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.

The Town of Fairfield would eliminate the position of conservation administrator if the proposed 2021-22 budget passes in its current iteration.

The Board of Selectmen voted 2-1 on Monday, March 8, to submit a budget without the conservation administrator funding to the Board of Finance, according to the Fairfield Citizen.

First Selectwoman Brenda Kupchick said “conservation staffing levels are similar to other towns and she said the selection of a new director along with making the wetlands compliance officer a full-time position make it tenable.”

More than 700 people — toward a goal of 1,000 set by organizers — have signed an online petition seeking restoration of a full-time conservation administrator. The change.org petition reads: “We, the residents of the Town of Fairfield, request that the Town of Fairfield commits to protecting the environmental quality of our community by restoring the position of Conservation & Wetlands Administrator to the Conservation Department, and filling the position with a qualified full-time employee. We need to ensure our wetlands, marshlands, open spaces, rivers and other resources are protected and sustainable for future generations.”

The Board of Finance will hear public comment on the proposed budget Thursday at 7 p.m. Those who wish to comment during the meeting should email Jennifer Carpenter at jcarpenter@fairfieldct.org by noon on Thursday, March 11, for instructions on how to comment during the meeting.

Comments may also be submitted before or after the meeting by sending an email to bof@fairfieldct.org. Include name and home address with the comment. All comments received and  verified will be included in the minutes with a name and home address, but the email address will be excluded.

Gov. Ned Lamont Thursday declared that the 2021 trout season is immediately open.

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

Nutmeg TU members may join these Zoom presentations instead of our usual meetings on the third Tuesday of each month.

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

• March 9 – Gustavo Castano – Holly Pond Saltwater Shrimp paired with Maker’s Mark
•  March 16 – John Hildenbrand – Half-and-Half Clouser paired with New Belgium Brewing IPA
• March 23 – Gerald Berrafati  – Striper-Sized Tarpon Bunny paired with Lawson’s Sip O Sunshine
• March 30 – Roundtable Tying & Lying Wrap up paired with your beverage of choice

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

As COVID-19 is keeping us from gathering in person, events such as cleanups have been on hold. Unfortunately, littering has not slowed.

In order to keep up with our conservation efforts, Nutmeg TU is offering families who are comfortable taking on a cleanup together to do so, and take some photos to share via our website.

Some suggested cleanup areas are:

Our chapter has started a new fundraising initiative via selling items we otherwise would offer in our raffles and banquets at auctions on eBay.  The impetus for this is, of course, the restrictions imposed by Covid and our inability to have in-person events.

Still, the chapter needs to build funds for the many projects on the agenda and eBay auctions represent a socially-distanced alternative to the norm. We’ve had quick success with the first auction, raising nearly $150, and have another underway. See the link below.

If you have items you would like to donate, remember that the donation is tax deductible as well as a chance to clean up the inevitable accumulation of stuff you might not need any longer. A member of the board will take care of putting it up on eBay, shipping, and getting you the receipt for tax purposes. Just contact us to tell us what you have and arrange a pickup.

eBay link to rod auction: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cabelas-Fly-Rod-MTX-906-4-9-6-wt-4-piece-with-case/143937491408

link to Cabela’s offering: https://www.gearbuyer.com/products/cabelas-mtx_fly_rods.html