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Written by NutmegTrout21725Jan, 2017

Fly Fishing Film Tour, Friday, Feb. 24, Bow Tie Marquis 16, Trumbull

Join friends and fellow anglers and conservationists from the Candlewood, Mianus and Nutmeg Chapters of Trout Unlimited for a fun night of fishing films and camaraderie!

The 2017 Fly Fishing Film Tour is coming to the Bow Tie Marquis 16 in Trumbull on Friday, Feb. 24 with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25 each online or $30 at the door with all proceeds benefitting the conservation and education work of our local Trout Unlimited chapters here in Fairfield County!

Last year’s Fly Fishing Film Tour event sold out faster than we could have imagined and this year’s screening will be even bigger and better! Be sure to buy your tickets online in advance to guarantee your seat.

If you’ve never been to an “F3T” showing, you’re in for a treat. You will watch dozens of incredibly shot, exciting fishing and conservation films while enjoying a few cold drinks and fun raffles and door prizes.

Be sure to round up your friends and fishing buddies for a fun night out.

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

Some films include graphic language and situations which may be inappropriate for younger viewers. Parents are advised to decide whether to bring their fishing-fanatic children to the event.

To get a sense of what you’re in for, click here to watch movie trailers from the tour!

Written by NutmegTrout21713Oct, 2016

Calendar of Events for November 2016

Our Nutmeg Chapter outing for planting native shrubs on the Mill River is scheduled for Saturday, November 5, 2016. Meet us after 8:30 AM on Congress St in Easton/Fairfield just East of the Sport Hill Rd (CT Route 59) and the Merritt parkway interchange. Bring your shovel, work gloves, water, wear clothing appropriate for the weather and boots for the soft sand or mud areas. We are adding the rest of the plants in the area that we planted in the Spring. Contact Phil Jacques if you have questions at apjacques@optimum.net. Everyone is welcome and we need your energy!

Fishing outing is planned for Sunday, November 6^th, after a visit to Art of the Angler in Danbury, CT, area. Our trip leaders are David Ader at dader1776@gmail.com, Ed Grzeda at eegrzeda@hotmail.com, Rich Rosen at rhrosen@aol.com. Meet at the TU booth at Art of the Angler at noon or meet at Devil’s Glen Park, 150-164 Valley Forge Rd, Weston, about 12:30 to 12:45 pm.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, November 8, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

The General meeting will be Tuesday, November 15, 2016 7 PM at Port 5 Naval Veterans, 69 Brewster St., Bridgeport, CT. Jerry Goldstein is to be our speaker and he is going to share information on underwater photography as well as tips on how to outfit yourself for fishing without spending your whole paycheck. Yes, there will be pizza and a cash bar.

A Fishing outing is planned for Saturday, November 19^th with the Mianus Chapter on the Naugatuck River for Atlantic Salmon and a cookout near Campville, CT. Contact Jeff Yates of Mianus TU, jyates@mianustu.org., or 203-216-7078.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, November 22, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

Fly Tying at Chuck’s, Tues evening, December 13, 2016, 7 PM Trumbull. Contact Chuck MacMath at cmacmath59@yahoo.com . The fly tying group will meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month from 7-9 pm. The cost is $2.00 per session to cover the cost of materials. Email Chuck with questions or additional information. Everyone is welcome, beginners are encouraged to attend. Vises, tools and materials are available if needed.

Written by NutmegTrout21712Aug, 2016

Summer fishing adventures 2016

Michigan has several decent size rivers and many fish to target. The first Saturday of August I joined the Fly Girls of MI for an outing on the Manistee River below the Tippy Dam, near Wellston, MI. We met our guide by 7 AM and were in the boats as soon as they were launched, 2 women anglers plus a guide per boat for a group of 3 boats. The Manistee is wide with healthy flows in this section of the river below the Tippy Dam, the last dam before Lake Michigan. Any fish coming into the Manistee in the Fall for spawning are held in this section as the dam prevents further travel up river. Sightings of eagles were frequent as the day went on, as well, as otters, and fawn early in the day. We were targeting small mouth bass primarily, although there are several species of fish in the Manistee over the course of the year. Like many places, MI has had a very warm summer with several weeks of 85 to 90 plus days. None of us were too sure what type of fishing activity we would see. Our boat had one long distance release off the bank at an eddy pool and that was basically it for the day. We could see the fish following our bait fish replica repeatedly and yet, they simply would not bite. And if you teased them into following long enough, you could see the fish put the brakes on as soon as they reached a sunny spot and quickly return to their cover in the shade. The water was clear enough that sight fishing was almost better than fly fishing! The other 2 boats reported better fishing activity and yet, I did not see any pictures of their catches or hear what they caught. By about 11 AM flotillas of canoes, kayaks, and tubes began overtaking us as many folks were out enjoying the day on the water. The weather was perfect with an occasional breeze in an almost cloudless sky and the day warmed up to 85 or so. So the fishing was great and lots of fun, even though the catching will be better next time!

