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

IRENE arrives!

The Natchaug is 7 + feet and 2800+ cfs as TS Irene departs the area.  We needed some water in the Eastern Connecticut rivers but...geesh!  This should help refresh the rivers with much needed cooler water and set us up for some fine fall fishing.  Our friends at Charlie Brown Campground no doubt had a few anxious moments; we'll be checking conditions this week and sure hope all is ok!

The Natchaug top 12! Now Available

NEW! Now offering the Natchaug River top 12 flies! These TEAM7x patterns are our proven "go to" patterns for the Natchaug and equally effective on all CT freestone rivers and streams. Only $14 for a dozen hand tied quality dry and emerger patterns...complete with descriptions and tips on where, when and how! Order now!

Friday on the Farmington River

Friday 7/8, cloudy, overcast, most of the day but fine conditions for rising trout on the best game in town these days.  With the low and warm water conditions in most of the freestones, the Farmington remains steady in cold and clear water release from the dam.  BWO's, and a few caddis early led to rising fish in the usual spots and early on I managed a fat 17+ inch brown on a soft hackle pasted up.  I had been on the river Monday for a few hours and knew where this gal was, haven risen her but missed then.  After a slack period, sure enough, the early afternoon brought the flotilla of minature sailboats...NEEDHAMIs!!


A size 22 did the trick on several nice fish and a bunch of no-hook-ups as it's always a challenge trying to stick the big Farmington browns on a size 22! (ON 7X OF COURSE) Watch closely for the subtle rises to this tiny dun, the bigger fish are far from splashy when on this offering.

See Grady at Up Country for the right needhami patterns.  Later around 6:00pm we took nice fish on Isonychias, size 14 as the trout began looking for this larger offering.  Heavy rain hit shortly thereafter, wiping out most of "prime time."


The levels, flows, clarity and temps on the Farmington are perfect with plenty of overlapping hatches producing lots of rising fish.

Simms announces a return to felt!

Interesting that Simms has taken a lead in reintroducing felt soles.  We at TEAM7x are taking proper precautions with our felt soles and encourage everyone to do so.  This is good news for the safety of wading fly fishermen and women everywhere.  We have heard no one  with on stream experience tell us that the rubber based wading shoes are in any way equal to or safer than felt.  We welcome your opinions either way, but we're STICKING with felt and studs!  See the Simms 411 here...

Fly Fishing Benefactors SNAKE I Fly Reel

The SNAKE I reel from Fly Fishing Benefactors is a great reel at at great price.  Lightweight, smooth with a nice responsive sealed drag system, it accommodates a Cortland 4.5 weight line on a Sage 4 wt. XP just perfectly.  Cortland has discontinued the half-weight lines, but the new AVID line from RIO is very similar in design.  Everett  of TEAM7x is very impressed with this new offering from RIO.  The inexpensive spare SNAKE I spool carries a 4 wt. Cortland Sylk for a 3 wt. custom 9 footer or an Orvis Superfine 4 wt.  The thin, supple Sylk line seems to perform better a weight over; i.e. a 4 weight line on a 3 weight rod especially with a faster rod like the Sage XP.

I'm very impressed with the SNAKE I.  It is nicely machined, a great color and competes with the Lamson Litespeed weight-wise.  Although spec'd for a 3 or 4 weight line, I see no reason why it would not carry a 5 weight line with perhaps a bit of trimming on the running line end.  Best of all, FFB donates a portion of it's profits to several great causes!  Check out their other offerings or give Carl a call at FFB, he'll be glad to assist you with any questions.

 Note the porting on the spool which helps to remove weight.  The spool knob  (above) will NOT fall off in your hand when changing spools.  FFB has a great video on their site that highlights the features of the SNAKE I.  They also offer some good deals on lines/leaders and accessories.  

Natchaug River...back to normal!

Following the weekend rain and cooler temps, the Natchaug has regained normal flows.  We expect the conditions to hold for this week, hopefully into next week and the start of summer!  Monday showed tea stained water but much better levels. Current water levels. (Good wading and flows at these levels.)  Emergers continue to take trout.  Our guests a week ago took several nice fish on a combination of emergers and soft hackles fished just under the surface  as evening approached. Today at the 6:00 o'clock hour, caddis, sulphur spinners and BWO's provided a compound hatch.  This was the most prolific sulphur spinner activity we've seen so far, but they were in egg laying mode and did not fall as of 8:20 PM. As has been the case most of the season, rising trout were few and far between; the off color water no doubt the issue.  We expect the next few days to be good; the larger runs and pools are still holding very nice fish and the increased flow has certainly extended what was looking like an early end to spring fishing.


