Category: News

Ron Merly with a common sucker caught while salmon fishing on the Naugatuck River.
Written by NutmegTrout21708Feb, 2015

Fishing report: Anglers being iced

Ron Merly with a common sucker caught while salmon fishing on the Naugatuck River.

Not much to report this time around. Ice is the game as there is not a whole lot of open water in the state right now. Shelf ice is prevalent along the banks of many streams if they are not frozen over. The Housy is running around 700 but the water is very cold and the fish are in their dormant cycle. The Farmington is slushy unless you are up in Riverton. Much of the Naugatuck River is frozen over or slushy making Altlantic salmon fishing very difficult. If you are fishing along the ice shelves, be careful! It is difficult to land fish unless you are right near the edge and this is where the ice is thinnest.

Connecticut is blessed with many fishing opportunities as well as excellent fisheries management. Pending as of this writing are a new state record for walleye, which was hauled through the ice with the fish weighing more than 15 pounds, as well a pending world ice fishing record for carp, which was pulled through a hole on the lower Housatonic River.

The state record for brown trout may have been broken this year as well. If it was, it was broken by a hatchery raised breeder. The state released a lot of large breeder seeforellen brown trout up to 25 pounds into some of our lakes this past fall which has caused much controversy. The issue being that the current state record, although a seeforellen, was stocked into the Saugatuck Reservoir at 8-12 inches long and learned to survive and grew to the more than 18 pounds that it was when Tony Urbanawiecz pulled it out of the res. The current fish was a hatchery raised fish which was used to being fed in a tank; Big difference. Anyway, Tight light lines for those who get out there. Looking forward to some warmer days myself.

– Ron Merly

Written by NutmegTrout21711Jan, 2015

The Fly Fishing Show comes to Mass., NJ

The Fly Fishing Show will make stops in Massachusetts and New Jersey during January.

The first event is at the Royal Plaza in Marlborough, Mass., Jan. 16-18. Click here for information and hours.

One week later, Jan. 23-25, The Fly Fishing Show will take over the Garden State Convention Center in Somerset, NJ. Click here for show hours and information about the New Jersey stop.

Ben Furimsky, organizer of The Fly Fishing Show, recently appeared on Yankee Fisherman on hanradio.com, hosted by Nutmeg TU member John Kovach. Click here to hear that interview.

 

 

Antoine Bissieux, “The French Flyfisherman”
Written by NutmegTrout21711Jan, 2015

French Flyfisherman visits Jan. 20

Antoine Bissieux, “The French Flyfisherman”

Nutmeg TU’s speaker Tuesday, Jan 20, is Antoine Bissieux, “The French Flyfisherman.” Antoine is going to talk to us about the “Farmington River as He Sees It.”

The meeting will be held at Port 5 Naval Vetertans, 69 Brewster St., Bridgeport, from 7 to 9 p.m. Pizza will be sold and there will be a raffle.

A 2012 Orvis-endorsed guide, Bissieux leads fly fishing trips on the Farmington River in Connecticut, the Battenkill River in Vermont, and other places where you can cast at a fish.

After teaching thousands of beginner anglers and guiding at the Orvis fly fishing flagship school in Manchester, Vt., he now focuses on the Farmington, offering guided trips, classes, instruction, all catered to each fisherman’s expectations. All levels and abilities are welcome.

The French Fisherman can also be heard on National Public Radio.

More information can be found a bissieux.com.

Tying flies for Casting for Recovery
Written by NutmegTrout21711Jan, 2015

Nutmeg fly tying resumes

Tying flies for Casting for Recovery

The Nutmeg TU fly tying group resumes meeting Thursday, Jan 15, at 7 p.m. at Chuck MacMath’s home in Trumbull. Contact Chuck at cmacmath59@yahoo.com for additional information.

Beginning Jan.15 the fly tying group will meet on the first and third Thursdays of every month from 7-9 p.m.

The cost is $2 per session to cover the cost of materials.

All are welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

Nutmeg TU member Jim Lynch recently caught his first Atlantic salmon.
Written by NutmegTrout21711Jan, 2015

Good fishing rings in 2015

Nutmeg TU member Jim Lynch recently caught his first Atlantic salmon.

There are still a good amount of peanut bunker out in the harbors and anglers are catching the occasional striper and yet, the better action has been in the lower estuary of the Housatonic. Atlantic herring have arrived in good numbers and those can be caught using a sabiki rig on an ultra-light spin fishing set-up. Herring are an excellent food source as well as being great striper bait.

The upper Housatonic has been blown out due to all of the rain in recent weeks and is now coming back down to a fishable level. The Farmington continues to give up a steady number of larger rainbows and browns which have been bulking up for the winter months. The Atlantic salmon fishing in the Naugy continues to thrill anglers and I recently fished there with fellow Nutmeggers John Kovach and Jim Lynch, who caught his first Atlantic Salmon.

John Kovach and I also joined Mianus T.U. at their annual New Year’s outing on the Norwalk River for some fly fishing. Despite the cold temps, more than 30 anglers showed up and many browns and bows were caught in a few different sections of the Norwalk. A few holdovers and some beautiful wild browns. I started the New Year off with a 6 inch wild Norwalk River brown and that was a great start to the year!!

Tight lines!

Ron Merly

A rendering of Bass Pro Shop in Bridgeport from the company's website.
Written by NutmegTrout21712Dec, 2014

Walls going up at Bass Pro Shops

A rendering of Bass Pro Shop in Bridgeport from the company's website.

Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch and Steelpointe Harbor officials celebrated Thursday afternoon, Dec. 11, as the first walls of Bass Pro Shops were erected.

