News
Allen Gray takes on role of newsletter editor. April 2011
Allen Gray has generously volunteered his time to resurrect and take on being the editor of the Chapter Newsletter the Backcast. There will be a Spring and Fall issue. The issue can be viewed by clicking on the link on our home page or on this news page. The first issue looks outstanding with loads of information on fishing, events, and club projects. A big club thank you to Allen for taking on this time consuming project. Feel free to email Allen with any articles you want published at free2fish2002@yahoo.com.
Article by Gene Chague Berkshire Eagle 12/20/09
Fisherman Charles Lahey lands another award
Pittsfield’s 101-year old Charles Lahey was once
again the recipient of yet another prestigious award. This time it was the Crooked Staff Award, the award that the
Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited bestows upon its most deserving
members. The award ceremony took
place at the Chapter’s Christmas party which was held at the Bass Water Grill
in Cheshire. Despite the snow and
frigid weather that evening, Lahey attended (he rarely misses a meeting). He was brought by his daughter Andrea
Dimassimo of Pittsfield and was totally unaware that he would be honored at
that meeting.
Although Lahey has been a fisherman since he was
“6 or 7 years old, using a stick rod with string” it has only been since he
became a centenarian that he has attracted local and national attention. He has been featured in the national
fishing magazine “Trout”, has been mentioned on television and just this past
fall, he was inducted into the North American Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame
in Hayward, Wisconsin, sharing that honor with some of the most famous
fishermen in the world. He has
received State Senate and House citations.
I’m not sure if Charlie is the oldest member of
the 140,000 member Trout Unlimited, but I suspect that he is the most active centenarian;
still fly fishing up until the fall cold weather. He has been cited for his many years of service to Trout
Unlimited. He has been credited
for creating the Mad River Special, an orange bodied bucktail fly which trout
can’t seem to resist.
Before a packed house, the Chapter’s most famous
member graciously accepted the award and then sat down, ordered a second glass
of bourbon and soda and had a healthy meal. Upon reading some of the names of previous Crooked Staff
Award winners, he recognized one person with whom he once worked at Berkshire
Life Insurance Company who is now in his mid 70’s, and commented, “I taught him
how to tie flies”. Later on, referring
to all of his recent notoriety, he said with tongue in cheek, “Life begins at
100 years old”. *****
Charlie Lahey will be inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
Article by Gene Ghague
Berkshire Eagle
Local centenarian to be inducted into the fishing hall of fame
We all knew that local angler Charles Lahey of Pittsfield was legendary. (He is the 100 year old angler who was mentioned in my July 19, 2009 column). Well, apparently the folks at the North American Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in Hayward, Wisconsin think so too, and he will be inducted into its Hall of Fame as Legendary Angler.
Legendary Anglers are considered persons who have had at least regional achievement in their endeavors to have a lasting impact to benefit freshwater sportfishing. Legendary Angler category guidelines are as follows: Performed a lasting achievement of regional impact in freshwater sportfishing, demonstrated skills or provided efforts which stand out among other anglers or others who contributed to the advancement of freshwater sportfishing, enhanced the enjoyment of freshwater sportfishing for others through development of techniques or technologies or contributions to freshwater sportfishing and provided energy, talent, and dedication which promote and/or benefit freshwater sportfishing. Charley certainly has done all of that.
He is in with some exclusive company; previous Legendary Angler recipients include: Bill Dance, Alfred Miller (Sparse Grey Hackle), Joan (Salvato) Wulff, Roland Martin, A.J. McClane, Lefty Kreh, Bob Clouser, Leon Chandler, Jimmy Houston, Tom McNally, Harry Middleton, Dave Whitlock and the list goes on.
He doesn’t feel that he deserves such an award, but I disagree. If a 100 year old person can overcome the inevitable aches and pains that go with that age, pick up a fly rod along with his cane and go fishing is not an inspiration to all, angler and non-angler alike, then I don’t know what is. He is and always will be a legend in the eyes of all who know him and a place in the Hall of Fame is most appropriate.
Jerry Gibbs, recently retired Fishing Editor for Outdoor Life magazine and himself a Legendary Angler recipient will come to Massachusetts to present the plaque to Charley at the monthly Taconic Chapter Trout Unlimited meeting on October 29 at the Bass Water Grill in Cheshire. He jumped at the opportunity, not only to honor Charley but also to link up once again with his friend and this month’s scheduled speaker Gary Soucie, renowned flyfishing author from Williamstown.