If you have a fishing adventure to share, let me know and send me a write-up. Pictures are welcomed also!

See you in September!

Cheryl Groesbeck, email to cherylgroesbeck@gmail.com .

Written by NutmegTrout21714Feb, 2016

How to Catch 500 Fish in the Mill River

February 13, 2016

Kris Mancini, our new Vice President for our chapter, brings decades of trout fishing experience in the Mill River and more. Kris considers the Mill river as his home water, and over many years, he has managed to fish the Mill over a hundred days a year and rarely gets skunked. He has quite an impressive photo collection of trout caught in the Mill, including a 22″ Brown caught this fall. Kris fly fishes, and yet, much of the catching success has to do with tactics that will benefit spin fishers, as well as fly fishers. Kris will discuss tackle, flies, and tactics for successfully fishing the Mill. Come join us and up your game on the Mill. The meeting will be at 7 PM, in Port 5, 69 Brewster Ave, Bridgeport, CT.

Written by NutmegTrout21713Sep, 2015

From Ron Merly’s Desk, September

The saltwater action was spotty this season but when it was good, it was really good. Some very large stripers were caught in our area earlier in the season including a 65 pounder caught off of Bridgeport. Sea bass continue to be caught but mostly at night. Overall, right now the fishing in southwestern Long Island Sound is slow.

On the freshwater end of the spectrum, we are in a drought. The Housatonic River is lower than it has been in a few years which will affect the survival rates of the trout. The rest of the streams in the state remain low as we presently have a deficit of more than 1 1/2 inches of rain. We are so very fortunate to have the Farmington River in our backyard. The river has been running well and fishing well. Hatches are early in the morning through mid-day and the action has been dropping off in the evenings for the past month. The fish were keyed in on Needhami flies for the past few weeks but seem to prefer the tricos now. Terrestrials are also working well as I landed a 24.5″ brown trout on an ant. I also caught a beautiful wild brookie on an Adams at the head of Ovation Pool so sometimes it pays to think outside of the box a little bit and move away from what the fish are constantly seeing. Good luck and tight lines.

Ron Merly

Written by NutmegTrout21707May, 2015

Chapter meeting, Tues, May 19, 2015, 7 PM, at Port 5, Bridgeport

Bill Closs will discuss his recent trip to Patagonia, Argentina, for our May meeting.

Bill Closs is a lifelong fly fisherman, with many fly fishing adventures and trips to all of the New England States, as well as, New York, Penn., Montana, Georgia, Florida, Alaska, Michigan, Quebec, Canada, Kamchatka, Russia, and Patagonia, Argentina, and Belize. Trips to the Amazon and Mongolia are scheduled for 2016. Many of these trips have been made by private plane that he flies for business and pleasure. Yes, he has even joined our Nutmeg TU group on our past outings to the Catskills.

He owns property 10 minutes from the Farmington River near Riverton, CT, and in Rangeley, Maine where he fly fishes extensively in both places.

The presentation on Patagonia is approx. 50 pictures of rafting, camping, and fishing the Alumine and Le Mas Rivers in Patagonia, Argentina. The base camp lodge for the fishing group is also a working cattle ranch.

Bill Closs is a fellow angler and his presentation will consist of a brief review of pictures and commentary, and then he will be open to questions and discussion.

Bring your questions! If you have ever wanted to fish outside of the US, this is an excellent opportunity to find out how you might accomplish this type of travel!

Ron Merly, holding a nice Atlantic salmon from the Naugatuck River, says, “Do not let the state take this fishery from us!”

