New York State Council of Trout Unlimited
Trout Waters Youth Camp
July 18th to July 24th 2010
 Land of the Vikings Resort near Hale Eddy, NY

This camp will be an intense week of fly fishing and conservation instruction for only 12 students.  Students will be asked to write an essay on why they want to learn how to fly fish and provide a teacher as a reference. Cost  for tuition, room and board is $400 per person.  The Selection Committee of NYSC of TU shall make selections based on qualifications and desire.  See the bottom of this page for contact information.

Each day students will learn the skills needed to be a successful fly fisher.  We will cover fly casting, fly tying, equipment care, reading water, stream etiquette and safety.  Students will learn where trout live and why.  Many of the indoor classes will be put to practical use stream side.

Each day students will learn about ecology and conservation. The students will visit many places along the West Branch of the Delaware River.  The history of the NYC Water Supply and fly fishing in the Catskills will be covered.  We will take several field trips to points of interest like the Cannonsville Dam, Catskill Fly-fishing Center, Catskill Hatchery, and fish the waters nearby.  By the end of the week the students will be true Catskill Fly Fishers!

Land of the Vikings Resort can accommodate more than 70 overnight guests.  The rooms are simple but comfortable and all have private baths.  All meals will be served in style in the dining hall. 
Land of the Vikings

The schedule starts with optional fly fishing in the morning at 5:30am at the Hale Eddy Bridge.
Breakfast 7-8am
fly-tying 8-10am
Classes and tours 10-12 noon
Lunch at camp or boxed lunch in the field at 12 noon
1-5 pm more classes or tours
Supper at 5pm
Mandatory Fly Fishing with Fishing Buddies 6pm till dark
9 to 10 pm camp fire and fishing stories
Lights out at 11 pm

Each day will include different classes with experts in their chosen fields of study. 

2010 Schedule           TU Camp Schedule.pdf

Activity Descriptions:
Getting Started: 
This activity will cover camp rules and introductions. Student equipment will be assessed, and where necessary repaired or replaced with loaner equipment. Basic casting technique will be introduced and taught by Loren Williams member of the US Fly Fishing Team.  
Casting Stations and Games
In this section, various casting games will be presented to improve casting accuracy for different types of casting situations.  Hula-hoops will be arranged in various stations to improve students casting accuracy. 
Fly Tying Parts 1, 2, 3
These sections Loren Willians will introduce fly tying in a skills-oriented approach.  Flies that can be used by the students during the camp week will be included. Fly tying station will be set up for participants to use during any free time, Monday trough Thursday.
DeBruce Hatchery
The DEC Fishery Hatchery Manager Scott Covert will give the students a tour of the Catskills Hatchery in De Bruce NY. 
Rod Building
Don Nash from the Al Hazzard Chapter of TU will go through the steps of building a fly rod. He will talk about blanks used, parts needed, and have rods in different stages of completion. He will also be on hand as a fishing buddy.

Reading the Water parts 1 & 2
TWYC Director Kurt Nelson will present and discuss the skills of reading the water to understand where and why trout choose various locations in the river during the course of the day.
Water Quality Assessment with Aquatic Insects
Fishery Biologist Rick Narro will present methods and techniques used in real-world stream habitat study, focusing on the use of insect collection.  Aquatic life will be quantified and identified during this activity.  Field guides (Ames book) and identification keys will be used for insect identification
The Way of a Trout
This is a Trout Unlimited classic video exploring the day-to-day fight to survive… from predators who at various stages of growth include aquatic insects other fish, birds, and animals. And only man has the alternative to release the trout to spawn other fish.

Local Conservation Issues
TU National Scientist Nat Gillespie will talk about the Delaware River system and the CP2 plan to protect the rivers ecosystem and provide water for NYC.

Test Kits
Certified water quality expert Lynn Congdon will instruct students on how to test water quality with real water test kits. Students will test for PH, Oxygen and other factors of clean water and poor water.
 

Drift Boat Fishing Trip
Three Registered NY guides will guide 6 students on a drift boat fishing trip on the West Branch of the Delaware River. The first group of 6 students will fish after breakfast and the second group of 6 students will fish and take a box supper. This is only if there is enough water released from the dam and fishing locations are TBA. 

Dissection of Trout
DEC Biologist Ryan Coulter will guide students through the anatomy, physiology and dissection of a trout. The focus will be on how the fish finds, eats, and digests food.  This is a hands-on section, with students performing guided trout dissections.
Life Cycle of Trout
DEC Biologist Ryan Coulter will guide students through the important aspects of the trout life cycle from egg to maturity.

Diane Galusha Author of “Liquid Assets”
Program and discussion of the history and construction of the NYC drinking water supply system.
Conservation
Students will be introduced to the various local, state, federal agencies that relate to cold water fisheries, as well as Trout Unlimited National and their role in promoting sustainable cold water habitat.

Invasive Plants and Animals TBD
After Lunch Activities
Some of the lunch periods provide an opportunity for additional activities for students.  These will be arranged dynamically, based on student interest, weather conditions, etc.   Activities would include fly tying, casting, insect identification, time to try-out different fly rods/reels, and other topics of interest.   

*Programs and presenters may change without notice.
*Guides will be insured professional NYS Licensed Guides
*Travel will be in a 15 passenger Van, with only camp participants as riders and two Staff Members
*Fishing Buddies will all members of Trout Unlimited and have background checks completed
*Youth over age 16 must have a valid NYS fishing license



Supervision and Safety:

All support volunteers will go through a background check and training session.
No alcohol, controlled substances, tobacco products, or foul language will be allowed in or around the camp or participants.
Medical support will be available 24/7.
Any transportation required will be in a group van with a fully licensed and insured driver.
Insurance coverage is provided by NYSC of TU, TU National, and the host facility as applicable.
Two way radios will be carried by camp staff at all times

Trout Unlimited Personnel Needed:
Committee to plan, seek donations, and recruit (4).
Week-end training before the camp for Fishing Buddies and camp staff.
Program director to assist program presenters(1).
Overnight personnel (2). General staff to handle prep for meals, travel (3).
One Fishing Buddy for every  one or two participants (6).
Dr. or Nurse 24/7, handles medical records also (1).

Sponsor Proposal
We are asking that sponsors help with new equipment annually for camp participants. This may include fly-fishing gear, rods, reels, line, flies, and fly tying equipment. To become a sponsor please contact:
 Kurt Nelson NYSCTU Region 7 VP at avkurt@mac.com
  
Camp Application and Brochure
2009 Application

To get a brochure by mail, more information and a Trout Waters application, contact:
Kurt Nelson NYSCTU Region 7 VP at
727 Dimmock Hill Road, Binghamton, NY 13905
or e-mail       avkurt@mac.comhttp://www.sofn3d.org/Lov/LOV_Home.htmlWelcome_files/TU%20Camp%20Schedule.pdfmailto:avkurt@mac.comWelcome_files/youthsponsorsmall.pdfmailto:avkurt@mac.comshapeimage_3_link_0shapeimage_3_link_1shapeimage_3_link_2shapeimage_3_link_3shapeimage_3_link_4

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Trout Unlimited

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