Looking forward...2013!

A very happy and healthy New Year to all!

We leave 2012 with mixed emotions; the horrible tragedy in Newtown, CT has touched us all. In 2013 TEAM7x will donate all proceeds from its programs to the NEWTOWN MEMORIAL FUND in memory of the Sandy Hook Elementary School children.

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IN OUR HEARTS

We will continue to offer our no-charge casting programs at Charlie Brown Campground in Eastford, CT and at several other campgrounds and locations in eastern CT and RI.  We are relabeling our "Natchaug Top Twelve" fly selection to commemorate SHES; proceeds donated as mentioned above.

In 2013, TEAM7x will offer an on-water PRESENTATION program concentrating in perfecting mends, reach casts, and achieving a drag free drift.  More on this later.  We continue to offer our "Evening on the Natchaug" program and in late fall will offer a "Salmon on the Shetucket" program.

From a fly fishing perspective, 2012 was a good year, not great.  Low water conditions on freestone streams were a problem from opening day on.  Even the Farmington and the upper Delaware River area suffered from low flows throughout much of the year.  A bright spot was the solid Atlantic salmon opportunity on the Shetucket River.  CTDEP continues to do a nice job in stocking excess brood stock in October and November on this tailwater.  We did benefit from a nice early pre-season with warm weather and good hatches on the Moosup, Yantic, Merrick Brook  and those year 'round trout streams in the area.

 We hope you will join us in 2013.  Encourage a young person to learn and enjoy fly fishing.  We provide all equipment for our casting programs and can custom-design an outing for you, your spouse,  a child or grandchild. Our very reasonable rates stay the same for 2013, ages 12-16 free when accompanied by an adult. 

Follow us here or on Twitter; we'll be updating regularly in 2013! We email special alerts to our TEAM list.  Be sure we have your email if you'd like to hear from us with special advisories and updates.

DRAG FREE!

ALERT! A proposal to divert water from the Farmington to UCONN

UCONN has proposed several alternatives to secure more water for its campus in Storrs.  Among them is a proposal to divert water from the Farmington River watershed thru a 20 mile pipeline at the rate of 1.9 millions gallons per day.  We think there are much better alternatives and have submitted the following response to the UCONN proposers:

As a fly fisherman who regularly fishes the Farmington watershed and the eastern CT area, a close reading of the MDC alternative would appear to show that water supply would originate from the Nepaug and Barkhamstead Reservoirs which lie on the East Branch Farmington with no impact on the West Branch Farmington above New Hartford. There are minimum flows that must be met according to previous agreements. However with this past summer’s low levels in the Colebrook Reservoir we should be concerned about the availability of water in the entire MDC system in the future.  Severe drawdowns could heavily impact the lower Farmington river areas.

Of major concern, is the impact from pipeline construction in the many wetland areas associated with some fine trout streams in eastern CT; Skungamung, Hockanum, Tankerhoosen, and the Willimantic River and the smaller streams associated with these.
There are indeed other alternatives...this does not seem the best and we’ve asked our followers to oppose this alternative.  I would ask you to reject this alternative.

See more at::  

http://articles.courant.com/2012-12-11/community/hc-mansfield-storrs-water-1212-20121211_1_water-line-mdc-local-water-supplies

and:

http://www.envpolicy.uconn.edu/eie.html