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Annual Outing
Next Meeting/Chairpersonship Openings.
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Our Annual Fly-Fishing/Picnic and Raffle Outing will be taking place at Housatonic Meadows State Park, on Saturday, September 9th. Fishing begins around 7AM unless you come earlier (Sunrise is currently around 5:20AM), and you know what they say about the early bird. We'll be cooking lunch for all members and guests, as well as having a casting clinic for any of our members who would like some more casting options in their tackle box. At some point, probably around lunch time, we'll have a 50/50 raffle, so bring some cash for raffle tickets. There is no cost to attend the Picnic/Raffle, in fact, if you bring a friend who's interested in joining TU we'll give them lunch, teach them to cast, and give them an application to join TU, at half the cost of regular membership.
Our next meeting will be on September 5th, at 7:30pm, at the Elks Lodge, in Torrington. If you think you'd be interested in volunteering for one of the many offices or chairpersonships open this year, please attend this meeting. The Elks Lodge is located at 70 Litchfield St (route 202) more or less across from Coe Memorial Park.
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Housatonic
Fishing Report
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Over the past two weeks, I've had the opportunity to fish with fellow members Rick DelPrete, and Dick Heffernon, on the Housatonic. The last time we went out, we started at the Elms (on US-7, about 1/2 mile north of the covered bridge in W. Cornwall). Rick and I caught several Smallmouth Bass, in the 6-12" range, (Fiesty little critters who love to fight) and a small brown trout, about 16" long, but not too fat. This fish looked very similar to the fish at the top of this column, however the colors were really vibrant! After lunch, the air temperature was 87 and since the west side of the river at Elms has little shade, we drove down to Housatonic Meadows and I hope that when our outing comes on September 9th, we'll have as nice of a day.
Each of us did well, both Smallmouth and Brown Trout. Plus, we were the only ones out there, except one lone fisherwoman, at least a half/mile upstream from Dick, who was furthest North. If you get a chance, fish the Housatonic any weekday at any time! This is truely the best time of year to go in with waders. If you're unfamiliar with the waters of the Housy, don't fret, I'll bet that Dick or Rick would be happy to go fishing with you, and I go almost daily, so give me a shout
HERE and I'll go fishing with you.
As we get into the August droughts, we'll moved down below Cornwall Bridge, into Kent, into slower and warmer weather, where, Fallfish, Large and Smallmouth Bass, panfish, an occasional Northern Pike and Carp will take your flies. There's nothing I like better than fighting any type of bass on a fly rod, especially when the water surface explodes as they take my fly!
So far, the best access I've found in the Kent area are off of North Kent Road (off US-7) , and off Mountain Road on the west side of the river. Again, if you'd like to try, the wading is easy, and the bass are waiting for your fly. |
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The Connecticut Council for Trout Unlimited asked that we send you a link for a special site, who's organization protects our water resources. That link is
HERE.
CEDS (Community & Environmental Defense Services) has asked me to pass this info on to you:
We just completed an easy to use checklist for assessing stream health and tracing pollution to a source. The checklist is oriented towards the suburban-urban waters closest to 81% of all U.S. homes, not just the coldwater streams where you and other Northwestern Connecticut Trout Unlimited members fish.
Most Americans are probably unaware that the waters nearest their home are degraded by stormwater, sewer overflows and other pollution sources. It's my hope that widespread use of the checklist will expand public awareness of this issue and lead to far support for Clean Water laws, programs and organizations like yours. Achieving this goal will benefit coldwater and all other aquatic resources.
I hope you'll consider forwarding the checklist to Northwestern Connecticut Trout Unlimited members and encourage them to assess their neighborhood streams as well as those they fish.
If you'd like to tailor the checklist to conditions in your area then I'd be delighted to forward you the Word version. Please feel free to replace the content as well as our name and contact info with yours. Our goal is to expand public support for Clean Water, not to blow our own horn.
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A few of the officers of our club are working on setting up fly-fishing trips for interested members. In the planning stages right now, we're working on a 3-5 day trip on the west branch of the Delaware River, that could take place in either September or October of this year, and also a trip to the Salmon River near Pulaski/Altmar, NY that could take place in Sept - November, depending on river conditions and weather.
If you're interested in going on a trip where you'd be staying in a lodge, probably having to share a room with other members, sharing the cost of the trip, then all you need to do is express your interest
here.
On the Education front, we've four area high schools that have asked us to teach them how to fly fish (normally, these are kids from 9th-12th grades that have a fishing club) Because of the number of schools that have asked us this year, we need a few more qualified volunteers. You might be looking at a half-day or two a month during the school season. If you were once a teacher and would like to get back into the game this would be a good opportunity. Richard (Dick) Heffernon, our TIC Chairman is heading up our volunteer force, and you may contact him
here, if you'd like to volunteer to teach either tying, wading, casting, handling fish - whatever skill you'd like to pass on to a new next generation fly-fisher.
Housatonic Fly Menu
(continued from column 1)
Wooly buggers are always a big hit on the Housatonic. This time of year, stoneflies that play anywhere from the surface film down to the rocks near the bottom of the river will catch fish, so use a beadhead or weighted stonefly. Terrestrials are quite popular in the Housatonic, especially on windy days. I always have something that resembles an ant,  in both black like this one and in red or reddish brown,
a beetle,
and a grasshopper,
among my arsenal. Of course my favorite fly this time of year is a giant black fly,
 or a Horsefly
Make sure your fly has at least four black things sticking out that look like legs.
. In early mornings and late evenings this time of year, especially on the Naugatuck and Housatonic Rivers, Daddy Long Leg Craneflys work exceptionally well.
For Carp and Northern Pike, try a #8 - #12 Madam X. This is a dry fly that fishes well as a wet fly after a few casts,
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