Tuesday, August 8, 2023

When Should I Go Salmon Fishing in Connecticut?? **UPDATED**

Read the fine print, pal! 

Every year, newcomers to Connecticut’s broodstock Atlantic salmon fishery ask me about my favorite time of year to fish. Usually, this question comes from anglers looking to book a day of guided fishing on the lower Naugatuck River. I type/email this info all time, so I might as well do it here one final time and send the link when asked this question in the future. 


Really, there is no “best” time. There are times I prefer more than others, but I have had good fishing in every month from September to April, depending on conditions in a given year. There are pros and cons for every month/time period and I will do my best to outline them here. 



First salmon of last season
Sept 26, 2023 - dry fly!



September & October


Most years, the first salmon stocking happens in early October. That said, I can recall two seasons when conditions made a late September stocking possible (2013 and 2022). September of 2013 was great because hardly anyone knew it happened (it was before Facebook and email updates). I had the place pretty much to myself for two warm weeks and I caught a ton of fish. Last season didn’t see heavy angling pressure in September but, for better or for worse, social media prevented me from having a repeat of September 2013. No biggie…there are enough fish for everyone. 


Early season PROs:


• Warm water temps keep the fish active, aggressive, and fighting harder 

• Barren (unspawned) salmon are more common early in the season. They usually fight with the most intensity 

  • Fishing is more “multi dimensional” - Dry flies, hitched flies/tubes, wet flies, deeply fished flies, etc. are all viable techniques at this time, which makes fishing much more interesting 
  • The fish are less susceptible to the ill effects of angling pressure early in the season 
  • The fishing day is longer and the temperature is at its most comfortable 



Early season CONs:


  • We’re fishing over fewer salmon compared to later in the year 
  • Early season salmon are rarely large (average size measured in inches, not pounds)
  • The “bite window” is often less predictable than it is later in the season (when the water is cold) 
  • A longer bite window can easily become a situation where more time on the water is needed to hook up, leading to some long and fatiguing sessions 
  • The water can be low, making fly presentation (and solid hooksets) tricky 

Brusiser browns can be a welcome bycatch in November



November


November is the least predictable autumn month. It’s thirty days of highs and lows. I have probably caught more broodstock salmon in November than in any other month. Year in and year out, it’s the most consistent month. That said, I’ve seen brutal cold fronts and/or storms shut down fishing in November for a week or two at a time. It’s a crapshoot, but I think the odds of having a good November fishing are better overall than having a bad November, especially in the first half of the month. You never really know. 


November PROs:


  • More and bigger salmon in the river 
  • Though it’s getting colder, most of the month doesn’t yet require coldwater tactics and the fish are still fairly active
  • Overcast/rainy days seem to be more common, which can improve the fishing 
  • Low water is usually (but not always) less of an issue 
  • The fish have had time to spread out, often times moving into less pressured areas 
  • Every once in a while, you can catch some fairly large spawning run brown trout in November 


November CONs:


  • LEAVES IN THE WATER - hands down, this is the worst part of November (can happen in October some years). It doesn’t necessarily mean bad fishing, but it gets really annoying unless you get a lot of action (it happens sometimes, but don’t count on it) 
  • Unpredictable weather can make planning a November trip risky, especially late in the month
  • We lose an hour of daylight in early November 
  • Salmon will still take a fly just under the surface, but usually won’t take one on the surface like they might in September and October 
  • Salmon who remain in popular pools have seen a lot of angling pressure by now 
  • The weather can be raw at times 

The last fish of last year, caught on New Year's Eve




December


The final salmon stocking typically happens at the beginning of December. Some of the remaining fish can be quite large. The catch and release season ends mid-month, with one salmon per day being legal from December 16 onwards. For those who want to target large (but not necessarily plentiful) salmon, December is the best month in which to do it. An unusually warm stretch of weather in December can sometimes make for the most reliable and productive fishing of the whole season. 


