Northwest Corner, Conn. 2018

[patrick62]

It was almost 70 degrees on Wednesday, Feb. 21, and I had to go over to Avon to renew my driver's license at the AAA office there.

(This procedure takes about 10 minutes and costs an extra five bucks, as opposed to the DMV, which can take hours, days, weeks. When my mother moved here from Virginia, it took two and a half years of on-again, off-again effort -- and a phone call from my state representative-- to get a new license and registration.)

So it was a simple thing to stop at the Farmington and wet a line on the way back.

Everything was perfect -- nice flow, not too many people around, the usual parking areas muddy but free of snow.

Except the trout didn't get the memo. Or they ignored it. I tried a little bit of everything, and moved around quite a bit, and failed to even tickle a trout.

And of course it immediately turned into winter again.

No matter. It was wonderful to get out there and work up a sweat.

And on the strength of that I am starting the NW Corner 2018 thread a little early.

 

[Rip Tide]

It was almost 70 degrees on Wednesday, Feb. 21, and I had to go over to Avon to renew my driver's license at the AAA office there.

(This procedure takes about 10 minutes and costs an extra five bucks, as opposed to the DMV, which can take hours, days, weeks. When my mother moved here from Virginia, it took two and a half years of on-again, off-again effort -- and a phone call from my state representative-- to get a new license and registration.)

I got my new drivers licence just recently at the local CT DMV satellite office
It only took a few minutes as I was the only person there

 

[plecain]

I went out, too, on Tuesday, a bit north of you (central NH).
Warm air, freezing water (33°).
Mostly I just wanted to get out and to cast a rod I built last week.
The rod was nice, but I maybe saw one fish look at a fly. Then again, that could have been wishful thinking.
Nice outing to shake off the cobwebs, though.

 

[Walter1023]

I am planning my first day off for a few weeks from now - to hit the Farmington. Talk about cabin Fever....the nice thing is anything can happen on that river in terms of dry fly action....and I'm hopeful this will be another great year.

 

[patrick62]

So yesterday (Saturday, Feb. 24) I had to cover a Cub Scout thing late morning. That took me near a brook trout stream that is on private property (I have standing permission to fish).

The snow was gone, which means that the water temp would be a little better than a steady, just melted off the bank 32-34 degrees.

So I suited up and in a nice pool managed the first couple of trout of 2018 -- feisty browns in the 8-inch range, on a big (size 10 I think) double bead stonefly nymph with rubber legs, fished deep.

Used both a Cabelas 7 foot 5 weight glass and an 8-foot Tenkara rod from WetFly.

Then it got colder and started to sleet so I went home and had soup.

 

[skunkedalot]

your killing me...................
my season starts this week chasing white and yellows on a cove on the ct.
soon, it will be August again my friend.

 

[jujim]

Went down to the general store bridge in Barkamsted last Saturday...cold,cold,cold and windy...a beautiful day.One of the boys caught a nice 12"brown on a rigged up 11' T&T Czech nymphing outfit after 4 hours. Just went out to the Green River in Mass and caught the first rainbow of the year on a double nymph 6'6" sage 3wt.That was fun! Cheers,Chet

 

[patrick62]

First trout of 2018

 

[patrick62]

Aaagh black stones on the Housatonic which is still running high at 1500 cfs (has been high all winter). More snow coming. Stop already no more winter.

 

[patrick62]

Housatonic flow has dipped under 1500. If there is not too much snow I might try the Elms from the dirt road side this afternoon.

I should borrow a pair of snowshoes, right?

 

[patrick62]

Ugh. Snow tomorrow. Will this winter never end.

 

[patrick62]

I got out on the Housatonic today for three hours. Tickled a couple but no cigar. Actually there was a cigar but I brought it with me.

I fished at the Elms, on the dirt road side. Wading is pretty straightforward there. Flow is robust at 1050 this morning. Not a ton of snow walking in. Some black stoneflies if you look for them.

Air temp was mid 40s, not too windy but you still need to bundle up. The water temp was pretty chilly, my feet kept freezing. I had to get out a few times and wait for some feeling to come back.

 

[patrick62]

Big river's up, Farmington is where the action is.

