Nutmeg Chapter Trout Unlimited

Tim Barry, supervising fisheries biologist for the Connecticut DEEP

Written by NutmegTrout21727Feb, 2018

The lives of trout in CT March 20 topic

Learn about trout in Connecticut and how they are kept healthy and available for anglers on Tuesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. at Port 5, 69 Brewster St., Bridgeport.

With new regulations including a salmon and trout stamp, plus changes to designations on the Mill River just approved, Nutmeg TU will welcome Tim Barry of the DEEP.

The meeting is open to the public free of charge.

Barry will deliver an update on the pending rewrite of the 20-year-old Statewide Trout Management Plan and how TU figures into the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s R3 (Recruitment, Retention, and Re-activation) licensing efforts.

Barry earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resource conservation from the University of Connecticut in 1978 and a master’s degree in fisheries science from the University of Massachusetts in 1983.

From 1978-80 he was a volunteer fish technician for the Peace Corps in Honduras.

After working as an aquatic scientist for Ecosystem Consulting Service in Coventry from 1982 to 1984, Barry joined the DEEP (then the Department of Environmental Protection). He was a fisheries biologist I from 1984-87, a fisheries biologist II from 1987-2012, and in 2012 became a supervising fisheries biologist for the DEEP Fisheries Division.

Barry has worked extensively with species such as trout, northern pike, walleye and largemouth and smallmouth bass on projects throughout the state.

Pizza and beverages are available for purchase.

Written by NutmegTrout21727Feb, 2018

Rep Your Water adds CT hats

RepYour Water, which supports Connecticut Trout Unlimited’s mission, has added new Connecticut-themed hats to its offerings.

One features a brook trout, the other a striped bass, both on hats emblazoned with Connecticut. Another hat features a Colonial era flag bearing a trout, embroidered with New England. Click here to see the entire Connecticut collection.

RepYourWater provides creative and unique designs on high-quality apparel and merchandise while making a difference for wildlife habitat around the country. By teaming up with Colorado Trout Unlimited early in its existence, RepYourWater has been able to contribute to the conservation of Colorado fisheries and set in motion what the company is today.

Rep. Your Water has now joined with conservation organizations across the United States, including the Connecticut Council of TU, as 1% partners. Rep Your Water distributes 10% of sales among those 1% partners, based on sales of designs to the Trout Unlimited chapters of Connecticut, Canada, Wyoming, Pennsylvania, the Southeastern Conservation Project and New Mexico; Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Chapters in Utah, Alaska and Montana; the Wild Steelhead Coalition and The Bonefish and Tarpon Trust to provide financial support for the protection of the natural world.

RepYourWater also donates 50% of the proceeds from the Bristol Bay, Native Fish Society and the WILD steelhead hats to the Renewable Resources Fund, Native Fish Society and Wild Steelhead Coalition respectively.

The message to Connecticut anglers is, the more Connecticut merchandise you buy from Rep Your Water, the more money comes back for local conservation efforts.

For more information on Rep Your Water’s relationship with each non-profit, choose from the drop-down menu on its home page, repyourwater.com.

Written by NutmegTrout21727Feb, 2018

Single trout and salmon stamp, new WTMA approved

Revised fishing regulations, including a trout and salmon stamp, were approved Tuesday by the the state’s Regulations Review Committee.

The regulations will become effective after they are posted on the secretary of the state’s website.

The initial proposal called for separate trout and salmon stamps that could be purchased individually or in combination. That proposal was replaced by one mandating a single stamp for either trout or salmon, at a cost of $5; that was sent back for revision, resulting in the now-approved trout and salmon stamp which is $5, $3 for anglers 16 and 17 years old. Any anger who must obtain a license, regardless of if the license is free, must purchase the stamp.

A trout and salmon stamp is required for any angler 16 years of age and older fishing in a Trout Management Area (TMA), Wild Trout Management Area (WTMA), Trout Park, or Atlantic Salmon Broodstock Area; or keeping trout, Kokanee salmon or broodstock Atlantic salmon anywhere statewide.

The Mill River WTMA in Easton and Fairfield is extended downstream to the Merritt Parkway and the Mill River TMA is now catch-and-release year-round.

