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. 

 

Prepping For Fall on the Naugatuck River

A particularly fiery October salmon

     I'm not going to make any predictions for this fall. I made them last summer and I was proven wrong...more wrong than I could have imagined. I thought the season would start earlier than normal. It started later than ever. I thought it would be a long, salmon-filled fall, winter, and spring. Salmon were caught, both by myself, as well as by anglers I guided. However, we didn't catch as many as in previous years, mainly due to the extremely short season. Trips had to be moved or canceled. The low water delayed the opening of the season, then environmental disasters further shortened the fall season, as well as bringing it to a premature close. 

     I'd like to think that all clouds have a silver lining. If the disasters that occurred on the river were the clouds, I'm hoping that increased scrutiny on all things river-related will be the silver lining. Maybe we had to go through this to make sure that the river won't be abused in the future. Despite the setbacks of last season, I am optimistic about this season. 

     

M1 Killers - a good early season fly

     Cloud...this summer has been HOT. Silver lining...we've had a lot of rain and there is more in the forecast. Cloud...my son started kindergarten and I miss our weekday adventures. Silver lining...I have a lot more time to fish. I haven't taken advantage of it yet. I'm finishing up all the house-related work I put off over the summer so I'll have lots of time this fall. I'm relived to go back to being a weekday fisherman. 

     I will be guiding on the lower Naugatuck River again this fall. Information can be found HERE. If this rain continues, we might be able to fish with two handed rods all season long. I think the last time that happened was back in 2011. Some pools fish best in high water and some fish better in low water.  I have spent a lot of time in the low water pools the past few years. Small flies, stripped by hand, were most successful. In average-to-high water, we can swing normal sized flies and, while the water is still warm, the salmon will rise to the surface to intercept them. 

     I don't know how frequently I will be posting fishing reports here. Over the years, I have covered an awful lot about this fishery. The archives are full of information, as is my ebook, Flies for Connecticut Atlantic Salmon: How to Tie and Fish Them. I'm not sure I have much more to write about. But maybe I will...I don't know yet. 

     It should be an exciting fall season on the Naugatuck River. I'm going to get my tackle and flies ready this week. We might be salmon fishing within the next 2-4 weeks if all goes well. For more information, CONTACT ME. Otherwise, I will see you on the river this fall. 

News & Events - Winter 2018

A nice December salmon, caught by angler Anthony Lombardo

     The recent Arctic blast put an abrupt end to salmon fishing in Connecticut. It had been productive right up until the changeover. The last salmon I hooked was on Christmas Eve. By Christmas day, it was unbearably cold and the river was on its way to freezing up. Unfortunately, we lost my favorite month of the season this year (October). Despite that, fishing was still good, although we had to resort to late season tactics virtually the whole time. Both guiding and fishing, tubes were the most successful flies for me this season, the best ones being the German Snaelda and the gold body Willie Gunn. Other successful flies were the Ally's Shrimp, Dirty Water Dog, Green Spey, Out to Lunch, Picasse, Golden Shrimp, and Orange HKA Sunray/Bismo. As you can see, mostly tube flies...

Interesting color, especially for a holdover trout

    The salmon fishing was fun, but the highlight of the season was the number of larger-than-average brown trout in the river this fall. They were a nice bonus and were just as welcome as salmon. The fish pictured above took a big Out to Lunch in high, dirty water. I rested the pool for as long as I could allow, which was only about 30 minutes. I went back at it and caught him again, this time while reeling up a Dirty Water Dog! Based on his color, I suspect he was spawning and highly territorial. He wasn't a wild fish, but still a nice surprise. 

     Now it's time to tie some flies, clean my gear, and get ready for the March thaw. If recent trends continue, it might be an April thaw this year. In any case, I'll probably hit the Naugatuck again when the time is right. Spring can be very productive some years, so it will be interesting to see what is in store for us in 2018. 

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Sunray Shadows

     Next Wednesday, January 10, I'll be leading the fly tying night at the Bear's Den in Taunton, Massachusetts. It will be an introduction to tying tube flies. We will be tying the Sunray Shadow, a deadly fly for virtually all species of fish. It is one of my go-to spring flies for salmon, trout, sea run trout, smallmouth bass, striped bass, and anything else that will eat it. It is a simple fly and a great way to learn about the benefits of tube flies.

     On February 3, I will be tying flies at the Connecticut Fly Fisherman's Association 48th Annual Expo at Maneely's in South Windsor, Connecticut. I have no plan to tie anything in particular at the moment so, if you have anything you might like to see tied, let me know. You can comment on this post or contact me here. It's a great small show and one not to be missed. Stop buy and say hello!

