Category: News

Written by NutmegTrout21706May, 2021

Fish Short Beach on May 22

 

Join Nutmeg TU to fish for spring Stripers and Blues at the mouth of the Housatonic River at Short Beach in Stratford Saturday, May 22. We will meet at 1 p.m. to fish the outgoing tide.

There is no cost for the outing, membership is not required, and both fly and spin anglers are welcome. Please click here to register.

This is a great spot for fly or spin fishers and a terrific opportunity to learn about the lower Housy (which is a Spring run hotspot).

We will meet in the parking area by the tennis courts and walk out to the river channel which is accessible from Stratford only around low tide (~12:35 PM on Oct. 24).  We will fish up to the first hour or so of the incoming tide. Much later and the walk back to shore can be problematic as the rising water can create deep channels to cross.

For fly fishing we recommend an 8-10 weight rod.  Most common is an intermediate or sink-tip line but if you tuned into our September Zoom meeting, guide Steve Culton described techniques that make floating lines very effective as well.  Standard Clousers, Deceivers and other baitfish patterns are ideal.

Spin fishers can use a variety of swimming plugs or soft plastics.  You will need full waders.  Ed Grzeda will lead the outing.

Directions to Short Beach can be found here (parking is free before Memorial Day. Meet near the tennis courts.

Email Ed at ctfishcrow@gmail.com or contact at (224) 234-3381 with any questions.

 

Nutmeg TU held its annual trip to the Limestone Club in Canaan, Conn., Wednesday, May 23.
Written by NutmegTrout21717Apr, 2021

Limestone fishing trip May 26

Alex Ziemkiewicz tests his skill in one of the ponds on the grounds of the Limestone Club in Canaan, CT.We are now taking reservations for the 6th annual Nutmeg Trout Unlimited trip to the Limestone Trout Club located in Canaan, Connecticut.

You must use this link, https://limestonetroutclub.com/nutmeg-tu/, to register. The trip is limited to 15 anglers.

The trip is fly fishing only:

This is primarily shore fishing, with a few boats available.

Please arrive by 9 a.m.  Fishing is permitted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information about the club visit limestonetroutclub.com.

There are 3 deep (70-plus feet) quarry ponds and 3 shallow ponds providing a variety of venues and conditions.

While most members practice catch and release, catch and kill is allowed for one fish 17 inches or smaller per person.

Fees:

The fee for TU members is $50 and includes lunch.

We welcome new TU members. To join TU, go to: Join Trout Unlimited Today | Trout Unlimited Donation Site

Payment is due upon arrival.

Lessons learned from previous years: bring some egg patterns, large flies, tiny flies and bug spray for the ticks.

Directions – Take route 8 north to Winsted and turn left onto Rte. 44 west.

Drive through Norfolk and past the Blackberry River Inn and Freunds Farm Market in North Canaan.

After passing the marker for East Canaan turn right onto Casey Hill Rd. (there is a sign on the right at the corner, set back from the road for O’Connor Sand & Gravel).

Drive a short distance to a stop sign, where Casey Hill Rd. becomes Allyndale Rd.

Continue straight on Allyndale Rd. about 100 yards. The unmarked driveway is on the left, across from a driving range.

The clubhouse phone is 860-249-9996.

Written by NutmegTrout21717Apr, 2021

Help teach children by raising trout

If you like to teach children and improve habitat for trout, please consider becoming the Trout in the Classroom coordinator for Nutmeg TU.

Trout in the Classroom, offered nationally by TU, teaches children how to monitor water quality, protect the ecosystem and instills conservationism as they raise trout in a tank from eggs to fingerlings, then release the young into a river near their homes and schools. Information on the program and requirements  an be found at troutintheclassroom.org.

Regarding the job, TIC State Coordinator Jim Woodworth wrote: “One thing that we do is to coordinate the delivery of the eggs and food to the schools. The experienced teachers will do most everything by themselves. I do bring replacement supplies to most of the schools and sometimes help with tank setups [with new teachers] and water quality issues. I also help some of the schools with their trout releases.”
The job also ideally entails promoting the program and getting more schools involved.
You get what you put in. The position is limited by the Coordinator’s passion and imagination. Having passion for conservation and for wanting to help future generations is a must; some basic prior aquarium-keeping experience is a plus, but I can always help. Plus there are many resources at one’s disposal: a very informative website – www.troutintheclassroom.org, a State Coordinator, a National Coordinator, and a TIC emailing list.
If interested, contact Gian Morresi at gmorresi@gmail.com.

Written by NutmegTrout21717Apr, 2021

Fish The Cascades Friday, April 23

Start off your weekend early by joining Nutmeg TU members for a little fishing after work on Friday, April 23.

We will start at 3 p.m. in The Cascades at Lake Mohegan, located north, or on the far end from the beach parking area. Drive to the bottom of the hill past the lake, park there. We will meet in the lot and walk upstream to the falls. Those who arrive late should walk upstream from the lake to meet us.

Fish from the shore, fish in the steam, fish in the pond or just render useless advice. It is all catch and release, so there are still plenty of fish to be caught. Click here to read regulations: Parts of the Mill River are trout management areas.

If you plan to join us, please RSVP to Rich Rosen at RHRosen@aol.com.

Written by NutmegTrout21717Apr, 2021

Hear how salter brookies were spared from development

A development proposed on habitat crucial to sea-run brook trout was recently rejected, despite government approvals, in Massachusetts. Learn how this victory was won, how the fight will continue and what can be done to restore these native fish when Geoffrey Day talks on Zoom at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 20, on Zoom.

