Hello again everyone... We haven't gone away!  2025 was a year of some challenges so we fell behind on email updates.  A Happy and Healthy 2026 to all our followers! HOWEVER the trout and salmon fly fishing in Eastern Connecticut was strong.  The Natchaug produced some nice holdovers and nice sized rainbows throughout the Spring until water temps increased and flows diminished in late May/early June. Early season Stoneflies followed by Blue Quills some Quill Gordons and sparse Hendricksons were prevalent and of course BWO's 18 to 20 always seem to be present.  What we did not see in any quantity this year were caddis.   Years past featured heavy black and tan caddis hatches at dusk. Again between hatches, the tried and true soft hackle fished in the film is a winner! In October and beyond even with lower levels on the Shetucket fishing was solid for some nice sized Atlantic Salmon.  For those braving the cold thru December the tagged salmon continued taking the fly in the key areas on the Shetucket. CTDEEP's tagging results from 2024-25 are extremely helpful in understanding the movement of these beauties with some surprising results! You can view the interesting report if you drop me an email...cannot attach a PDF here,  which I will send along. In the meantime back to the Shetucket, our Steve the Shetucket Specialist continued to rack up large numbers throughout the season even on the colder days. This is a great fall fishery as you can see from above. Need a casting tune up?  Questions about the Natchaug or Shetucket or other Eastern CT locales?  Need a personalized outing?  Check out team7x.com  and our archives for some pre-season reading. Especially check out the line, butt section, leader, tippet article...I think it will improve your dry fly presentation dramatically!  Recent snow and a wet February bodes well for March water levels as the trout season, now open year around, swings into action. DRAG FREE everyone...it won't be long!

Thanks to all who visited with us at the recent CFFA Expo!

TIME TO PREPARE FOR SPRING TROUT SEASON

WITH YEAR ROUND TROUT SEASON IN CT,  FALL HOLDOVERS IN THE NATCHAUG RIVER ARE NOT UNCOMMON

We hope you find the following info useful! 

TEAM 7x Top tips and patterns for the Natchaug

    

Brown (with a bit of orange) and black CDC emergers are excellent all

around choices when caddis are present. Fished on top with dry flotant

(NO paste!) or swung in front of trout rolling on emergers just under the

surface make these patterns highly effective especially in early season

when the quills emerge. Later, when the black caddis start to show at

dusk, this is a go-to fly as trout chase the fast rising emergers to the

surface. TIP: Study the rise form…rolling rise, no visible head, tie on

an emerger.

Tan and grey caddis are prevalent on the Natchaug and surrounding rivers and streams throughout the season.  This deer hair crystal caddis in size 16 is one of our favorites when trout are taking the adult caddis on top. TIP:  If you’re refused on a size 14, drop down to a 16.  With low, clear water, be sure your tippet is long enough…  6x or below

 The Griffith gnat, size 18 is a must for any stream with lots of 

      midge activity.  The Natchaug is no exception and this time-tested 

      pattern imitates a cluster of midge.  TIP:  If you are unsuccessful 

      raising a feeding trout to caddis or other larger visible duns, tie on a 

      G. gnat and remember to position yourself to get a drag free drift  

      from up or side stream especially in skinny water.  Line slap and  

      leader will almost always spook a trout feeding on the surface.                                     

Sulphur hatches can vary from season to season. There are

many patterns and the trout can be picky as to size, color and style

of the dun. They provide some spectacular dry fly

action in May and June, especially in the evenings.

TIP: Look closely at the water when sulphurs are on; larger trout

may be keying on the emerger or spinner stage as the duns float by

undisturbed.

 The sulphur emerger  is very effective when sulphur duns are first

  visible.  We have seen evenings where duns cover the water,   

  getting a free downstream ride, while the trout feed on  

  the emerging insect.  Again this can be a difficult pattern to imitate   

  but we find this soft hackle pattern works well in the 

  surface film if fished down and into the feeding trout. 

And finally, the TEAM7x favorite, the grey soft hackle.