Incidentally, as an update to the July article, Charley has been able to get out fishing two more times this past summer. On both occasions he caught 5 trout…..on the last trip he also caught two large chubs to boot. That makes 17 trout that he caught and released during four fishing trips this year. While it is true that he fished private waters, the trout that he caught were stocked in April and May. They were fished over many times and had become wild, spooky and selective. They didn’t stand a chance, though, for Charley pursued them with the Mad River Special, a fly that he created many years ago.
As previously mentioned, Gary Soucie will be the featured speaker at that meeting. He is author of several books of interest to fly fishers and other anglers including, Woolly Wisdom: How to Tie and Fish Woolly Worms, Woolly Buggers, and Their Fish-catching Kin, Traveling With Fly Rod and Reel; Home Waters: A Fly-fishing Anthology; Soucie’s Field Guide of Fishing Facts; and Hook, Line, & Sinker: The Complete Angler’s Guide to Terminal Tackle and other books for young readers. He has served as editor of American Angler, was on the editorial staff of National Geographic Magazine and was executive editor and field editor of Audubon. His presentation will be about wet flies--what they are and aren't, their history, how neglected they are today, and how to tie and fish them. The presentation will begin at approximately 7:30 PM and it is free and open to the public. For more information, click onto the chapter web site at www.Taconictroutunlimited.org. *****
A day spent fly fishing with a centenarian
Article by Gene Chague
Berkshire Eagle
Recently, I had the opportunity to go trout fishing with local fly fishing legend, Charles Lahey of Pittsfield. We didn’t expect much action because we were fishing late morning on a hot July day. We would have had a great time even if we didn’t catch any fish, but the fact that we each managed to catch and release one made the trip that much more special.
Charlie is a legend for a couple of reasons. He turned 100 years old last November. His milestone was acknowledged by the national organization of Trout Unlimited (TU) when they did an article about him in their quarterly magazine entitled Trout. Some 140,000 TU members worldwide read about him and saw a picture of him fly casting. His birthday was also acknowledged on the Today Show on TV.
Another reason for his fame is that he created a fly which he named the Mad River Special. It is an orange bodied bucktail fly that he developed to fish the Mad River in Vermont when he and his two brothers Fran and John used to camp and fish there in days gone by. Both brothers have passed beyond the riverbend, but the fly lives on and has been the demise of many a wry trout here in the Berkshires. Fortunately, Charlie practices catch and release, otherwise there would be far fewer trout swimming our waters.
He has been a Taconic TU member for a long time and rarely misses a monthly meeting. Last November, when word got out that he was about to celebrate the big birthday, the chapter purchased a birthday cake and was going to surprise him at the monthly meeting. Wouldn’t you know it, that very day Charlie fell and broke his hip. “That’s the end of Charlie's fishing days”, people said, “That’s the end of his independence”. (Charlie lost his wife some time ago and he insists on living alone in his second floor apartment with no elevator). Well, he still lives there and this past April attended the monthly TU meeting, had a great meal, a couple of drinks and thanked everyone for the cake.
In June, he went fishing with several TU members. He still couldn’t stand on his feet too long so he brought a folding lawn chair and set it up on the bank. While seated he was making beautiful fly casts. Fly fishing is not the type of fishing where you lob out some bait and sit there waiting for a fish to come along and take it. You have to work all of the time, constantly casting and maneuvering the fly to make it look lifelike and worthy of a trout’s attention. Charlie still is a master at that. His eyesight is failing a bit these days and cannot see the fish hit, so he relies on the sense of feel to hook and bring them in. That day he hooked up with 10 trout and caught and released 5 of them. We simply watched him fish in awe and admiration.
His hip is improving all of the time and he didn’t need the lawn chair on the July fishing trip, preferring instead to stand and move from place to place while fishing. On the way home, we stopped and had lunch with the ROMEOs where he linked up with some old friends. (ROMEO means Retired Old Men Eating Out. They meet for lunch at a local restaurant weekly). Charlie got home around 2:30 pm, just in time to check on his vegetable garden and get ready for the big band era musical presentation at the Colonial Theater which he was attending with his daughter Andrea Dimassimo that evening. He had a rather full day, wouldn’t you say?