A small portion of the West Branch Farmington River in the Riverton area from the intersection of Hogback Road and Route 20 in Hartland downstream to the gas pipeline crossing approximately four-tenths of a mile downstream of the confluence with the Still River in Barkhamsted will now be closed to all fishing from April 1 to 6 a.m. on the second Saturday in April. This is intended to restore excitement to Opening Day.

Alexander Lake in Killingly is open to fishing year-round. Baldwins Pond in Meriden and Green Falls Reservoir in Voluntown are open to fishing from 6 a.m. Opening Day through the last day of February.

There is now a creel limit of six channel catfish and white catfish in aggregate per day, except in Beaver Park Lagoon, Birge Pond, Bunnells Pond, Center Springs Park Pond, Freshwater Pond, Keeney Park Pond, Lake Wintergreen, Lakewood Lake, Mirror Lake, Picketts Pond, Rowans Pond, Mohegan Park Pond, and Stanley Quarter Pond, where the creel limit is three catfish per day.

There is now a creel limit of five common carp per day, with no more than one fish greater than 30 inches in length, except in Trophy Carp Waters. Batterson Park Pond, Connecticut River (including the portions of tributaries open year-round), Squantz Pond, and West Thompson Reservoir are designated as Trophy Carp Waters with a one-carp-per-day creel limit and a 26-inch maximum length for common carp.

Tenkara fishing, a traditional Japanese method of fly-fishing without a reel, is now allowed in fly fishing areas.

The period when broodstock salmon gear restriction applies to all species in broodstock areas is now from Sept. 1 to March 31 (inclusive).

Written by NutmegTrout21716Feb, 2018

Exciting events open to all

Fellow fishermen and conservationists:

Wow! Our February board meeting just ended and I am excited! Your Board really stepped up and put together a great agenda for the next five months. I needed to share our plans with you so here goes!

Our speaker agenda will bring us new ideas and hints for local fishing.

February 20 Jimmy O is going to tell us about Winter striper fishing on the Housie.
March 20 Tim Barry from DEEP will enlighten us about stocking plans, DEEP’s new fish finding tech, and the new expanded TMA on the Mill River. Plus much more!
April 17 Jeff Yale from Regional Water will talk about fishing Lake Saltonstall. The lake is easily accessible (visible from Rt. 95) and loaded with a wide variety of fish, including Walleye, Bass, trout and much more.
May 15 Sonny Yu talks fly fishing for American Shad. We’ll have a trip the Saturday after this meeting to fish for Shad on the Mill River in Fairfield (who knew?)

Kudos to John Kovach for creating such an exciting agenda. The meetings are always at Port 5 in Bridgeport and pizza and drinks are available. We also have some fun auction items available at every meeting to raise some funds to support our programs.

In March we start our fishing trips and hands on activities. All of the trips will be led by one or more of our experienced fishing leaders from our Board and membership.

March 31 – Trout fishing the Saugatuck on Ford Road.
April 21 (World Fish Migration Day) – This is a big one!

In cooperation with Beardsley Zoo we will have a Pequonnock River Day.

Activities to include:

- River cleanup.
- River walk and insect study.
- Bird of Prey animal encounter.
- Fly casting clinic (5 LL Bean donated rods will be available for use).
- Tree planting.
- And of course, we will cap the day off with some fishing on the Pequonnock.

Get your hands dirty, learn to fish and catch some fish. Come for all or part of the day.

May 20 – Shad fishing on the Mill River in Fairfield.
May 23 – Trout fishing at the Limestone Club (fee charged, space limited – email me to register rhrosen@aol.com)
May 26 – Striper fishing on the Housatonic at the Audubon center in Milford.
June 24 – Trout fishing on the Farmington.

On the Conservation front we resume our work on the Mill River at Congress Street. Watch your emails for the date. Many hands will be needed as we work to deepen the river by anchoring Christmas trees to channel the river. Last year we planted hundreds of trees here. This next important phase will insure the Mill river will continue to be a premiere fishing spot for years to come. It can’t be done without member’s like you helping.

I hope you agree that we have some great stuff lined up and member participation is key. All of the meetings and trips are free (except for the Limestone outing) and the public is welcome.

Rich Rosen

Nutmeg Chapter President

Written by NutmegTrout21707Feb, 2018

Fly Fishing Film Tour Feb. 23

The Fly Fishing Film Tour will wade into Stamford Friday night, Feb. 23, to benefit education and conservation efforts by the Candlewood, Mianus and Nutmeg chapters of Trout Unlimited.

