Fly Fishing Films stream through April 4

The Fly Fishing Film Tour will be available to those who purchase tickets from 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 10, through 11:59 p.m. Sunday, April 4.

Rather than a night at the theater, the fly fishing cinema can be viewed at home.

Local tickets can be purchased at this link. When you buy your ticket with this link, $2 will be donated to the work of Trout Unlimited restoring rivers in Connecticut.

Not only will you get your virtual pass to watch the films at your pleasure any time between March 10 and April 4, you’ll also be entered into a drawing for great prizes from Yeti, Simms, Costa, Thomas & Thomas, Abel and more.

Click here to view trailers of this year’s movies.

Stream the Fly Fishing Film Tour

Although we cannot gather at a theater, you’ll be able to watch the Fly Fishing Film Tour via live stream and still help raise money for Trout Unlimited work close to home.

Local tickets can be purchased at this link. When you buy your ticket with this link, $2 will be donated to the work of Trout Unlimited restoring rivers in Connecticut.

Not only will you get your virtual pass to watch the films at your pleasure any time between March 10 and April 4, you’ll also be entered into a drawing for great prizes from Yeti, Simms, Costa, Thomas & Thomas, Abel and more.

Click here to view trailers of this year’s movies.

Learn about ice fishing Tuesday night

Feeling trapped inside by the cold weather? Join us Tuesday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m. on Zoom to learn how to take advantage of the fishing opportunities that come with winter.

Michael “Jinx” Jasensky will join us to talk about the equipment needed and how to ice fish, including safety.

Jinx is on the Vexilar pro staff and does ice fishing presentations at Cabelas.

The meeting is open to all, free of charge. Click here Tuesday to join the Zoom meeting.

Ugly Sweater outing Dec. 12

The Mianus and Candlewood Valley chapters of Trout Unlimited will hold their Ugly Sweater Fishing Outing on Saturday, Dec. 12.

Meet at UpCountry Sportfishing, 352 Main St. in New Hartford, then fish on your own in small groups. There will be a mid-day coffee and fire at the outdoor pavilion in People’s State Park on East River Road in Barkhamstead.

Fast forward to 21;30 in this clip to watch scenes from a previous Ugly Sweater outing.

Anglers are asked to wear masks in the shop, in parking areas and when congregated less than 10 feet apart, and say at least a rod’s length apart on the water.

Ugly sweaters are not required, but registration is. Click here for more information and to sign up.

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection photo

Fish for salmon in Connecticut on Nov. 21

Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection photo

Come fish the Campville section of the Naugatuck River with Nutmeg Trout Unlimited.

The Naugatuck River, Campville section is one of the places CT DEEP stocks bloodstock Atlantic Salmon in the fall.  The upper Naugatuck River winds its way through heavily wooded portions of the Mattatuck State Forest and other public lands. In the Campville section, the river is smallish with some deeper runs and pools as well as plunge pools and waterfalls below which the Atlantic Salmon tend to hold up.  This area is also stocked with Trout, so Salmon are not the only game in town.

T0 get ready, join us on Zoom at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 17, when Tim Flagler teaches us how to tie and fish the Undertaker, a tried and true salmon fly.

There is no cost for the trip, but please click here to register.

When:  Saturday, November 21 at 10 AM.

Where:  Campville Section of the Naugatuck River off Exit 41 of Route 8.

Directions:  From Route 8 North, take Exit 41.  Turn right onto Campville Road which becomes Northfield Road then goes over the river.  At the T intersection, turn left onto Valley Road and park at the numerous spots along the road before Campville Hill Road.  River will be on your left.

Regulations:  Must have current CT Fishing License with a Trout/Salmon Stamp.

Must use a single fly or lure with a single free-swinging hook only; no treble hooks.  Additional weight may not be added to the line.  Fishing is catch and release at this time; DEEP has extended the catch and release date for Salmon to December 15 this year.

General Information:  Salmon, particularly larger fish, are very powerful so you may want to consider scaling up your tackle.  For fly anglers:  a heavier rod, like a 7 or 8 wt. and a reel with a strong drag.  For spin/casting anglers:  a medium action rod in the 8 – 10 lb. class.  Or you can do what I do and fish a standard 5-weight trout set-up and hope for the best if you hook a Salmon!!  As there are plenty of deep spots in this section, a sink tip line can come in handy to get your fly down, particularly if the river is running high.

Water (and possibly weather) may be cold so please dress accordingly.

Hope to see you there!!

Nutmeg TU Contact:  Alex Ziemkiewicz  agz3026@gmail.com or 203-209-6689.

Donate Nov. 2-8 to help the Mill River

Every year Trout Unlimited, with the support of Orvis, provides funds for local projects, called the Embrace a Stream Program (EAS).  We are very happy to relay that the Nutmeg Chapter of TU has been awarded a grant under that program for the Mill River on the Fairfield/Easton border on Congress Street. Within an hour’s drive of New York City, the Mill River is one of only nine streams in Connecticut designated by Department of Energy and Environmental Protection as a Class One wild trout stream.

Click on this link to donate.

