Jack Gartside 1942 – 2009

Jack Gartside 1942 – 2009

Jack Gartside passed away peacefully last night. As many of you know Jack was diagnosed with small cell cancer in October 2008. The initial treatment was positive and Jack was able to enjoy trips to Florida in the spring and local venues throughout the summer. However in early Fall it became apparent that the cancer had spread and Jack was admitted to hospital last month. Jack’s fly tying skills were legendary and his impressionistic patterns fooled fish of all species. Gurgler, Soft Hackle Streamer, BMG, Gartside Hopper, Firefly & Sparrow to name but a few of the many unique patterns he developed – so often with materials discarded or overlooked by others. Anyone lucky enough to have fished with Jack will remember his stealthy, heron like approach, efficient casting style and repertoire of retrieves that breathed life into his patterns. Even on the slowest of days when you couldn’t “buy a take” he would keep your spirits up with his enthusiastic chant of “Any minute now, any minute now…” As many of you know Jack was truly one of those rare and special people who lived life to the full and who captivated so many of us with his infectious charm, enthusiasm and some truly terrible jokes & pranks… Jack will be hugely missed. More details to follow at his website www.jackgartside.com

Gas Drilling Action Alert

Catskill Mountainkeeper Gas Drilling Action Alert
December 4, 2009

THE TIME FOR DISCUSSION IS OVER – NOW IT’S TIME FOR ACTION

All of the public hearings on the New York State DEC’s Draft Supplemental Generic Environmental Impact Statement (DSEGEIS) for Oil and Gas Mining are completed. Individuals and advocates spoke out loud and clear that the document is wholly inadequate in its breath and woefully flawed in its conclusions and provisions. Mountainkeeper and many other organizations see no alternative but to petition the DEC to throw out the document and create a new draft that would protect the state’s most valuable resources.

As clearly as our message was stated at the hearings and in the press, it is not enough! We need to impact the one person who has the power to stop drilling and prevent the potential catastrophe. That person is Governor Paterson.

Here is what we’re doing and what you can do to have impact.

Letter to Governor Paterson
Mountainkeeper, NRDC and a broad coalition of 26 environmental organizations have written a letter to Governor Paterson telling him that the DSGEIS is fatally flawed and must be abandoned.

Below are highlights from our letter
• It is critically important to protect the State’s drinking water supplies and other irreplaceable resources that are essential to public health protection and the state’s long-term economic prosperity.
• The use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have led to known or suspected contamination in water supplies across the country, including right next door in Pennsylvania.
• We ask that Governor Paterson direct the DEC to set aside its current draft document and commit to a twelve month moratorium on the issuance of any new permits for hydraulic fracturing in New York State.
• We ask that Governor Paterson request that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region II convene a panel of experts on water quality to analyze proposals for hydraulic fracturing in New York State and assess the potential impacts of such activities on water resources in New York, utilizing the precautionary principle as the foundation for its analysis.
• We ask that Governor Paterson direct DEC to develop a new draft environmental impact statement that contains all appropriate and legally-required analyses and to propose a comprehensive rule-making package that would accompany the new draft and that would be designed to fully insure the protection of the state’s most valuable water and other natural resources.
• We firmly believe that it would be an error of historic proportions if the DEC were to push through an industrial hydraulic fracturing gas drilling plan in anything like its present form.
Sign a Petition to the Governor
Catskill Mountainkeeper asks you join with thousands of others who have signed a petition created by Walter Hang, demanding that Governor Paterson withdraw DEC’s Draft Document and replace it with regulations that ensure that all environmental impacts from drilling are addressed. Walter Hang is a researcher and President of Toxic Targeting who recently reported that there have been 270 accidents related to gas drilling in New York State since 1979.

Send letters to Governor Paterson
Write to Governor Paterson, ask your friends to write to Governor Paterson and tell him that allowing gas drilling to proceed under the current regulations would be disastrous for New York State.

We only have 30 days until the end of the public comment period on December 31, 2009. This has been a long and hard fight, but the payoff is in what we all do from here on in. With the hearings over, there is risk that many concerned and dedicated people will lose the motivation to stay in the fight, however, now is the moment when effort is the most needed.

Please keep writing and keep spreading the word. Gas drilling under the current scenario will bring disastrous results to the Catskills, New York City and the entire State.

Here Are Other Things That You Can Do
• Email and call your elected member of congress, your US Senator, your State senator and Assemblyperson.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper
• Pass this alert on to colleagues so they can take action

Please help Catskill Mountainkeeper lead this important fight by making a donation today. Our only source of income to continue to advocate on your behalf is contributions from concerned citizens like you. Donations of any amount will help.

For more information about the gas drilling threat, please go to our website or you can call our office at 845.482.5400

About Catskill Mountainkeeper
Catskill Mountainkeeper is a member based advocacy organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the long term health of the six counties of the Catskill Region. As a representative face of the Catskills, we strive to be the eyes, ears and voice that look at issues, listen to concerns and speak on behalf of people who live, work, and recreate here. Recognizing strength in numbers, we organize concerned citizens to protect existing jobs and industry, take care of abundant but exceedingly vulnerable natural resources, and help to utilize available and often unclaimed local, state, and national funds to prevent and cushion the impact of natural disasters.

Catskill Mountainkeeper
Ramsay Adams
Executive Director
Catskill Mountainkeeper
Wes Gillingham
Program Director

WEATHER UPDATE

Looks like winter is about to arrive in my area. It is raining now but snow is expected to be just around the corner.

