Volunteers gather to stock brook trout at the headwaters of Canadaway Creek each year — the annual event is set for this Saturday at the NYSDEC parking areas on Bard Road near Center Road.
Submitted Photo
Noted international artist, conservationist and famed Orvis-endorsed fly fishing guide Alberto Rey will be on hand to greet volunteers for the annual Canadaway Creek brook trout stocking event this Saturday starting at 10:30 a.m., rain or shine. The event will occur near the headwaters of the stream off Bard Road near Center Road in the NYSDEC parking area. A colorful video of a past stocking event is available at https://vimeo.com//192739031.
Rey is also asking for commercial and private donors to help support the not-for-profit fly fishing and fly-tying program and the Children-in-the-Stream/4-H youth fly fishing event he conducts regularly. The fly-tying program is not just open to the public, it’s for everyone, regardless of age. It is held from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Costello Room in Rockefeller Arts Center at Fredonia State University every Tuesday except for holidays.
The Children-in-the-Stream is not just an educational program, it’s a movement that is shaping the future of conservation and fly fishing. It provides children with invaluable information and experiences related to aquatic resources, conservation, ethics and fly fishing. The program’s strong ethical foundation promotes “catch and release” and instills respect for fellow anglers and the land. Its primary goal is to protect the species and the land for future generations. Our program is a testament to the rewarding act of fly fishing and the importance of understanding nature. Children-in-the-Stream is a volunteer organization that relies on the generosity of the fly fishing industry and of public and private donors. It provides programming to middle and high school students, college students at the State University of New York at Fredonia, and community members in the area. Children in the Stream provides workshops to an average of 200 children annually.
The Children-in-the-Stream Program includes weekly fly tying and rod building, monthly fly fishing trips, the Canadaway Creek Conservation Project, Conservation Days workshops and other events.
As an author and artist, Rey has grown to be respected worldwide for his painting and pottery talents. Of noted fame, Rey crafts bowls and artistic plates with clay from Canadaway Creek. One point of his pottery crafting with the local clay is that it is the same raw material used by First Peoples for centuries before us. Canadaway Creek is the same stream offering steelhead runs for anglers to visit from near and far in our modern times. The important link from past to present is part of the lesson that Rey shares for common understanding with his art, pottery, public speaking, and international travels. The public is invited to contact Rey by email at reya@fredonia.edu for an invitation to visit his studio located at 211 Chestnut St. in Fredonia. His studio is private but open to the public several days per month. Contact him directly for those dates. Alberto Rey is the Founder and director of Children in the Stream Youth Fly Fishing Program/4H.
Gotta love the outdoors.
CALENDAR
Oct. 17: Southtowns Walleye Association, monthly meeting, 7 p.m. start, 5895 Southwestern Blvd., Hamburg.
Oct. 19: Regular WNY Pheasant Season opens.
Oct. 19-Nov. 1: NYS Southern Zone fall turkey season.
Nov. 2-15: NYS Southern Zone crossbow big game season
Nov. 16-Dec. 8: NYS Southern Zone Regular (firearm) big game season
Dec. 9-17 and Dec. 26-Jan. 1: NYS Southern Zone Late Bowhunting Season