Jock Scott 

A Ceremonial End to Summer Begins Prep Work for Fall

PB

     The summer of 2017 was the 50th anniversary of the longest free, continuously run jazz festival in the US, now known as "Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz." Held at Bushnell Park, in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, Paul Brown Monday Night Jazz was started by one of our finest local jazz musicians, bassist Paul Brown (affectionately known as "PB"). Paul passed away last year, but has left quite a legacy in Hartford as a top-caliber musician, educator, and concert promoter. I was fortunate enough to play more gigs with PB than I can recall. I, as well as the rest of the Hartford jazz community, misses his positive, encouraging vibe, always encouraging us to keep "fighting the good fight".

     I was fortunate enough to play the opening night of the 2017 Monday Night concert season, a tribute to PB, as well as the closing night last Monday.  As often is the case in the world of performing artists, there is a lot of time spent waiting around. Usually, it is a time to catch up with old musician friends who might not see each other too often. Last night, I decided to be a little more productive in the time between soundcheck and the beginning of the concert. Seeing how the Connecticut broodstock Atlantic salmon season is potentially right around the corner, I decided to take inventory of my flies and consolidate them into one box (after BS'ing for a while, of course).

     We're at that sort of pivotal point of summer when river conditions could go either way. We've had a fairly wet, cool year so far and the drought is long gone. Without a doubt, we are currently in a better position than we were at the same time in either 2015 or 2016. Water levels are hovering around their historical average at the moment. That could all change very quickly if we don't get regular rain over the course of the next month or so. However, if the wet, cool weather continues, I'm cautiously optimistic of having an early start like we had in 2013, when the season started around the third week of September. In terms of numbers, 2013 was the best season I've ever had. I would love to see that happen again!

     So the prep work begins...I have to stock up on flies for the upcoming season, lube a couple reels, switch some lines, wax my ferrules, and order a lot more leader material. I plan on hitting the ground running this season. If you're interested in booking a guide trip, contact me and I will add you to the email blast that goes out immediately after the first stocking. Dates are first come first served and the prime dates tend to go quickly. Also, if you are interested in a presentation for your TU chapter or angling club, a list of available topics can be seen here.

     And if you want to come see some music, check my calendar here. It usually begins to fill up quickly come September. If you drop me an email, I let you know which gigs are the ones not to miss. As always, I'm here to answer virtually any question, so feel free to fire away. Get tying...salmon season will be here very soon!

A particularly crazy salmon...I can't wait to meet his friends soon. 

Catching Up

My first fish of 2017 betrayed how well this spot would wind up fishing.

     It has been a long time since my last post here. I've been busy with family, work, and fly tying. That's one excuse. Another excuse is how miserable spring fishing was for me this season. The most likely excuse is that I just haven't felt the urge to write much. In any case, I wanted to document how this season has gone so far, if for no other reason than to have a causal record on which to look back.

     I wanted to get out during the warm winter stretches, but something always ruined it. Come March, I was getting irritated and decided to ride it out until the spring runs started, when I would make up for lost time. My first trip, on April 20, to my favorite spring spot yielded one schoolie, which is better than most first trips to this place. Based on that, I figured I was in for a treat this season. 

Stripers on nymphs

     How wrong I was! This river has been fishing worse and worse every spring. Not only didn't I see a sea run trout, but didn't hear of any caught or seen, either by anglers or state sampling crews. The striper run wasn't too great either. That schoolie was the biggest striper I caught there this season. There were a ton of dinky stripers around though. After a while, I decided to get goofy and tried to catch them on nymphs and a trout rod, which wound up working great. That was only fun for an afternoon or so. The best thing to happen to me all spring was driving off with my net on the car roof, not losing it, and having it crushed by an 18 wheeler (like I did last spring on the Naugatuck). I got to Target, did my shopping, then saw it on the roof of my car. That's about as lucky as I got there this season, so I think it is time to move on and find a spot with better spring prospects. I have one in mind, but will have to wait until next spring to see how it pans out. 

 

The highlight of my (former) favorite spring spot

     Fishing in the salt yielded similar results for me. Lots of tiny fish. I was always in the right place, but just a little too late. Rowan L. (CT Fly Angler) had sympathy for me. While my spring river was fishing worse than ever, his was fishing better than ever. He took me out one night and the place was absolutely loaded with stripers. Finally, I was in the same place as some keeper-sized fish. I hooked two and lost them both!

     American shad fishing was OK for me, but not nearly as good as it had been for me the past two seasons. I broke one of my favorite switch rods on my first shad of the season. It was a bonehead mistake on my part. Extreme frustration was beginning to kick in, so I decided to take a couple weeks off and regroup. 

An order of orange Caribou Bombers for trophy brook trout fishing in Labrador

     I had a late wave of salmon fly orders to tie, so my break was the perfect time to catch up. I am happy to hear that the flies have been doing their jobs. I love tying. I really enjoy it. But, after a couple weeks of hardcore tying sessions (and a new chair born out of necessity...ouch), I was ready to fish again. 