Now is the time to start tying up some flies for next spring, and reading all the magazines that have plied up, also I better go Christmas shopping for something for my wife.

Well it snowed here today, not real heavy but to the west of us it was almost 6 inches. I would say as for me I won’t be out on the stream but I will be tying up some flies for next season. Anyone in the area of Pittsford, NY tomorrow night the “Upstate Fly Fishers” FFF will be meeting at 7PM. If you might be able to go contact me and I’ll give you the directions.

Adirondack Fly Fishing in upstate New York, Adirondack Mountains-Adirondack Sport Shop

Adirondack Fly Fishing in upstate New York, Adirondack Mountains-Adirondack Sport Shop.

WEATHER

Well our weather is really in a change, it was in the low 30’s last night and now it will be going up to the middle 60’s. I understand that the water in Oatka Creek is in pretty good shape, not too colored from the falling leaves, maybe will get out early next week.

USGS Real-Time Water Data for FLINT CREEK AT PHELPS NY

Real-Time Water Data for  FLINT CREEK AT PHELPS NY.

Mettawee River no-kill section

Mettawee River no-kill section

A group of anglers has asked the state Department of Environmental Conservation to create a no-kill section on the Mettawee River in Granville.

The hope would be that the DEC could extend the trout season on the section of the river with a special regulation. The season closed on the Mettawee on Oct. 15.

The proposal was made by angler Phil Kellogg, who said he asked the DEC to consider a stretch of river between Middle Granville (near the angler parking area on Route 22A) and Truthville.

“It’d be interesting to take a section of river that fly fishermen really like and extend the season,” he said.

He said this stretch of the river has a large amount of public access, is heavily stocked and also gets a lot of pressure from bait fishermen, who sometimes overfish it.

“It’s a shame to have such great holes and have bait fishermen wipe them out,” he said.

It could also serve to draw more anglers to the river in the fall and survive as an economic catalyst for the area, Kellogg said.

DEC senior aquatic biologist Emily Zollweg said the request was under review, but she needed to hear more angler support for the measure than she’s heard so far.

“I need to have discussion with more folks who fish that area to see if there is broad support for that,” Zollweg said. “It has to be widely supported.”

The DEC also likes to gauge the interest of the county Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs before making rules changes.

Kellogg said he believes there is sufficient support for such a change.

“If she (Zollweg) wants more of that (public comments), I can get more of that,” he said.

The DEC established a no-kill section on the Batten Kill several years ago. The four-mile no-kill section of the Batten Kill in New York is open to anglers year-round.

Anyone wishing to comment on the issue can call Zollweg at 518-623-1200.

PA State Fly Tying Championship

PA State Fly Tying Championship

The Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is once again sponsoring the Pennsylvania State Fly Tying Championship. It will be held at the Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show Farm Show Complex, Cameron Street, Harrisburg on February 13, 2010, starting at 10 am.

There are 3 Categories:

• Youth – Youngsters under sixteen years of age (must have been born on or after March 1, 1994)
• Amateur – Any fly tyer who has never tied for money or other substantial remuneration
• Open – Any fly tyer, professional or otherwise

Requires a $20 non-refundable entry fee to be submitted with the flies for pre-judging

Application forms rules and fly patterns can be found at the Cumberland Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited’s website at http://cvtu.homestead.com/ or at the Eastern Sports and Outdoors Show at http://www.easternsportsshow.com

Fly tyers must submit flies to be pre-judged in order to make it to the final competition. The top five (5) tyers from each category will be selected to participate in the finals. The top tyer in the open category will receive a cash prize based on the number Of entrants with $100 minimum guaranteed. Trophies will be awarded for Youth and Amateur categories.

All flies for entries must be mailed to:
CVTU Fly Tying Contest
PO Box 520
Carlisle, PA 17013

Prizes are supplied by the Eastern Sports
and Outdoors Show and Bass Pro Shops

Action Alert from Trout Unlimited

   October 23, 2009

Dear Supporter,

Take action online now and voice your support for extending the comment period on New York’s draft supplemental generic environmental impact statement (SGEIS) for gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale.

It is imperative that Trout Unlimited members and other sportsmen and women in New York are provided both the time and opportunity to adequately review and provide comments on the Draft SGEIS.

Why We Care
We need your support today because New York is currently only allowing the public 60 days to provide comments on the 800 page draft SGEIS that the state released on September 30th. Additionally, the state is only providing the opportunity for public hearings in four locations, we need your help to request additional hearings and locations to comment on this important document that will provide the framework for how the industry is allowed to drill for gas in and around our favorite hunting and fishing spots.
Drilling for gas in the Marcellus Shale has the potential to significantly impact New York’s treasured trout streams—one of our greatest public assets. These streams, and the lands surrounding them, provide fishing, hunting, and other recreational opportunities, support tourism, and provide an economic base for many rural communities.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

1. Please visit our online action center today to express your support for extending the public comment period from 60 to 120 days and for providing additional public hearings on the report.
2. Call Governor Paterson and Commissioner Grannis to tell them that you strongly support increasing the comment period on the draft SGEIS from 60 days to 120 days to allow the citizens of New York adequate time to analyze the 800 page document as well as adding additional public hearings on the draft SGEIS. Phone calls and personal letters are the most effective methods to voice your opinion in support of these requests.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or for more information.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Maclin 
VP Eastern Conservation
Trout Unlimited
Ph. 703-284-9437
emaclin@tu.org

Ron Urban
Council Chair
New York State Council of Trout Unlimited