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Written by NutmegTrout21716Nov, 2017

More than $1,000 donated for Mill River

Thanks to the support of our members and community, the Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited raised more than $1,000 in additional funding for work to restore the Mill River at the Fairfield-Easton border along Congress Street through the Embrace a Stream Challenge, presented by Trout Unlimited and Orvis.

This combined with the $670 previously awarded will allow us to complete the project in the spring of 2018.

Working closely with the Town of Fairfield Conservation Department, we have reduced the knotweed problem and planted hundreds of native trees and bushes.

A regulation change is pending at the state level which would make the area where work is being done a Wild Trout Management Area. By increasing the depth of the river along Congress Street the river will better host the wild trout population.

In the spring we will use these funds to anchor discarded Christmas trees to the banks, where the branches will trap sediment and help form new, natural banks. The riverbanks that accumulate there will reroute the Mill River to its original track, and create better habitat for the native trout.

We invite the community to join us in the spring to help with the tree anchoring. Members and nonmembers are invited to join us at our monthly meetings, fishing outings and conservation events. You can follow us on Facebook or find about upcoming events at our website https://www.nutmegtrout.org and on MeetUp.

Rich Rosen

President

Nutmeg Trout Unlimited Chapter 217

Written by NutmegTrout21706Nov, 2017

Help win funds to fix Mill River

Local donors can help direct more money to restoration on the Mill River this week.

The Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited, a local, volunteer-led nonprofit dedicated to improving and restoring local rivers and streams, has been entered in the Embrace A Stream Challenge, a new online contest sponsored by Orvis and Trout Unlimited. From Nov. 6-12, the chapter has a chance to win its share of $50,000 in cash prizes to help fund the Mill River Conifer Revetment Project, an initiative to restore the Mill River in Fairfield County.

In early October, the Nutmeg Chapter received an $670 grant from the Embrace A Stream program to support this project, and now has a chance to win additional funds to complete the work.

To win, the chapter needs the help of its members, volunteers and community residents. From Nov. 6-12, anyone who visits www.embraceastream.org and makes a donation of as little as $10 to support the chapter’s work will help it unlock prizes ranging from $250 to $5,000. The chapter is competing in this contest with more than 40 other Trout Unlimited chapters from across the country.

“We’re excited to have the chance to raise even more money to restore and improve the Mill River in the Embrace A Stream Challenge,” said Rich Rosen, Nutmeg Chapter president. “But we need the help of all of our community members to win. If you care about clean water, and share our love for the Mill River, please help our more than 300 local members and volunteers by donating to this important project.”

The Mill River Conifer Revetment Project will focus on a section of stream that runs along Congress Street in Fairfield, where the river is more than 40 feet wide in some places, when it should average 15 feet. We will narrow the stream channel and stabilize the banks using conifer revetments to prevent future erosion and ensure that the stream at the site and downstream can support excellent trout habitat. Mill River is currently home to some of the highest densities of wild and native trout in the state, but we believe that the fishery can support even more trout with habitat improvement.

Embrace A Stream is a matching grant program administered by Trout Unlimited that provides funds to local chapters and councils for coldwater fisheries conservation. Since its inception in 1975, the grant program has funded more than 1,000 individual projects for a total of $4.4 million in direct cash grants. Local chapters and councils contributed an additional $13 million in cash and in-kind services to EAS funded projects, for a total investment of more than $17 million. The Embrace A Stream Challenge is a new national online contest sponsored by Orvis and Trout Unlimited to connect people who care with a chance to support improvements to the rivers and streams in their communities.

“This year, more than 40 local Trout Unlimited chapters from across the country have brought forward plans to take care of the rivers that they love to fish,” said Russ Meyer, chair of the Embrace A Stream grants committee, a group of Trout Unlimited volunteers who review and approve all grant applications. “The Embrace A Stream Challenge gives everyone in your community the chance to join us in supporting this important local project.”

Written by NutmegTrout21727Oct, 2017

Grant to help restore Mill River

The Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited has received a grant for restoration of the Mill River and been entered in the Embrace A Stream Challenge, a new online contest sponsored by Orvis and Trout Unlimited. From Nov. 6-12, the chapter has a chance to win its share of $50,000 in cash prizes to help fund the Mill River Conifer Revetment Project, an initiative to restore the Mill River in Fairfield County.

In early October, the Nutmeg Chapter received an $670 grant from the Embrace A Stream program to support removal of invasive species and shoring up of the banks of the Mill River near the Easton-Fairfield border, along Congress Street in Fairfield.