Doors to the Stamford Majestic Theater open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 each online or $30 at the door.

Click here to buy tickets to Stamford on Feb. 23

Nearly 200 people attended the first showing Feb. 2 in Trumbull, and last year’s event in Trumbull sold out, forcing organizers to turn people away.

In addition to fly angling movies on the big screen, the evening will include drinks, raffles and door prizes.

Some films include graphic language and situations which may be inappropriate for younger viewers.

Trailers can be viewed at flyflimtour.com.

Written by NutmegTrout21707Feb, 2018

Jimmy O to talk winter fishing

Jimmy O of Jimmy O’s Bait & Tackle in Bridgeport will tell anglers why it’s a mistake to stay inside during the winter when he speaks at Port 5 in Bridgeport on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

Doors open at 7 p.m. for the regular meeting of the Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited, which is open to the public free of charge. Pizza is available for a donation, and beverages can be purchased from Port 5.

A supporter of Nutmeg TU, local fishermen and clubs and events that make the fishing community stronger, Jimmy O will share information anglers can use in the waters of the Long Island Sound.

Nutmeg TU meetings are open to all. Anglers of all styles attend and can use the information shared by speakers. There will also be updates on conservation projects on local rivers.

Meetings are held at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of every month, and are open to the public free of charge. Upcoming speakers include:

Tuesday, March 20: Tim Barry of the DEEP on Connecticut’s Trout Management Program, and efforts to recruit and retain new anglers.

Tuesday, April 17: Jeff Yale of the South Central Connecticut Regional Water Authority on fishing Lake Saltonstall.

Tuesday, May 15: Sonny Yu on fly fishing for American Shad

Written by NutmegTrout21731Jan, 2018

A message from Nutmeg’s president

Hello TU Nutmegers:

Welcome to 2018. Your Board of Directors is working to make programming and participation even better. Today we have over 350 dues paying members in the Nutmeg chapter and together we can take care of our rivers, learn and have fun.

Each of us belongs to TU for different reasons. As a chapter we try to offer diverse programs and activities to meet everyone’s interests. Like most, my active involvement in TU started slowly. My only regret is that I did not get more active in TU sooner.

What does Trout Unlimited mean to you?

As a board we wonder what motivates members to join and stay connected: events, meetings, outings, conservation …. So we ask:

What speakers do you want to see at our meetings?
Do you want to learn about fishing local waters or destination fishing?
What will make your Nutmeg TU Chapter better?
- Opportunities to fish with friends
- Meeting fishing buddies
- Learning new skills and fishing spots
- Improving stream quality, or
- Just being part of a national organization that advocates clean fresh water fisheries

More opportunities to volunteer in 2018.

I would like to see our conservation efforts expand to include micro invertebrate monitoring
We should do more with youth and engage our veterans
We will continue to improve the Mill River habitat – watch for updates as we will soon use the Embrace a Stream funds to deepen the Mill River’s Congress Street section by channeling the river with recycled Christmas trees
Join the board, lead a fishing outing, participate in a river cleanup, do water sampling, work with TIC …

If you are a Nutmeg TU member and simply want to support a national advocacy group for clean water, we thank you for your participation, numbers are important. However, on the local level, none of the annual membership fees go to the local chapter. It all stays with TU national. Our funding comes from grants, donations and the raffles we run at the meetings. It costs money and takes volunteers to run our meetings, support the 15 Trout in The Classroom (TIC) local schools and do our conservation work. Your financial support is appreciated, and every dollar goes a long way because the Nutmeg chapter of TU is a 100% volunteer organization.

As we begin the new year I want to take this time to thank my fellow Board Members John Kovach, Dave Edgeworth, Jerry Goldstein, David Ader, Ed Grzeda, Cheryl Groesbeck, Phil Jacques, Chuck Petruccelli and Gian Morresi, for their wisdom at our monthly board meetings; volunteering to lead fishing trips, river cleanups/conservation work, sharing the load; and for the pleasure of fishing together in and around our lovely part of Connecticut.

On behalf of the Board of Directors I want to thank you for your continued support. Our goal is to have fun while doing good in our community. We hope you find the chapter welcoming and choose to participate in this valuable organization.

