Opening Day 2016 approaches!

Stonefly time as the air and temps rise on the Yantic River and Moosup River in eastern CT.  Won't be long before the Paraleps (mahogany duns) 16/18 and the Larger quills and Hendricksons make their annual Spring appearance.

Everett tied some great looking stonefly patterns to mimic what we saw fishing the Yantic recently.  We had mid-afternoon rising trout with normal flows and a 52 degree water temp; surprisingly warm for this early in the Spring. With the down wing, they'll likely work as the smaller winter caddis as well.



We'll be back at the campgrounds along the Natchaug in May/June, schedule to be confirmed, with our free casting clinics.  Campers get first choice but we usually have room if you want to join us…stay tuned for dates.  Our PRIVATE mail list is now well over 250 fly fishing friends.  If you or a friend would like our regular stream and river updates email us at team_7x@yahoo.com and we'll add you.
With reduced winter snow pack and lack of heavy rains, conditions could get dicey as we approach June/July. We keep our subscribers up-to-date with our no-nonsense reports.

CT now requires a guide license for those of us offering on-water services.  We're registered and ready to go for our "EVENINGS" program on the Natchaug or Shetucket depending on conditions.  Need to fine-tune your presentations, get that drag-free drift or just improve on your dry fly selections? We can help and show you some areas along the rivers and streams you may not be aware of that hold consistently rising trout.
 
 April 9 is season opener in CT and RI for all trout rivers/streams, not a day that we go shoulder to shoulder with the worm and hardware chuckers!

See you on the river after the 9th!

DRAG FREE!

Tom & Everett and all at TEAM7x

Rio Malleo, Patagonia, Argentina, 2016

Once again Matt and Tom of TEAM7x enjoyed a wonderful week on the Rio Malleo, Patagonia's finest dry fly trout stream. The San Huberto Lodge owns 16 miles of exclusive access to the Malleo.
With Omar "Banana" Martinez, the area's top guide, we spent dawn to dusk casting dries to rising wild trout, in tight holding areas, sometimes battling gusty Patagonian winds.

Banana readies lunch on a cool day.

Caddis were present throughout the day but largely ignored by the larger trout.  They picked off the mayflies and our BWO, adams, and floating soft hackle patterns along with occasional emergers just under the surface.

This rainbow took several fly changes before "making the mistake!"

Naturally the bigger fish, our targets, were in tight quarters along banks, blowdowns and overhanging willows but were eager to take our offerings once we battled the breezes to get the drag free drift! We'd take several rainbows on size 14's and 16's then they'd stop.  Dropping down to 18's and 20's, it was game on again.

The Browns were usually down deep and would occasionally rise to the dry.  Matt took this brown when Banana rerigged his outfit with 3x and a Chernobyl Ant and told him "put the fly there!"  Not cast, but drop the fly in a spot where he had spotted the fish hugging the bottom earlier in a tight blowdown. BANG!

With the Volcan Lanin always in the background, abundant wildlife, gauchos herding cattle and spectacular dry fly trout fishing on the Rio Malleo, Patagonia needs to be on everyone's bucket list…truly a world class destination!

At day's end around 9:00 pm, cocktail hour and a first class Argentinean  meal awaited!

San Huberto's Michelle enjoys a Manhattan!

Happy 2016 to all…keep in touch and visit with us at the CFFA Fly Fishing Expo on February 6, at Maneely's in South Windsor, CT.  We plan to have the Fly Fishing Benefactor's reels and accessories on display, some classic rods for sale and Everett and Bob will be fly tying!

DRAG FREE!
Tom/Everett/ Matt/Jeff and all the TEAM7xers!

Atlantic Salmon on the Shetucket River UPDATE!

Team 7x 's Jeff with a beautiful male!

Jeff hooked up this beauty recently on a traditional Grey Ghost pattern.  Nice male, great job Jeff!

The Shetucket River in eastern CT receives a fall stocking of excess brood stock Atlantic Salmon, creating an exciting fall fishing opportunity.  CTDEEP has stocked around 600 fish in the 2 to 6 lb. range, some bigger, with more to come in November.

