CT opening day...Natchaug River

TEAM 7x had a great time teaching  several new fly fishermen the basics of casting  on 4/21, opening day of trout season in CT.  Our next session is scheduled for May 5, 9 to 11 am. Per usual, the Natchaug was crowded with spin fishermen, the trout pooled up in deeper holes and heads of pools in the extreme low water conditions, and the annual massacre was on!  Recently stocked nice sized trout dragged on the rocks, hooks ripped out, stringers attached...not the norm for catch-and-release anglers, but to each his/her own, I suppose.  Today's rain will have little impact on the river; it is LOW and one must search for holding water. We did see spinners and caddis on the water late around 7:00 pm and rose several fish on those patterns in some of the deeper pools in the lesser fished parts of the river.  The afternoon was windy and except for midge, the hatches sparse on this day.

Earlier we did a little searching under rocks at stream side and found some great specimens of the insect life prevalent on the Natchaug.

Natchaug dark stonefly nymph

March Brown nymph

March Brown nymph

There were numerous cased caddis and mahogany dun nymphs on the underside of stream side rocks as well.  It won't be long for the March Browns to make there appearance, based on the size of the nymphs we witnessed.  The suprising find was the huge dark stonefly nymphs clinging tight to the streambed rocks.  Stonefly nymphs fished deep should certainly take the deeper lying trout.  The water clarity and low flow make it easy to observe the trout and their feeding patterns.  If you haven't invested in the fly fishers MOST important piece of equipment, it's time to do so!  POLARIZED SUNGLASSES...good ones!  Absent the mayhem of opening day on the Natchaug, hopefully we'll be able to do some stream side work at our May fly casting sessions at Charlie Brown Campground.

Connecticut Trout Stocking Maps

CT DEP has posted TROUT STOCKING MAPS for all streams and rivers in Connecticut. These maps are in topo format and are a great resource for finding access points and river locations.  Once again, the Connecticut DEP fisheries division provides another valuable resource for us as the 2012 season gets underway on all rivers and streams on April 21.
 A reminder:  Water levels and flows are LOW; please revive all trout before releasing!

DRAG FREE!

Dry fly Bonanza!

The Moosup River 4/2 was in midseason form with a prolific hatch of Epeorus pleuralis (Quill Gordons) in mid afternoon.  No need to wait for opening day in Connecticut, the dry fly action is happening now!  Stoneflies are still in the mix but the trout were keying on the quills which covered the water for an hour or so.  Later around 6 pm caddis began to show along with a solid hatch of tiny blue-wing olives...just amazing for early April as the air was filled with insects in the fading daylight!  The water and flow is LOW which does not bode well for the upcoming weeks.  As a barometer, the Natchaug today is at 56 cfs, unheard of for this time of year.  These are late June/early July flows!

We've been successful with the standard quill patterns, hackle stackers and when the trout key on the fluttering stoneflies, a black emergent caddis pupa with elk hair wing fished on top works just fine; any dark flat or down wing pattern will get close enough to a stonefly look-a-like for success. I fished the Jim Hicks signature rod with the Metolius reel from Fly Fishing Benefactors today...a great combo...check 'em out via the link on the left.

With no significant rainfall in the forecast I'd take advantage of the current conditions as trout are looking up now and with the low flows, are tending to concentrate in the faster moving water at head and tailouts of pools.  The quill hatch was as strong as I've seen in several years and certainly ahead of normal schedule.

The best part...hardly anyone on the river! Now's the time as general opening day is still 17 DAYS away and who knows what conditions will be like.  Without significant rain the eastern CT freestones will be in a world of hurt.
Drag free!

Surface action early but danger ahead!

The surface action continues on the Moosup as stoneflies and now an emergence of early season quills (Gordon and black) have begun to appear along with BWO's.  The water is clear but LOW.  I can't remember a season 3 weeks away from opening day when the water levels were so low in eastern Connecticut.  The Natchaug River, not open until April 21 is at 2.8 feet and 64 cfs today.  These are late June conditions!  The Moosup water temps were 60+ during the warm spell a week ago.  Cooler nights recently will help but without significant rainfall, opening day and beyond is a crapshoot at best!

While the warm early spring is welcome, the lack of water is not.  Reservoirs, lakes and ponds are in dire need of water.  Flows on the Farmington are at summer levels and although this is a tailwater, it remains to be seen how much water can be released as the days pass.  Trout on the Moosup recently were already seeking cooler moving water as fallfish and suckers began taking up residence in the usual pools.  Today's forecast shows one day with a 60% or better chance of rain in the next 10...NOT GOOD!