"Evenings on the Natchaug" look good for the next week and hopefully beyond...TEAM 7x has dates available...AND space is available for the June 18 fly fishing intro at Charlie Brown Campground. Email us at Team_7x@yahoo.com. This is an opportunity to try all brand new models of SAGE rods provided by The Lower Forty Outfitters of Worcester, our TEAM 7x supplier.  Stop in and visit Jim Bender at The Lower Forty...directions by clicking on the link to the right below.

Evenings on the Natchaug...leaders

The current flows on the Natchaug, like many freestone streams can be tricky; back eddies, boulders, natural obstructions cause conflicting current and can create instant drag when fishing dry flies.  The majority of our guests and fly fishermen we encounter (although rarely on the sections we fish!) are improperly set up with their fly line/leader system.  Most use loop to loop which can create "hinging" during the cast and present another area to hang up the fly in windy situations.  Many are fishing with a leader too short or with too short or no tippet section.  If loop to loop works for you, fine but we suggest giving the following a try...TEAM7x believes it will improve your transition from fly line to leader and turn your fly over easily while extending your drag free drift.


We use a 5 turn nail knot with a 3 foot piece of 20 lb. test mono to the fly line tip. Maxima Chameleon is a good choice since it is a stiff, hard mono. This creates a solid butt section.

Once the nail knot is complete, cut the butt section to 24 to 30 inches and tie your leader in with a 3 turn blood knot. To a 9' leader add 24 to 36 " of tippet.  We use a 5x or 6x leader and add 5, 6, or 7x as the situation requires. If a new leader is necessary, you've still got plenty of butt section.  Use Knot Sense on the nail and blood knots if you like.  The butt section transitions the fly line to leader much better than loop to loop...IN OUR OPINION...try it and see if it doesn't result in better turn over!  A 13 to 14 foot leader system will result in better drag free drifts and in the clear and currently lower water of the Natchaug,  reduce the chance of spooking that big trout! I tie and prefer the traditional knotted up leaders from Umpqua material with Varivas flouro tippet.

Try the "fixed butt section" described above...it works for us!

Natchaug River, Eastern CT's finest

Yesterday afternoon and evening our guest took several nice rainbows on emergers and on top to a variety of patterns.  Water levels are good at this point but a shot of rain would be a big help. The clear water and slower flows now require 11-12 feet of leader when targeting rising trout; and be on 7x, of course!  Frequently we see too short leaders, short or NO tippet, or an unbalanced system which presents a problem in turning the fly over and in controlling drag.  The Natchaug presents lots of back eddies and subtle current, and can be a challenge to controlling drag on many sections.  More about how we set up our leader system later.


At dusk a blizzard of caddis, spinners, sulphurs and BWO's had trout rising in good numbers.  As usual, TEAM7x and guest were the only ones enjoying some great fishing in the areas we frequent on the Natchaug.  Our guest, a resident of Cape Cod made an interesting point; the Natchaug is the nearest trophy trout stream to the Cape...think about it; he's right!  "TEAM 7x and the Natchaug, a revelation," in a follow up email...thanks Steve!


We're hoping the great conditions hold thru the next weeks.  We'll be conducting our 2nd fly fishing intro session at Charlie Brown Campground on June 14 on the banks of the river.  If you're interested let us know as space is available on a limited basis.  We feature all new Sage rods and reels and it's a great chance to try all the Sage trout series fly rods courtesy of Sage and The Lower Forty outfitters our TEAM7x supplier.


COMING SOON!  A review of Cutthroat furled leaders and the "Snake 1" fly reel from Fly Fishing Benefactors, a great reel at a great price point!


ALSO:  The NATCHAUG dozen, 12 proven patterns we use repeatedly on the river.

Spinners Galore!

Tuesday evening Team 7x witnessed a massive flight of spinners with the falling light of day.  March Browns, smaller quills, mahogany duns  and Gray Drakes blanketed the sky in the diminishing light.  Many of the drakes were coupled as the mating rituals took place above the river .  Water levels were fine as we witnessed some  of the heaviest spinner activity we've seen in recent years of many evenings on the Natchaug.  As darkness deepened, the spinners vanished to the trees and vegetation to incubate and molt.  Unfortunately for us they did not drop to the water; however they HAD to drop likely in the early morning hours.  It was some spectacle and a beautiful sight!