December PROs:


  • In theory (not always reality), we should have a short period of time in December where we are fishing over the maximum possible number of salmon in a given season 
  • There will be big fish around 
  • After water temps bottom out, the bite window becomes very predictable, with almost all action occurring from midday to early afternoon
  • Weather trends (warmer later in the year than in the past) have actually made for some stellar Decembers in recent years. 
  • Decreased angling pressure and salmon spread throughout the river can make fish that were once “stale” go on the take again


December CONs:


  • Salmon become lethargic, often taking the fly softly and with less solid hookups 
  • Cold water puts a damper on salmon fights 
  • The total balance of salmon begins to decrease starting on the 16th, whether the final stocking has taken place by then or not 
  • Tactics become one dimensional…fishing low and slow with sink tips or full sink lines 
  • Even though Decembers have been trending warmer in recent years, volatile weather is still a distinct possibility 

Snow way, Jose! 



January - February 


Fishing can be an extension of December if winter is mild. It can also shut down entirely. Melting snow will chill the river and can slow the fishing down. Conversely, little snow and a warm stretch can make for short periods of good salmon fishing. Overall, however, I’m not too thrilled with winter salmon fishing. Unless it hasn’t snowed much or gotten very cold, I typically stop guiding (and fishing) by the end of December. 



March in 2014...snow was melting, it was warming up, and salmon were on the the take.
While Dec & Jan fishing has improved, March fishing has gotten worse.



Spring


In my experience, Spring is the least predictable time to fish for broodstock salmon. One of the best months I’ve ever had was in March 2016. I was catching consistently (some big fish too) and no one else was around. But in recent years, March weather has been horrible and with little possibility of good salmon fishing. The latest I’ve ever caught a broodstock salmon was on April 30. By that time, I am usually tired of it and ready to move on, though I’m sure some can be caught into May and possibly beyond. I’ve long thought that the possibility of dry fly fishing can come back in the spring. I’ve never had success with it then, but I have heard of salmon being caught during Hendrickson hatches. 


Not every spring fishes well. Some years, it seems like the salmon move out of the river en masse and don’t come back. I don’t guide in the spring (without lots of disclaimers!), but wouldn’t be opposed to it if the fish are around and the weather cooperates. 



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As our weather patterns seem to shift, so does the information above. I think most of it holds true…things like the photoperiod don’t change even if the weather does. Also, the leaves are still going to fall and drive us nuts, no matter when it happens.  It seems like fall lasts longer and winter comes later, bleeding into what used to be spring. It’s almost as if each month displays itself as the month that precedes it, i.e. November is the new December, which is the new January, etc. Salmon fishing itself is inherently unpredictable, so why should the weather be any different? 


It’s a cliché, but the best time to fish is whenever you can. That and you can’t catch a salmon if your fly isn’t in the water. My advice is to get out there as much as possible, regardless of the month. Observe trends and fish behavior, then modify your fishing methods accordingly! 


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**I just realized I made a post about this very subject six years ago. I probably should have looked before typing. Oh well...this post is more up to date. Compare it to the post from 2017 and you'll have even more info at your disposal. My loss of time is your gain of information! 


***I made a post about favorite flies for favorite months around the same time as the other 2017 post. The update to that is way more simple...just use Ally's Shrimp in various sizes. It has replaced the Mickey Finn as my ultimate go-to Naugatuck salmon fly. 



One of five hooked on a fruitful day of guiding/fishing last October
(on an Ally's Shrimp) 



Friday, August 6, 2021

Unbelievably Late Report & the Upcoming Season

A hard fighting November salmon



    A while ago, I decided to stop posting regular reports to take a little heat off of the fishery. I actually did mean to post an overall report last season, but it sort of slipped my mind. There's no time like the present!

    The one thing that stood out about the 2020-2021 season was how small the fish were. They were really puny. I've never caught so many small salmon in one season. From what I understand, the hatchery had problems with this year class of fish, starting at the egg stage. From what I've heard, last season was just an outlier in that respect. I still had fun, but it definitely made me miss the old days (fewer, but much larger, fish) even more than usual. 

    Even though all of my own catches were small, my clients tied into some nice fish. There were a couple of scraps that I thought the salmon would win, but both anglers came out victorious. There were plenty of small fish caught, too. In all, it was a very productive season and a lot of fun. I could tell people appreciated being out after being cooped up for so long. 


