Naugatuck Report - March 28, 2014 - Okay, I lied...

"The pleasantness of the river, mountains, or meadows about it, cannot be
described, unless Sir Philip Sidney or Mr. Cotton's father were again alive to do it."
-Isaac Walton

I said I was done. The weather was right. The days are nice and long again. The best trout fishing is yet to come. One more trip couldn't hurt.

I didn't take the water temperature, but the air temperature was definitely warmer. It was an overcast day with drizzle to light rain. The water was flowing at a moderate level and actually rose a bit throughout the day. 

The salmon were on the take, but they were very nippy takes. I hooked three, landed one and had a couple of pulls. The pullers weren't grabbing enough to get hooked, but they seemed to grab enough of the hook to get spooked. The lost fish grabbed, but very softly and the hook sets weren't too good. 

The salmon were interested in a German Snaelda and the Catch-A-Me Lodge, but they seemed to be nipping at the back ends of the flies. A Willie Gunn with a far rearward hook sealed the deal on the one fish I landed. 

There was a lot more trout activity than I have seen in a while. The stocking truck must have visited recently. I picked up two rainbows, one on the Snaelda and one on the Willie Gunn. I felt a lot of small taps through out the day, too. 

This is the first season I've fished for CT salmon in the winter/spring. I definitely prefer the fall. The fish are more active, fight harder, and are willing to take smaller flies fished on or just under the surface in the fall. But hey, it's something to do. And the riverside trash can provide amusement, too...

The season closes for three weeks on April 1st, so I guess I really am done now.

Fly Box, new v2.0

2014 Salmon Fly Box
Far Left: Singles, Sizes 2-8
Leaf Page 1: Singles & doubles; sizes 10-12

Here we go again. A new season means a new fly box experiment.

I want a fly box that:

• Can fit as many flies as possible, yet still fit in an average sized pack (wader pocket sized would be even better)
• Has the ability to comfortably hold flies from size 1/0 to size 12
• Won't crush the hackle on Buck Bugs or the wings on Butterflies
• Can hold a handful of Bombers without smashing them*

*I carry a dedicated dry fly box, but like to have a few in the box I use most frequently. 

Here is an assessment of my last three salmon fly boxes:

Classy...but not versatile enough

1. Wheatley Swing Leaf

I purchased this previously owned fly box for $35. In terms of size, I liked this box. It held lots of flies (of various sizes) and it even fit in the pocket of my waders. It crushed both Bugs and Butterflies, though. Bomber storage was non-existant. After sitting in a drawer for several years, I traded this box for an old Scientific Anglers (Hardy) trout reel. 

Ugly...but getting warmer. Unfortunately, both the leaf
and the foam slots were too flimsy.

2. Poor Man's C&F w/add-on Swing Leaf

I traded British elegance for cheap Chinese functionality with this box ($10). It held smaller salmon flies well. Flies from size 1/0 to size 2 killed the slotted foam slots over time, however. It was a good size for the smaller outer pocket of my sling pack, but was too large for my waders pocket. Unlike with the Wheatley, Bugs and Butterflies stayed intact. Bombers fit in the right side, though the hackles got pushed around a bit by the raised foam hook holders. The biggest strike with this box was the swing leaf. It was very flimsy. The adhesive wore off quickly and the thin plastic eventually ripped. Flies could only be stored on one side of the leaf. Plus, I couldn't find a generic swing leaf and the OEM C&F leaf was almost twice the price of the box itself ($18). This box got pretty beat up after only one season. 

Nubby Tack...a waste of a perfectly good patent.

3. Millstream Nubby Tack Box

I bought this box at Cabela's, though similar boxes can be found just about anywhere for about the same price ($15 or so). The box itself is very large, bigger than the phony C&F. It fit in my sling pack, but only in the large pocket. It holds large and small salmon flies with no problem, though it seems to be better at holding larger flies. Flies can work themselves loose if the box is dropped, but I can only recall having that problem once. Bugs, Butterflies, and Bombers were all held safely and securely. 

Honestly, I still like this box. I'll probably continue to use one to house flies tied on larger double hooks. I really like Nubby Tack. Too bad Millstream's bread and butter is their fly box personalization more than fly box innovation. A Millstream box with slots to add a swing leaf would be awesome. I'd love to Frankenstein a box that includes both Nubby Tack and a slotted foam swing leaf. In its current form, however, this box is too bulky for the amount of flies it holds. 

2014 Salmon Fly Box
Leaf Page 2: Buck Bugs and Butterflies
Far Right: Shrimp and a few Bombers

The 2014 Fly Box (pictured above) comes partly from Cabela's. The box itself is a Cabela's waterproof streamer box. Another style of Chinese C&F knockoff, it can be found plenty of places, including eBay. I paid $9.95 for this box. The slotted foam leaf was purchased on eBay for $8.95. It is far sturdier than the leaf in my previous fake C&F box. There are no adhesives, which is a huge plus. The leaf has three tabs which snap right into the box and is easily installed and removed. The leaf is double sided, which is another bonus. 

It seems like this box is a little deeper than my old C&F knockoff. The right side of the box has more depth than the left side. As such, Bombers are stored safely on the far right, while Bugs and Butterflies are stored safely on the corresponding side of the leaf. The left (shallow) side of the box houses standard wet flies, while the corresponding side of the leaf holds small wet flies, both double and single. 