A wild, small stream brown that was one of my first of the season

     I figured I needed to change gears, so I dusted off the trout gear. My first solo trout trip of the season happened much later than normal for me. I think it was sometime in June. After teaching some drum lessons, I stopped by a small stream that has been good to me in the past, but that I had not fished in a few years. I was surprised that the water was as low as it was and it made me uneasy. Getting charged by a pit bull made me even more uneasy. Luckily, he just wanted to play. Thinking the pool was spooked, I flipped my caddis downstream. To my surprise, my first trout of the season was a 12" wild brown! Unfortunately, he didn't want his picture taken. There were way more downed trees than the last time I fished here, so that made fishing a little more challenging. I wound up having a really good evening and caught many more trout than I had expected. In years past, I would pull a brookie or two from this river, but it seems like there are fewer than ever in this section of stream. Maybe they move around, or maybe it has become too warm for them. I'm not sure.

Farmington River Yellow Drake

     It was about time for my favorite evening hatches on the Farmington River, so I moved my operation over there. My first day on the Farmington was a sulfur bonanza, with several hour of consistent dry fly fishing. I stayed in one pool for about six hours. There was no incentive to move. My next trip, I decided to focus on the big bugs of summer, the Yellow Drakes. It was a successful trip, other than being warned by the police not to stay after sunset. I've fished this spot for years, mostly into the night, and this was the first time I've been warned. It was a successful trip, so I decided to push my luck...

The big Cream Variant was the winner. 

     I tied up some big flies for the Drake hatch and decided to go with a friend (who shall remain nameless in this case!). I asked him to drive in case we got caught. Since I never had a problem in the past, I thought it might have been a fluke. We fished, the hatch was pretty good, and I nailed one of the hardest fighting Farmington browns I've caught in a while. The fish was perfect and had no elastomer tags. He freaked out every time he saw the net. I suspect that trout might have been a wild fish. He absolutely nailed a sz. 10 Cream Variant, which is such a fun fly when it works. I was riding high until two police cars stopped us on the way out! Quickly, I stashed my hat and glasses under the seat. It worked, and we got off with a warning. Another friend wasn't so lucky and was actually ticketed.

     I went back once more, but set my cell phone alarm to get me out before sunset. It was a rainy day and the fish were taking olives and I managed a few browns from a very fussy pool. The drakes hatched early and I hooked (and lost) one nice trout before I had to go. As I packed up, an officer drove by to make sure I was leaving. What a drag...that spot fishes best right before sunset and into the night. It's a shame it's now regularly patrolled and off-limits. Oh well, I'm happy to have done as well as I did there in my few trips. 

Wild Farmington River rainbow trout

     A Farmington River first for me was the wild rainbow trout (pictured above). To my knowledge, it's only the second wild rainbow I've caught in Connecticut. Wouldn't it be great if there were a lot more of them...and bigger? It makes me wonder about some of the fish I have lost...

Finally...a carp! Small, but I'll take it. 

     The past couple of weeks, I have been focusing on carp fishing. Rowan L. was kind enough to show me the ropes. It took three trips and a couple of blown hook sets to land one, but I managed to land three on my third day. They were all small, but we have our sights set on something much larger...possibly the largest exclusively freshwater fish that swim in our state...But they are so difficult to hook....hopefully more on that later...

     So, that's about it. Luckily, the summer has been going much better for me than the spring. With the rain and mild summer, I'm cautiously optimistic about good fall fishing this year. I will be doing more frequent posts than I have been and will be doing some prep work for the upcoming Connecticut salmon season, so check back often.

Preparing For Connecticut Broodstock Salmon Season

It's about time to start sorting flies and prepping tackle

I was looking through my notes the other day and realized that the first salmon of last year were stocked in Connecticut waters on September 18. Most years, the salmon went in around the second week of October, give or take. Having an extra three weeks of fishing last season was a nice treat. I have no way of knowing if we'll be fishing around the same time this year or not, but I want to be ready to go as soon as the fish are. You can look through archived blog posts to find details about how to prepare for the upcoming season, but I'll give a few brief tips here, as well. 

My first task is to switch over my fly boxes from the flies I use in Canada during the summer to flies I use in Connecticut in autumn. In Connecticut, only flies with one hook are legal, so I have to remove all flies tied on double hooks from my box. As far as the flies themselves go, I'll probably start the season with a healthy mix of summer flies and fall flies. The biggest difference is the size of the flies. If we have September fishing again, I'll mostly use flies in the size 6-12 range, depending on conditions. As the water cools (and hopefully rises), I'll switch to larger flies, then mainly tube flies at the end of autumn. 

As far as rods and reels go, I'm pretty much ready to go. I use some of the same gear for broodstock salmon as I do for sea run brown trout and smaller Canadian Atlantic salmon. If I had to pick one rod to use all season, it would be my Sage Z-Axis 11' 6wt. switch. For single handers, I prefer my old Sage Graphite II 9' 7wt. Just for kicks, I'm going to try to catch my first salmon of the Connecticut season on my first fly rod, a fiberglass Shakespeare 8' 7/8wt. I bought that rod at Benny's when I was 13 years old. With its foam grip and plastic reel seat, it's about as cheap as a fly rod gets, but I'm really looking to catching some fish with it! 