Another hard fighter on light tackle 


    The overwhelming choice for fly of the year went to the conehead Ally's Shrimp tube fly. All three salmon pictured in this post were caught on that fly, as well as several other salmon. I fished mostly classic salmon flies and caught several salmon on them. I also recall catching one on a Green Machine and a couple on Shumakov's Golden Shrimp (I catch salmon on this every season...will make a post about it soon). As far as guiding, however, I stuck with the Ally's tube fly and there was really no need to use too much else. Detailed tying instructions for the Ally's tube can be found in my ebook, "Flies for Connecticut Salmon: How to Tie & Fish Them." 


Conehead Ally's Shrimp - Fly of the Year 2020


    As far as the upcoming season goes, I am planning on guiding again. We've had plenty of rain so, as long as it doesn't stop altogether, we might have an early start to the season. My favorite time to fish is early on, so that would be great if it works out. If you're interested in booking, contact me and I will add you to my email list. I offer discounts for multiple days booked in case you'd like to book more than one trip in a season. I look forward to seeing some of you in the upcoming salmon season! 


Christmas Eve rocket 

Monday, January 4, 2021

Ten Tips for CT Salmon Anglers

A nice male, caught in an under-fished location


Since I took 2019 off from guiding, rarely fished, and largely checked out of what was happening in and around the CT salmon fishing scene, I sort of forgot about how others choose to navigate this fishery. I never forgot how I did things. It came back immediately in 2020. If anything, I found myself thinking more clearly than ever. I fished relatively few flies, but picked them with greater thought. I wasted very little time. If I wanted to use a "novelty fly," I did so on my first pass, when an aggressive salmon would be most likely to take it. If that didn't work, I chose something more "sensible" for the next pass. This fall, the salmon were a little crankier than usual and this season hammered home some important lessons. I know some folks are still struggling to hook up, so I will share a few of these lessons here. 

1. Efficiency is KING 

Every cast has to count. Every cast has to be your best. Every cast has to fish as perfectly as possible. That doesn't mean that you must be able to cast a country mile, but the ability to do so doesn't hurt. Practice casting, but not while you're fishing. Fishing requires a different type of focus than does casting practice. One will suffer if they are done simultaneously. Practice casting in the wind. Practice casting with obstructions. Practice all of that so, when you're actually FISHING, you are making the most of your time by casting as well as possible. When every cast counts, you'll be fishing as efficiently as possible and you will make the most of your day. 

2. Never stop moving 

Move all day long. Don't stop. Unless you're working a fish, don't stand in the same spot for more than two casts. Cover as much water as possible. If a pool doesn't produce, get out of there. Unless you find takers, fish as many pools as possible in the course of an outing. Don't forget to try the water on the margins. You just might find your new honey hole. 

3. The fly doesn't matter 

The fly doesn't really matter. I like to tie, so I have a lot of flies. But I could get by with far fewer. I just need a couple flies for surface fishing, a couple for just under the surface, a couple long and/or heavy tubes, a couple flies for high/dirty water, a fly for low/clear water and a change-of-pace fly or two. Even within that list, I can think of patterns that would do double duty. 

4. Choose your fly with care 

I know I just said the fly doesn't matter. However, some flies are better suited to this purpose than others, and those are the flies I want to have. For example, when the water gets cold, salmon don't take as hard, don't always turn on the fly, and don't often get hooked in the corner of the jaw. For that reason, I use tube flies with a hook that rides behind the materials. People ask if our salmon eat woolly buggers. Of course they do...but I wouldn't be caught dead using a long tailed fly in 36º water. When the salmon takes soft, I want to make sure he gets 100% of the hook in his mouth since I know hooksets are inherently dicey at this time of year. I have specific flies for specific sets of conditions. When they fish are acting recklessly, anything will work. For the majority of the time, I am looking for a fly that will make the most of the conditions at hand, be it water height, temperature, clarity, the amount of sun of the water, etc. 

5. Choose your fly line with care 

Like my fly, I choose my line according to conditions. Unless the water is low enough for me to fish a single handed rod and a floating line, I use a short two handed rod and Scandinavian shooting heads. The bulk of my salmon are caught with a floating head, but I have different densities of head at the ready. Need to fish a fly slowly through heavy chop? A fast sinking tip will get your fly down, but the floating head will still be fishing at the same speed as the surface of the water. Fully sinking heads are the best option for slowing the fly down in a situation like this. 