Bass Pro also acquired the maker of Ranger and Triton bass boats this week, and founder John Morris spoke at the Bridgeport Regional Business Council’s annual dinner.

“It’s a great day in Bridgeport to see vertical construction happening at this site,” said Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch. “After decades of broken promises, it’s finally happening. Steelpointe Harbor will serve as a major boon for the city’s economy with Bass Pro Shops serving as the site’s flagship store. This is further proof that Bridgeport is getting better every day.”

State Sen. Andres Ayala Jr., City Council President Tom McCarthy, the developer Robert Christoph and other council members joined Mayor Finch at the site.

Christoph predicted the SteelPointe development will make Bridgeport a “destination” for people around the region to shop, dine and enjoy the views of the Long Island Sound and Pleasure Beach.

Recently, it was announced that Starbucks and Chipotle will be joining Bass Pro Shops on the Steelpointe Harbor site.

“I’m thrilled that we’ll have Starbucks and Chipotle in Bridgeport. They’re joining Bass Pro as the first batch of topnotch businesses coming to Steelpointe Harbor,” Finch said at the November announcement. “These companies will create good paying jobs, and will help attract even more businesses to the state’s largest city. My hope is that Bridgeporters hear the message loud and clear: Steelpointe Harbor – our city’s biggest economic development project since the Industrial Revolution – is finally becoming a reality. We’re building for the future.”

Ian-Scott Devlin will talk about stripers and salt water fishing equipment and tactics at the Dec. 16 meeting of Nutmeg TU.
Written by NutmegTrout21703Dec, 2014

Devlin shares striper secrets Dec. 16

Ian-Scott Devlin will talk about stripers and salt water fishing equipment and tactics at the Dec. 16 meeting of Nutmeg TU.

Ian Devlin will share his knowledge of striper fishing in the Housatonic and salt water fishing in the Sound at the Nutmeg Trout Unlimited meeting Tuesday, Dec. 16, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Port 5, 69 Brewster St, Bridgeport.

If there is time after the presentation, Ian also would like to give an in-depth overview of fly lines (tapers, stiffness/limpness for different temperatures), and when to use a line that floats or sinks or something in between. Proper leader tapers and construction/knots for saltwater angling may also be covered.

Ian has been a guide for more than 20 years in both Florida and Connecticut, specializing in fly casting and plug. He holds a current fly rod world record for bluefish caught in 1999 on 20 pound weight tippet.

He has worked in fly fishing retail for more than 25 years including four different shops in both Connecticut and Florida.

Lou Tabory certified Ian as a FFF fly casting instructor in 1996. He learned to routinely cast 100 foot or more at the early age of 15 years old.

His Devil N’ Blends synthetic blend fibers that he makes since 2000 have been purchased by people from all over the planet (literally South America, Australia, Europe, Japan, and all over the USA). He has been tying flies for warm freshwater, and mostly saltwater since for many years.

He is a keen observer of the various skiff types and is designing his skiff from scratch; likely his biggest project to date.

He has also developed fly rods for G. Loomis.

Photography is becoming more than a pastime, and he plans to integrate it into more trips.

Ian is an avid birder and nature enthusiast, and recognizes the value of coastal cleanups.

Lastly, Ian tends to think outside the box and often tries new ideas keep him on a progressive path to innovation.

Ron Merly holds a 32-inch salmon caught below the Tingue Dam recently.
Written by NutmegTrout21703Dec, 2014

Stripers, salmon hitting in area rivers

Ron Merly holds a 32-inch salmon caught below the Tingue Dam recently.

There are still a lot of striped bass around the area and anglers are doing well in the lower Housatonic with them. Some Atlantic Salmon have moved down into the Housatonic from the Naugatuck and there have been salmon caught from the Derby Dam down past O’Sullivan’s Island.

The warmer weather had the BWOs hatching hard on the Housatonic in Cornwall over the past weekend. The fish weren’t rising but were gorging on nymphs. We had good luck both fly and spin fishing. The recent rain should again increase water levels in the smaller streams.

The Farmington continues to fish well. The bite is very inconsistent and yet, if you hit it on the right day, the fish will be feeding hard to prepare for winter.

The Naugatuck River has been running low making the salmon fishing difficult, yet again, the recent rain should have that river in good shape. If you haven’t seen the completed Tingue Dam Bypass in Seymour, I suggest you check it out. It was a massive undertaking which has now opened the passage for anadromous fish to travel from Long Island Sound all the way to Thomaston. Make sure you stay on the west side of the dam as the east side is within 100 feet of the fishway. No fishing is allowed within 100 feet of any fishway or bypass in Connecticut. The salmon pictured here is a 32-inch hen salmon which was caught below the dam on the west side this past Saturday.

Tight, light lines, Ron Merly

Eggs for the 2014-15 Trout in the Classroom program have been delivered by Nutmeg TU volunteers.
Written by NutmegTrout21703Dec, 2014

Trout in the Classroom eggs delivered

Eggs for the 2014-15 Trout in the Classroom program have been delivered by Nutmeg TU volunteers.

Nutmeg TU TIC coordinator Dave Edgeworth reports that Trout In the Classroom had a very successful trout egg delivery day on Nov 18. Teachers and students were very excited to receive their eggs.

Several volunteers were on hand to make the drop-off to 16 schools across the Nutmeg Chapter region. Many thanks to our President Chuck Petruccelli, Joseph Lanese, and Gian Morresi for the time and effort on a cold and windy morning.

Every school received 200 brown trout eggs which will hatch, grow, and be released into local rivers in May.