovanna one of our more recent chapter members seemed to have the hot stick for the trip. Rich is determined to figure out the light tackle game and from the pictures, looks to be well on his way. The striper in the picture smashed a top water plug at the Cedar Point rips, and the 20" speckled trout hit a li'l Jimmy bucktail at the Hooper Island bridge.

Sonney Forest trip out of Solomon's May 4, 2009

Tom Welch (in the vest) sent these photos and an e-mail. He said that this is the best trip he has ever had on Fish Finder!! Remember, Sonney will be speaking at our June 10 meeting.

Events of interest around the area:

CCA Maryland Rockfish Tournament:
CCA MD Kent Narrows Chapter is holding a Fly and Light Tackle Striper Tournament on Saturday June 6, 2009.

Entry Fee: $35 per Angler
Free Beer and Eats: 3:00 - 6:00 PM at the "Jetty Beachside" at Kent Narrows.
Must be a CCA member to enter.

Several members of the CCA Northern Va Chapter will attend and defend our honor.

Check it out at http://www.ccamd.org/chapters/MD06/CCA-KItourn2009.pdf.

Saltwater Fishing Regulations:

2009 Virginia Fishing Regulations:
http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/regulations/swrecfishingrrules.shtm

2009 Maryland Fishing Regulations:
http://www.dnr.md.gov/fisheries/pdfs/2009MSFG.pdf
wait 30 seconds for download, then go to page 32 for Saltwater Regulations.

From the Editor:
See you at the June Meeting with Sonney Forrest.
Contact me at richredler@verizon.net with comments and information for the newsletter.

April 2009 Newsletter

From the President:
Dear Members and Friends - I want to recognize some of our Corporate Sponsors that have provided tremendous support for our Chapter in Northern Virginia. Without their support, we would not have been able to raise money for the ongoing conservation efforts in Virginia , the Chesapeake Region, and Nationally.

I ask you to give them your support the next time you book a fishing trip, purchase food, equipment, and services, or go to dinner:
Rob

• Bass Kandy Delight Lure Company
• Birdsall Marine
• Brambleton Regional Park & Golf Course
• Clyde's Restaurant at Tyson's Corner
• Fish On Tackle
• Grady White Boats
• Hugh Miller Custom Rods
• H Upman Cigars
• Lateral Line Foundation
• LL Bean
• Mid Atlantic Fly Anglers
• Orvis
• Realty Capital Partners
• Red Hot and Blue
• River Creek Country Club
• Specialized Baits, Inc.
• St. Croix Rods
• The Lonely Angler Lure Company
• The Washington Redskins
• Willowcroft Farm Vineyards

In addition, the following Charter Captains have graciously supported CCA with their time and boats. Please call them to help with your fishing plans this coming year.

• Capt. Tom Hughes - 410-747-9431 Tom Hughes Guide Service
• Capt. Russ Wilkinson - 301-785-6113 Chesapeake Bay Fly Fishing
• Capt. "Walleye" Pete Dahlberg - 703-395-9955 Four Seasons Guide Service
• Capt. Frank Carver - 301-261-5869 Loosen Up Charters
• Chris McCotter - 540-894-9144 McCotter's Lake Anna Guide Service
• Capt. Tony Harding - 540-582-6396 Latitudes Charters
• Capt. Brady Bounds - 301-862-3166 Captain Brady Bounds Fishing Guide Service
• Capt. Richid Gaines - 410-827-7210 Angler's Connection Guide Service
• Capt. Mike Starrett - 301-203-0961 Indian Head Charters
• Capt. Sonney Forrest - 800-831-2702 Reel Relief Charters
• Capt. Ken Tackett - 888 6 FISH ON Day Dreamer Sport Fisherman
• Capt. Greg Ignash - 703-615-3789 Reel Addiction Charters
• Capt. Sean Crawford - 410-490-5942 Terrapin Bay Fishing
• Capt. George Prenant - 301-261-5656 Stormy Petrel Fishing Charters

Monthly Chapter Meetings:

Location: Our Chapter Meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at the Grace Presbyterian Church in Vienna from 7:00 to 9:00. Thanks again to chapter member Mark Stempler, for providing the meeting place; it really works great for us.

Meeting Dates: May 13, June 10, Sept. 9, Oct. 14

Directions: From Gallows Road, turn west onto Cedar Lane, go .3 miles, the church will be on your left. Park in the rear, enter the rear door.