6. Look for aggressive fish 

This is relative of tip #2. Unless you find a bunch of eager salmon, keep looking for that one aggressive fish. Look for him up and down the river if you have to. Then, once you find and either land or lose him, look for the next aggressive fish. It's ok to spend a little more time on historically productive lies, but don't put all of your eggs into one basket. Keep moving until you find that fish.

7. Don't waste your time in less productive water 

Sure, you might see a salmon jump across the river, in the frog water. Just leave it alone. The cruising fish are hard to pin down and hard to hook reliably. Fish the runs and let the spin fishermen take the frog water. Sure, you might not be casting over every single fish in a pool but, chances are, you'll be fishing over those you're more likely to hook and land on a fly. Plus, you can work through moving water much faster than still water, which brings us back to the ever-important tip #2. If you know some reliable frog water spots, that's a different story. 

8. Wait until you feel the weight of the salmon to set the hook

This is an oft repeated piece of advice. When fishing subsurface, don't trout set or you'll risk pull the fly from its mouth. Slow down. Set the hook when you feel the fish on. Let the salmon do most of the work for you, then smoothly raise the rod. If you use tube flies, there is no need to drive a thick salmon iron into their jaws with a Jimmy Houstonesque hook set. The exception is when stripping flies....(strip) strike first, (strip) strike hard, no mercy, sir! I often strip with two hands so I can remain in contact with the fly at all times. The worst is when the fish takes at the end of the strip and you run out of line to tighten. 

9. The fish moves when it's fighting. Why don't you? 

This one should need no further explantation, yet it does...over and over again. The fish is constantly trying to get a better position on you. Why the hell would you stand in one place and let it? After the fish is hooked, as long as it can't be stripped right to hand, reposition yourself to make the fish work for every inch of line it takes. Boxing isn't just punching. It's mostly footwork. Don't stand still and let the fish pummel you. Keep moving and take back the upper hand. 

10. Put the wood to 'em! 

This is an offshoot of the previous tip. When it comes to fighting larger and/or tougher fish, they will battle to a stalemate if they can. Meanwhile, the hook is getting looser and looser until either you get lucky or the fish does. Put some pressure on that fish. Keep him off balance. Keep pulling the hook into his mouth, not away from his mouth. That's a big one, so I will repeat it. If you're pulling directly upstream on a fish that is directly downstream from you, you will be pulling the fly towards you and away from the fish. By pulling the fly into his mouth, you will be exerting maximum pressure. Then, when he runs, you ease off the pressure. As soon as he stops, put the pressure back on immediately. At some point, either you will end the fight or the fish will. And, if you mess around for too long, you might get lucky, but kill the fish. So play them smart and play them hard. 

*BONUS TIPS*

-Never be afraid to experiment. Sometimes it works and becomes a part of your repertoire. 

-STAY POSITIVE!! I can't overemphasize this! 

-Read books. Read this blog, too. Read anything and everything, regardless of media type. Listen to podcasts. Be an information sponge. Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are great, but solid fishing strategy existed long before color photography, videos, etc. Books...they aren't just for geezers and nerds. It takes actual work to write a book. Yes, you will find some that are a bit suspect, but if someone cares enough about salmon fishing to write a book about it, you can probably learn something from it. No one does it for the money. 

Feel free to comment below...compliments or criticism, either is fine with me. Add some tips of your own, if you're so inclined. I still have a lot to learn. 


 

Saturday, December 26, 2020

It's Been a While...

 

Small, but my favorite fish of the season nonetheless


Hey! It's been a long time! I'm not sure if anyone reads blogs anymore or if anyone will actually check this. I didn't update this blog at all last season. I didn't guide last season, either, save for one trip that had been rescheduled from the year before. I think I fished the Naugatuck all of four times in 2019, though I did hook and lose one of the hardest fighting broodstock salmon I've encountered. I think I was a bit burned out last year. Also, I had tons of work in the music field, so I was plenty busy. 

Enter 2020...very little work after mid-March, buckling under the stress of distance learning with a second grader, a wife who was super stressed out having to teach music online...and less time for fishing than ever. When students returned to school in September, things began to normalize a bit. There was still very little work for a performing musician, but I had plenty of time to fish all of a sudden. In light of the circumstances, guiding was back on in 2020. In all, it was a pretty decent season for both myself and my clients, though it was certainly not a normal season. 