Click here for the Zoom link. The meeting, open to all, is hosted by the Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Geoffrey is a co-founder and Executive Director at Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition.  He has a B.A. in Human Ecology from Connecticut College, and a background in aquaculture, recreational and commercial fisheries advocacy, fund-raising, management, technical and internet marketing consulting.

Geoffrey bought his first fly rod for five dollars from the bargain bin at LL Bean, and his first fly-caught striper was on an original streamer he created from a kit ordered from the Herter’s Catalog in the sixties.  He has been working with sea-run trout monitoring and restoration since the early 1980s.

Geoffrey can be reached at gday@searunbrookie.org

 

 

 

Written by NutmegTrout21706Apr, 2021

Hwang hosts online forum on Aquarion Diversion

State Senator Tony Hwang will moderate a forum on Aquarion’s proposal to divert water from the Bridgeport/Fairfield/Easton Reservoir system to meet needs in towns in southwestern Fairfield County.

The online forum will be held Thursday, April 8, at 7 p.m. on fb.com/senatorhwang.

Click here to read the proposal.

Hwang has invited representatives of the Mill River Wetlands Committee, Save the Sound, the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, the Rivers Alliance of Connecticut, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and Aquarion to serve as expert panelists.

Aquarion’s proposal would send 14.2 million gallons of water per day for the next 25 years to towns in lower Fairfield County.

Nutmeg TU and the Connecticut Council have already weighed in on the proposal and are prepared to do so again. Click here to read TU’s comments.

The Connecticut DEEP will hold a public hearing May 4.

Written by NutmegTrout21723Mar, 2021

Share your thoughts on trout regulations

The Fisheries Division of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection is requesting your input for its latest five question survey. The purpose of this short survey is to get preference for several items related to trout season. Some context is provided below.
This survey will close on Monday, April 5, 2021.
The Fisheries Division recently published the Statewide Salmonid Action Plan, a plan dedicated to improving trout fishing in Connecticut. Considerations in the plan include whether to continue the historical practice of closing the fishing season on waterbodies stocked with trout; and, if the closed season were to be eliminated, determining how those fisheries should be managed. For reference, the current statewide regulations specify a 5 trout per person per day creel limit during the open season, with fishing closed on waterbodies stocked with trout from March 1st until the 2nd Saturday in April. With that backdrop, we’d like to gauge your support for following potential regulatory changes:

 
1.) Eliminating the closed season (NOTE: the legislature is currently considering a proposal to do just that).
2.) If the closed season is eliminated, replacing it with catch and release fishing throughout the traditional closed season or allowing harvest during the traditional closed season.
3.) Reducing the creel limit.

The five survey questions will offer a variety of options related to the above considerations. If you have other thoughts about how to manage these fisheries should the traditional closed season be eliminated, please share them directly with me via my email.

Written by NutmegTrout21715Mar, 2021

Tie One On with us Tuesdays at 8

Rather than its regular monthly meeting, Nutmeg TU will join Tie One On Tuesday, March 16, at 8 p.m. on Zoom.

Please notice the Zoom starts one hour later than Nutmeg’s regular monthly meetings.

Learn a new fly and enjoy an adult beverage from the safety of home when Tie One On is held Tuesday nights at 8, organized by Mianus TU and Candlewood Valley TU.

There is no charge, but those who wish to attend are asked to register for each night for Zoom login:

So tune in, even if you don’t tie flies, for some laughs, some wisdom and some socializing before the fishing season starts.

Written by NutmegTrout21710Mar, 2021

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.

The Mianus River, known for its black stonefly hatch in March, is the destination for a trip with Nutmeg and Mianus TU on Saturday, March 23. — Photo from Mianustu.org.
Written by NutmegTrout21710Mar, 2021

Fish the Mianus River March 27

Come fish the Mianus River TMA with the Mianus and Nutmeg TU chapters.  This river has been stocked and is known for its early black and brown stonefly hatches.  The Mianus is a beautiful, intimate suburban stream and March is a great time to fish it.    

When:  Saturday, March 27 at 9 AM.

Where:  Meet at the red barn in Mianus River State Park.  100 Merriebrook Lane, Stamford, CT 06902.

Directions:  To get to the Mianus River Park, take Exit 33 off the Merritt Parkway South (Den Road). Take a left onto Bangall Road, and another left onto Westover Road, crossing over the parkway. Follow Westover Road for a decent distance until you see a sharp curve warning sign with flashing yellow lights. Merriebrook Lane is on the right just past the sign.

Take Merriebrook Lane down to the red barn (on right), where you can find parking in that lot, or closer to the bridge.  Across the bridge the road leads to private property, so no parking is allowed.

Parking is limited so please consider carpooling.

Regulations:  Must have current CT Fishing License with Trout/Salmon Stamp. Click here to purchase.

Since the season has been declared open, regular season regulations are in effect. The Trout Management Area is a limited harvest section of the stream.

There are well defined trails along both sides of the river, though the western trail offers the easiest access the full length of the TMA.

General Information:  In general, a fairly short rod, 8-foot in 3- or 4-weight is ideal.  My standard 8.5 foot 5-weight trout rod works just fine.  River is smallish so long casts are generally not needed.  Dark patterns tend to work best this time of year; good to have some small stonefly imitations.

For spin fisherman, an ultra-light or light action rod in the 4- or 6-pound class will work fine.  In addition to the usual trout lures (single hook!!), you can try drifting a small black stonefly nymph with a split shot about a foot above it for weight.

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

Registration:  Please use the attached link to complete the free registration for the trip:

https://tu.myeventscenter.com/event/Mianus-River-Fishing-Trip-Early-Black-Brown-47293

Hope to see you there!!

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