The chapter will work with Trout Scapes River Restoration LLC to develop a plan of action. Trout Scapes has worked on the Norwalk and Pootatuck with other Connecticut TU chapters. With support from volunteers and local communities, we can implement the plan to restore and reinvigorate the Mill as a cold-water fishery. The goal of this effort is to create pools and increase sinuosity which will improve the habitat for the trout, many of which travel up from Lake Mohegan to spawn.

The EAS grant is $3,500 towards a total cost of $8,700 to develop the plan. Embrace A Stream has created a fund-raising challenge for this entitled “Give Where You Fish.” Thanks to Orvis and Trout Unlimited, your donation will help unlock prizes from a $20,000 prize pool!

This coming week (November 2-8) will be a tremendous opportunity to get us that much closer to our funding goal. Please help us raise these much-needed funds. The first $1,000 in donations will be matched with $1,500 from Orvis and the Connecticut Council of Trout Unlimited.

Ben Bilello with a salmon he caught

Campville salmon trip set for Nov. 21

Come fish the Campville section of the Naugatuck River with Nutmeg Trout Unlimited.

The Naugatuck River, Campville section is one of the places CT DEEP stocks bloodstock Atlantic Salmon in the fall.  The upper Naugatuck River winds its way through heavily wooded portions of the Mattatuck State Forest and other public lands. In the Campville section, the river is smallish with some deeper runs and pools as well as plunge pools and waterfalls below which the Atlantic Salmon tend to hold up.  This area is also stocked with Trout, so Salmon are not the only game in town.

There is no cost, but please click here to register.

When:  Saturday, November 21 at 10 AM.

Where:  Campville Section of the Naugatuck River off Exit 41 of Route 8.

Directions:  From Route 8 North, take Exit 41.  Turn right onto Campville Road which becomes Northfield Road then goes over the river.  At the T intersection, turn left onto Valley Road and park at the numerous spots along the road before Campville Hill Road.  River will be on your left.

Regulations:  Must have current CT Fishing License with a Trout/Salmon Stamp.

Must use a single fly or lure with a single free-swinging hook only; no treble hooks.  Additional weight may not be added to the line.  Fishing is catch and release at this time; DEEP has extended the catch and release date for Salmon to December 15 this year.

General Information:  Salmon, particularly larger fish, are very powerful so you may want to consider scaling up your tackle.  For fly anglers:  a heavier rod, like a 7 or 8 wt. and a reel with a strong drag.  For spin/casting anglers:  a medium action rod in the 8 – 10 lb. class.  Or you can do what I do and fish a standard 5-weight trout set-up and hope for the best if you hook a Salmon!!  As there are plenty of deep spots in this section, a sink tip line can come in handy to get your fly down, particularly if the river is running high.

Water (and possibly weather) may be cold so please dress accordingly.

Hope to see you there!!

Nutmeg TU Contact:  Alex Ziemkiewicz  agz3026@gmail.com or 203-209-6689.

Zoom talk on Tenkara Oct. 20

When Tenkara fly-fishing was introduced in the United States in 2009, Morgan Lyle was one of the first American journalists to cover it. Click here to join the talk.

His 2019 book, Tenkara Today, chronicles the first decade of tenkara in the U.S., featuring in-depth interviews with leaders of the tenkara movement and straightforward instruction on when, where and how to fish with tenkara gear.

Morgan will discuss this style of fixed-line fly fishing Tuesday, Oct. 20, on a Zoom open to all anglers, hosted by Nutmeg TU.

Morgan is the author of Simple Flies: 52 Easy-to-Tie Patterns That Catch Fish, published in July 2015 by Stackpole Books. He has been a regular contributor to American AnglerFly TyerTroutThe DrakeFlyfishing and Tying Journal and other magazines. He has been a fly-fishing columnist for the New York Outdoor News, the fly-fishing page manager at About.com, and author of the blog The Fly Line. A longtime journalist, his work has appeared in media including Newsday and The New York Times. He learned to fly-fish on Esopus Creek in the Catskills and lives in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Tenkara and tying on upcoming agenda

We aren’t sure when we will be able to meet in person again, but Nutmeg TU has meetings scheduled on Zoom to help you learn tips for catching big fish.

Morgan Lyle, author of the recently released book Tenkara Today, will discuss that fixed-line style of fly fishing on Tuesday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.

Tim Flagler of Tightline Productions, whose fly tying videos can be found on YouTube and who has recently done some tie-offs with Tom Rosenbauer of Orvis, will demonstrate from flies for Nutmeg TU and guests on Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. on Zoom.

We hope we can gather in December for our annual holiday party, but if we can’t, we’ll find a way to celebrate, and look ahead to more fishing and events in 2021.

Trout tactics for stripers with Steve Culton

Steve Culton was a popular speaker when he talked wet flies last November, and he returns when Nutmeg TU holds its next virtual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 7 p.m., on Zoom.

Click here for the link.

Steve Culton is a Connecticut fly fishing guide and instructor, fly tyer, and freelance writer. His work has appeared in Field & Stream, American Angler, The Flyfish Journal, The Drake, Flyfishing & Tying JournalEastern Fly FishingFly Rod & Reel Online, and the Mid Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide.

Currentseams.com is a library for his articles, stories, fly tying, fishing reports, videos, my guide service The Fisherman LLC, and more.