From Nov. 6-12, anyone who visits embraceastream.org and makes a donation of as little as $10 to support Nutmeg TU’s work will help it unlock prizes ranging from $250 to $5,000. Nutmeg TU is competing in this contest with more than 40 other Trout Unlimited chapters from across the country.

“We’re excited to have the chance to raise even more money to restore and improve the Mill River in the Embrace A Stream Challenge,” said Rich Rosen, Nutmeg TU president. “But we need the help of all of our community members to win. If you care about clean water, and share our love for the Mill River, please help our more than 300 local members and volunteers by donating to this important project.”

The Mill River Conifer Revetment Project will focus on a section of stream that runs along Congress Street in Fairfield, where the river is more than 40 feet wide in some places, when it should average 15 feet. TU volunteers and their partners will narrow the stream channel and stabilize the banks using conifer revetments to prevent future erosion and ensure that the stream at the site and downstream can support excellent trout habitat.

The Mill River is currently home to some of the highest densities of wild and native trout in the state, but TU and other experts believe that the fishery can support even more trout with habitat improvement. Pending before state officials is a regulation change that would make the stretch a catch-and-release only area dedicated to wild trout.

The site is near the Merritt Parkway and a heavily used service area, and frequently needs litter removal in addition to replacing invasive species with native fauna, which Nutmeg TU has been doing, in cooperation with the Town of Fairfield, for four years.

“This year, more than 40 local Trout Unlimited chapters from across the country have brought forward plans to take care of the rivers that they love to fish,” said Russ Meyer, chairman of the Embrace A Stream grants committee, a group of Trout Unlimited volunteers who review and approve all grant applications. “The Embrace A Stream Challenge gives everyone in your community the chance to join us in supporting this important local project.”

The Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited serves more than 300 members in Southwestern Connecticut. Nutmeg TU works with partners to restore local rivers, engage area youth in outdoor education and protect trout streams that are a mere stone’s throw from Manhattan, specifically the towns of Fairfield, Westport, Weston, Easton, Redding, Trumbull, Monroe, Bridgeport, Stratford, Milford and Shelton.

Nutmeg TU meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month, September through May, at Port 5, 69 Brewster St., in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport. They are open to the public free of charge. The Nov. 21 meeting features Greg Myerson, who holds the world record for the largest striped bass.

Trout Unlimited is the nation’s largest coldwater conservation organization, with more than 300,000 members and supporters dedicated to conserving, protecting, and restoring North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. Visit TU online at tu.org.

Written by NutmegTrout21727Oct, 2017

Local rivers stocked with trout

UPDATE: The Mill River, the Saugatuck River fly fishing area and the Mianus River TMA have all been stocked with trout, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection reported on Nov. 1.

ORIGINAL POST: The Mill River in Fairfield and Saugatuck River in Westport should soon be stocked, according to the Connecticut Department of Fish & Wildlife. Most of the trout stocked will be rainbows, not browns as pictured.

Cooler weather has allowed the fall stocking program to get into full swing, according to the latest weekly fishing report. Click here to read it.

Stay up to date with daily stocking posts on Facebook, the DEEP’s interactive trout stocking map, and its stocking report.

Written by NutmegTrout21724Jul, 2017

Hearing on trout stamps, Mill River set

Requiring the purchase of trout and salmon stamps and changing making a longer section of the Mill River in Easton and Fairfield catch and release are among the proposed regulation changes up for hearing Wednesday, Aug. 9.

The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 9 at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Headquarters. The deadline is Aug. 25 to submit comment to the DEEP. Click here to read more about the hearing.

The purchase of a $5 trout stamp and $10 broodstock Atlantic salmon stamp ($12 for a combination stamp) to fish for trout and Atlantic Salmon would generate an estimated $300,000 that would go directly to fisheries and recreation programs, by law, according to the DEEP. Federal law requires that license revenue and money raised by fees and taxes on hunting and fishing equipment be dedicated to those purposes.

If passed, all anglers 16 and older fishing for any species in Trout Management Areas, Wild Trout Management Areas and Trout Parks, as well as any anglers 16 years of age and older wishing to keep trout they’ve caught in state waters, would be required to purchase a trout stamp. All anglers 16 years of age and older fishing for any species in the designated Broodstock Areas of the Shetucket and Naugatuck rivers from September 1 through March 31, and any anglers 16 years of age and older wishing to keep broodstock Atlantic Salmon they’ve caught anywhere (where fishing for Atlantic salmon is allowed) throughout the state would be required to purchase a salmon stamp. A combination stamp, less expensive than purchasing both separately, would cover both waters.

