Naugatuck Report - March 9 & 11, 2014 - Welcome Back, DST!

There is still plenty of snow left on the hill

I am so happy to have Daylight Savings Time back. Sure, there is still snow everywhere, forecasts of single-digit temperatures two days from now, and possibly even more snow on the way. But at least we have evening sunlight again! 

I celebrated the return of DST by heading to the Naugatuck after my weekly church gig on Sunday, March 9th. I usually don't fish for salmon in the winter, but I needed some time outdoors and I figured there would still be a few fish hanging around. The water temperature was in the high 30s and the air temperature was in the low 40s. The water was low for this time of year, but it was a nice level for certain pools. The water was a little colored, but not too murky. 

I started where I left off last December and I was on the board within 10 minutes of wetting my line. The salmon was a little too big for my grilse net. He took a relatively small, orange and yellow fly tied on a copper Shumakov Long Range tube (see below). I figured I was going to have another banner day. Wrong! Think again! That was the only fish I saw all day long. No one else I spoke to hooked anything. 

A simple but effective tube fly for cold water

I figured today, March 11th, would be a different story. With highs in the low 50s, I thought the fish would be a lot more active. Wrong again, dummy! It was even slower than Sunday. The water rose throughout the day, so that probably didn't help much. The water was more colored than Sunday, as well. I didn't see one fish today. No tugs, no rises. It was a beautiful day though. I packed up early and ate lunch at a picnic table overlooking the river. 

I know I said it before, but now I'm definitely done for the season. I'm really looking forward to targeting sea run browns and resident trout soon. I'll do my best to reconnect with some bright atlantic salmon in late spring and early summer. Until then, I have fly boxes to sort, gear to clean, and lots of tackle prep ahead of me. 

Thank you to everyone who has followed this blog throughout the CT salmon season. I plan on hitting the ground running next fall. A few of you expressed interest in spring trips and I told you to wait until next season for maximum educational benefit. As soon as the fish show up, I'll be ready to go. Remember, the most fun, interesting and diverse fishing typicaly happens early in the season! 

I have some product reviews, fly tying posts, interviews, and a "tribute" post in the works, so be sure to keep checking in,..

See you next fall