The fishing was spotty; the recent rise and fall of water levels with the rain clearly have the trout off  routine surface feeding activity.  In one classic situation, a fly change to an actively rising bank feeder resulted in a nice brown brought to hand. After a miss, he continued to rise; an immediate change up to a floating soft hackle was ignored; another change, as he continued to rise along the bank in a perfect feeding lane, to a Griffiths Gnat and bang!  Brown on!  Patience ruled the day...after a miss, pause to determine if you continue to have an active feeder, and CHANGE UP.  These are the classic scenarios we dedicated dry fly/emerger guys take so much satisfaction in playing out as we spend our Natchaug evenings!  As the water levels stabilize, barring any significant rain,  look for some great opportunities in the weeks ahead.


Drag free!

Tough but not impossible on the Natchaug

As we left the river this evening, the gage was at 4.38 and the flow at 364.  This is about the limit for successful wading.  There were sporadic hatches of March Browns, Sulphurs and a decent hatch of Black Caddis at dusk along with BWO's throughout the afternoon and evening.  Some areas of the river showed no insect activity at all.  TEAM 7x and guests were successful in marginal conditions locating active feeders with CDC emergers and soft hackles fished on and just under the surface to actively feeding trout.  While the rises were few, the black caddis at dusk did provide some nice targets.  We like to fish soft hackles greased up on the surface film when the caddis are emerging. They can be ducked under  and fished as an emerger at the end of the drift.  Several nice browns and a rainbow came to hand during twilight using this method.  Black CDC emergers also took fish with this method. Sulphurs are just beginning to show but attracted little interest. The heavy flow and river height kept most away; the clarity was fine and we saw no other fly fishermen in several of the areas we frequent.  Knowing the Natchaug river system, its wadeable active pools and runs during high water conditions can make for a successful evening when many tend not to venture out.  May is nearly over and many "Evenings on the Natchaug" have been less than ideal condition wise with this crazy spell of rain, wind, low temps and all.  But we're there...and we'll manage to find the active fish.  Think about joining us...more info at bottom of the blog.  Drag free!


TEAM 7x will be fishing the EB and WB of the Delaware, Willowemoc and Beaverkill over the Memorial Day Weekend.  ALL of these wonderful rivers are currently blown out!
Fingers crossed for NO significant rain in the coming week!! Spring? Sun? Anyone remember what that's all about?? :):)

Fly Fishing Intro at Charlie Brown Campground

Saturday, May 14, TEAM 7x conducted a no-charge fly fishing intro lesson for campers at Charlie Brown Campground in Eastford, CT on the banks of the Natchaug River.  All new SAGE rods, reels and lines were supplied compliments of  The Lower Forty Fly Shop in Worcester, MA, a TEAM 7x associate member.

After casting lessons, campers attending the session regrouped at the river for on stream insect ID and a lesson in reading the water.  It was an enthusiastic group, and several campers brought their own fly rods, reels and gear for help in proper setup.  TEAM 7x will be offering another session in early June at the Natchaug River's finest on stream campground, Charlie Brown Campground!
 
Our TEAM 7x folks took trout this week on emergers fished on top and in the film and small quills and spinners.  We're between hatches for the most part with a week of rain predicted.

The week of May 16 looks like unsettled weather AGAIN and rain, which will add needed water to the Eastern CT system.  We're waiting for a strong caddis emergence along with the sulphurs next in line.  Fish are rising sporadically throughout the river and TEAM 7x knows the locations for the best dry fly opportunites; join us for an "Evening on the Natchaug."  Info below.

NATCHAUG RIVER April 30, 2011

A beautiful day on the Natchaug...the water level has come down to perfect fishable levels in the last day and today featured Quill Gordons at 2 pm until 5.  Rising fish throughout the particular stretch shown in this video led to Browns in the 14"-16" range all on a Quill body dry. Some BWO's, and Mahogany Duns were also around. As is typical, the hatch ended around 5:00pm, the switch was turned off;  and I sat an observed the water for about an hour rather than cast blindly.  My preference is always rising fish! I observed small spinners, and a host of midges and BWO's but no rising fish.  At around 6:00 I noticed small a small yellow mayfly, one, then two...could it be? YES, sulphurs!  The small,what I believe to be the dorotheas, although its a bit early made an appearance.  Watching the water closely from bankside is SO important and gives one a chance to appreciate what an abundant food source is available to the trout and of course the choices to make in selecting a pattern. I could actually see the dun struggling to emerge almost identical to the photo below, in the surface film imitating the typical emerger pattern we so often use.

