Please join us for our April Trout Unlimited chapter gathering to be held on Tuesday, April 21 at Romanacci’s in Westport. 

This month’s meeting will feature guest speaker John Field. John Field is an FFI Master Casting Instructor, photographer, writer, and angling host. To date, he has written three books; Fly-Casting Finesse (2015),  ACA’s Beginner’s Guide to Fly Casting (2018), and Fly Fishing for Trophy Striped Bass (2024). John’s articles have been published in Tail Fly Fishing, MidCurrent, Fly Fisherman Magazine, Canadian Sportfishing Magazine, and more. He was a co-producer and cameraman for Larry Dahlberg Productions for Larry’s show, Hunt for Big Fish, on ESPN. John served as president of the American Casting Association and president of the New York Chapter of Trout Unlimited. You can find more about John’s hosted trips, schedule, and projects at fieldflyfishing.com”

For our meeting, John will be presenting “Seasons on the Alagnak River.” The Alagnak is a designated Wild and Scenic River located in Bristol Bay, Alaska and within the Katmai National Park and Preserve. This presentation will describe the inhabitants and conditions from spring runoff through September, the end of the salmon runs. It includes run timing, tackle, angling techniques, gorgeous photos of fish, wildlife, and the flowing river. John covers the lifecycles of resident Alaskan rainbows, five species of salmon, Arctic Char, and Arctic Grayling, and how to catch them!

To whet your appetite, here are a sampling of photos John has provided.

by George Lepska
4/8/2026

The trout fry are finally hatching – exciting update on the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program for Trout Unlimited’s (TU) Nutmeg Chapter.

TIC is an education program designed to bring attention to the natural world. For the program, CT DEEP provides fertilized eggs and feed to each participating school during the winter. Teachers set up an aquarium and incubate trout eggs. By spring time, the trout will have grown to fry, and are released to a body of water during a class field trip in late April to early June.

This year, I had the pleasure of being the event coordinator for the TU nutmeg chapter. In total I reached 8 Fairfield county schools, and hired 4 TU volunteers to deliver the eggs and food, including Richard Rosen, Bill Chepolis, Joe Lanese, and William Sherts. The schools that participated this year were Warde HS, Weston HS, Bridgeport Discovery School, Adam J Lewis Academy, Shelton Intermediate, Shelton HS, Masuk HS, and Wooster Intermediate.

Mike Aikenhead, the science teacher at Weston high school, gave us an update on his trout: – “The survivors have been doing well and we have quite a large population at the moment… we had a few losses, but we have about 8 trout now living in that tank ranging between 4 and 8 inches”

Weston’s HS Trout Fry population >200 (Left). Large trout fry ~8” (Right). 

If additional teachers are interested in participating in the 2026-2027, please contact me at:

georgelepska@gmail.com

Happy New Year!

Please join us for our first Trout Unlimited chapter gathering of 2026 at Romanacci’s in Fairfield. This month’s meeting will be a fly tying get-together. Bring your vise, tools, and favorite patterns to share for a relaxed and fun evening of tying and conversation.

The gathering is open to all members and guests. A $20 donation is suggested to cover the cost of the pizza. All who attend will receive a fly tying goodie bag!

Bring a Friend!
All anglers are welcome — whether they’re seasoned fly fishers or just curious about the sport. It’s the perfect chance to connect with our local fishing community over food, friends, and a shared love of the water.

To help us get an accurate count for the pizza order, please RSVP to Rich Rosen at richr@nutmegtrout.org

📅 Date: TUESDAY, January 20, 2026
📍 Location: Romanacci’s, 116 Post Rd, Fairfield, CT
🕖 Time: 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM

As we close the year and look forward to 2026 our Trout Unlimited chapter hopes to increase our conservation work, community outreach and fishing engagements.

You are all probably aware that a developer is proposing a 60+ unit apartment building plus nine townhouses on Plum Tree Lane in Easton/Trumbull right on the upper Mill River. The project will be an environmental disaster for our beloved wild trout stream. Using affordable housing as a cover, they can ignore zoning regulations. Please voice your concerns to officials in Trumbull, Easton and Fairfield (Fairfield because all the silt, chemicals and garbage will go downstream to Fairfield).

On a more positive note, we hope restore part of the Mill River along Congress Street this summer. We have raised over $41,000 (much due to a generous donation from the Bass Pro and Cabella’s Outdoor Fund and a generous chapter member). We need another $12,000 for phase 1 of the project. To donate to this project, go to the Go Fund Me Page or the Nutmeg TU website.

