TUNE UP for Spring!

Team 7x is offering group and individual fly fishing lessons now thru Opening Day of fishing season in April. If you belong to a group or club at your workplace, contact us to discuss an agenda for your winter meetings! We'll cover the basics and tailor instruction to the abilities of your group. Casting lessons, fly tying,(equipment supplied) and proper gear setup can all be part of 3 to 6 session program one night a week.

For indoor fly casting, we'll supply all the equipment and we require an open high ceilinged area. We'll come to your location in Eastern Connecticut or Rhode Island. If you're interested, we have sample agendas that we've developed for several groups; contact us to customize a program for your friends, club members, business associates and newcomers to fly fishing.

We encourage youngsters new to fly fishing and those who always tell us, "Well I always wanted to fly fish...BUT"

NOW'S THE TIME...the winter's long and cold...we'll have you casting tight loops with your hand tied flies by the time OPENING DAY rolls around!

A special thanks to the great group of folks who joined us on a dreary Saturday, Sept. 24th at Charlie Brown Campground on the Natchaug River. We had fun and hope you enjoyed casting the great SAGE rods, reels and lines with us!

Drag free!

RI bans felt soles---BUT WHO KNEW??

UPDATE 2/21/2012...RIDEM will recind salt water felt sole ban! 

As of 1/1/2012, RIDEM's regulations prohibit felt soled wading shoes in both fresh and SALTWATER. Amazingly this new regulation somehow appeared without the slightest advance notice and little public comment. Leaders of RI's largest fishing groups, RISAA and others had no knowledge of this when I asked for their position. 


A total of THREE states as of this date have banned felt, but SALTWATER? In fact many states recommend washing felt soled boots and other wading gear in a SALT SOLUTION to control invasives. NO didymo has been confirmed in RI fresh waters, and the banning of felt in the salt is patently absurd. What's worse is that few anglers know of this regulation which is NOW in effect.

       No question that felt soles are safer than rubber. RIDEM has made no effort to educate wading fishermen and women in properly cleaning equipment and in moving from one stream to another where didymo may be present.  In RI no presence has been confirmed unlike CT, NY and others who HAVE NOT banned felt soled wading boots but have taken a broader approach of angler education. Felt soled boots are OK for use in Yellowstone National Park even after several years of whirling disease closed some areas of the Yellowstone to fishing. If anyone can confirm a comment period, hearings or other advance knowledge of this regulation, prior to its implementation, PLEASE LET US KNOW!

APPARENTLY EVEN RIDEM IS KEEPING THIS A SECRET!  I've asked the Director to suspend implementation of the regulation, pending more study, education, and public comment.  No response...
Drag Free in 2012!

FROM the REGULATIONS on RIDEM website:
STATE OF RHODE ISLAND AND PROVIDENCE PLANTATIONS 
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 
FISH AND WILDLIFE 
RHODE ISLAND FRESHWATER AND ANADROMOUS
FISHING REGULATIONS for the 2012 – 2013 SEASON 

1.17 It is prohibited that any person use foot gear with external felt soles in any state waters, inclusive of freshwater, tidal, or marine. This shall include any waters shared with adjacent states in which any Rhode Island Fishing Regulations apply.

Looking for the ideal trout outfit?

 Perhaps we can help with some ideas for you, your fly fishing spouse, child or granchild.

We've been working with several suppliers in an attempt to recommend a complete outfit, fly rod, reel, line, leaders, and fly box with a dozen flies with specific requirements and we've found it! 

                    1.  High quality at an affordable price.  Our goal is a COMPLETE OUTFIT (all of the above) FOR $300 OR LESS! We have field tested each component for action, durability and overall quality and can recommend a great 5 wt. package!

                    2.  Reliability.  Our recommended supplier offers a solid warranty program with a proven track record.

                    3.  Our TEAM7x pledge:  If we recommend an outfit that does NOT meet your expectations, we'll buy it back from you at your full purchase price in new condition. We're NOT going to recommend an outfit that we wouldn't want to own ourselves!        

                    4.  Affordability:  A high quality fly fishing outfit CAN be expensive, $1000 or more easily, but it doesn't have to be. Why not discuss your needs,requirements and budget with us?  We'll put you in touch with our selected TEAM7x  supplier. You won't be obliged to follow our recommendations nor will you purchase from us; we're not selling equipment.

