Leigh

On The Fly: Show 6 – Farmington Valley Trout Unlimited

September 30, 2026 by Leigh 2 Comments

John DiVenere, President of the Farmington Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, is my guest for show #6.

The Farmington is one of the most popular rivers to fly fish in Connecticut. One of the few tailwaters in the area, with significant catch-and-release sections. When you mention fly fishing in Connecticut, the Farmington is definitely top of mind for most anglers.

This episode was a great opportunity to learn more about the chapter’s efforts and the waters they enjoy and protect.

We covered a number of topics. John spoke about the chapter’s conservation efforts, social activities, partnerships with other organizations, and the importance of advocacy for our streams and rivers.

While the fishing may slow as the temps drop, there are more shows scheduled in the coming months. I’ll continue to post to this blog after they are uploaded to the FinFollower YouTube channel.

Click here to watch the show.

Hope you’re getting out to fish as Autumn settles in.

Enjoy!

On The Fly On The Fly: Show 5 – Thames Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited

August 19, 2026 by Leigh Leave a Comment

Gary Lussier, President of the Thames Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, is my guest for show #5. He has been a member for 37 years. During this time he has participated in a number of projects and held various roles before becoming President.

I am not as familiar with the part of the state that Thames Valley covers, so it was a great opportunity to learn more about the chapter’s efforts and the waters they enjoy and protect.

We covered a number of topics. Gary spoke about the chapter’s conservation efforts, various educational opportunities, partnerships with other organizations, and the importance of advocacy for our streams and rivers.

It’s hard to believe we finished show #5. There are more scheduled in the coming months. I’ll continue to post to this blog after they are uploaded to the FinFollower YouTube channel.

Click here to watch the show.

Between the high temperatures and the frequent rain showers, there’s been little time to fish. The good news is that the increased flows will come in handy as temps drop and fall fishing begins.

Enjoy!

On The Fly: Show 4 – Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP)

July 30, 2026 by Leigh Leave a Comment

For show #4, my guest is Mike Beauchene, Supervising Fisheries Biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Mike did a great job of walking us through DEEP’s programs and responsibilities. Topics covered include fishing opportunities in Connecticut, the state’s stocking program, and our fishing regulations.

Mike has a passion for his work and a tremendous knowledge of Connecticut fisheries. He was gracious enough to share some of his insight with our viewers.

I have a few shows planned for the coming weeks. I’ll continue to post to this blog after they are uploaded to the FinFollower YouTube channel.

Click here to watch the show.

Summer is definitely here. Water temps and flows should be a consideration when you’re deciding where to fish.

Enjoy!

On The Fly: Show 3 – Casting for Recovery

July 22, 2026 by Leigh Leave a Comment

In Show 3, I interview Maria Ellis, Co-coordinator for the Connecticut chapter of Casting for Recovery (CfR).

I’ve worked as a volunteer guide for CfR for over 10 years. I’ve seen the positive impact of this program on women dealing with cancer.

Maria did a great job of promoting CfR – Sharing the organization history and providing a deeper dive into the programs they offer here in CT.

I have a few shows planned for the coming weeks. I’ll continue to post to this blog after they are uploaded to the FinFollower YouTube channel.

Click here to watch the show.

Summer is in full swing. Hope you’re getting some time out on the water.

Enjoy!

On The Fly: Show 2 – Connecticut Fly Fisherman’s Association

June 29, 2026 by Leigh Leave a Comment

On The Fly is back in production. I’ve been lucky enough to find a few organizations to join me on-air, so I’ll be posting new episodes as we go.

There are always hiccups and surprises while taping these shows. That’s just part of the fun. During the first episode, we found that the studio light panel had been disabled. We came up with a quick workaround using portable shop lights. Many thanks to our Producer for coming up with a quick solution.

There also was no real signage for the show. With a little help from ChatGpt, I came up with a new logo. Using an online printing service, I created a banner that will appear beginning with the second episode.

The second OTF episode is with Gary Steinmiller, President of the Connecticut Fly Fisherman’s Association (CFFA). CFFA is dedicated to preserving and promoting the pleasures and traditions of fly fishing and to conserve game fish waters.

Gary did a great job of promoting CFFA, the organization history, and provided a deeper dive into the programs they offer here in CT.

There are a few shows planned for the coming weeks and I will post to this blog after they are uploaded to the FinFollower YouTube channel.

Click here to watch the show.

Hope you’re getting some time out on the water.

Enjoy!