IMPORTANT NOTE: The full version of River Views is no longer just for members. If your emailed copy of River Views ends abruptly look for this quote "[Message clipped]  "View entire message" at the bottom of the page. Clicking there will open up the full issue.

Did you know that back issues of River Views, the monthly newsletter of the HRFA, are available for all to enjoy on our website? Click here, or the River Views banner, to go directly there and catch up on your reading.

Click HERE to register!

Adults: There will be a mystery prize for the largest Striper landed in length.

Kids: There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prices for kids.

He returned to The Fisherman in early 2015 as New Jersey edition managing editor where he hopes to spend the rest of his writing career. A lifelong hunter, angler, and freelance writer, he’s been actively involved in state organizations including New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium, the Tuckerton Seaport Museum, and the Long Beach Island Surf Fishing Tournament, and also sits on the national advisory board for Gray FishTag Research. When not at his desk, he can often be found on The Road (the name of his small center console he keeps in South Jersey) or surfcasting the beaches near his home in Brick, NJ.

 A photograph of your catch is to be submitted by text to 201-232-5988 / The

photo of your catch must have the ruler below the fish with no portion

of the ruler covered by the fish or anything else.

 Please include your first and last name in the text

 Time of entry will break any ties.

 Shore/wade fly fishing only. No boats.

 The boundaries are anywhere on Sandy Hook

Wayne Geider at

Tony brought with him a range of fishing reels to show & tell. Including the newest Van Staal X-Series.

The VS X-SERIES Bail-Less Reels are constructed of aircraft grade aluminum and have a fully sealed construction that so many anglers love. Updated with a new patented waterproof sealed drag system that puts out a wider range of pressure, they also have a drag knob that clicks so that you have more control of your drag while you are on the beach. The new X-Wrap™ oscillation system results in an ideal line lay for braid or mono.

HRFA member Carl Bruger’s name was picked and announced to all present three times. Carl Bruger was there, and wins the HRFA Free money. Carl decided the $260.00 is to be donated back to the HRFA Youth Angler Program. Carl Bruger also won the 50/50 ($90.00) and donated that back to the HRFA in trade for a Van Staal reel, as per Tony Dubeck's request.

Capt. Dave Vollweider President of the UFANJ (Uniter Freshwater Anglers of New Jersey) and Lou Martinez made us aware of pending restrictions on anglers' access to Greenwood Lake. They called on us to take action, requesting we write to NJ representatives and sign their petition. let's help disrupt the actions of local communities trying to privatize the lake! Details below.

The NJ Fish and Game Council voted unanimously in support for a public boat launch ramp on Greenwood Lake with the designated area to be the Brown's Point section of the lake. They stated that if public access is not restored quickly, Greenwood Lake would be considered a private waterbody that is not eligible to be stocked with state-raised fish. Brown's Point had been leased to the town of West Milford. This year the lease expired and the land reverted back to the STATE. Recently a new bill was drafted by supporters: Senators Joseph Penacchio and Steven Oroho, Assemblymen Jay Webber, Harold Wirths, Parker Space, and Assemblywoman Aura Dunn Bill S-987 / A-1047. Briefly stated, the bill requires the DEP to provide public access for boats to certain State-owned lakes; appropriates $1 million.

Carl Bruger has been a writer for this newsletter educating and entertaining us who read River Views for a long time. Here is his latest gem.

Be sure to check out the H.R.F.A. Events Calendar below for this month's member birthday notices, holidays and events.

The JCAA would like to continue our efforts to increase funds for NJ HOFNOD. We are asking you write to your legislators. The importance of properly funding NJ HOFNOD is essential to provide needed funds to expand NJ HOFOD. The bill appropriates $450,000 to the Department of Environmental Protection to fund the cost of implementing the Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs Program. The money would be appropriated from the "Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund," a statutory account established to receive fines and penalties from convicted drug offenders that are used to support state-authorized drug and alcohol abuse abatement programs. The bill encourages the Legislature to appropriate sufficient funding annually from the "Drug Enforcement and Demand Reduction Fund" or any other appropriate source to maintain the operation of the program in future years.

If you would like to become a certified NJ HOFNOD instructor, please contact Liz Jackson, NJ DEP Division of Fish & Wildlife, Hooked on Fishing - Not on Drugs, 605 Pequest Road, Oxford, NJ 07683 908-637-4125 x122 Visit the NJ HOFNOD website to view a group near you. NJ HOFNOD>>

2022 HRFA membership cards are available now. Plan to pay your dues at the March meeting or fill out the membership form below and send it in or renew on line. Grace period ends March 30. Fight for the Hudson.

If anyone would like a current JCAA newsletter please click here > https://jcaa.org/jcnl2102/mainpage.htm

What is HRFA Free Money? Are you a paid member.?

 At every HRFA in person meeting, half of the HRFA portion of the 50/50 money goes into a virtual jar. At the end of the meeting, a paid HRFA members name is picked (from a jar of all paid HRFA members) to receive the money. The name is announced three times. If the HRFA paid member is not present, the money goes back into the jar for the next months meeting. The process continues and is repeated at the next HRFA meeting.

