Читать книгу Fly Fishing in Connecticut - Kevin Murphy - Страница 8

Since there is little fly fishing on lakes, ponds, bays, and sounds, a book on fly fishing in Connecticut must necessarily be about the state's many rivers and streams. Way back in 1880, Dr. William Hudson of Hartford claimed “Connecticut has some of the finest trout brooks in the world.” Though he was obviously biased, an inventory of the state's many trout streams and rivers bolsters Dr. Hudson's stance.

For the beginner especially, knowledge of the state's new Trout Parks and its Trout Management Areas (TMAs) is imperative. In these areas, there are plenty of fish and the beginner is far less likely to get skunked.Be sure to read the Connecticut Angler's Guide, Inland and Marine Fishing, available as a PDF or paperback booklet from the DEP and sporting-goods stores, where you'll find rules, regulations, tips, dates, photos, and a treasure chest of angling information.

Every once in a while, someone asks me about saltwater fly fishing in Connecticut. It's a completely different sport than fly fishing for trout on streams and rivers.On Long Island Sound, an angler would use a #9 weight rod, reel and line with a leader that tapers down to 15 lbs. Striped bass can be taken on streamers (fished wet), and in the fall, Bonita and False Albacore. This type of fishing gained popularity in the late 1980s, but is on the wane now. Even when there is interest, saltwater fishing—of any kind—requires a different conversation than ours about trout fishing on inland streams.

“Skunked” comes from the Algonquin word squunck, and used as a verb it means, “to defeat.” An angler who gets skunked tells us that the trout won the fishing competition and didn't get caught!

In the western part of the state, an angler can be assured of good trout fishing on the Housatonic River and the West Branch–Farmington. However, trout fishing in eastern Connecticut is more problematic. It is mainly a springtime activity, although excellent fall and winter fishing exists in a few streams.

Eastern Connecticut presents an ever-changing equation that bears study. In fact, the trout-fishing conditions east of the Connecticut River are so varied that whole books have been written about the rivers and streams crisscrossing this area. The Trout Parks and Trout Management Areas will get you started, but if you intend to spend your fishing career in the eastern part of the state, a book devoted solely to the trout streams of eastern Connecticut is highly recommended.

In eastern Connecticut, I like the Salmon River from North Winchester to the Connecticut River—except in late summer when the water gets low. The Shetucket—for a few miles north of the Baltic Bridge—is good too. My last two favorite spots are the Natchaug in the Phoenixville–South Chaplin area and Merrick Brook near Scotland. There are some big browns inthere!

The Quinebaug River runs from Massachusetts to Norwich, Connecticut and has the potential to be a great trout stream—perhaps even of the caliber of the Housatonic or the West Branch–Farmington in the western part of the state—but hydroelectric dams vitiate the potential of this river. The Quinebaug has a number of large and small public-and privately–owned hydroelectric facilities contributing to the regional power grid—Putnam Hydropower, Greeneville Dam (Norwich Utilities), Dayville Pond at Danielson (Summit Hydro Power), Tunnel hydroelectric dam (First Light Power), and the “L-shaped” Taft Tunnel Dam (Norwich Utilities) are the principal culprits. This is a river to watch though, as the Inland Fisheries Division would love to see it blossom into a first-class trout stream.

Comstock Bridge over the Salmon River

When the water gets low, trout hold in deep pools—low water means warm water, which trout can't tolerate. As you might imagine, areas with deep spots get overrun with anglers.

In addition to low flows and warm water, many of the best stretches of trout streams in the eastern part of Connecticut have limited access. Because so much of the land near streams and rivers is privately-owned, anglers aren't admitted. For example, the best part of the Salmon River is the lower four miles—below the Trout Management Area—which requires an angler to hike quite a distance. In the same vein, the Quinebaug could be a great trout stream, but it's hard to access in its lower reaches. The Inland Fisheries Division works continuously to gain access by way of easements, rights of entry, and other forms of admittance. (Usually, access to streams by land purchases is financially out of the question.)