The switch should be back on!  Sure enough, one subtle rise then another in typical emerger take fashion.  I selected a size 16 traditional sulphur emerger pattern unlike the reverse hook style in the photo, left the comfortable bank side and a cigar, and promptly took 3 rising fish in a 50 yard stretch including a very nice 16" brown to end the day at dusk!  It' s only going to get better!!  Drag free!

PS:  Sunday, May 1 same great scenario, AND not a soul in sight on this beautiful stretch of river...find out more...see "Evenings on the Natchaug" info bottom of page!

UPDATE:  March Browns now present, May 3.  Plenty of rising trout...the hatch is on!

Eastern CT rivers and streams

Finally the streams of Eastern CT are alive with caddis, early stoneflies and a even a few quills, following several days of rain.  TEAM 7x fished 2 new locations last week, not the Natchaug but 2 other nearby gems and took fish on drys and emergers.  Both of these underfished streams feature deep pools, good stream cover and are easily waded if one doesn't mind a bit of bushwacking to get to some beautiful water!  We observed several large (16+) trout holding in both streams and managed a very nice fat holdover rainbow on a favorite early season  emerger pattern along with decent stockies on caddis dries.  We are adding these streams to our "Evenings on the Natchaug" program both being within 15 minutes of the Natchaug River.  The Natchaug was running a bit higher than usual but we expect lower levels and the insect activity to really peak this last week in April based on forecasts. Drag free!

MOOSUP RIVER prior to Opening Day

Heavy rain over the weekend has put a damper on the fishing in Eastern CT for a few days.  The Moosup River in Central Village (Plainfield) CT is a TMA, catch and release and thus open year round. Prior to the recent rain it was showing lots of early stoneflies and hungry newly stocked fish. Not many looking up as yet, but did manage several on a small black stonefly nymph. 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 some nice fall 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.

For now, stonefly nymphs fished deep will produce all the fun you would want! Terrific looking dry fly water and in a few weeks with the emergence of early-season mayflies, the on-top action will materialize! Hopefully by then the pale, dreary looking browns and rainbows will have colored up a bit! There are some BIG fish in this TMA; Fished the Moosup, 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. and RI. Drag free!

TEAM 7x and "Evenings on the Natchaug"

Pre-Season Highlights

As we approach a new season (FINALLY!) just a reminder...an excellent resource to check  the status of trout stocking on your favorite body of water.

TEAM 7x introduces "Evenings on the Natchaug"  guided fly fishing on Eastern Connecticut's finest Trophy Trout stream, the Natchaug River in Eastford/Chaplin, CT. MAP HERE.

SCROLL TO BOTTOM OF BLOG FOR full description

We'll walk and wade to areas on the Natchaug that most anglers never see, in search of rising trout.  The sulphur and caddis hatches on the Natchaug in the Spring are very dependable and bring big fall holdovers to the surface in our favorite runs and pools along the 10 mile stretch of river.

We are encouraging young fly fishers 12 and up to join an adult at no additional charge for a 4+ hour Natchaug fly fishing experience from April thru early July and again in the autumn, depending on water temperatures and levels.   

We also offer individual and group fly casting lessons.  ALL Sage rods/reels and equipment provided courtesy of The Lower Forty Outfitters, in Worcester, MA., a TEAM 7x affiliate.

Tom

Everett

                                                                  

DIDYMO present in the Farmington River

CT DEP has confirmed the presence of Didymo or more commonly "Rock Snot" in the Farmington River.  This highly invasive algae can spread to other waterways if proper precautions are not taken.  It is not uncommon to wade and fish the Farmington River one day, perhaps the Willimantic River the next and maybe the Natchaug river the day after.  In each case felt sole wading shoes, boots, and waders may not be completely dry before entering a different stream or river.  While the tailwaters seem to be more susceptible to Didymo invasion, WE CANNOT BE CARELESS in protecting our freestone Eastern CT streams from this threat.  The DEP recommends the following:

 Humans are the primary vector responsible for the recent spread of didymo. Anglers, kayakers and canoeists, boaters and jet skiers can all unknowingly spread didymo.The microscopic cells can cling to fishing gear, waders (felt soles can be especially problematic), boots and boats, and remain viable for months under even slightly moist conditions. To prevent the spread of didymo to additional waters, DEP asks that anglers, especially those who also fish the Farmington River or streams outside Connecticut, and other users practice CHECK, CLEAN, DRY procedures.
· CHECK: Before leaving a river, stream or lake, remove all obvious clumps of algae and plant material from fishing gear, waders, clothing & footwear, canoes & kayaks, and anything else that has been in the water and look for hidden clumps. Leave them at the site. If you find any later, clean your gear and dispose of all material in the trash.
· CLEAN: Soak/spray & scrub boats and all other “hard” items for at least one minute in either very hot (140°F) water, a 2% bleach solution, or a 5% dishwashing detergent solution. Absorbent materials such as clothes and felt soles on waders should be soaked for at least 40 minutes in very hot water (140°F), or 30 minutes in hot water (115°F) with 5% dishwashing detergent. Freezing thoroughly will also kill didymo.
· DRY: If cleaning is not practical, after the item is completely dry to touch, wait an additional 48 hours before contact or use in any other waterway.



Click for more information here


Team 7x, fly fishing instructors and sponsors of "Evenings on the Natchaug" (below) will make a special effort to educate Natchaug River and Eastern CT anglers about the threat of Didymo during the 2011 fishing season.

HOUSTON...We have NO Problem!!

And then there were four...No one in America, likely anywhere in the world could have selected this incredible Final Four matchup!  Certainly for UCONN fans we couldn't have dreamed this up back in November.  A remarkable, stunning run of 9 wins, 8 over ranked teams in 19 days, has the Huskies in solid position for an NCAA title!

PUT YOUR FLY FISHING PLANS ON HOLD!!  The ending to this, maybe college basketball's greatest story, is yet to be written.  GODSPEED Huskies...bring home the championship!

                                          The Commander and his crew!!

CHAMPIONS!!

No words can describe the UCONN HUSKIES performance over the past 5 days. The nation's most outstanding college player in 2011 literally put a young team on his back and carried them to the championship of the Big East...the toughest college conference in the land. NBA players moan and whine about playing back to back games in which they walk it up, shoot it up and saunter back to what they call defense. Please...

Kemba Walker's drive down the lane in the final seconds past Louisville defenders on legs he couldn't feel, totally "gassed" as he admitted later, finding the outstanding freshman Jeremy Lamb on a dish and a slam capped off a performance for the ages.

I was in the Garden, the mecca of college basketball, just off what was to be the winning end, for the Pittsburgh game. All 19,000+ knew the drill with 8 seconds on the clock. Off a brush pick Walker was isolated on McGhee; no match, no hurry. With a step back, he rose and fired, the red light surrounding the backboard glowed as the buzzer sounded...you know the rest!

So put aside the Jimmer talk, the Ben from South Bend shtick, this young man is a champion in every sense of the word, not just for his record breaking individual performance, but for his cool, confident leadership. Indeed there is no "I" in team and no "I" in Kemba Walker either. On to the NCAA's...anything's possible, we just witnessed that!

Year 'round trout streams in Eastern CT

The following TMA's have no closed season and offer some early season opportunities:


Willimantic River TMA
Moosup River TMA (in CT, not RI, see my previous post)
Merrick Brook TMA
a bit farther south...Yantic River TMA

Look for early season small black stoneflies. With the runoff, most are running a bit high and I hope to have a condition update soon.

Check out what looks like a great reel at flyfishing benefactors. Beautiful fit/finish, sealed drag...will have review as soon as I can get on the water!! The Snake I, large arbor, lightweight.

BACK TO THE BIG EAST...I'm still on Notre Dame's bandwagon! My choice to win the BE tourney at MSG. I'm hoping UCONN gets to Thursday's quarterfinal, with nice seats at the Garden for all 4 matchups! They'll need a big turnaround from the post players...huge disappointments down the stretch.

My case for Kemba Walker as BE player of the year:

UCONN would very probably be at 14-15 wins without his presence and tremendous individual effort. They would simply be out of the post-season picture. NO other team in the BE features a scenario where a post season berth depends so much on one player.
AND...that's what it's all about...getting to the show! Hansborough, great player, reminds me so much of McNamara at Syracuse of the past, but ND gets there regardless of his play; they're solid. Should KW not be the man, Dwight Hardy should be. His play has energized the Johnnies and they'll be in the field for the first time in a long time.
Friar's Brooks a great shooter, but the team's a mess and I can't see his selection.

March Madness...in one flyfisherman's opinion, the best sports event of the year!
More later on my Final Four picks!!