Environmental officials are working to assess the damage after tens of thousands of gallons of untreated wastewater flowed into the Naugatuck River after a manhole collapsed on Christmas Day in Seymour.
The Naugatuck flows into the Housatonic, which empties into the Long Island Sound. The effects on the ecosystems have yet to be determined.
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Looking for something to do in the snow and cold, or seeking a last-minute holiday gift?
Remember, licenses need to be renewed for the new year.
Click here to visit the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection for information or to order a license.
The Trout in the Classroom program at Meadowside School in Milford, sponsored by Nutmeg TU, got a surprise when their eggs recently hatched.
Fifth grade teacher Jason Cicero sent this photo of conjoined fry to Gian-Andrea Morresi, TIC coordinator for the Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
“The fish are doing great but when I checked them yesterday I noticed something amazing and wanted to share it with you. We have conjoined twins in our nursery,” Cicero wrote. “I hope the picture comes across so you can see this, it’s amazing! “
“That is different,” DEEP biologist Neal Hagstrom wrote. “Usually you have them belly to belly and often one embryo will overgrow the second before they are this developed. Sometimes all that is left is an extra fin. Looks like completely separate digestive, neural and circulatory system. Neat shot.”
Trout in the Classroom is TU’s cornerstone environmental education program. Students learn about the importance of clean, cold water as they raise trout from eggs, ultimately releasing them into the wild.
Trout Unlimited is alerting members across the country to a scam.
A company called Platinum Publishing sent renewal invoices for TROUT magazine for $79.95 to some of TU members.
“Please be advised that this is a scam and did not originate from TU’s offices,” according to an alert in the most recent Lines and Leaders.
Members are advised to not respond to these invoices, “but rest assured tu.org and our Woolly Bugger, WV, post office box are fully operational, secure and ready to process dues and gifts.”
Work on the fish bypass at the Tingue Dam in Seymour continues along the Naugatuck River.
The Tingue Dam bypass is one of seven environmental projects that officials have chosen to fund with $2 million from the 1999 Housatonic River settlement.
The bypass will increase habitat for migratory fish, such as river herring via construction of a bypass channel to facilitate fish movement around the dam on the Naugatuck River as far north as Thomaston. When complete, the project will immediately restore access to 32 miles of habitat essential to spawning of numerous species including shad, alewife and American eel.
Bill Keister will take the mystery out of using nymphs to catch trout at the Nov. 19 meeting of Nutmeg Trout Unlimited 217.
The meeting will be held from 7-9 p.m. at Port 5 Naval Veterans, 69 Brewster St., Bridgeport.
“Is nymphing a mystery? Could your nymphing be more effective?” Keister writes. “The presentation is conducted as workshop where interaction is encouraged. The program starts with definitions and explanations of long line and high stick nymphing. Particularly effective flies are described. Rods, lines, leaders, strike indicators and methods to get flies down are covered. The importance of drag free drifts is explained. The causes of drag are described. Casts and method for eliminating drag are covered. Questions will be answered at any time during the presentation.”
Bill Keister is a Federation of Fly Fishers (FFF) certified Master Casting Instructor (MCI). He ties his own flies and makes most of his fly rods. He has caught trout and salmon in Labrador, Newfoundland, Kamchatka, the Kola Peninsula, Alaska, Chile and three additional Canadian provinces and fifteen US states. Each spring he catches 200 to 300 fish nymphing on Connecticut’s Salmon River.
DEEP began spawning salmon at the Kensington Hatchery last week and approximately 100 spawned salmon were stocked out earlier this week in the Naugatuck River (upper – 25 fish, lower – 25 fish) and Shetucket River (50 fish).
These fish range in size from 2 to 15 pounds, and average 10 pounds each.
These stockings will bring the number of broodstock Atlantic salmon stocked this fall to approximately 1,800.
CLICK HERE TO READ THE DEEP WEEKLY FISHING REPORT.
Trout Unlimited is offering a free introductory membership for female anglers.
For the next year, women who join will receive all the benefits of a paid membership:
• 1-year subscription to TROUT magazine
• 16-month TU calendar (mailed in the fall)
• official TU membership card
• car rental & hotel discounts
• TU decal
• Local chapter membership
And another, less tangible benefit: the pleasure of knowing you’re part of a growing community of women who enjoy angling and want to keep America’s rivers cold, clean and fishable.
This offer is available to new members only. Not applicable for existing members.
Click here to join.
The Connecticut Post was on hand when the Trout in the Classroom program at Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport released trout into the Pequonnock River.
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Connecticut’s Department of Energy & Environmental Protection has begun the 2013 autumn stockings of broodstock Atlantic salmon. DEEP’s Inland Fisheries Division recently released 300 salmon into the Naugatuck River and Mount Tom Pond. Later this week, DEEP will release 300 salmon into the Shetucket River and Crystal Lake.
“Atlantic salmon are renowned for their size, beauty and fighting ability,” said Peter Aarrestad, Director of DEEP’s Inland Fisheries Division. “The Atlantic salmon recreational fishery has become quite popular, and catching one of these large leapers provides a thrilling experience for anglers.”
The Atlantic salmon being stocked in Connecticut were raised in the Kensington State Fish Hatchery and are the progeny of sea-run fish that returned to the Connecticut River. Salmon at this hatchery were raised to provide eggs for the Connecticut River Atlantic Salmon Restoration Program that began in 1967. Since 1992, surplus and spawned fish from this program were made available to provide a recreational fishery for Connecticut anglers.
Click here to read more in The Valley Gazette.