This is not a perfect solution. This box was not made to hold flies this size when a leaf is used. I don't have to sit on the box to close it, but I do have to force it shut a bit. It doesn't seem like the flies on the shallow side suffer much though. I guess we'll see how it fares over the course of a season.

In the meantime, I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for potential 2015 fly box candidates. 

The Atlantic Salmon Flies of Dave Goulet

Clockwise from upper left: Catch-A-Me Lodge, Bette Jane,
Chipper Lodge, Cockburn, Golden Girl, Mezmerizer

      If we were to play a word association game with Southern New England fly fishers, what words would the name Dave Goulet conjure up? Most would probably say, “Classic & Custom,” the name of Dave’s fly shop. Others would mention the Farmington River. After moving Classic & Custom from Holyoke, Massachusetts to New Hartford, Connecticut, the shop sat near the banks of the Farmington until Dave’s retirement in 2009. Some might mention the wary Farmington brown trout, on which Dave was an expert. And you might hear mention of some of Dave’s most well known trout flies, such as Moby Dick, Unicorn, Dirt Diver, or a host of others. Regardless of the words associated with Dave’s name, most would agree that Dave left an inedible mark the local trout fishing community. 

A much smaller percentage of us tapped into Dave’s other area of expertise. Dave is a hardcore atlantic salmon fisherman. Though he has fished all over maritime Canada, Dave knows the Miramichi River inside and out. In terms of atlantic salmon fishermen, Dave Goulet is my favorite kind. He has never been afraid of public water. In a world seemingly full of pricey lodges, pristine Bogdan reels and an overt sense of exclusivity, Dave is the real deal…a salmon fisherman’s fisherman. 

Though Dave is mostly known as an innovative trout fly tyer, he has created some fine atlantic salmon flies. I am aware of six original patterns. Four of which can be found in Flies for Atlantic Salmon (Stewart & Allen; 2001) and The Complete Directory of Salmon & Steelhead Flies (Mann; 2008), among other publications. As far as I know, the two remaining flies have never been published.

      Below are the dressings for all six of Dave’s original patterns. I didn’t try to copy Dave’s tying style, but I did try to respect his choice of materials whenever possible. There are a few unavoidable material substitutions, however. For a more personal account of my experiences with Dave, please see my piece in the Spring 2014 issue of the Atlantic Salmon Journal (Fit To Be Tied, p. 62). 

--------------------------------------------

The Atlantic Salmon Flies of Dave Goulet

(tied and photographed by Ben Bilello)

Bette Jane

Bette Jane

Tag: Oval gold tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent green wool

Tail: Red hackle barbs

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Rear half: medium green floss; Front half: peacock herl

Throat: Yellow hackle over light green hackle

Wing: Badger hair

Head: Black

Catch-A-Me Lodge

Catch-A-Me Lodge

Tag: Oval silver tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent green wool

Rib: Oval silver tinsel

Body: Black seal fur (or substitute)

Hackle: Golden pheasant breast feather dyed black (or other spey-type hackle)

Throat: Speckled guinea fowl

Wing: Two strips of white goose shoulder, tied short and splayed (Dee style)

Cheeks: Jungle cock (optional)

Head: Black

*The original was tied with a black silver pheasant body hackle.

Chipper Lodge

Chipper Lodge

Tag: Flat gold tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent orange floss

Tail: Golden Pheasant tippets, tied in at the second black bar

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Black wool

Throat: Purple hackle

Wing: Woodchuck guard hairs, topped with soft orange hackle fibers 1/3 of wing length

Cheeks: Jungle cock (optional)

Head: Black

Cockburn

Cockburn (unpublished)

Tag: Flat silver tinsel

Tail: Chartreuse bucktail with a few strands of peacock green Krystal Flash

Body: Fluorescent green floss

Underwing: Chartreuse arctic fox or bucktail with black tips

Wing: Chartreuse arctic fox or bucktail with black tips

Hackle: Black-Laced-White hen saddle dyed fluorescent yellow; tied collar style

Head: Black

*The underwing and wing were originally tied with dyed mongoose fur.

Golden Girl

Golden Girl

Tag: Flat gold tinsel

Butt: Fluorescent green floss

Tail: Golden pheasant tippet strands

Rib: Oval gold tinsel

Body: Black floss

Throat: Black hackle

Wing: Black squirrel tail

Head: Black

Mezmerizer (top view)

Mezmerizer (side view)

Mezmerizer (unpublished)

Tail: Pearl Krystal Flash (or substitute flash material)

Shellback: Pearl Krystal Flash (or substitute flash material)

Hackle: Black, palmered up length of body

Body: Fluorescent green floss

Wing: Pearl Krystal Flash (or substitute flash material), doubled back and evenly distributed on both sides of the hook shank (same flash as used to make the shellback)

Head: Butt ends of the Krystal Flash wing and black thread

*The original was tied with a generic Krystal Flash substitute with which I am unfamiliar. It is less kinky than the original Krystal Flash. I substituted Crystal Mirror Flash in the fly pictured. 

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