When fishing with a single handed rod goes, I'm inclined to use a straight piece of mono instead of a tapered leader. I always have a few hand tied leaders with me, but I use them mainly when I'm likely to change fly sizes often. I am going to set up one rod just for fishing the riffling hitch and dries this season. That rig probably won't see anything other than a 7'-11' piece of 8lb. test Maxima.  

Other than that, everything else is pretty much ready to go. I posted regular fishing reports here last season. I will try to do the same this year. Here's hoping we're only a month away...or less!

The L.T. Special and Ally's Shrimp are good autumn flies

I carry a small inventory of flies I sell through my website. If you want a specific fly or size that you don't see listed, contact me and I will try to accommodate you as best I can. Every year, I catch salmon on flies I don't have listed for sale, but what's in the Fly Shop are my main confidence patterns for Connecticut. Get your orders in early...my busiest season for work is in the fall and I can't guarantee a fast turnaround time once the inventory is depleted. 

Also, I will be giving guided salmon fishing tutorial trips on the lower Naugatuck River again this season. These trips are mainly geared towards fly fishers with little-to-no wild Atlantic salmon fishing experience. The tactics I use on Connecticut Rivers are the same thing I use when fishing abroad. The same flies and presentations work really well here. My philosophy is to practice at home so you don't practice on the river while on a salmon fishing trip. This is especially important for those of us who choose to fish without a guide for some or all of their trip abroad. It's not trout fishing and it's important to recognize and react to the often times puzzling behavior of Atlantic salmon. If you don't have an Atlantic salmon fishing trip planned and just want to become a better broodstock salmon angler, I can help with that too. 

Obviously, I can't book dates at the very beginning of the season since we don't know when exactly that will be. However, it is pretty safe to assume the salmon will be in by the second week of October, so feel free to contact me now if you'd like to book something for around that time or later. Visit the Salmon School page on my website for more details. 

For more detailed information on the fishery, tackle, tactics and flies, see these posts:

CT Broodstock Salmon Fishing - Part I

CT Broodstock Salmon Fishing - Part II

CT Broodstock Salmon Fishing - Part III

CT Broodstock Salmon Fishing - Part IV

CT Broodstock Salmon Fishing - Part V

Part V - CT Broodstock Atlantic Salmon Fishing: Miscellaneous Tips

Many CT salmon anglers concentrate on the slowest water,
but the fast water also holds fish

Where to Fish:

With a little sleuthing, it is possible to find just about all the salmon stocking locations online. When the water comes up, some of the salmon move around, so it pays to fish spots which aren’t stocked. If a you have a hunch about a new spot, investigate it! I looked one particular pool for two seasons before I finally made the hike. I don’t know why I didn’t do it sooner. It's centrally located, but doesn’t see very much fishing pressure. I landed three salmon on my first trip through the pool. 

Be as mobile as possible. I might fish half a dozen pools in an average day. If I was inclined to get out of bed earlier, I might fish even more pools. Standing in one spot for hours, trying to convince a particularly stubborn salmon that he should take my fly is not my thing. I want to put my fly over as many fish as possible in a day with the hopes of finding one (or more) really aggressive fish. 

I see many fly anglers fishing dead slow water. You’ll definitely find some salmon there, but those spots require a lot of work (stripping) to fish thoroughly. In my experience, salmon tend to cruise instead of hold in this water. You’re fishing to moving targets, which makes hooking one all the more difficult. I like to let the spin fishermen have this type of water. I prefer to fish water with enough current to swing a fly. Broodstock salmon, holding in classic salmon water, can be very receptive to a well presented swung fly. 

As I said in Part I, most of these fish don't hold in as strong a push of water as wild salmon do. Sometimes they do though, so it pays to familiarize yourself with what good salmon water looks like. Look for large rocks, spots were two speeds of current intersect, pockets, signs of depressions and changes in depth. Find a book with diagrams of where salmon hold at different water levels. More often than not, you'll find CT salmon holding in spots that look just like the diagrams. 

Try the L.T. Special when fall colors are at their peak

When to Fish:

It’s a cliché, but fish whenever you can. I like overcast days, but it seems like I end up going mainly on bluebird days, so I make it work. My favorite time to be on the water is the dusk-to-sunset period. 

The fish fight better when the water is warmest. I would be very happy if the water stayed in the mid 50s to lower 60s (ºF) all season long. Some anglers claim this fishery doesn't get good until there is snow on the ground. The way I see it, this opinion exists because it's the point where salmon behavior begins to intersect with the knowledge base of the local angler (many of whom travel to the Great Lakes to fish for steelhead). If you're an angler who has spent some time chasing wild Atlantic salmon, you will feel right at home in October and November. Please realize that I'm not knocking local anglers who are not Atlantic salmon fishermen...just that many fail to draw a distinction between the two species. If I went steelheading, I'd struggle to not think like a salmon fisherman. 