May 13 Chapter Meeting:
John Page Williams from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be our guest speaker with a presentation on the recent 2008 State of the Bay report, with lots of opportunity for questions and answers about the health of the Bay.

In addition to his responsibilities as a fund raiser, field educator and program administrator, John has hands-on experience running field trips by canoe, outboard skiff, and workboat on every river system in the Chesapeake.

John is also a free-lance writer on the subjects of boats, marine electronics, fishing and environmental issues for Boating, Chesapeake Bay, and Northeast Boating Magazines. This will be a great opportunity to learn first hand about the health of the Bay from an expert. Don't miss it!

June 10 Chapter meeting - Sonney Forrest will talk about light tackle fishing in the middle Bay. Check the March Newsletter for info; we will have a reminder in the May Newsletter. Sonney's web site is http://www.captainsonney.com/

Events of Interest:

Sea Grass Restoration - The Nature Conservancy of Virginia is gearing up for a huge seagrass restoration project on Virginia's Eastern Shore. The project involves collecting 10 million eelgrass seeds, so the timing of the event will depend on when the seeds are ready for harvest underwater. Go to www.nature.org/seagrassrestoration for more information, or contact Jenifer Rich at jrich@tnc.org or (434)-951-0572.

Tysons Corner Orvis Days - May 2- 10 - George Layton, the Fishing Manager tells us that there will be deals throughout the store. Saturday May 2nd, Walt Carey wil the there along with reps from CCA, Trout Unlimited and the Potomac River Smallmouth Club. Sunday May 10th, Beau Beasley will be there for a book signing; and on May 9th, Russ Wilkinson and Tom Hughes will be there. Also on May 10th, the people from Rose River Farm will talk about fishing on his private waters, as well as events he sponsors. For more info go to www.orvis.com/intor.aspx?subject=2705

March 2009 Newsletter

From the President:
Dear Members and Friends –
On March 7, 2009, the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association held its 9th Annual “Save a Fish” Banquet & Auction. This year’s event drew close to 90 of the area’s supporters of the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia’s Coastal Marine Environment.
The evening was highlighted with auctioneer Clark Carr conducting the exciting Live Auction. Everyone in attendance agreed that this event was not only fun, but also for a great cause as well! In fact, we raised approximately $20,000.00 towards Conserving, Protecting, and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay and Virginia’s Coastal Marine Environment! A truly amazing amount considering the current state of our economy – but nevertheless it shows that we have a very strong group that cares about our mission enough to support it.

This event could not have been a success without the support of our generous donors. We were very fortunate to be able to offer 13 Charter/Guided Fishing trips at the auction – these Captains will be hosting our Chapter trips throughout the year. We also were able to offer top notch equipment and gear – plus numerous other fantastic Prizes – LL Bean donated the Super Raffle Grand Prize - and an LL Bean Angler Kayak Package.

The Super Raffle Kayak winner this year was one of our members – Boyd Post of Vienna VA – He seemed very happy to have his ticket drawn and I am sure will put the kayak to good use.

I would also like to take a moment to thank the Banquet committee members and their families – they put in countless hours in making this a great event – Carl Onesty, Tom Welch, Rich & Vivian Redler, Ernie Rojas, John Bello, and George Lenard.

Again, thank you for all of your support, and we look forward to putting the funds to good use in running our chapter events, and providing support for our State-wide conservation efforts.

Please keep a look out for notice from our CCA VA Infonet – as it will keep you up to date on all state-wide fisheries issues - and a new program that has been announced to increase membership in Virginia – It is called “Reel- em in” and there will be more information available on the state website –
Look forward to seeing you at our next Chapter meeting on April 15th with Guest speaker – Captain Tom Hughes –
Rob

March Banquet - Photos:

Check out the photos...I think they capture the fun evening we all had. Good food, raffles, finger food, drinks, and the bidding was a lot of fun, with some very happy winners! I don’t have captions, but I think the pictures speak for themselves. You can stop the slide show by moving your cursor over the picture and clicking on the pause button. You can stop the show to download pictures, speed it up etc. Enjoy!!



Great Story From the Banquet: After John Bellow’s wife Margie Bello won a nice rod and reel combo in the bucket raffle, a youngster named Ray Rhatican, who was enjoying the banquet with his family, asked Margie Bellos if he could buy it from her. He really wanted it, and had put all his raffle tickets in that bucket, and was disappointed that he hadn’t won.