Tippy-toed around one of my little streams Wednesday, tickled a couple of browns in its lower reaches and caught a couple of brookies up above.

 

[patrick62]

Opening Day yesterday. I consider it on a par with New Year's Eve and St. Patrick's Day -- amateur hour.

First of all, Connecticut has year-round fisheries where the season starts as soon as you don't have to dodge icebergs.

Rant rant rant...you get the idea

The real reason I dislike Opening Day is I have to cover it for my paper. Ground Zero is Beckley Furnace on the Blackberry River in North Canaan, I got there about 9:30 a.m. Sure enough, there were four guys standing on the bridge, peering down as they tossed various items of hardware and foodstuffs onto the water.

The surprising sight was a guy fly-fishing just upstream of the bridge gang. I chatted with him. He was using an old Orvis 7'9" 5 wt and a full sink line. Said he only uses sinking lines, which I imagine cuts down on the dry fly fishing.

The Housatonic was high still, at 1500 cfs or so. From the Abutments, I watched three men in a boat (see book of same title, by Jerome K. Jerome) making their way downstream. Nothing happened when I was watching.

There was one guy at the Garbage Hole spin-casting from the bank. He had seen a bear on the road on the way up from New Milford and the experience seemed to be occupying him at the expense of his fishing. Across the river there were a couple of anglers in waders about to trespass on the homeowner's little beach. Said homeowner probably hasn't opened the house yet but that's a bad move, that's been a source of tension off and on for years.

Didn't see anyone else until I got to the park, where there were a few intrepid souls spread out, and not too far into the water.

Having done my duty, I beat it to one of my secret brook trout streams and spent a pleasant four hours annoying crazy little fish. The yellow mop fly was the day's big winner.

 

[moucheur2003]

I spent Friday afternoon on the Quaboag in south-central Mass., not too far from the Conn. border. It was my first trip to that river. Water temp was 45-46 degrees. The river had been stocked the week before. The most prolific hatches I have ever seen in New England were coming off throughout the afternoon -- BWO's and blue quills, Hendricksons, little black stones, little black caddis. But the fish had lockjaw all day -- no surface rises, whether to naturals or dries, no subsurface takes to nymphs or streamers. Saw 4 or 5 spin anglers who weren't having any luck either. One of them had met another fisherman who reported catching one fish on a drifted worm earlier in the morning, but that was it. Just seeing that there could be that much hatch activity so close to home made the day worthwhile, though.

 

[skunkedalot]

Opening Day 2018- fortunate to belong to a club that stocks a 2 acre pond, I get my trout fix daily so it was off to try to annoy warm water species. The key word was warm- i launched my yak in a pond that has been very good to me for crappie, bass and gills. water temp could not been more than 40 to 45. as such, species mentioned before were not happy and decided that they would not play. you know it was a slow day when you can remember what and how many you caught. 1 bass, 2 crappie, 2 gills and a pickerel. that is it - but the weather was perfect. SNOW and ice today.

 

[patrick62]

^ I forgot to mention I did fish the short stretch of the H between the power house and the bottom of the falls. This is where I take newcomers, so they can experience having something on the line. Bluegills, smallies, crappies etc. abound. Except when they don't. I couldn't scare up a thing.

 

[patrick62]

The H is still high but the little blue lines are eminently fishable. I had a wild brown that was a Leviathan at 10 inches jump out of the water to grab a Stimulator yesterday.

 

[lookard]

Do most little blue lines in public land have designated parking spots that is sort of similar to the way New York state does it? E.g. a Public fishing/DEC sign and a rough pull off at the side of the road. So far I've only fished the Farmington, but I also enjoy fishing the small streams. I would like to fish these blue lines in CT but I just don't know how it works in CT for the smaller streams/spots. Thanks!

 

[patrick62]

Do most little blue lines in public land have designated parking spots that is sort of similar to the way New York state does it? E.g. a Public fishing/DEC sign and a rough pull off at the side of the road. So far I've only fished the Farmington, but I also enjoy fishing the small streams. I would like to fish these blue lines in CT but I just don't know how it works in CT for the smaller streams/spots. Thanks!

Usually that's how it works. See Ron Merly's "Flyfisher's Guide to Connecticut."