As the days get shorter and colder, I find the early morning bite less productive. At this time, the salmon seem to “wake up” in the late morning or early afternoon, making an already short fishing day even shorter. 

Always fish falling water as it starts to clear. Keep your eye on the USGS streamflow website. 

With a good variety of techniques at your disposal, fishing the top of the
rotation (behind several other anglers) is no reason for concern

How to Fish:

This relates to mobility...unless you’re working a specific fish, don’t stand in one place for more than a few casts. These fish aren’t actively running so you don’t have the benefit of new fish moving into the lie you’re covering. Besides, anglers who plant themselves in one spot tie up the pool for everyone else!! Getting boxed-in is incredibly frustrating. Usually I'll move out, as the salmon aren't as likely to take when they're getting whipped to death. The key to hooking more CT salmon is to be as mobile as possible. Most of the spin fishermen already know this, but many fly fishermen plant themselves in one place for some reason. It's not like we're waiting for a hatch to commence...

Refer to this post about rotating a salmon pool. Not only is it proper etiquette, but it will be a more efficient use of your fishing time. Chances are you’ll hook more salmon. Unless I'm fishing behind a hotshot or two, I never feel like being last in line is a bad thing. Don't be afraid to school other fly fishermen on rotational etiquette. It really benefits everyone. 

Though there are some similarities, remember that Atlantic salmon are not trout. Steelhead are not your everyday trout, but they are still trout. Many anglers approach this like they are steelhead fishing. Atlantic salmon are not steelhead. Even though these CT salmon haven’t spent much time in the wild doesn’t mean that wired any differently. I might have been raised by wolves, but that doesn’t make me a wolf. A CT salmon might have been raised in a hatchery, but that doesn’t make it a trout. They're only one generation removed from (parent) salmon who survived the long trip to the winter feeding grounds near Greenland, so it's not like they've had enough time to "evolve." I'm not saying that trout/steelhead tactics won't work. Day in and day out, the more you learn about the Atlantic salmon, the more successful you will be. 

It is built into a salmon’s DNA to chase food that swims or hovers above them. If you’ve ever fished a river full of salmon parr, you know how hard it can be to keep them from taking your dry flies. I’ve heard many local anglers insist that we must swing flies right in front of a salmon’s nose to anger him enough to strike. Though it probably works now and then, nothing could be further from the truth. I don’t know of any fly anglers who prefer to fish with sinking tips/lines and/or weighted flies. If you don’t have to, why would you? The good news is that you really don’t have to get down to them until the water gets pretty cold. Exceptions would be fishing high, fast and/or dirty water. I don’t fish with anything heavier than an intermediate polyleader until I absolutely have to. The same goes for weighted tubes. I don’t use weighted conventional flies at all. 

One very important benefit to fishing a fly on or near the surface is that you're able to see potential interest in the fly. If you fish very deep, you might not see the fish move for the fly at all. When a salmon takes my 1.5" copper tube Willie Gunn on a sinking line or tip, I generally don't see the take. When a fish takes my #6 Same Thing Murray on nothing but a mono leader, not only do I see the rise, I might see the fish's back come out of the water as he chases the fly. The visual aspect is especially important if the salmon rises for your fly but does not take it. Without seeing anything, you might keep moving despite the fact there's a player right in front of you. 

I don't believe most of these salmon are feeding in the fall. Fish that size need a lot of food to grow. If they fed heavily, I think they would be a lot easier to catch. The exceptions are the barren salmon I referred to in Part I. Most of the barren fish I've hooked have chased and attacked the fly traveling downstream, not circling around and taking in typical salmon fashion. Most have taken fish-like patterns, be they bucktails or tubes. Since they're not interested in spawning, I believe they're still hungry. Eventually, they'll all start to feed as they prepare to leave the rivers. I believe this is primarily a late winter to spring occurrence. 

A large White Wulff is an effective and highly visible dry fly 

Like their wild brethren, these salmon will take a dry fly with the proper set of conditions. If you want to catch one on a dry fly, you have to commit to fishing one.The main problem with that is the season in which the salmon are stocked. It gets colder every day. Dries will be most effective at the beginning of the season when the water is warmest.  Ideally, you want low and clear water. Late fall is not exactly the prime time of year for dry fly salmon fishing. It’s tough to get all the variables in sync with one another in the fall, so some years it doesn’t make much sense to fish dries. Even if conditions are somewhat right, dry fly fishing is not very efficient unless you’ve spotted a salmon (holding or rolling, not jumping) or you fish reliable, dry fly friendly lies. A swung wet fly or tube is a more efficient method of searching water at this time of year. It gets dark early and you want to cover as much water as possible! 