The Farmington may become the only game in town WAAAAYYY before usual this year. The flows on the WB and EB Delaware, Beaverkill and Willowemoc are markedly below normal for this time of season.  WE shall see!  In the meantime we've had an opportunity to cast and fish the new Jim Hicks Signature fly rod from Fly Fishing Benefactors, paired with the Deschutes reel and what a fine 5 weight it is!  VERY well appointed featuring high modulus graphite construction and two tips, casting the fast action JH is a pleasure. The Deschutes is a lightweight, well made wide arbor again at a LOW price point, similar to the SNAKE I we reviewed here. Both will be available to cast at our Charlie Brown Campground lessons scheduled for May and June. We'll have the FFB Snake, Deschutes and Metolius reels on hand as well.

Carl Craig at FFB offers a complete JH package; rod, reel, line, leaders, fly box and a dozen flies at a ridiculous price point.  Check out his site and deals by clicking on the FFB logo to the left. A good portion of his profits go to some worthwhile causes and his products are first rate!

See you on the Moosup or Yantic and if you've got a rain dance to offer...now's the time!
Drag free!

Pre-Opener report...Moosup River, CT

Pre-Opener report...Moosup River, CT

Moosup River in Central Village (Plainfield) CT is a TMA, catch and release and thus open year round. The past few days, with the warmer temps  has shown lots of early stoneflies and hungry newly stocked fish. As the stones hit the water from stream side, the trout are actively on the rise.  A size 14 or 16 black bodied, flat wing pattern will do the trick.  I used a black caddis with tan deer hair down wing , a grey soft hackle and a dark body floating cdc emerger with constant success on 3/12. This is a lovely stretch of river, directly behind the Quinebaug Trout hatchery, with easy parking and access via the yellow trail. The Moosup empties into the Quinebaug, downstream of the hatchery. Deep runs, pools and riffles amidst wooded forest area provides good cover and cool water. Stocking reports show that some 2200 trout are stocked in the TMA, with 7000 throughout the Moosup system. There are holdovers.  

This river originates in RI, and receives little fishing pressure with stocking by RIDEM not seemingly spread out although there are some very nice stretches of river on the RI side.

This is the closest stream for RI fly fishers to get out pre-season as it is a year-round CT TMA.  There are no open streams or rivers in RI now.

For now, walk and wade and observe the beautiful early season stoneflies as they flutter on the surface.  The trout are looking up and there is definite on-top action!  Watch the deeper runs along undercut banks especially!  Given time, the pale,dreary looking browns and rainbows will have colored up a bit! There are some BIG fish in this TMA; Fished the Mooosup, or any other Eastern CT rivers? Let me know your thoughts! I will not be overly specific with locations in these public posts, but hope to provide some level of interest for those who haven't fished some of the less well-known streams and rivers of Eastern Ct.  Drag free!

NEW! CT Trout Stocking report

The latest Connecticut trout stocking report (2011 stats) has just been released by CT DEP.  The previous report was a 2009 version.  This report features the species and numbers of trout stocked in CT's rivers, streams and lakes/ponds and is an invaluable guide for the trout fisherman, since the majority of trout waters in CT are stocked on a put and take basis. Once again, the Natchaug remains as the 2nd most heavily stocked stream in CT.

(click for for details)

We can help you find 'em!  Our "Evenings on the Natchaug" program is a great way to learn about this great Trophy Trout Stream.  Our free casting lessons begin in early Spring...contact us for specifics!

Stonefly time...small and sparse!

A few small winter stoneflies were skittering on the surface of the Natchaug River recently. After seeing a subtle rise to a stone, a soft hackle floated on top took a nice brown trout holdover.  A lot of walking, wading and observing to find a rising trout this time of year BUT it happens when stoneflies are around.

A few days later on a cold windy day on the Farmington, trout were again rising ever-so-subtly to small stones when the wind settled down a bit.  Not a lot of rises, and again a lot of patience and observation to spot the dimpled soft take.

A size 16 or 18 soft hackle, gray body will match the dark bodied early "snow flies" as some call them.  On the Farmington they were smaller, even to a 20 or 22 and greenish/yellowish.  Nymphs of course will work if you want to drag bottom.  Great time of year to walk and explore with the water gin-clear and low.  No snow pack and lack of frost could spell trouble.  Let's hope for a rainy April/May to refresh our eastern CT freestones.  Even the tailwater Farmington is low for this time of year, more like midsummer flows and levels.  The Natchaug closes 2/29 until opening day.  Meantime pick a warm day and try the Yantic, Merrick Brook, Willimantic or Moosup, all year 'round streams and look for the small stoneflies!
Drag free!