Here are a few things I noticed...First of all, there were fewer salmon around this year and most were a lot smaller than average compared to recent years. I caught my first one and thought, "What I've heard is true...these things are puny." Then I landed one about 5# immediately afterwards and thought, "That's more like it. That first one must have been an outlier." Nope. It was no outlier. Most were puny. That 5# fish was the largest I'd catch all fall though, luckily for me, I had clients who caught larger fish on guided trips. 

The other strange thing was that, as a whole, they were more difficult to catch this season. There was only one day I saw them behaving recklessly. Usually, I see that happen a few times per year. Personally, I still did fine and caught enough fish to be satisfied, but I didn't land more than two in a day on any day. Every season, I have at least one four or five salmon day, and sometimes more/multiple days like that. But that didn't happen this year. I didn't hook one salmon, all season long, in my two most reliable spots. Or, what used to be my most reliable spots, I should say. 

I don't really have an explanation...at least one which can be proven. I think the fact that we were fishing over fewer fish had something to do with it. The only other thing I can think of is, since I am used to targeting larger fish, maybe these little guys starting finding lies more suitable for smaller fish? I have caught a lot of salmon in a run with some relatively heavy water (for the Naugatuck). It was a salmon ghost town there this year. Maybe it was too much water for these little guys? 

I don't know. In any event, I managed to adjust pretty quickly and still found enough fish for a successful season. I spent more time at pools I have avoided the past few years, so it was nice to get reacquainted with old water. I hooked a fish on a Sunray Shadow, fished at light speed. It's been a few seasons since I've had that happen, despite it being a staple in my arsenal for so long. I caught a couple fish on a classic salmon flies, namely the William Rufus and the Popham. That's always exciting for me. The fly of the year, for myself, my clients and one of my best buddies, was the Ally's Shrimp/Conehead Ally's tube fly. One of those two did the absolute bulk of the heavy lifting for us this season. Other good flies were the Golden Shrimp tube fly, the L.T. Special and, as always, the gold bodied Willie Gunn. 

My favorite fish of all was the one pictured above, however. I caught it in my favorite pool. It's far from my most productive pool. It actually might be one of my least productive pools, but it will always be my favorite. The water moves at just the right speed and has a everything a salmon could want. But, for some reason, they seem to move in and out of that pool. They don't stay very long. 

For some reason, salmon are susceptible to Buck Bugs when they find themselves in this pool. So, the fly for my first run through was a no brainer...Green Machine, sz. 4. About midway down the run, in fairly deep water, I saw a salmon come up to the surface and roll on the fly. Now, in recent years, I have seen this typical salmon behavior less and less. They either want the fly or they don't. They either take it or they don't. I remember epic chess matches with salmon, getting them to rise over and over, only to hook them or to bore them into giving up. But now, it's a lot more cut and dry, which makes me sad. My friends and I agree, they have been behaving less and less like salmon every year for the past four or five years. But this time, the fish wanted to behave as it should. So, I rested the fish for two or three minutes. I cast my Green Machine to the same spot...whammo! The fish nailed it. There was no prolonged chess match,  and the fish was small and easily landed, but I was still satisfied with the events of that hookup. 

I fished on Christmas Eve with my buddy Val. He got a nice fish in my favorite pool. I got my smallest salmon of the season immediately after. The river is blown out now. I might get out one more time in 2020 or I might be done until next fall. We'll see. I think I've actually seen the best of it this year, but it's not like I have any gigs to play, so I might as well fish as long as the weather cooperates. And, if it doesn't, I have fly orders to keep me busy...and some time to write, so maybe I will post some more here soon enough. If anyone reads this, I hope you had a happy holiday season and have a happy and fruitful new year! 