Happy New Year to all and I look forward to seeing you in 2018.

Rich Rosen

President TU Nutmeg Chapter

The DEEP found healthy populations of trout and smallmouth during electrofishing surveys of the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers (DEEP Photo)

Written by NutmegTrout21728Jan, 2018

Trout stamp on hold for now

Proposed regulations that would require purchase of a trout stamp are on hold at least into February.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection posted on the Connecticut Fish and Wildlife Facebook page that the regulations had been sent back so some concerns raised by the Legislative Regulation Review Committee could be addressed.

That means continue fishing with a 2018 license until further notice, without the purchase of a stamp.

According to the Facebook post:

“Our regulations package was on the docket at yesterday’s Legislative Regulation Review Committee (LRRC) meeting (January 23). Three of the actions the LRRC can take are, approve, reject without prejudice, and reject with prejudice.

“The LRRC voted to “reject without prejudice” the regulations package, which means that there were some issues that were deemed to be “substantive concerns” that need to be addressed.

“None of the concerns raised affect the content of the regulations, except as to whether there can be a single stamp (for both trout and salmon as DEEP proposed) or two separate stamps (one for trout/kokanee and one for Atlantic Salmon).

“We are currently working on addressing those concerns to the committee’s (and their LCO reviewer) satisfaction so that the package can be resubmitted for approval at the next LRRC meeting (February 27). Stay tuned.

“So for now you can purchase your fishing license as you normally would and fish for trout as you normally would.”

Included in the proposed regulations package is extension of the Mill River Wild Trout Management Area.

Updates will be posted as they become available.

Written by NutmegTrout21711Jan, 2018

Tickets still available for Fly Fishing Film Tour

UPDATE: Some tickets are still available for tonight’s showing of the Fly Fishing Film Tour at the Trumbull Marquis & BTX Theater.

Tickets can be purchased online for $25 (a $5 discount) until 2 p.m. by clicking here.

Tickets MAY also be available at the door, if any remain, at a cost of $30.

Doors will open at 6:15 p.m.

ORIGINAL POST: The Candlewood, Mianus and Nutmeg chapters of Trout Unlimited wii host two showings of the Fly Fishing Film Tour in the coming week, with proceeds supporting conservation projects and environmental education in Fairfield County.

The first showing will be held Friday, Feb. 2, at the Trumbull Marquis & BTX Theater. The the second will be Friday, Feb. 23, at the Stamford Majestic Theater. Doors open at 7 p.m. for each show. Tickets are $25 each online or $30 at the door.

Click here to buy tickets to the Feb. 2 showing in Trumbull.

Click here to buy tickets to the Feb. 23 showing in Stamford.

Last year’s F3T in Trumbull sold out faster than organizers expected. In addition to fly angling movies on the big screen, the events include drinks, raffles and door prizes.

While tickets may be available at the door the night of the screening, we can’t guarantee anything. Last year organizers had to turn away dozens of people.

Some films include graphic language and situations which may be inappropriate for younger viewers.

Trailers can be viewed at flyflimtour.com.

Written by NutmegTrout21709Jan, 2018

Fishing roundtable Jan. 16

UPDATE: Tonight’s meeting will be held as scheduled at 7 p.m. at Port 5, 69 Brewster St. Bridgeport.

Ever wonder about how to get started fishing? Or if fly fishing is as complicated as it might seem? Or where to fish in Eastern Fairfield County?

Get the answers to these and other fishing questions when Nutmeg TU holds a fishing roundtable Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. at Port 5, 69 Brewster St., in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport.

The meeting will be informal, with members sharing thoughts, advice and insights. Pizza and beverages can be purchased.

This is a great chance to make angling friends, learn about the many fishing trips Nutmeg TU holds throughout the year, and discover ways to help on conservation projects.

Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited (# 217) is based in Fairfield and comprised of the towns of Fairfield, Westport, Weston, Easton, Redding, Trumbull, Monroe, Bridgeport, Stratford, Milford and Shelton.

Its mission is to conserve, protect and restore coldwater fisheries and their watersheds, particularly in local rivers such as the Saugatuck, Mill, Aspetuck, Pequonnock and Farmill.

TU members and volunteers abide by the motto: “If you take care of the fish, the fishing will take care of itself.”