Arnie Ulrich Membership Chair

HRFA Membership Information

For those people who join(ed) the HRFA in October (or later) of a given year, their new or renewal membership also is covered for the following new year. There is also a generous grace period for those who are unable to update their membership in January, however paying your dues late puts a strain on the records maintenance and consequently the ability of the executive board’s planning of activities and events.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or want to help (time, skills, or financially) on any particular club projects or events, feel free to email me, Arnie Ulrich ([email protected]) or call me at 1-201-304-4691.

Hudson River Fishing and Boating Public Access <--- click here

So how old is your fish? <--- click here

Have a photograph and/or fishing story you would like to share with the club? If so, we'd love to hear from you. After all, no one wants to see the same members over and over again. Email it to [email protected] and we will do our very best to squeeze it into an upcoming issue of River Views.

Andrew Ward

December 13, 2021 Wayne Geider & Jeff Christie went north to do a little ice fishing on Wayne's birthday. The ice wasn't thick enough to be safe on the first lake that they checked-out. So, back into the van to drive to a lake further north and at higher altitude.

Arriving at the new location Jeff told Wayne that he will head down the hill at Little Pond to see if the ice was safe or not. No point in both of them going.

In a short while, Jeff came hobbling back to the van clutching his shoulder in obvious agony. Through clenched teeth and painful shallow breaths Jeff tells Wayne he fell awkwardly on the icy slope and never made it as far as the lake. Off to the Catskill Regional emergency room, where they waited and waited. X-rays and/or cat-scans would reveal that Jeff had broken three ribs, each in multiple places. Not only that, he also had broken his collarbone. They could not keep him there. So, an ambulance took him to Middlesex hospital.

Joe Albanese knew nothing about any of this until several days after the incident. That's when he met Mike Quevedo in the checkout line at Ramsey Outdoor Store who tells him the whole story above. BTW, ROS gives HRFA members a 10% Discount. :)

Afterwards, Joe called to talk to Jeff and wish him a speedy recovery but ended up leaving him only a message. Joe was able to follow Jeff's recovery; getting occasional updates from Scott Havner.

When Jeff called Joe back to thank him for his 'get well quick' call he said he was finally feeling much better. He also said that, coincidentally, it was 3 weeks to the day when he fell and broke his bones. During the call he filled Joe in on many of the details that he hadn't already heard from others.

Coincidently, is right. Here Joe was talking with Jeff on the phone and ice fishing with his cohort on that fateful day. Yes, exactly 3 weeks to the day when Jeff was with Wayne Joe is with him on Superior Lake in Bethel, NY. Then Joe told Jeff what happened this morning - cars sliding down the icy hill, him doing a "Jeff Christie" but lucky enough not to break any bones, JEEP being towed out of the woods and then making it out onto the ice to fish anyway.

See "Drill Baby Drill" in the February issue of River Views for all of those details. Here at least are a couple of photos and an excerpt from that article.

As Joe said his goodbyes and was hanging up the phone he heard Jeff call to his wife, "Honey, you are not going to believe this ..."

It was not long after that phone call with Jeff, that he just couldn't stand being cooped up in the house any longer. Against his Doctor's advice, he returned ahead of schedule to join the gang on the ice. With one arm pretty much out of commission, he was happily catching fish through the ice on Lake Welch. When a nice crappie came unhooked and fell back into the hole from which it exited the lake, Jeff instinctively dove for it; and landed on his bad side. Luckily he was wearing enough winter layers to provide protective padding to cushion the blow. Jeff's behavior is confirmation that he belongs in the certifiable category along with the others. Just saying, "I'm not surprised."

The bottom line, ice fishing (and winter in general) can be hazardous to your health. So, let's be careful out there.

By Wayne Geider

Just call our Youth Angler Program Chair Wayne Geider at

We are so grateful for the very generous donation by Patricia and Thomas Alexander in the name of Priscilla Lasher Alexander in the sun of $1000 for the HRFA Boat Restoration Project. We appreciate this timely contribution to our organization. As always, we thank all our members and friends for your help and appreciate your donations.

Due to the restrictions imposed on our lives by the CV19 pandemic our plans are on hold. We hope and pray that in the Spring of 2021 volunteers may start working to refurbish Riverkeeper to her former days of glory when she was the world's first and only riverkeeper vessel. To offer your time and talents contact Dan Harrison at [email protected].

The HRFA hosts an annual fishing contest which runs from January through December and is open to all HRFA members. You have 30 days from the day you catch a fish to send in your entries. So, the deadline for submissions is January. As a member of the HRFA you and your immediate family are eligible to enter fish in any of our categories. Various divisions are available for prizes presented at our Annual Awards Dinner in March of the following year. Website updated daily. River Views newsletter updates below are done around the first the month. * indicates a new club record.