Housatonic River

Nothin’ But Gnat – An Evening On The Housatonic

June 8, 2018 by Leigh Leave a Comment

My first trip of the year to the Housatonic River is a mix of anticipation and trepidation. The hour long ride through northwest Connecticut is relaxing, and the back roads remind me what a beautiful state this is. The scenery becomes lush and canopied, and the car’s outside temperature gauge drops by a few degrees. For the last few miles, the road parallels the river, adding to the beauty and the temptation. On days when I am unable to fish, I sometimes take my motorcycle along the same route.

Stepping out of the car onto the dirt parking area, the air is crisp and filled with the scent of local flowers. You can feel the mist of the river. Aside from the river sounds it is peacefully quiet – a much appreciated benefit after a long week.

And while I usually wait until late spring, when the water flow and air temps are reasonable, it doesn’t always translate into a fish catching expedition. Tonight I was in luck. The thermometer read high 60’s, light winds successfully carried a sulphur hatch, and I was greeted by hungry brown trout, compliments of the state’s stocking program.

Stepping into waist-deep water, sporadic rises surrounded me. I tied on the small yellow and white dry fly and proceeded to catch about a dozen 12″ – 14″ brown trout over the 2-hour session, all eager for my pattern.

This was truly a one-fly night. All fish were caught on this sulphur gnat pattern, the same one I teach in my beginner fly tying class. I want to than Jim Misiura for this pattern, and encourage you to follow his channel on YouTube.

Best of all, I had the water to myself for the entire time. An increasing rarity as the weather becomes more favorable.

I look at the picture below much like a kid walking through the gates leaving Disney World. Sad to see it end, but happy for the day and the memories made.

Hope you have the chance to get out and make some memories. Enjoy!

Fishing Dog

October 6, 2017 by Leigh 1 Comment

Nothing like sharing your love for fly fishing with your pet. They don’t try to get in your spot, second guess your fly selection, and rarely comment on the size of the fish you caught. In short, they are great fishing buddies.

About a month ago, I adopted Tippet, a rescue dog. She is a year-old Chihuahua mix, that I got through Sweet Souls Rescue in Newtown, CT. I was told she might have some Italian greyhound in her, but since she came from Charleston, SC, I’m guessing I have about as much in me as well.

Our first outing went well. It was a combination of introducing her to the river with a dog walk, followed by a short introductory session in the backpack, which she didn’t seem to mind. Extra bonus was that she saw me catch some fish.

There is always competition on the water, and the herons seem to watch my casting with a critical eye.

I’m always surprised when I look up and see a train rushing by.

She took to the water quickly. I gave her a couple of on-water breaks just to increase her comfort level.

Some beautiful fish were landed, so I’d say she brought me some luck as well.

At the end of the day, a tired dog is a happy dog.

Hope your fall fishing is turning out to be as enjoyable as it has been for Tippet and me. Enjoy!

Fish Per Minute

August 20, 2016 by Leigh 6 Comments

Or at least it seemed that way.

With temps still in the 80’s, I decided to give the trout a break and focus on Housatonic smallies with streamers. I was not disappointed.

The bite was on from the minute I arrived. Often they were hitting the streamer as soon as it touched the water, acting like it was a dry fly. This continued for 2 hours, and I stopped counting at 30 fish.

Bonuses on this trip:

Had the water to myself
Only lost 2 streamers to breakoffs
Did not fall in

Why not give the green trout a try.

Enjoy!

Did I Catch One Fish or Two? A Sad and Tangled Tail

December 13, 2015 by Leigh 3 Comments

Took advantage of one of the last mild days in December and hit the Housatonic River for an afternoon.

Had the water to myself.

The solitude was welcome. I soaked in the beautiful day, which felt more like October than December.

The train was one of the few interruptions.

My olive and tinsel streamer connected with a nice brown on the third cast. But as I stripped it in, the fish became heavy and unmanageable. I knew it was in the 14″ – 16″ range from watching it jump, but it was feeling much heavier. Had my rod started to break down? Was I losing my touch?

As soon as I started to bring it to the net, I realized what had happened. On the retrieve it swam through some leftover line.

Put the net away and began to free the fish.

I was able to quickly untangle the brown and release it unharmed. Then I started pulling at the fluorescent line. This wasn’t a simple case of 10′ – 20′ of broken mono; this was quite a few feet of heavy line, and a marble-sized sinker.

Then I saw what was behind the sudden increase in weight. There was a sizeable long-dead brown, equal to the one I had caught, on the other end. Sorry the quality of the photo isn’t better.

I cut the line at the trout’s mouth and returned it to the water.

What’s disturbing about this is the amount of line retrieved and the size of the fish. Maybe the line broke, but it was really heavy stuff, and a lot of it. The dead brown was at one time a beautiful fish that might’ve been caught more than once, or been the one that got away.

During the year I pick up a lot of bobbers, hooks, lures, mono, containers and other debris left by anglers who enjoy all styles of fishing. No big deal. I also realize that accidents happen, and you can’t save every fish. That said, the line and fish were in water that was less than waist deep, and I used my bare hands to pull it in with minimal resistance.

Hope the last few days of the year are productive, and the fish you pull in are your own. Enjoy!

Product Review: Redington Hydrogen Fly Rod

September 28, 2015 by Leigh 1 Comment

Had a chance to test out the new Redington Hydrogen fly rod. Although marketed as a trout rod, I used it in few different situations and it performed exceptionally.

Offered in sizes 2 wt to 6 wt, I chose a 9′ 6 wt because I wanted to see if the rod could handle smallmouth and trout. Both are found in local rivers this time of year, and you don’t always know what’s on the other end of the line. In addition to casting dries, I also wanted the option of nymphing and throwing small streamers.

One of the first things I noticed is how light the Hydrogen is compared to some of the other 6 wts I use. At only 2.7 ounces, I checked the label to make sure I received the right rod. But the light weight didn’t impair the performance. I gave it plenty of opportunities to handle larger fish. And while it bent over sharply a few times, I never lost confidence in its ability to perform.

My first stop with the Hydrogen was the Housatonic River, where I used it to catch smallies on streamers. It cast the size 8 Orange Blossom Special conehead smoothly, but I probably wouldn’t recommend going much heaver.

Soon after arriving, I had on the first smallmouth. The rod bent nicely, but never felt weak or uneven.

This guy was on the other end of the line. He definitely felt and looked like a football.

My next stop was a local farm pond for some kayak fishing. The Hydrogen had no problem with the foam poppers, and a 6 wt was the right choice for largemouth bass.

Later in the week I took it to the Farmington River, where I caught brown trout on nymphs and dries. I was especially impressed with the way it delicately delivered a size 24 BWO dry to a waiting brown.

My last trip with the Hydrogen was back to the Housatonic. I cast a size 16 peacock caddis during the evening hatch to hungry browns, mostly in the 14″ – 16″ range. A few were bigger, and again the rod had a chance to show it could handle large fish.

In all, I used the Hydrogen to catch smallmouth, panfish, largemouth and trout. I threw streamers, nymphs, poppers and dries. It handled every situation with no problems.

Here are a few other reviews on the Hydrogen to compare:

Hatch Magazine Review

Red’s Flyshop Video Review

The Venturing Angler Review

Overall, I would recommend the Hydrogen. Its light weight, strength and price (~$300) make it a great choice. While it is positioned as a trout rod, I found it quite capable while chasing other types of fish.

Note: I received a 6 wt Hydrogen to test, but no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Enjoy!