Our soft hackles are tied to float, and when the wings are greased up

and lie flat, this pattern represents a cripple or stillborn. We use

the softie as a general searching pattern or especially at the start

of a caddis hatch. Ungreased and fished in the surface film, or

just below the surface, the softie is a very effective emerger for a

variety of mayflies and caddis. TIP: Can’t seem to “match the

hatch?” Tie on a soft hackle. If we had only ONE fly to take to

the river, this is it! Also, when early season small stoneflies are

present, this is a VERY effective pattern for the sipping risers!

                                Earlier season patterns of note: Little black stoneflies, blue quill, hendricksons, (season to season) march browns. BWO’s are always handy in your fly box, and of course rusty spinners.                    

 

Evenings on the Natchaug have been GOOD!

We've had some solid afternoon and evenings up to now as the levels and flow remain solid with the sporadic rainfall.

Early on the Blue Quills were to go-to mayfly followed by some Hendricksons (not a prolific hatch by any means!) a few March Browns and the usual caddis.  The caddis were not as active as we've seen in past years and a few sulphur are beginning to show.

Blue Quills were the go-to early on

Takes some effort to find rising trout on some days,  but there are solid holdovers from the fall stocking in selected areas. We've taken a number of 14" to 16" browns that based on energy and size may very well be holdovers in some of the lightly pressured areas we fish.  Some BIG browns 18" and up are there and evenings are naturally the best time.  Spinner patterns can always be counted on!

Team7x's Steve took this nice brown on a soft hackle, a solid choice fished in the surface film.

Early June looks good as long as we get a normal dose of rain and no extreme temps.

Most all to the gear listed on our previous post has been sold on behalf of a long time Team7x member.   A Sage 8' DS2 5 wt., 2 piece  remains.

If anyone is interested in Renzetti or Dyna-King vises, let us know.  We also have a huge assortment of fly tying materials in a FishPond travel bag including a number of Whiting hackle.

Annual Catskills trip is just around the corner!

DRAG FREE!

Team7x.com

 The Natchaug River Eastern CT's Finest

Wonderful opportunities currently on the Natchaug for dry fly fishermen and women!

The CTDEEP has fully stocked the river with largely rainbow trout and some fall holdovers are in the mix.  They've done a great job in providing some large rainbows this year and of course the browns are still in the mix with an occasional tiger and brookies!

We've seen Blue quills/Mahogany duns, Hendricksons, and Stone flies earlier.  Hatches start typically around 1:00pm until 4 and again from 6 pm to dark.  LOTS of spinners present during these times...be sure to have a size 14 spinner pattern in your arsenal!  Caddis show up through the day.  Emergers fished just below the surface as well have brought many trout to hand since late March...as the CT trout season is now a year round opportunity.  Long leaders and tippet will be best in some of the tricker currents.

Recent rains and more forecasted have put water levels and flows in perfect shape.  As regulars know this great stream is totally dependent on rainfall to extend the season as long as possible.

Here's Steve with a fine rainbow, one of many we brought to hand on this recent day.

If you haven't experienced the Natchaug or are unfamiliar with the river and access points, we can plan and afternoon or evening with you.  Once you've experienced this wonderful early season gem, you'll be back!

DRAG FREE!

Team7x

SHETUCKET SALMON 

Reports from the Shetucket River remain good for the Atlantic Salmon season.  Those braving the cold have been rewarded with some nice fish as CTDEEP has now fully stocked the river for the season.

Most recently the larger fish up to 20 lbs. completed the seasonal stocking. Anglers braving the cold and the ups and downs of the water levels are having success from Baltic upstream to Merrick Brook.

Don't forget the upcoming CFFA exhibition and banquet on February 4.  More info here:

   https://www.ctflyfish.org/

This is a great annual event with lots of bargains, fly tying and demonstrations throughout the day...SEE YOU THERE!

