Connecticut Broodstock Atlantic Salmon Season: Month by Month

A handsome early season salmon

     As I'm starting to compile a list of anglers interested in guided trips this season, I find myself typing the same information over and over again. Most of it has to do with the when to plan a trip, as the character of each month can very different from the other months. This information might be helpful to the greater public, plus I won't have to type it out again if I post it on my blog. Here is the rundown as I see it and as it pertains to the Naugatuck River fishery:

September: As far as I know, there has only been one season with a September start, which was in 2013. This was before the state published stocking information on social media sites and I had some "inside information" about when the surprise first stocking would happen. I was out on the river as soon as I could get there and I had the place to myself for about two weeks. I caught a bunch of salmon, however, the temperatures were borderline for a safe release. At that time, a salmon could be harvested in September. The only one I ever kept was one, caught that September, that I couldn't revive. Now, September salmon can no longer be retained. 

     Because of the borderline water temperature (often reaching 70º by mid day), fishing was best early and late. The fish were very active and aggressive when the temperature agreed with them. When it got too warm, they sulked. As such, I planned my trips for times it would least dangerous for the salmon, opting to stay home on the warmest days. Once we got into October, the temperature was no longer an issue. 

     I don't know if we'll ever see a September start again, but it was nice. As long as anglers pay attention to the water temperatures, it can be a fun and productive time to fish, particularly with small flies, dry flies, floating lines, and single handed rods.

I suspect this extremely hard fighting salmon was one of the barren fish. 

October: Traditionally, the first salmon are stocked during the first or second week of October. The first salmon are small, averaging 3-6 lbs. What they lack in size they make up for in spunk. These fish are usually aggressive, take a fly well, and are willing to rise to a dry fly under the right conditions. The chance of catching a barren salmon exists now (one that won't spawn). Barren salmon fight much harder than post-spawn hatchery fish. The best broodstock salmon fights I've experienced have been with what I suspect were barren salmon, which are usually more silvery than dull gray. They are still feeding and are suckers for a sz. 6 Mickey Finn. 

     The fewest number of salmon are in the river in the first half of October, but it is my favorite time to fish. We haven't turned back the clocks yet and the evening bite is usually still good. The fish will take a variety of flies, will be interested in different presentations,  and will chase long distances. When hooked, many will fight hard and will jump several times. If you're lucky enough to hook into a barren fish, you might even see some high flying cartwheels.  

     Late October is a transitional period. I usually start out with a single handed rod. If we have a low water autumn, I will stick with that rod for the month. If we experience normal-to-high water, I fish a short two handed rod, usually no longer than 12' or so. The water is still warm enough to get salmon to the surface, so I rarely use a sinking tip or line. 

The larger fish now make their appearance later in the season. 

November: The first Sunday in November brings us one less hour of daylight. November also brings us falling temperatures and lots of falling leaves. Though the leaves can be a nuisance, the salmon will still take flies. We might even get accumulating snow in November. The water is usually high enough to use a two handed rod all month. Early in the month, an unweighted fly on a mono leader is usually enough. As the month goes on, however, it might be necessary to use a polyleader, sink tip, and/or weighted fly to get down to the more lethargic fish.

     The larger salmon make their appearance starting in November, typically near the middle to the end of the month. The salmon can weight up to 20 lbs. or more. In past years, large fish weren't all that uncommon. Now, there are much fewer than there used to be, though they can still be targeted. With a little luck, they can be hooked. With even more luck, they can be landed! 

     Due to the falling water temperature, the fishing in November is usually a little slower paced than in September or October. The trade-off is that there are more fish in the river and there is the chance of catching a much larger fish. A warm spell in November can mean terrific fishing. The dry fly isn't as much of an option, however, the first dry fly CT salmon I caught was during a November warm streak. Anything can happen. 

     I guide more during November than any other month. It's probably the best month to get an overall feel for the fishery. The fish have spread out by then and more pools are in play than earlier in the season. It sounds strange but, on the lower Naugatuck, the higher water actually makes wading easier, allowing the angler to fish further down the runs in the less rocky sections. 

December brings sinking lines and bigger flies

December: Without a doubt, December is the oddest of all the months. Usually by early December, all of the that season's salmon will have been stocked...but...anglers are allowed to retain one salmon per day beginning on December 1. For a brief period of time, there will be more (and bigger) salmon in the river in December than in any other month, although, this is a declining balance as fish are caught and kept. Also, the old salmon will have really spread throughout the system by December.

