December Meeting, Brook Trout and 2026 Membership Dues

• December Members Meeting

  
  

• Pond and Fishing Conditions

  
  

• Brook Trout Stocking

  
  

• 2026 Membership Dues

  
  

• Food Drive for NCC Food Pantry

December Meeting

The annual roast beef dinner will be served this coming Thursday (12/18) at the December Members Meeting. The Board of Directors have planned another great holiday feast so be sure to get to the clubhouse by 6:30pm to grab your seat. A short meeting will take place after the meal. If you would like to bring a small dessert to share with members please email Head Chef Dennis P to coordinate.

Pond and Fishing Conditions

As of today (Friday 12/12) the pond is completely iced over with a good 1-2" of clean ice and temperatures look like they will remain cold into the middle of next week. Members were catching fish last week when the pond was 50% covered with ice so we will post "open water" updates on the blog if/when the ice breaks up over the next few weeks and months. Casting a streamer along the edge of a melting ice sheet can be very productive for winter rainbow trout.

We're heading into a tough stretch of the year for fisher-people. The Swift River is around an hour away and never freezes, it's just a pity that everyone in MA knows about it and that the trout in there are persnickety little fella's.

Brook Trout Stocking

The plan is to break the ice up some of the along the shore this weekend and go ahead with the brook trout stocking. Current ice-out conditions will give the new fish plenty of time to a acclimatize and lock in on the shiners and baitfish that keep our trout fed over the winter months. When we get a warm spell, fingers-crossed, that melts some of the ice they will be in there waiting for you.

2026 Membership Dues

The 2026 membership fees are due as of January 1, 2026.  The BoD has taken the step of not raising the yearly dues and keeping Full Membership at $250, Junior Membership at $100. All member dues offset the many expenses that the club has to cover throughout the year and still maintain its non-profit status.  The cost of trout stockings, insurance, restroom rental, utility bills, taxes and property maintenance are the largest portion of our costs to run the club.

Checks can be made payable to Needham Sportsman's Club and mailed to the address below. Please include a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope to have your 2026 membership tag sent back to you.

Needham Sportsman’s Club

PO Box 920191

Needham MA 02492

Annual Food Drive for NCC Food Pantry

Needham Sportsman's Club will be running its annual food drive to gather non-persibable goods for the Needham Community Council Food Pantry. Items can be brought to the clubhouse and left in the box on the table below the TV screen between 18th December and 31st January. The items that are most in need at this time of year can found on this Food Drive List but all donations are appreciated. Please check expiration dates on cans and packets before donating.