-Ben 

Conehead Ally's Shrimp was top dog this season
(fished with a single hook, of course)





Thursday, February 28, 2019

CT Broodstock Salmon Regulation Change and a Message

Salmon and Mickey Finn from last October

A couple years ago, I submitted a letter to the state of Connecticut’s Fisheries Advisory Council (FAC). The letter was in regards to extending the catch and release season for broodstock Atlantic salmon in Connecticut rivers. The gist of the letter was, since we had several drought years in a row, our C&R season was getting shorter and shorter every year. Also, since the final stocking (which happens to contain the largest salmon) occurs after the retention season begins (Dec. 1), anglers who practice C&R never get fish over the total number of salmon in the river. Furthermore, the opportunity to catch the largest salmon is reduced, as they are often harvested right away. From what I was told, my letter was well received. Since it wasn’t official business, the matter was tabled. Unfortunately, it was never made part of the official agenda in subsequent meetings. Fast forward to December 2018…

I was frustrated at how the salmon season had gone. Not only was the lower Naugatuck stocking greatly delayed at beginning of the season (which, in my opinion, was unwarranted), but rain and high water made fishing impossible for much of the season. Before we knew it, the catch and release season was over and C&R anglers had to deal with a declining balance of salmon as soon as the river was ready to fish. The last stocking of salmon occurred and the fish began to disappear immediately, adding to my frustration. 

On the Shetucket River, an angler friend of mine was also frustrated. While Phil was very vocal about what he perceived as problems, I was ready to wash my hands of all of it. Phil got to me and convinced me to share my experiences and opinions. As much as I hate to be the “squeaky wheel,” I shared my thoughts publicly. I was not at all surprised when many others shared the opinions of both Phil and myself. After a while, we could no longer be ignored and CT Fish & Wildlife opened a survey online. The survey asked whether anglers would be in favor of extending the C&R season for broodstock salmon and by how long the season should be extended. The results were published earlier this week (see the illustrations below). 


Click to enlarge (from CT Fish & Wildlife)

Click to enlarge (from CT Fish & Wildlife)


In light of the responses, the catch and release salmon season has been extended to December 15 of each year, adding about two weeks to the season. While I was happy that Phil and I made a bit of a difference, I was unsatisfied with the extension being only two weeks long given the responses to the survey were overwhelmingly in favor of an extension of at least four weeks. Look at the data and see for yourself. 

While I am happy that the (future) last salmon of the season will most likely be able to spread through the river before they may be killed and retained, the data tells me that the majority of anglers who enjoy this fishery are in favor of an even longer catch and release season. One idea I had is to make it C&R until opening day, then allow anglers to retain up to two salmon and/or trout per day (instead of one salmon). As such, anglers won’t need to differentiate between salmon and brown trout, which is difficult for some people. The limit would be a combined limit of trout and/or salmon, following the regulations of the trout season. It would be easy for everyone to remember as the dates (and limits) for salmon retention would mirror those of trout retention. This proposal makes a lot of sense to me, but it most definitely will not be instituted anytime soon considering the recent change in regulations.

After being ignored by “the powers that be,” I was ready tear all of this down. Take down the blog, take down the ebook, stop giving presentations, etc. I felt like my voice was being ignored, despite being a fierce advocate for this fishery. I had offered my consultation and input in the past, but had always been ignored. It was especially insulting, given how much time I have invested in this fishery, much of which was with the ultimate goal of helping people catch salmon and become advocates for the fishery. I hate that I had to resort to being a public “pest” to have my voice heard and acknowledged. That is not in my nature, but I have learned that it is necessary to affect change, as much as I hate to admit it. 

Which leads me to the point of this post...If someone else cares enough, it’s time for you to step up and take some of this on yourself. After many years of learning this fishery inside and out, extensively blogging about it, writing an ebook about the flies and techniques I use, giving a bunch of presentations, and guiding people on the river, I need a break. My son started kindergarten last fall and I can finally be a full-time musician again which, so far, has been going really well. I am going to leave all the information online so anglers can learn from it (attn: young anglers…you need to search and research). I will continue to give presentations. I will answer any questions anyone might have. But I am going back to being a casual angler. Of course, I have more ideas about what could improve this fishery, but I am not interested in pursuing them at the moment. If anyone who calls the shots cares to know, just ask and I will tell it all, but I am not going to pester you for change. 

So, thank you for reading and especially for filling out the survey. I will post here now and then, but in a more casual way. I probably won’t get too heavily into strategy and technique in the future. All of that can be found in the archives and in the ebook. I will probably be a bit of a phantom on the river, but please say “Hi” if we happen to fish next to one another. I have met some really nice folks who happen to read this blog. And, if one or more of you care to take on some of the issues we have on the river, I would be happy to offer any advice I have. Remember, sometimes you have to be the squeaky wheel. 

-Ben