On the other hand, some of the best stretches of the Natchaug and Shetucket have acceptable access for most of their runs. By and large though, the trout streams of eastern Connecticut are a trickier lot, made challenging by their uncertain flows as a result of dry weather and dams at Scotland, Occum, Greenville, Danielson, Jewett City, Mansfield Hollow, West Thompson, and Willimantic. A couple of these dams are hydroelectric facilities made functional by the disgorgement of large amounts of water during times of peak electricity demand. The operation of these hydroelectric dams makes water flows uncertain and wading sometimes exceedingly treacherous.

Some of the smaller streams of eastern Connecticut stay cool enough to support trout almost year round, but the larger streams heat up too much in the summer to offer much sport. Still, the peculiarities of the trout streams east of the Connecticut River won't be a concern for the novice who sticks to the Trout Parks and Trout Management Areas.

Trout Parks

In Connecticut's new Trout Park system, eleven “fishing holes” have been set aside for beginners, where the odds of catching trout are somewhere between an ironclad promise and a mathematical certainty. You can practice wading, casting, and learn to let your leader roll over nicely to deliver the fly to the exact spot desired. When using a dry fly, these protected bodies of water are also an excellent place for you to learn what a “drag-free” presentation looks like. That knowledge will come in handy later. The creel limit is two trout a day—of any size. The Trout Parks are located in easily accessible areas and are heavily stocked on a weekly basis to enhance the fishing experience for children and families, as well as those with limited mobility. There is also ample parking at the Trout Parks. Here are Connecticut's eleven trout parks, by town:

Western Connecticut

Kent........Kent Falls State Park

Killingworth..Chatfield Hollow Pond

Monroe...........Great Hollow Pond (Wolfe Park)

Oxford........Southford Falls Trout Park

Simsbury..........Stratton Brook State Park

Wallingford......Wharton Brook State Park

Watertown......Black Rock State Park's Branch Brook

Eastern Connecticut

Colchester.....Day Pond

Eastford...........Natchaug River Trout Park

Norwich.........Spaulding Pond

Vernon............Valley Falls Pond

Trout Management Areas

After you've polished your casting skills and mastered the art of wading to the point where a trip to a serious trout stream would not be inherently dangerous, then and only then, would graduation to a Trout Management Area (TMA) be in order. The idea for Trout Management Areas in Connecticut was conceived a few decades ago. By conducting surveys from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s, the state firmed up a plan to stock the most desirable fish in these protected areas. The TMAs were instituted in 2001 and smaller creel limits and length requirements were adopted in order to ensure the viability of these unique areas.

Connecticut has fifteen Trout Management Areas: Naugatuck River, Bull's Bridge, Farmington River, Hammonasset River, Hockanum River, Housatonic River, Mianus River, Mill River, Moosup River, Pequabuck River, Salmon River, West Branch-Farmington River, William “Doc” Skerlick Saugatuck River, Willimantic River, and Yantic River.

These TMAs have various catch-and-release provisions, and generally have more fishing pressure than other areas. After you've fished the Trout Parks for a while, the TMAs are the perfect place for you to get some “on stream experience.” With their higher catch rates, they keep boredom at bay while skills are honed. The TMAs have area-specific regulations such as “fly fishing only” and “catch-and-release only.” (Go to the Connecticut DEP web site, found in the back of the book, for up-to-date information.)

Beyond the Trout Parks and the Trout Management Areas, there are hundreds of miles of rivers and streams in Connecticut for anglers to ply their trade. After practicing in the Trout Parks and TMAs, you'll acquire the skills to manage wilder areas and can branch out. At that point, Sam Tippet's favorite fishing holes—mentioned throughout this book—may be of use.

There's generally good trout fishing above and below these TMAs too, although fishing season regulations apply. Catch-and-release TMAs can usually be fished all year round Hearty folks fish them even in January, but when the water temperatures get below 45—50 degrees, trout get sluggish and don't eat much. I prefer the warm-weather fishing.