     I have had tremendous fishing in early December some seasons. I've also had some pretty forgettable fishing in other years. The quality of the fishing is usually dictated by the weather. December 2015 was really warm and the fishing was off the charts. It was one of my best months ever. I've had a few 5+ salmon days in various Decembers. But it is a crapshoot. 

    Knowing the movement patterns of the salmon helps figure out where salmon will be lurking in December. They are usually getting ready to hunker down for winter. Covering water is essential as the fish tend to spread out more and hold in slower water. As such, a two handed rod is a very useful tool since sinking lines become a regular piece of gear. The small flies of the early season get put back into their boxes, away go the dry flies, and large, mobile tube flies become most useful. 

     As is the case in November, a warm stretch can really make for good fishing. Most of the days will be cold, however, and the best fishing confined to a short window in the early afternoon. By 4:45pm, it is often too dark fish and the fish are too lethargic to bother leaving their lies. Our commute home is just in time for rush hour traffic. 

     When it comes to my own fishing in December, I tend to cherrypick my days and times. I don't spend all day on the river. This is a time of year when I actually recommend half day guide trips over full day trips. Like I said before, it's a gamble, especially when planning far in advance. 

A nice salmon, caught on Dec. 27, 2015. This was one of five that day. 

Winter (January-March): Admittedly, I don't fish often during the winter months. I'm usually sort of tired of it by then and I have a lot of tying to do for customers traveling to Canada and Europe for Atlantic salmon fishing in the spring and summer. When the weather warms up for a few days, I'll go out and try my luck as long as the river isn't too icy. A warm streak will melt snow and bring up the river, but the fish will usually go on the feed. If there hasn't been too much retention, it can be possible to catch a fish or two, sometimes more. Mid-to-late March can be good if the winter isn't too brutal or lengthy. I had a particularly good March a few years ago. There are no guarantees when it comes to salmon fishing, particularly at this time of year. 

     Expect to fish low and slow during the winter. Cover water and fish the middle of the day. It's not necessary to get on the river in the early morning and it's usually not necessary to stay until sunset. It's a good way to fight off cabin fever. If there hasn't been rampant poaching and/or retention, there will still be a fair amount of salmon around, certainly enough to target. 

Small, silvery salmon caught on April 29

Spring & Summer: The salmon season closes temporarily beginning on April 1. It reopens on opening day, which is the second Saturday in April. If there are enough salmon left to target in spring, they will be on the feed. The sinking lines can be ditched in favor of floating lines and mono leaders as long as the river isn't too high. The salmon pictured above was caught on April 29, which is the latest in the spring I've ever caught one (I've usually moved on to spring runs by then). It can be worth a shot if you know where salmon might be. The bonus is that there are usually trout around at the same time.

     The latest I've heard of a salmon being hooked was during a cold period in early July. It appears as if some actually hold over, though it is anyone's guess if they can make it through the heat of August and early September. I once tried to find them in July, based on some local intel. I waited until we had some unseasonably cool weather and was fishing at first light. The water was about 65ºF. I didn't wind up finding any salmon, though I landed a beautiful, acrobatic, holdover rainbow trout. 

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     That's the long and short of it, at least in my experience. Though I fish the Naugatuck River, I imagine the Shetucket follows similar patterns. I like my broodstock salmon fishing to mirror my wild salmon fishing as much as possible, so I tend to favor the warmer months, or at least the months that aren't too freezing. I have a couple friends who prefer the cold and who do quite well in winter. To each, his or her own. 

If you have any questions, you know where to find me...

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.

My Best Guide Trip Yet

M's first trip - 2013 (4 mos. old)

     A few months after my son, "M," was born, I was ready to get on the water. 2013 was a brutal winter and I had a pretty serious case of cabin fever. Even if it hadn't snowed so much, I just needed to get out of the house. Seeing how a newborn would be confined to his carrier, I figured a quick fishing trip might be possible. I timed it for the Quill Gordon hatch on a local river. 

     Things didn't go according to plan. As a baby, M demanded to be held and walked around almost all the time. It was exhausting. I thought he might be distracted enough by the sights and sounds of nature for me to catch a fish or two. I had only made a few casts before M cried. He didn't want to be in the carrier. He wanted to be held, just like at home. So much for my brilliant plan. 

    After the first trip, I decided to wait a bit before trying again. A few months later, a stroller trip to Connecticut's Salmon River ended pretty much the same way. After that, I decided to pull the plug on fishing with M in year one. In his second year, we made a couple successful trips to the Naugatuck, largely due to the novelty of a toddler carrier backpack. By the time M was old enough to run around, he had gotten sort of wild, that way little boys often do. He was too wild to bring fishing. It just wasn't enough action for him and it would have been dangerous to leave him on the bank. I fished on my own for the next two years. 