After a client guest late cancellation on 10/15, Tom & Everett of TEAM7x loaded up the 6 weights and headed to the river.  Knowing the holding spots after spending time on the Shetucket in the past is a key, since the salmon don't always show themselves, even in the low water conditions.

The Scotland dam released some water in the AM, creating cloudy and debris filled flows, but cleared after an hour or so.  Mickey Finn's have been successful patterns in the past, but today, NO JOY!  We switched to a smaller, different color pattern that has worked in the past, and BANG, within 5 minutes each of us hooked up.

Tom's fish with an assist by Everett

Everett assisted on this fish while I fumbled for the camera.  She was a deep runner with several drag-screaming runs before coming to hand.  Around 5-6 pounds I estimate and a strong fighter.

Everett hooks up!

It was a beautiful fall day as you can see.  This fish was a leaper and gave Ev a great aerial display before tiring.  Another nice Atlantic around the same size and weight.

A leaping beauty!

The fish are there.  Knowing the holding areas and experience with patterns and color increases the chances of hooking up these selective fish and what a battle when you get a take!  There are some nice rainbows in the Shetucket as we saw several taken during our outing. Lots of caddis around for this late in the season.  If you want to set a date, let us know!

KUDOS:

Kudos to Ray Schaefer from Thames Valley TU and his stocking crew for their efforts in helping CTDEEP with stocking.  Ray and the group help float stock trout throughout the year in eastern CT rivers and the Atlantics on the Shetucket in the fall. 

CT state Senator Cathy Osten, whose area includes the Shetucket for her support in keeping the Atlantic Salmon program alive when it seems a yearly battle to keep the state's only salmon hatchery (Kensington) open and functioning.  Lots of anglers buying gas, food, pizza from OCCUM PIZZA, and spending $$ in the area.  Thanks Cathy!

To our good friends, the campground owners along the Natchaug who support our efforts in fly fishing education at no charge to campers and area folks.  This was a low water year but as usual the campgrounds were full and active.

As always, DRAG FREE!

Yellowstone National Park, 22 July, 2015

TEAM7x spent 9 days in and around the fabulous Yellowstone National Park fishing mainly the northeast corner of the park; Slough Creek.  The Lamar and Soda Butte suffered from off-color water due to heavy rain.  A severe storm blew throughout the park on the 28th, dropping snow at elevations above 8,000 feet!

We also spent 2 days on Depuy Spring Creek in Livingston.  Levels on Slough were a bit low, but clear and our efforts fishing dry to large Cutthroat trout were rewarded with some terrific big cuts, all in the 16 to 20 " range.  While mostly sight fishing, PMD's, sparkle duns, floating soft hackles did most of the work; with the water gin clear, fly changes and persistence in picking out one fish and in presentation was the key.  Native Yellowstone Cutthroats are beautiful and selective and with the exception of some cutbow hybrids are dominant in Slough Creek.  Regulations require that cutbows be killed in certain areas of Slough to protect the native cutts.

Mornings were PMD time until around 2:00PM when the Slough Creek winds descended.  Later in the evenings, very small spinners and midges brought fish into the shallows and up.  Many folks "take a hike" up to the 1st and 2nd meadows above Slough Creek Campground.  We fished the lower Slough ahead of its confluence with the Lamar and found plenty of big cuts, and plenty of good holding water and most days, uncrowded.

Met a few friends along the way as well…the magic of Yellowstone is not only in its unparalleled fly fishing opportunities in its miles of creeks, rivers and streams but in the sheer beauty, the wildlife, the open spaces, the Yellowstone River itself…it should be on everyone's bucket list!

Matt took the first Cutthroat on day one and what a beauty!  The color, the slash, just perfect!

Depuy Spring Creek remains a favorite of ours.  Privately owned, this classic spring creek is loaded with Cutts, BIG browns that migrate from the Yellowstone and some rainbows.  The insect life is prolific so finding rising fish is never a problem with the constant water temps.  Again, this is selective, technical fishing but patience and persistence is rewarded.  After a great day, we promptly booked a second day on this world-class stream.  Again, a bucket list must for any passionate dry fly angler!

