Our chapter officers and volunteers work hard to put together day trips and events that help us all explore new places to fish and improve our skills. There are two kinds of trips we normally have: Fish-With-A-Member and Tune-ups. They are described below.

Fish-With-A-Member (FWAM) trips are a great way to learn about conservation and restoration in the field as well as new places to fish. Generally, a member who is familiar with a particular body of water will lead a trip after scheduling it well in advance with the chapter officers. The place and date of the trip will be published in the chapter newsletter, Troutline, and will also be posted on the Web site in the calendar, the upcoming events, and the online version of the newsletter. Occasionally, a reminder will go out to those who have signed up for the opt-in email list. So there's no reason to miss one!

The trip leader will arrange a place to meet early in the morning. That allows folks to carpool and travel in a sort of convoy. The vehicles leave promptly at the stated time, so don't be late!

For best results on a FWAM trip, there are usually details including what to bring on the trip, what types and sizes of flies are expected to work, and the like, in the printed version of Troutline. Since recieving a Troutline is a NVATU members only benefit, much of this information is withheld from the online version. If you want the inside scoop, it is a good idea to keep your membership current.

Important: The chapter asks for a $5 donation from participants on FWAM trips. At the end of the year there will be a special raffle for attendees of these events.

Dan Kelly is MD/PA leader. His phone is 703-221-7292 and email is danwkelly "AT" aol.com.
George Paine is the Virginia leader. His phone is 703-860-0862.

Click here for the current list of scheduled FWAM trips.

Tune-ups are an excellent opportunity to have an expert evaluate your gear and techniques prior to seasonal hatches and changing conditions? If you're great at catching brook trout on your 2-weight rod but couldn't hook a smallmouth on a popper if your life depended on it, then a smallmouth tune-up may be perfect for you. Tune-ups are usually held at or near a productive fishing area. A resident expert or flyshop guru will be there to see if you have the right rod/ reel/ line/ leader/ fly setup to get the most out of your fishing experience. Sometimes they can sell you anything you may need to complete your rig, and other times they may help you perfect your casting form.

One thing is for sure - Tune-ups are a good time! Attendance is usually high at our tune-ups, so it is another opportunity to mingle with fellow chapter members. Tune-ups are also well publicized, just like the FWAM trips, so you should be able to plan well in advance.

Important: The chapter asks for a $10 donation from participants on tune-ups. At the end of the year there will be a special raffle for attendees of these events.

Click here for the current list of scheduled tune-ups.

If you are not receiving the monthly email reminders and bulletins, please click to send us an E-mail and we will add your name to the list.