If you want to learn more, contact us and/or come to one of our monthly gatherings (the 3rd Tuesday January through May, then resuming in September).

The Trout in the Classroom program kicks off on January 7th, when trout eggs (and food) from the state hatcheries will be delivered to local schools for students to raise, and then release the trout.

In the spring we will again be teaching kids how to fish, in cooperation with the Aspetuck Land Trust and the Boy Scouts.

Also, in the spring we will do a river cleanup and resume our fishing outings.

This summer, together with the Aspetuck Land Trust, we will do phase 3 of the revetment project on the upper Mill River in Easton. By using discarded Christmas trees, we are able to build back eroded banks (we won’t be collecting trees this year since we have enough from last years’ collection).

We would love to do more conservation work, community outreach and working with kids. Let us know how you want to get involved or have any questions. Contact us at admin@nutmegtrout.org

Wishing you all Happy Holidays, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Rich Rosen

We had a nice member meeting to welcome the holidays and ring in the new year. About 16 people attended the event at Romanacci’s in Fairfield where we enjoyed fishing fellowship, some beverages, and a few slices of pizza. Cheers to a happy 2026 filled with even better fish stories!

November Member Meeting

Fairfield Family Fishing Day & Kids Trout Stocking – May 10

Brookside Park

487-483 Brookside Dr

Fairfield CT 06824

Learn to fish with Nutmeg TU!

Saturday, May 10th is a free fishing day in CT – no license is required! Fishing is fun for the whole family. Our volunteers can teach you everything you need to know to get started in fly fishing. Plus, kids get to help stock the river with trout! 

CT DEEP Fisheries Staff will arrive with the trout stocking truck around 9:30 am with stocking at 10 – Bring a bucket if you have one!

We’ll have a full slate of games, activities, environmental education, and more!

Learn how to cast a fly rod

Tie a fly

Stream-walks

Kids trout stocking and fishing

Bug Study

Corn hole

…and much more! 

Join us at Brookside Park on May 10th for some great fishing and fun for everyone!

Better Casts and Presentations for Trout with John Field

We’re excited to invite you to our February Gathering featuring a special presentation by John Field, at Romanacci’s in Westport.

Date: Tuesday, February 18
New Venue: Romanacci, 46 Railroad Pl, Westport, CT
Time: 7:00 PM

Please note that we are meeting at a different venue this time! Join us at Romanacci in Westport for great food, great company, and an evening of fly fishing insight.

About the Presentation:
Success in trout fishing isn’t just about choosing the right fly—it’s about casting, presentation, and strategy. In Better Casts and Presentations for Trout, John Field will cover:

Trout hunting strategy
Casting techniques for improved accuracy and efficiency
Achieving a drag-free drift
Controlling speed and depth for sunken flies
Whether you’re looking to refine your casting mechanics or gain a better understanding of how trout respond to different presentations, this talk is packed with valuable insights for anglers of all skill levels.

About John Field:
John Field is an FFI Master Casting Instructor and the author of three books: Fly-Casting Finesse, ACA’s Beginner’s Guide to Fly Casting, and Fly Fishing for Trophy Striped Bass. His writing has appeared in Fly Fisherman Magazine, Canadian Sportfishing Magazine, and more.

Beyond writing and instruction, John has worked as a co-producer and cameraman for Larry Dahlberg’s Hunt for Big Fishon ESPN and ESPN2. He has also served as President of the American Casting Association and the New York Chapter of Trout Unlimited. John and his family live in Weston, CT, and you can learn more about his work at FieldFlyFishing.com.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from one of the most experienced anglers in the field.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Feel free to share this invitation with anyone who might be interested!

TU and ALT
Trees for Trout on January 11

Trout Unlimited and Aspetuck Land Trust will be collecting your old Christmas trees on Saturday, January 11 from 10AM to 1PM just past the first bridge (heading north) on Park Avenue in Easton.

We will “plant” the Christmas trees along the banks of the Mill River that flows through the Warner Angler Preserve. By anchoring them, we’re building up eroded banks to improve the depth of the river, the flow, and provide a better habitat for the wild brown and native brook trout population. We did this on a relatively short stretch of the Mill in 2024. The results are promising, and we plan to extend the bank restoration in 2025.

There will be a Trout Unlimited sign and volunteers from both Trout Unlimited and the Aspetuck Land Trust who’ll  handle the trees for you; you won’t even need to leave your car.

Suggested $10 of donation will help pay for the anchors