Here are 3 tips from TU, especially for newcomers:

.

https://www.tu.org/magazine/fishing/trout-talk/three-of-my-favorite-fly-casting-tips/

We teach the "thumb in your peripheral vision" as the first step in improving your cast and tightening your loop.  For most trout fishing scenarios the rod only needs to move a few feet from the side of your head forward with the thumb on top and in your vision both on the back and forward casts.

Mastering this simple rod movement is the beginning step for newcomers that tell us; "I tried fly fishing but it's too hard, etc."  Need help?  We simplify the process with you...LESS IS MORE.  Contact us for a Spring tuneup as the trout season gets fully underway.  All CT streams have been late fall stocked and the season is now open year round!

 The Good ole' SUMMERTIME !

GREAT for the beach, challenging for the trout fly fisher. A lack of rain has reservoirs at low levels and tail waters at some of the lowest levels in a very long time.  Case in point, the Farmington...lowest we've seen in some years, exposing rocks, boulders, runs and holes we are not used to seeing.

The cold water from the minimal releases are keeping the trout active, easier to locate rising fish, and the insects continuing to hatch.  X-caddis patterns worked on a recent visit, along with a sulphur here and there, as that hatch is now only in the uppermost stretches...Canal pool and above. Most all areas of the Farmington are now easily wadeable, so take notes for the future when normal conditions resume!  HINT:  You had better be on 7x if fishing to risers in the low and very clear conditions and if your leader/tippet is not pushing 14 feet...good luck!!

On an annual trip to the Catskills in mid June, conditions could't have been better on the East and West Branches of the Delaware.  The Beaverkill was a bit low and warm, but fishable.

Here's a 20" West Branch wild Brown that fell for a size 20 BWO one nice morning.

On the East Branch, conditions were much the same, nice flows and water temps in the 50's to low 60's.

Here's Matt, my fishing partner and chef (steak au poivre after a long day on the branches)   
along with the requisite rye Manhattan (or 2)...who can beat that!!

Daytime on the East Branch was an earlier morning deal and the beauty above took a sunken caddis in the AM.

We had a great 5 days lodged at the DREAMCATCHER on the banks of the WB.  Caught and released nice Browns during the WB "golden hour" 7-9pm rising to sulphurs, Iso's, BWO's.

Arguably the best in the East, the Upper Delaware, certainly for wild trout!

Stay safe everyone, temps will fall, waters will rise and Connecticut's fall Atlantic Salmon season will be here!

DRAG FREE!

Team 7x

 Sulphurs?  Pale Evening Duns? Vitreus?

Call them what you will...they are hatching on the Natchaug.  It's been a few years since we've seen a substantial hatch of these yellow beauties, and conditions this week were perfect for their appearance.

An emerger size 16, lightly greased,  did the job in a short window between 7:00 and 7:30 PM in one of our favored locations...2 -17" Rainbows and 2 smaller versions, 12" to 14".  Beautiful coloration and gill plates led us to believe they are fall holdovers. Healthy solid and full of energy, they just didn't seem like routine recent stockers.

Warm weather ahead with water temps pushing 70 degrees may limit the chances.  The flow is below 100 cfs and we sure could use some rain to extend the short season.

Enjoyed a nice evening with our guests, Tom and Kathy.  Tom took several nice rainbows on a caddis pattern and Kathy worked on improving her casting as a newcomer.  It was their first time on the Natchaug...and we visited a few different locations for their future reference.

Also ran into a long time ago guest, Ralph who travels from Mass a few times a year to fish the Natchaug. he and his crew are heading to the Dream Catcher Lodge on the WB Delaware shortly.

We'll be there in mid June, can't wait to search for those big Browns!

We had blue quills and caddis for the most part following the early stones.  NO Hendricksons or March Browns to speak of so the sulfurs are a welcome sight.  Most small size 16, although a few larger did appear sporadically during the evening. Not a lot of Browns around, but plenty of Rainbows!

Let's hope we can get a few more weeks on this fine trout stream.  The trout are there and so should you be!  If we can help, give us a shout.

DRAG FREE

TEAM7x