If the Good Lord is willing and the
creek don’t rise (too much), and Charlie can make time in his busy schedule, we
hope to go out and outfox a few more trout this summer. There’s an old expression that goes
something like this: “Go fishing
and live longer”. Perhaps there is
something to it. *****
Article by Gene Chague
Berkshire Eagle 12/28/08
Ron Wojcik Receives Prestigious Award
Congratulations to Ron Wojcik of Windsor for being awarded the Taconic Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s highest award, the Crooked Staff Award. This award is presented to the person who best represents the ideals of TU, those being the conserving, protecting and restoring of North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Wojcik was recognized for his efforts in getting high school students involved in fly fishing. A teacher of computer sciences at Taconic High School in Pittsfield, he implemented an after-school fly fishing program where students are taught fly fishing, fly tying and macro invertebrate identification. After completion of the course, students are given the opportunity for hands on fly fishing at a private trout pond and enjoy a couple of burgers and dogs, all at Ron’s expense.
Wojcik is a long time director of the Chapter and its Vice President for the past 3 years. Working with the students, he was responsible for developing its web page and he serves as the chapter web master. (www.taconictroutunlimited.org). He has frequently volunteered for chapter projects and has made several public presentations on fly fishing for trout, steelhead and salmon on the Salmon River near Pulaski, NY, where he is a licensed guide.
I have had the opportunity to observe some of Ron’s flytying and flyfishing classes and it was immediately obvious that he is well liked and respected by the students. Because of that, they really make the effort to learn and become accomplished anglers and become more than capable of carrying on the wonderful tradition of flyfishing. “I just enjoy teaching and working with the kids.” says Ron, “You feel whether it is in the classroom or in the outdoors, you can help make a difference in their lives.” (Incidentally, if Ron’s name sounds familiar, he was a very successful Pittsfield High School basketball team coach for 14 years.)
Karen Karlburg selected as woman's flyfishing consultant for Eddie Bauer team!
See her application article below.
Reaching Nirvana
Standing in a cold rushing river, breathing in the spray as I cast my line back and then forward, dropping the chosen fly of the hatch on the water’s surface with the slightest hint of a ripple is when I come alive. I then wait for the delectable dry fly to float past the spot I have surmised is the perfect place to feed if I were a Rainbow Trout. If I am lucky enough to set the hook in a split second after feeling the ever so slightest tug on the tippet, then my reward is the opportunity to reel in a spirited Salmonidae and then detach my barbless hook from his jaw and gently cradle him in the water waiting until he is revived enough to set him free for another sportsman to catch. My passion for fly fishing comes from the “Entire Experience” I gain when participating in the sport, but it is the “Ethereal Aspect” that keeps me coming back.
I am so amazed by the sheer exquisiteness of the entire effort involved in fly-fishing, that I am enhanced as a human being for time spent on my passion. I also consider myself a conservationist, and fly-fishing is a chance to understand the value of cold clean water running freely throughout the world and to experience the wonders of nature first hand. I believe that having something I am passionate about comes with the responsibility of passing my knowledge and love of fly-fishing to others. I do so by teaching women and children the joys of fly-fishing. Fly-fishing is the perfect medium to exercise my body, my spirit and my mind all at the same time.
In addition, I appreciate that wildlife is my only onlooker witnessing my passion in action. I have experienced nirvana while fly-fishing: I have had a young doe honor me with her presence as she came down to the bank of the Deerfield River for a sip of cool water; I have fished in my favorite pool on the Farmington River under the watchful eye of a Peregrine Falcon as it perched on a branch; I witnessed a majestic moose submerge his head under the riffles of the great Madison River only to reappear munching on a mouth full of luscious flora as I cast to the rise downstream from the beast. I am at peace with Nature while I partake of this eloquent sport discovered by French nuns in the 1800’s.
I would be an excellent choice to be a member of the Eddie Bauer Expert Team because I live the motto of “Legendary.” I am an extremely outgoing and engaging individual, as I’ve been told by many of my EB customers. People say my eyes light up when I talk about fly-fishing and they remember me and the excitement I exude when I talk about any of the passions in my life: Fly-fishing, my pets; teaching children to be humane to animals and I do it all with a sense of style thanks to Eddie Bauer clothing! I guarantee that I would be honest in my testimony regarding the EB products because I have used them throughout my life, so I know the quality I have come to expect from Eddie Bauer is always met. I can still feel like a “giddy schoolgirl” each time I land a fish; the feeling never grows old or stale no matter how many times I visit my tried and true streams. So I am sure you would enjoy having me and my giddiness as part of the Expert Team. As I continue to perfect my passion, I know the sport of fly-fishing will still amaze me each time I step in the water to test your products, even if I don’t catch a fish!