The bright day-bright fly, dark day-dark fly method is a good enough rule to follow, but don’t feel like you have to. Overall, I find bright flies most effective for these fish. They work on dark days too. Even my dark flies have some bright butts or are mixed with bright colors, so keep that in mind. My favorite dark fly is the Same Thing Murray. It has plenty of bright accent colors. I do carry a few drab flies on me, just in case. 

In my opinion, size matters a lot more than color does. I pick my size based on the height, speed, clarity and temperature of the water. Fly speed should be in proportion to the size of fly you're fishing in a given set of conditions. Try fishing one slower swing and one faster swing, then step downstream and repeat. After you hook enough fish, you’ll get a feel for what the right swing speed is at any given time. 

If a fish comes up for a fly but doesn't take, you're in good shape. Even if he pulls on the fly but doesn't get hooked, you're still in good shape. If he hooks himself, feels the steel of the hook and the tension of the rod and line pulling on him, it's game over. If you raise a fish, do not change the amount of line you have out by either reeling up or stripping line. That is your marker to the fish's location. Work the fish, but do so carefully. It helps to rest the fish for a few minutes after a few unsuccessful casts. If I decide to change flies, I usually switch to progressively smaller flies. It also pays to experiment with different swing speeds. When all else fails, end with the pattern with which you originally raised him. If there's no one else around, I'll leave the fish and come back to him after fishing through the pool. I usually hook him that second time around, so I do think resting the fish helps. If you're fishing in a rotation and you can't get the fish to take, after a reasonable amount of time, you should move on so as not to hold up the other anglers. 

When all else fails or when a pool has been pounded, I try fish the extreme ends of the spectrum. Most often, I fish a Sunray Shadow-type tube fly as fast as I possibly can. It’s not a silver bullet, but you’d be surprised how well it works when nothing else seems to. The other end of the spectrum is very small flies. These fish don’t see many small flies, so it pays to give them a shot now and then, especially when the water is low. Many people ask about fishing nymphs...I suppose it can be effective but, to me, it’s not efficient enough. It eats up too much time when fishing blind. Swinging wets and tubes lets me cover a lot of water with maximum efficiency. It all comes back to the mobility thing...

Salmon caught on the orange Sunray "Hail Mary pass"

If you like to fish with a partner, consider fishing where you can spot the salmon from a vantage point above (be stealthy though). I know plenty of anglers who fish the smaller water in pairs and do quite well. One angler acts as a "spotter" for the other, trading jobs from pool to pool. Seeing how a salmon reacts to a fly is the most interesting facet of this type of fishing. I mainly fish alone, targeting likely lies in bigger, darker water, but I can see the appeal of fishing in this manner. 

It's said that a salmon either is or is not a "taker." I don't think it's that black and white. If we had a "salmon taking spectrum," we'd have a fish that would take absolutely anything you throw at him on one end and one who will take absolutely nothing on the other end. I believe that most salmon fit somewhere in the middle of that spectrum, but tend to lean to one end or the other. The key is making sure each and every cast counts. You might be fishing a slow day, but you make just the right cast with a presentation that coaxes a reluctant salmon to take. That might be your only action for the entire day. This scenario happens all the time. Sometimes the most rewarding day on the river is the one which, by everyone else's account, should be a skunking, but for you is a one-fish day.

Just like anything else, you have to put your time in to be successful. Just because they're hatchery fish doesn't mean they're easy to catch. At this point, I expect to hook at least one fish every time out, but usually more than one. That said, I still experience days when absolutely nothing happens. Then there are days when everyone is nailing them, seemingly blindfolded and with their hands tied behind their backs. Sometimes the craziness only lasts thirty minutes, sometimes it lasts all day. That's the unpredictability salmon fishing.

The best thing an angler can do is to pick a book about Atlantic salmon fishing. It baffles me how few people actually do this. If I was to delete everything from this post, this piece of advice would be the one thing I'd save. Here are three relatively current-to-current titles that would be extremely helpful to any Atlantic salmon angler:

“Atlantic Salmon Flies and Fishing” by Joseph D. Bates - 1970 (easy to find used on Amazon)

“Salmon Fishing” by Hugh Falkus - 1984 (eBay is your best bet)

“Atlantic Salmon Magic” by Topher Browne - 2011

I have more useful information than I can possibly give out here. I will be offering guided tutorial sessions on the Naugatuck River this fall as well as posting periodic fishing reports. Check back soon for info on both.

This post concludes my series on fishing for Connecticut broodstock Atlantic salmon. I hope you found it helpful. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. 

Part IV - CT Broodstock Atlantic Salmon Fishing: Tube Flies

A November salmon on a b&w Sunray Shadow (aluminum)

As I stated in Part III, none of my flies tied on conventional hooks are weighted in any way. If I feel I need to get down, I let the line/tip do it for me. If I’m fishing fast water and I want to get down quickly, I might use a fly tied (sparsely) on a brass or copper tube. I use thin brass and copper tubing, so even my heavier tubes don’t weigh all that much. When the water gets cold, I do well on large tube flies. They may be big, but they’re not too heavy or hard to cast. For this fishery, the vast majority of my tubes flies are tied on aluminum hobby store tubing. On to the feature...