Mill River

Another proposal would extend the Mill River Wild Trout Management Area to stretch from the first bridge crossing below the Easton Reservoir to the Merritt Parkway. Currently the catch-and-release-only WTMA extends from South Park Avenue to [downstream of the third bridge crossing. Signs would indicate the WTMA.

DEEP officials said the changes would better protect the populations of naturally reproducing trout and stocked trout from undue depletion by eliminating harvest throughout this stretch of river. The “catch-and-release only” Class I Mill River Wild Trout Management Area would be expanded downstream to the Mill River Trout Management Area and fishing in the Mill River Trout Management Area would be limited to “catch-and-release only” year-round; currently some harvest is allowed from Opening Day through Aug. 30.

A short closed season would be placed on a small portion of the Farmington River TMA in the Riverton area, intended to restore a traditional Opening Day atmosphere to the upper West Branch Farmington River. As many anglers view the traditional Opening Day when the fishing season first opens for the spring as a longstanding rite of spring passage, DEEP officials expressed hope the change would increase the number of anglers fishing this section of river on Opening Day, and also enhance participation in a traditional Opening Day fishing derby held in Riverton since 1949. Participation has declined since this section of river became open to fishing year-round in 2012.

Language changes would define Tenkara, fishing with a fly on a fixed line, fly fishing. stablish definition for maximum length. Bubble floats are also addressed. Click here to read a PDF of all the proposed changes.

The proposed regulations, statement of purpose, a small business impact statement and a fiscal note indicating no additional expense to the state or municipal governments to implement these proposed regulations are posted and available for download (pdf) on the eRegulations system (https://eregulations.ct.gov).

Copies of the proposed regulations, statement of purpose, small business impact statement and fiscal note are also available for public inspection during normal business hours at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Bureau of Natural Resources, Fisheries Division, 6th Floor, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT, 06106-5127. These documents can also be obtained by contacting Bill Foreman at the above address, by phone at (860) 424-3474, or by email (deep.inland.fisheries@ct.gov).

Interested persons may also choose to present their views regarding the proposed regulations in writing during the public comment period. Written comments should be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. Aug. 25, 2017. Based on public comment, the proposed regulations may be adjusted to meet the objective of the proposal. Comments may be submitted using one of the following methods:

Online via the eRegulations system (https://eregulations.ct.gov) on the Secretary of State’s website. Go to “Open for Public comment”, select this regulation and follow instructions for submitting comments.
By mail or delivery service to Bill Foreman at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Fisheries Division, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT, 06106-5127.
By email to william.foreman@ct.gov.
By fax to 860-424-4070 (attention: Bill Foreman).

Written by NutmegTrout21721Apr, 2017

Planting, fishing on the Mill April 29

The Nutmeg and Mianus chapters of Trout Unlimited will gather to celebrate Arbor Day by planting trees along the Mill River in Fairfield Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m. to noon.

The project is the latest step in Trout Unlimited’s ongoing rehabilitation of the Mill River, a stream that is home to native brook trout and wild brown trout. Invasive flora has been removed, and native species are being planted along the banks.

Donuts and coffee will be provided. Please bring a shovel.

Friends, kids and anyone who wants to help may attend.

Register below in “Leave A Reply” by sending us your Name & Email Address and stating April 29 Planting Volunteer in the Comments Box. You can also register at mianustu.org.

All Volunteers are asked to register to help with food counts and planning. After registering watch your emails for any additional information and where to meet.

Feel free to take a fly rod to fish the Mill with us after planting is done.

We look forward to seeing you there and come back to this site often for more of our fun events.

Written by NutmegTrout21712Apr, 2017

Kayak fishing for trout topic April 18

Every angler has seen that trout that’s on the far side of water that’s just too deep to wade, and just out of reach of the longest cast.

Kayaks have brought those trout, usually big ones, into reach for anglers who choose to use them, and members of the Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited will learn how at their next meeting Tuesday, April 18, at Port 5, 69 Brewster St., Bridgeport.

Guest speaker Jesse Roche will teach us how to get started in kayaking and how to use that to reach places we need to get to catch elusive trout.

Roche brings with him eight years of kayaking, as well as a lifetime on the water and outdoors. He comes from a nature -oriented family. From his grandfather, a forrester, and grandmother an Audubon Society member, to his parents, both always outdoors, and father, who worked for years in marine sciences. Instead of Disneyworld, Jesse’s family spent summers in the wilderness of the Minnesota, on boundary waters in an Old Town canoe, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He wouldn’t trade it for anything.