Happy Ending Margie gave him the rod and reel, saying that she had plenty of them at home!! See attached pictures…Ray is the one with the mile wide smile. We have some really nice folks at CCA.




The photos are the courtesy of Erika Redler, the editor’s daughter, a graduate student at Christopher Newport University, and a part time professional photographer. Visit her website and see some of her recent work. (www.whatevertheweatherphotography.blogspot.com/)

Monthly Meetings:

Our chapter meetings are held on the second Wednesday of the month at the Grace Presbyterian Church in Vienna from 7:00 to 9:00. Our thanks to CCA member Mark Stempler, a member of the congregation for providing the meeting place; it really works great for us.

Directions: From Gallows Road, turn west onto Cedar Lane, go .3 miles, the church will be on your left. Park in the rear, enter the rear door.
Meeting Dates: April 15; May 13; June 10; Sept. 9; Oct. 14.
Report on the February Meeting with Francis Zell.

Francis did a great job of describing his fishing calendar for the first 5 months of the year, beginning with eeling for big stripers out of Kiptopeke in December and January, followed by jigging the CBBT in February, The Calvert Cliffs Power Plant and The Power Plant at the 301 Bridge in Feb/March and Susquehanna Flats in April. Francis, who is a psychology major and a phys ed teacher started his Power Point presentation with a humorous explanation of why we are addicted to fishing. Using charts and graphs from a psychology experiment he showed how we catch just enough fish to keep us fishing for the next one, but with no guarantees. He brought plenty of gear to show us how he does light tackle jigging with bass assassins and Bass Kandy Delights; (soft plastic baits). He also explained how he trolls with as many as 20 rods using light tackle and planer boards from his restored 21 ft Boston Whaler. Francis has agreed to do a presentation on the second half of the year for one of our meetings. I’m sure the 30 fisherman in attendance at Februarys’ meeting will want to be there.

April 15 Chapter Meeting:
Captain Tom Hughes will be our guest speaker in April with a power point presentation on 'Catching Striped Bass on the Upper & Middle Chesapeake Bay'. Tom was recently a guest speaker at the Timonium Fairgrounds Expo, and has presented to CCA Virginia and Maryland Chapters on many occasions. Tom will discuss both spinning and fly-fishing from Hart-Miller Island in the upper Bay south to the Gas Docks. He is a full time Charter Captain, and an Orvis endorsed Fly Fishing Guide. Tom lives near Baltimore where he keeps his "mother ship"; a 22' TwinVee catamaran, a very fast and stable fishing platform, that he trailers to where the fish are. His season begins on the Susquehanna flats and moves south in the Bay when the Rockfish season opens, and finishes the season in Virginia Beach at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

This will be a lively, hands-on presentation, with a question and answer session to follow; bring along a notebook and pencil. If you have a non-member fishing buddy, bring e'm along, they'll enjoy it. For more information go to http://www.capttomhughes.com/

May 13 Chapter Meeting: Speaker to be announced.

June 10 Chapter Meeting:

Sonney Forrest will talk about light tackle fishing the the middle bay, near Solomons’ Island where he is located. Sonny is one of the best known charter captains on the bay, fishing from the Fin Finder, a large charter boat that specialized in trolling for Rockfish out of Solomons. Starting after the spring season Sonney will begin chartering as Reel Relief Charters in a new way “Light tackle, smaller boat, and lots more fun!”. We are very pleased to have Sonney visit with us; he is a very entertaining speaker and a great fisherman. Don’t miss it! You can visit his web site at www.Captainsonney.com and see his new boat.

Chapter Fishing Trips – Watch for Updates

George Lenard (george@specialized baits.com) has done a great job of organizing charter fishing trips for our chapter members and friends for the past few years, and will have a great program again this year. Here’s a message from George:

During 2007 and 2008 your CCA – NoVa Chapter sponsored seventeen Chapter fishing trips . We fished from Mid-Bay to Virginia Beach and lots of places in between, including the Potomac River just minutes from home, and even Lake Anna. We believe that we offered something for everyone, including light tackle for school size stripers to trolling for TROPHY STRIPERS. We even went live-lining for MONSTER CATS and chunking for COBIA “the man in the brown suit”. We kept active from April through November and a total of 90 anglers participated in the action.