Written by NutmegTrout21720Mar, 2015

Environmental issues put rivers at risk

The trout season has officially ended except for the designated TMAs. Opening day has been switched to the 2nd Saturday in April this year so mark your calendars. A few of the open areas on the Farmington have been producing some beautiful browns for those fishing nymphs in these very cold temperatures however most of the state’s streams remain icy or slushy.

The Kensington Hatchery is up on the block for the third time so write letters immediately. The comment period is nearly over. The Kensington Hatchery produces all of the eggs used in SIC and TIC and is the only hatchery in the state capable of raising Seeforellen brown trout and Atlantic salmon. The loss would be a travesty for Connecticut’s fisheries and would also set precedent for more cuts to the state fisheries rather than increasing monies allocated to DEEP.

While you are writing, you might consider writing the Connecticut Siting Council in opposition of an enormous power plant that is proposed very close to the Oxford Airport. This plant will save the average Connecticut customer within a 10 mile radius of the plant approximately $35 annually as most of the power will be sold to residents in R.I. and Mass. The cost of this plant will be six trout streams, the lower estuary of the Housatonic and Long Island Sound.

The proposed Towantic Power Plant will draw more than a million gallons of water annually from the Pomperaug River which is formed by the Nonewaug and Weekeepeemee Rivers as well as Sprain Brook. Currently, these streams run very low during summer months. The plant will be built right near the headwaters of the Little River which is right on the fringes of over development as it sits. All four of those streams contain wild and holdover trout. The grey water or outflow from the plant is proposed to release all of this very warm and not very clean water into the Naugatuck River upstream of where a 6.5 million dollar fish bypass was recently completed. The Naugatuck flows into the lower estuary of the Housatonic a relatively short distance downstream. The estuary contains the largest wintering over populations of striped bass in the northeast. This would be a huge step backward for Connecticut as the Naugatuck and Housatonic have come such a long way ecologically.

Remember, there has been nothing invented by humans since the dawn of time that does not break or fail. what will happen when this plant breaks or fails. Would the damage take decades to repair itself or will the damage be permanent?? Either way, this is not good for Connecticut.

– Ron Merly

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

Written by NutmegTrout21711Jan, 2015

Good fishing rings in 2015

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

Written by NutmegTrout21703Dec, 2014

Stripers, salmon hitting in area rivers

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

Nice Housatonic River rainbow caught recently outside of the TMA. Don't be afraid to explore!

Written by NutmegTrout21705Nov, 2014

Merly: Trout, salmon in full swing

The trout and salmon fishing is in full swing right now. We have received some much needed rain and the rivers are looking better. The Housatonic and Farmington Rivers are fishing very well with some large spawning browns being caught. Brook trout fishing has been excellent throughout the state and they are in their full spawn colors at this time.

The salt water fishing has been very good as well with great blackfish reports as well as a lot of stipers being caught. There is still a lot of bunker out there to kep the fish around but they’ll be gone soon.

I just returned from Pulaski, New York where the steelhead fishing is now in full swing as well. Lots of big steelhead in the rivers and a few fresh salmon still tricking in. If you’ve never been up to catch these fish, try it. It is a world class fishery only 5 hours away.

The chapter needs to take action on a serious problem which has recently occurred in the Mill. Apparently, some of Connecticut’s finest citizens parked in the lot on the Congress St. side of the Meritt Pkwy., dragged logs across the river to pool it, and then took a drag net though the stream netting all of the trout that they could take. The smaller trout were thrown onto the banks to die as they would have been too small to eat. This was told to me by very reliable witnesses and I was also told that this was not the first time that this has happened. Unfortunately, there were no photographs of this atrocity. As far as I know, the logs are still in place.

My suggestion is that the loggs be removed and camo cameras be installed such as deer cams to try and prevent this from happening again or to catch the people who are doing this. The chapter could also use river stewards to patrol the chapters streams weekly as there were many bait containers found along the Saugatuck Fly Area and anglers aren’t catching many fish there.

Our state has a serious problem with poaching and I believe that all anglers should unite at this point and demand better protection for our fisheries. Millions are spent each year raising and stocking trout, pike, walleye, salmon etc. but yet that investment is not protected. Maybe a petiton to the state legislators is in order.

Tight light lines

Ron Merly