After 10 years as a radio personality on 97.7 WCTY FM, he now produces and hosts Fishing Today a weekly radio program on 1310 WICH AM in Norwich as well as a podcast on wich.com.

“It’s basically NPR for fishing,” Roche said. “I try to be information and news-oriented. It’s a lot of fun because both myself and the listener can learn new things about fishing every week.”
Jesse is also involved with the New England Fishery Management Council, serving his first term as a recreational fishing panelist. There he and other representatives from our New England states set up the framework for new fishery regulations.

“I am very conservation oriented. Preserving our fishery means a lot to me,” Roche said. “I look forward to spreading that philosophy as a member of the Black Hall Outfitters Fishing team”

The meeting will also feature a look at opening day weekend and Nutmeg’s Trumbull stream cleanup, and plans for an April 29 planting along the Mill River at the Fairfield-Easton border on Congress Street.

Written by NutmegTrout21705Mar, 2017

Where do your license fees go?

Those who plan to fish TMAs while special regulation areas are the only water open to fishing will need a 2017 license. Click here to purchase directly from the state.

Bill Hyatt, director of the Bureau of Natural Resources, and Peter Aarrestad, director of Fisheries after the Inland and Marine divisions were merged, recently visited the Connecticut Council of Trout Unlimited with an update on the finances of fishing in Connecticut. Click here to watch an edited version as broadcast on Yankee Fisherman on the HAN Network. Click here to watch an unedited version of the hour-long presentation.

In addition to clearing up a common myth about license fees (they are not being “raided” by the state), topics include:

Budget cuts;

Steps taken to provide services with less;

Where does the money that supports DEEP programs comes from?

How many anglers are buying fishing licenses?

Will anglers soon need to buy trout and salmon stamps?

What is the status of regulation changes affecting the Mill River in Fairfield?

The DEEP is stocking local waters. (DEEP Photo)

Written by NutmegTrout21705Mar, 2017

Mill and Saugatuck stocked

New trout have been placed in local as the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has begun stockingTrout Management Areas.

The Mill and Mianus rivers were stocked March 7. On March 3the fly fishing only area on the Saugatuck River in Westport

“While this weekend is looking pretty cold, plan to have “trout fever” at least one day next week when temperatures rebound a bit,” the DEEP posted on the Connecticut Fish and Wildlife feed on Facebook, where stocking updates are posted daily.

Waters other than Trout Management Areas are closed to fishing until opening day on Saturday, April 8.

Anglers will require a 2017 fishing license. Click here for information.

Written by NutmegTrout21713Feb, 2017

Conservation, fly tying topics of next Nutmeg TU meeting Feb 21st

Anglers and conservationists will get an update on local conservation efforts and learn an early-season fly they can tie at the next regular meeting of the Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited, on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m. at Port 5, 69 Brewster Street, Bridgeport.

Immediate Nutmeg TU past President Charles Petruccelli will demonstrate how to tie hackle-less flies that have proven effective in the early spring on local streams, such as elk hair caddis, comparaduns and “The Usual.” This will tie into another presentation that will soon be announced.

The chapter will also meet Brian Carey, conservation director for the town of Fairfield, and Lynn Shavinsky, president of the Mill River Wetland Committee.

Carey, appointed May 1, 2015, replaced retired Conservation Director Tom Steinke, who had served the town for about 43 years.

Carey had previously served as conservation superintendent for the town of Stratford for seven years. He was instrumental in the 35-acre Long Beach West Barrier Beach Restoration Project, which was awarded the Coastal America Partnership Award by President Obama in May 2012.

Carey is a lifelong resident of Fairfield, where he currently lives with his wife, Maura Brennan Carey, and their two children. Carey is a graduate of Fairfield College Preparatory School and Virginia Tech, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in natural resource management.

The Mill River Wetland Committee, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2016, has promoted protection of open space along the Mill River in Fairfield, mainly through use of the Perry’s Mill Pond River Laboratory Area on Sturges Road for guided science education about watersheds.

Concern for the environmental future prompted the launching of River-Lab, a hands-on program of environmental science study that includes all students in grades three through six with the Fairfield public and parochial schools as an established part of their curriculum. More than 100,000 students have participated in this volunteer-led program through the years.

MRWC and River-Lab have utilized volunteers to educate and engage the community about environmental education for generations. The River-Lab program, just last year, trained 400 adults to lead study trips. Several those guides had gone through the program themselves as students.

Nutmeg TU meetings are open to the public free of charge; pizza and a cash bar are available.

The Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited 217 encompasses 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. More information may be found at nutmegtrout.org.