Tube Flies:

For brevity’s sake, I’m not going to go into why tubes should be more widely used. Read this for an explanation of the benefits of tube flies. As stated above, when the water gets cold, I tend to use fewer flies tied on hooks and more tube flies. The first fly listed here is a very notable exception.

Sunray Shadow and Variations

I caught more CT salmon on an orange Sunray variant than any other fly last season. I caught a good number of fish on conventional wets, but I probably caught nearly twice as many on a Sunray than the next top pattern. This fly rounds out my top three, vying with the Mickey Finn for the number one spot. Every year, I catch an increasing number of salmon on Sunrays. It’s a great “change-of-pace” fly and one they don’t see too often. I never start out with a Sunray. I usually finish with one, however. Sometimes I fish it as fast as I can strip with two hands. Even when fish don’t take it, often times they’ll show for it and take a smaller, more conventional fly. It’s a tremendous “fish locator.” Tied in a variety of sizes, it is an extremely versatile and deadly fly. It’s also one hell of a trout fly, believe it or not. I carry a bunch of them, tied on plastic and aluminum tubes, anywhere from .5” long to 2” long (total fly length around 1”-5”).

Sunrays - a deadly family of tube flies for both salmon and trout

Some Sort of Shrimp or Flamethrower-type Tube Fly

I use this type of fly when the leaves fall and the downward pointing hook on a conventional fly constantly snags everything floating by. I rotate the single hook 180º in the junction tube so it gets buried in the tail of the fly (it will be pointing upwards). It’s not 100% “weedless” by any means, but I definitely snag fewer leaves. I don’t find these flies any more useful than any of the others in the catching department, but what I save in frustration is worth having a couple on me, especially when it’s windy. I usually tie these on a .5”-.75” aluminum tube. 

Two Red Butt Flamethrowers and a Shumakov-style Cascade.
Rotate the hook 180º for a "leaf guard."

Snaelda

This Icelandic oddity happens to be a pretty killing fly. A medium small Snaelda is my intermediate step between conventional flies and the big stuff tied on longer, heavier tubes. The yellow, orange and black of the so-called "German Snaelda" are classic cold water colors. For me, this fly has been most effective on a slow swing, though I have heard of anglers stripping them with great success. I most often use a Snaelda tied on a .5”-.75” copper tube. 

The German Snaelda might look a little funny,
but the salmon seem to love it nonetheless

Willie Gunn

This is one of the big guns. It’s the quintessential yellow, orange and black salmon fly. I use the Willie Gunn in cold, fast water. Last November, I fished a pool full of large salmon. It was heavily fished, but everyone seemed to gravitate towards the slower water. In under a half hour, I had already landed two on a gold bodied Willie Gunn. The smaller of the two was about 12# and the larger 18# and very acrobatic. I have done well with the classic black-bodied WG, though I prefer the gold bodied variation. I typically tie this on a 1.5" copper tube. 

The Willie Gunn is a killing fly in both gold and black

Temple Dog Type Fly

Here is another big gun. I tie one of two ways:

1. Tied on plastic tubing with a turbo cone in front. The cone is there to balance the weight of the hook and neutralize the buoyancy of the wing more than to add weight the fly. The turbo cone also helps to push water.
2. Tied on a Shumakov-type Long Range or Skittle tube. I find these to be more durable than the style above, plus they take a little less time to tie. 

I really only fish two patterns, a Phatagorva (dark) and a Green Highlander (bright). The Phatagorva has worked well in colored water, though I have probably been more successful with the Highlander overall. The soft, mobile wing is excellent in slower water. It’s a sort of hypnotic fly to watch in action. These are both time consuming and material-intensive flies to tie. It took much trial and error to find the right materials in the US. Not all arctic fox is created equally. If you’re interested in tying these type of flies, watch this video of Hakan Norling tying his original Temple Dog.

GH Tube - *double hooks not for use in CT salmon waters*

Most of the patterns listed here will be on sale this season. I have sold CT broodstock salmon fly assortments in the past, but I plan on making a wider variety of flies available starting this season. They should be ready just before the first group of salmon arrives, so check back soon...

Part III - CT Broodstock Atlantic Salmon Fishing: Wet and Dry Flies

Waaaay too many flies, but there are still some
open spaces, so I should probably tie more

Since this blog is primarily focused on salmon flies, much of this information has already been covered here before. I will try to distill it as best I can and provide a little insight into each fly pattern. If you look through the archives of this blog, you’ll see old entries about my favorite CT broodstock salmon flies. Some patterns have worked well for a season or two. Some have worked consistently well through several seasons. Consider this post the updated list of consistent winners. 