Back home, other than the Farmington, with TEAM member Bob reporting in…GO SMALL... not much happening with the heat, humidity and low water until later in September.  We're attempting to find the latest Atlantic Salmon news for fall fishing the Shetucket and will update ASAP!

DRAG FREE everyone!

TEAM7x

FLY FISHING BENEFACTORS NEW RELEASE!

The new Deschutes V3 is now available from FFB.  Click here  to see why we are proud Pro Staff and supporters of Carl Craig and FFB's products and generous spirit.

This beautifully ported Deschutes 1 will accomodate 3-4 weight line with backing.  We spooled up a 4 weight line with 50 or so yds. of backing.  It takes about a minute to activate the push-button spool release, remove the screw-on gear and flip the bearing over to convert from left to right handed retrieve.
The drag, similar to previous versions is easily adjusted with the knob shown above.  The new Version 3 drag is super sensitive and a slight turn of the knob increases or decreases pressure in small but noticeable increments.  We had the opportunity to put a few nice fish on the reel recently on light drag and were solidly impressed!

Fully loaded, as described above, the Deschutes, CNC crafted from aircraft quality aluminum, weighed in at 5.5 ounces, about and ounce lighter than the earlier V2.  Full specs are available on the link above.

All in all, at the bargain price point, this is a beautiful addition to your arsenal and perfect for a dollar conscious newcomer to fly fishing.  Everett, Matt and I will be taking it out west later this month to the spring creeks in Montana and the classic cutthroat streams in Yellowstone National Park.

You'll love the Deschutes; pick up a few fly boxes or leader packs at super low pricing while you're at it and call Carl with any questions.

DRAG FREE!
TEAM7x
Pro Staff for Fly Fishing Benefactors

Natchaug River redux!

Conditions remain good, hatches strong, and rising trout…for now.  Rain is needed as the flows lessen daily.  Good news is the nighttime temps are keeping the water relatively cool.

Our guest, Pete from nearby CT enjoyed an outing with us and had success with Hendrickson's and later in the evening, spinners.  We worked with him on getting the fly in the right place, drag control and light pressure when setting the hook following a take.  It worked and Pete brought a very nice rainbow to hand among others.

Hendricksons were about in mid afternoon and spinners followed at dusk.  Here is a beautiful 3-tailed Hendrickson semi-spent, we captured in the film.

Hopefully we'll get some rain, but for now the trout are looking up.  May be sulphurs soon!  We have some openings, but I wouldn't wait too long as flows are dropping daily.

DRAG FREE everyone!

Tom/Everett
TEAM7x

Natchaug River Lights UP for CINCO DE MAYO!

Our guests, Ralph and Dave from nearby MA, experienced a great late afternoon/evening on the Natchaug on May 5.  Not counting, but well over 20 fish between them.

Dave above, after several misses on a few fussy fish, tied on one of Everett's soft hackles, pasted it up and drifted it in the film and took 3 nice rainbows in succession. The softie on selective fish, with the wings pasted up always seems to work.
The guys fished Hendricksons for the most part to rising fish throughout the outing.

Ralph, above took this nice rainbow on a light Hendrickson size 14, a far cry from the size 32's he ties for the Swift River in MA!
Later at dusk, 2-tailed spinners filled the air, quill body, likely Quill Gordon spinners.  Rusty spinners size 14 and a male quill body Hendrickson with the wings flattened down took several more fish as darkness fell.  There were just enough spinners dropping to have the trout looking up, but plenty more going about their business, perhaps falling the following AM. A few caddis were around as well.

It was a great outing with 2 fine fishermen and a pleasure to introduce them to the Natchaug which is in great condition NOW.  Rain will be needed shortly to keep the flows up.  Just us on a most prolific part of the river, no one else in sight!

We're at Charlie Brown Campground on Saturday, May 8 for a free casting clinic.  Stop by if you're in the area.  Look for our banner and the signs.

DRAG FREE!
Tom/Everett
TEAM7x