You do not need to be a Chapter member to join us on a trip, but you do need to be on the chapter e-mail list to get in on the action. All trips are first-come-first-served based on an e-mail announcement and response. Last season the cost of the trips ranged between $69.00 and $165.00 per angler. The cost is dependent on the type of trip and the number of anglers per trip. We strive for a quality experience for all participants, which means not overloading the boat just to keep the cost down.
If you are not receiving e-mail trip announcements, and would like to, contact Rob Allen at rob.allen@princetoninformation.com and Rob will get your e-mail address on our list. Our first trip of the 2009 season is just around the corner.

Highlights from 2007/2008: (Pictures are from the “Fish Finder” Trip - click on any picture to view it larger.)

Mid Bay Trophy Stripers – Solomons’ on the Fish Finder
Cobia Fishing at the CBBT
Flounder Fishing at the CBBT
Mid Bay Light Tackle – St Jerome’s Creek, (near Point Lookout)
Mid Bay Live Lining for Stripers & Blues out of Deale
Mid Bay Light Tackle and Fly Fishing out of Chesapeake Beach
Mid Bay Light Tackle – Solomon’s
Lake Anna – Bass Trip
Potomac River Trophy Catfish – Potomac River

Helpful Information:

2009 Virginia Fishing Regulations:
http://www.mrc.virginia.gov/regulations/swrecfishingrules.shtm

2009 Maryland Fishing Regulations:
http://www.dnr.md.gov/fisheries/pdfs/2009MSFG.pdf
wait 30 seconds for download, go to page 32 for Saltwater Regulations.

See you at the April Meeting for Tom Hughes information Rich Redler - Editor (RichRedler@verizon.net)

February 2009 Newsletter

From the President:

Ninth Annual Dinner and Auction

The Northern Virginia CCA Chapter is pleased to invite you to our Ninth Annual Dinner and Auction taking place on Saturday, March 7th, 2009 at 6:00 pm. This year’s event will be at The Shriners Kena Temple in Fairfax, VA.

Our donors and supporters have provided a wide array of auction items that are sure to impress – We have over $20,000 of Merchandise – some of which is listed below. Our Annual Banquet is a great opportunity to meet fellow conservationists, pick up some very nice Auction items, and have a great time! The food, prizes and comaraderie has gotten better every year.

Our Banquet is an excellent opportunity to meet many fellow conservationists, pick up some very nice Auction items, and have a great time! Consider buying a full table and inviting your friends and co-workers for a nice evening out. This year’s event will be a catered buffet dinner, with Hors D’oeuvres before dinner, and a Full Bar.

You received an e-mail earlier last week with all the details; please look at the special ticket offers available to "Early Birds" and Blue Marlin table sponsors. To purchase tickets, contact our our Banquet Committee Members:

John Bello 703-999-0837
Carl Onesty 703-407-8921
George Lenard 703-303-5125
Tom Welch 703-201-6100
Ernie Rojas 203-912-2173
Rob Allen 703-626-2668

Remember, this Fundraiser will help our Chapter with many activities this year, including the “Save a Kid – Catch a Fish” trip we host each summer, guest speakers, and our contributions to the State CCA office who leads our conservation efforts.
See you there!

Rob Allen, President Northern Virginia CCA

PS. If you are unable to attend the banquet and would like to support CCA VA’s efforts to protect our precious resources, please use the enclosed flier to send your contribution or contact one of the committee members for donation instructions. Remember CCA VA is a 501 c 3 charitable organization and all donations are tax-deductible.

February Meeting:

Francis Zell will be our guest speaker on February 11, talking about light tackle fishing on the Bay. Francis has been fishing Chesapeake Bay for over 15 years, which is more than half his life, and is a frequent contributor to “Tidal Fish”. He learned light tackle jigging “LTJ” from the legendary “Superfish”…I’ll let Fran explain that. Fran is a former commercial hook and line fisherman, and has mated on several charter boats, including the Fin Finder out of Solomon’s. He fishes about 150 days out of the year, recently returned from a week at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. In the past few years he has been invited to speak 5 CCA chapters in Maryland. This will be an enjoyable and entertaining evening….y’all come!

March Meeting: The big event for March will be our annual Dinner and Auction Fundraiser. Here's all the information you need!