I’m an avid fly tyer, so I carry way more fly patterns than I really need. Sometimes I try new flies as an experiment, sometimes I just want to catch a fish on a particular pattern. If I was so inclined, I could whittle down my box to a handful of patterns in various sizes and I wouldn’t feel like I was at a disadvantage. 

Please note - none of my flies tied on conventional hooks are weighted in any way.

Hairwing Wet Flies and Bucktails:

Butterfly w/Green & Red Butt

This is the fly with which I usually catch my first CT salmon of the season. I find it works best at the very beginning of the season, particularly in slightly off-color, falling water. The Butterfly has a bit of a wobble to it, so I think the fish can really feel it coming. I like to use it when fish are holding in relatively slow water. Under normal conditions, a #4 or #6 is perfect for the first couple weeks of the season. 

Butterfly w/Green & Red Butt

Mickey Finn

The good ol’ Mickey Finn could be the most popular fly used and for good reason. It really works. I would put it in my top three, and perhaps tied for the number one spot. It works on sunny days, it works on cloudy days...it just works. When I’m tired of experimenting and I just want to hook a fish, the Mickey Finn is what I use. I carry them in many sizes, though primarily #4-#8, with #6 being my all around favorite. The hottest CT salmon I ever hooked came up twice for a #4 Mickey Finn but didn’t take. I switched to a #6 and he was all over it. 

This #6 MF caught a lot of salmon, some fairly large.
The dressing lasted longer than the hook did.

Same Thing Murray

The Same Thing Murray is also in my top three list. When I need a medium-to-small dark fly, this is what I use, almost exclusively at this point. Though it’s predominantly dark-colored (peacock and black), it has red, orange and fluorescent green “hotspots,” all great colors for salmon. My all around favorite salmon fly is the Sugerman Shrimp, which has worked for me in CT, but not nearly as well as the Murray. I carry the Same Thing Murray in #2-#10, with #4-#8 being my most commonly used sizes. 

A pair of small Murrays, #8 & #10

L.T. Special

This is a bright fly in the quintessential autumn colors. This fly has been most useful to me in the peak of foliage season. When the trees are all colored up, the L.T. Special does a good job of blending in with its surroundings. When I need a dark fly, the Murray seems to get the job done. When I need a bright fly, sometimes I need something other than a Mickey Finn. The L.T. is a fantastic companion and, unlike the Mickey Finn, it’s a fly these salmon don’t see very often. I carry it in #2-#6, with #2 being the most successful size. 

The L.T. Special hard at work

Ally’s Shrimp

Besides being one of the most successful salmon flies ever created, it also works well on trout (incidentally as well as intentionally). The first CT broodstock salmon I ever landed took a #2 Ally’s Shrimp. Two seasons ago, I caught a beautiful, well conditioned, kyped and colored up 18” brown trout on a #2 Ally’s Shrimp. It’s a big, bright fly which tend to use in the morning before the water warms up (on an intermediate tip). I mainly use this tied on a #2 salmon iron, though I also tie it on tubes. 

Ally's Shrimp is one of my top "confidence flies"

Some Sort of Small Wet Fly

I don’t think the specific pattern matters all that much. As long as you have a small fly or two, you’ll be covered. By “small,” I mean #10 or #12, which is considered a pretty small wet fly for this time of year. There are three major scenarios when I decide to go to a fly this size:

1. Very low water...even when the water is quite cold. It’s important to get the fly right in front of the fish in cold water, so you might have to use a sink tip even if the water is low
2. Water that has been heavily pressured, especially when a lack of rain has kept the fish from changing pools
3. When a fish rises to larger flies but won’t take, sometimes a very small fly does the trick

Even large fish take small flies. I landed a 15# salmon on a #10 Same Thing Murray. He rose twice for larger flies, but would only commit to taking a small fly. The Murray was the smallest fly in my box at the time. I keep a few different small patterns in my box. My favorite is a silver bodied fly called the M1 Killer. It also pays to have a small dark fly such as the Almost or Undertaker. 

Top to Bottom: M1 Killer, Red Butt Butterfly, Almost

Dry Flies:

Yes, it is possible to catch CT salmon on dry flies. I don’t fish dries often, but they can be effective under the right conditions (more on that in part IV). From what I hear, last season was great for dry fly salmon fishing on the Shetucket River. I know of at least two anglers who caught salmon on dries. One of them, a buddy of mine, had landed seven when I last saw him in mid-November. I wouldn’t be surprised if he went into double digits on dries. 

I really don’t think color matters as much as size. These fish hardly ever see dries since very few people will attempt to fish with them. I like a bright green, split-wing Bomber with brown hackle or a large White Wulff, both in a #6 or so. 

These dries weren't specifically meant for CT salmon,
but they do work now and then

Most of the patterns listed here will be on sale this season. I have sold CT broodstock salmon fly assortments in the past, but I plan on making a wider variety of flies available starting this season. They should be ready just before the first group of salmon arrives, so check back soon.

Part IV will focus on tube flies, so check back soon.