Lastly, why not consider booking a spring "Evening on the Natchaug" gift for yourself and a spouse, child, friend or parent ?  

We've explored several new areas on the Natchaug this fall, some requiring a little effort to reach BUT, these are precisely the locations we love to target and share!  Depending on water levels/conditions we can also target the Shetucket, Moosup, Yantic, Still, Hop and other Eastern CT hidden gems!

Contact us at team_7x@yahoo.com for info on  the above and as always DRAG FREE!

Shetucket River Salmon

The Connecticut DEP stocks excess broodstock Atlantic salmon during the fall in two rivers; the Shetucket River in eastern CT and the Naugatuck River in the western part of the state.  Team 7x, on a recent beautiful November day, fished the Shetucket in hopes of finding these strong fighters.  The Shetucket is a trophy trout stream like the Natchaug  but is a larger river with stronger flows originating from the Scotland dam.  It can be subject to high levels but there are some good wading opportunities below the dam to the village of Baltic.

We fished streamers for the most part without success.  The Atlantic's can be elusive with only between 350-500 fish stocked in the Shetucket.  There are some large trout as well; spotted several large browns hugging the bottom but couldn't interest them on this day.

The Shetucket River is an excellent fall option to try for the Atlantic salmon, especially on a warmer day...not many left!  Give us a shout if you'd like to spend an afternoon learning more about this river and we'll target these leapers!

We're planning our winter agenda for lessons, including fly tying.  If you belong to a group or club at your workplace or elsewhere, let us tailor a once-a-week program for the winter months.  No better time to learn fly tying and brush up on fly casting techniques and gather details on some of the underfished eastern CT and RI rivers and streams!
Drag free!

FALL 2011 Not the best!

Fall conditions on the Natchaug have been hit or miss.  The changing water levels due to rain have fluctuated throughout the Sept./Oct. time period.  Fall stocking has ended and the holdovers should provide for some nice fish in the Spring.  While we've seen some nice BWO and caddis hatches; they've been inconsistent with few rising fish.  The autumn is typically very productive on the Natchaug; not so in 2011!  Drag free!  Spring will return!  We're scheduling group lessons throughout the off season now with an agenda tailored to your group's ability and experience. Of course we emphasize fly casting (indoors) with a session on fly tying.  Contact us for details on locations.


During the off-season take a look at some great articles at http://www.flyanglersonline.com/
Always some great informational and inspirational reading! 

FLY FISHING FALL TUNE UP!

                                  at Charlie Brown Campground

                                                         

The autumn is a great time to fly fish for Natchaug trout as the cooler water returns and river flows improve…

Bring your fly rod, reel lines and leaders and TEAM 7x will help you with the proper set up for fall trout fishing on the Natchaug and be ready for SPRING 2012!

No fly rod and reel yet?

TEAM 7x fly fishing instructors offer everyone a chance to cast all new SAGE rods and reels with full instruction. NON CAMPERS WELCOME AS SPACE PERMITS!  Contact us promptly!

Learn the basics of fly rod casting at NO CHARGE!

Beginners or Intermediate men or women welcome.

Young fly fishers age 10 or older welcome.

 Saturday, September 24, 2011

Pre-register now!

We’ll spend time on the basics of proper casting learn about equipment, and how we “match the hatch” on the beautiful Natchaug River. 

                          

Tom & Everett

 TEAM 7x

Team 7x offers private instruction and guided fly fishing on the Natchaug River.

Team_7x@yahoo.com    http://team7x.com  

                               

The spread of aquatic invasives:

Always clean your waders and boots after leaving these waters.

PROTECT THE NATCHAUG RIVER!

TEAM 7X recommends

Spray your waders and boots with TILEX Mold & Mildew Spray after leaving ANY waters and 24 hours BEFORE entering the Natchaug River.

For a more thorough process, clean your gear in a light bleach solution and THOROUGHLY DRY before re-entering ANY waterway.

DIDYMO (ROCK SNOT) has been found in Connecticut rivers!  This highly-invasive algae can destroy fish habitat and have a devastating effect on our trout!

ALSO:

PLEASE practice catch and release

DO NOT stress the trout by overplaying, especially in warmer water!

SPONSORED BY: 

 TEAM7x  “Evenings on the Natchaug” guided fly fishing; individual and group fly fishing instruction.

http://team7x.com                                                    email:  team_7x@yahoo.com