CCA-NVA 2009 DINNER and AUCTION

Northern Virginia CCA Chapter is pleased to invite you to our Ninth Annual Dinner and Auction

When: Saturday, March 7th, 2009 at 6:00 pm

Where: The Shriners Kena Temple 9001 Arlington Blvd, Fairfax, VA 22030
Time:
6:00 Social - Hors D'oeuvres, Full Bar
7:00 Dinner
8:00 Live Auction

Silent Auction & Bucket Raffles all evening .

Auction Items Include:

• Two - One Week Mountain Resort Vacations
• Golf Packages
• Hand Made Quilt & Waterford Crystal
• Home Furnishings
• 12+ Charter/Guided Fishing trips
• Hugh Miller Custom Rod & Reel
• Sports Apparel - Mens' & Womens'
  
• Dinner Certificates
• Premium Fly Rod & Reel Combos
  
• Framed Artwork
• Custom Fly Collections
  
• Custom Surf Rod & Reel
• Trolling Lures, Rods & Reels
  
• Light Tackle lures, Rods, and Reels

Over $20,000 worth of merchandise!!!

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE: $50.00 per person.

Super Raffle –

• Grand Prize – LL Bean Angler Kayak Package
  
• 2nd Prize - HDTV
  
• 3rd Prize - GPS UnitPlus Cash Drawing

Early-Bird Special - Purchase Tickets by 2/28 and Receive $20.00 Coupon!! - Coupon good for Live or Silent Auction item – one per bidder

BLUE MARLIN Sponsor Table for 8 - $500.00 Includes $100.00 coupon toward live auction item

Special Raffle – Hand Crafted Hugh Miller Custom Fishing Rod

Mystery Raffle - Special Item for Outdoors Sportsmen

Silent Auctions & Bucket Raffles running through-out the evening!!

For Tickets, Contact: Carl Onesty @ 703-407-8921 or Rob Allen @ 703-626-2668

This event is open to the public – membership with CCA is not required – although we encourage people to join and a 1 year membership is included in ticket price.

Special Guests – Several of the Professional Fishing Guides that support CCA will be there – this is an excellent opportunity to meet these guys!

CCA Northern Virginia Tee Shirts – We will also be selling tee shirts at the banquet. The proceeds from the sale of our shirts go to support our Annual Save a Kid – Catch a Fish trip each summer.
__________________________________________________________________________________

April 15th Chapter Meeting:

Captain Tom Hughes will be our guest speaker in April with a power point presentation on 'Catching Striped Bass on the Upper & Middle Chesapeake Bay'. Tom was recently a guest speaker at the Timonium Fairgrounds Expo, and has presented to CCA Virginia and Maryland Chapters on many occaisions. Tom will discuss both spinning and fly-fishing from Hart-Miller Island in the upper Bay south to the Gas Docks. He is a full time Charter Captain, and an Orvis endorsed Fly Fishing Guide. Tom lives near Baltimore where he keeps his "mother ship"; a 22' TwinVee catamaran, a very fast and stable fishing platform, that he trailers to where the fish are. His season begins on the Susquehanna flats and moves south in the Bay when the Rockfish season opens, and finishes the season in Virginia Beach at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.

This will be a lively, hands-on presentation, with a question and answer session to follow; bring along a notebook and pencil. If you have a non-member fishing buddy, bring e'm along, they'll enjoy it. For more information go to http://www.capttomhughes.com/

Events of Interest around the area:

1. Feb 14-15 Pasadena Sportfishing Group - 17th Annual Flea Market 8am-2 pm Fishing tackle, lures, Vendors, food http://www.pasadenasportfishing.com/ and http://www.heyfish.com/
2. Feb 14 - TieFest - A BIG fly fishing event at Kent Island Yacht Club, 117 Yacht Club Drive, Chester, MD . Free casting seminars, Lefty Kreh, fly tying etc. contact: tmailto:tieflies@gmail.com
   
3. Feb 28 - Saltwater Fishing Expo - MSSA Annapolis Chapter - Saltwater Seminars, hands on demonstrations, vendors, etc. http://www.saltwaterfishingexpo.com/
4. March 13-15 - National Capital Expo - Chantilly http://www.agievents.com/
5. March 21 - Fredericksburg Fly Fishing Show- 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Lefty Kreh, Harry Robertson and Outer Banks fly fishing expert Brian Horsley. "A day devoted to the sport of fly fishing and all those who enjoy it."www.ffflyfishers.org/show

Comments or Contributions: Contact Rich Redler, Editor, at richredler@cox.net