The apprentice

     This winter, four year old M developed an interest in fly tying. I showed him some basics and he soon asked, "Where are all of my tools?" I laughed, but he didn't let me off the hook. I had to get him his own set of tools. I had enough of the basics at home, but we made a special trip to UpCountry Sportfishing to fill his box with tools and some bargain bin materials. It was still too cold to fish, but the seed had been planted...

     ...Fast forward to last Friday. The weather had been warm enough to make a local Quill Gordon hatch a possibility. I had a much needed day off and had planned on fishing alone that day. However, my plans change suddenly,  as they often do. I called an audible and brought M back to the original river. We returned to the pool he last visited when he was four months old. I told M that I would do the casting and he would fight the fish, just like we had practiced in the basement two weeks prior (on the rod and reel he claimed were his). 

Fish on!

     As expected, there was a Quill Gordon hatch, albeit a light one. We hooked up on a cripple pattern, but lost the brown trout early in the fight. The other trout didn't have much interest in a dry fly, but they nipped at a sz. 14 Hare's Ear wet fly. It seemed too small, so I switched to a larger wet fly, a sz. 10 Leading Coachman. 

     Bingo! It wasn't long before we hooked up in the tail of the pool. I handed the rod to M. He reeled the wrong way at first, but got it right after I offered some expert advice. It wasn't long before I netted M's first trout, a nice little brookie. Unfortunately, the fish slipped out of my hand when I tried to take its picture. Shortly after the excitement of landing his first trout, M dropped my 20-compartment dry fly box into the river. I fished it out of the current with the tip of my rod. 

M's second trout

     After laying the fly box out to dry, we went back to it. It wasn't long before we hooked up again. After another urgent lesson in which direction to reel, M brought his second trout close, this time a little rainbow. After landing the first fish, M really wanted to net a fish himself. That wasn't going to happen, so I handed him the net with the rainbow in it. The fish kicked, startled M, and he dropped the net into the river. I jumped in after the net and the water went over my hip boots. Like my fly box, my right leg was totally soaked. It was a small price to pay for the memories. 

     We had to leave shortly thereafter, so we packed up and headed out. I took off my soaked socks and put on a pair of flip flops. After putting M in his car seat, I congratulated him on a job well done, catching two of the three species of local trout. He whined loudly,  "But I wanted to catch a brown trout, too!" 

The lucky fly, set aside for safe keeping

Deploying the Troops

Headed to the Queen of Rivers, Norway's Alta

     This coming August marks my tenth wedding anniversary. It has been a great ten years. I couldn't ask for a better wife. Due the milestone, I think I'll be on the outside looking in this salmon season.

     My favorite kind of fly tying is tying for a trip. If it's not for my own trip, second best is someone else's trip. After taking a fishing/tying break in January and February, I have been busy tying for anglers taking some interesting trips in 2018. Among the more interesting orders was a dozen Governors, headed for the big, powerful, early June salmon of Middle Camp's pools on the Cascapedia. Another few dozen are headed for the Rivers Tay, Spey, Nairn, and Ness in Scotland. I've  never fished in the UK, but would love to someday. 

Governors for outsized Cascapedia salmon

     The order that got me the most pumped was a dozen tubes, headed to Norway. There are many great Norwegian rivers, but none as revered as the River Alta, home of the world's largest strain of Atlantic salmon. While tying the other orders, I watched some Dave Chapelle specials and listened to a podcast about crime and corruption in Providence, RI (some familiar characters!). While tying Alta flies, I watched Alta videos. Sometimes I stopped tying to give the videos my full attention. I realized that it's a place I need to see at least once in my life.

    Fueled by over an hour of huge salmon videos, I marched into the room my wife was in and declared, "I'm going to start entering the Alta lottery. If I actually win water, I'll figure out what to do later. But I'm telling you right now, one day I'm going to say that I'm going to Norway. It might be next year. It might be fifteen years from now. But it will happen eventually. I have to fish this place before I die."

     She was sort of caught off guard by how abruptly I delivered my "serious" message, but she got it. I think she'd actually like to come along for that trip, which is great. I tried to pitch a tenth anniversary trip to Iceland, but she saw right through it. She knows next to nothing about fly fishing, but I think she understands how this river is different from all the rest. 

Willie Gunns, headed home to Scotland

     I'll probably be living vicariously through some of you guys this season, but that's okay. I still have to tie a bunch of Miramichi flies. It has been a few years since I was last there. Maybe I'll tie a few extra Undertakers and Butterflies for myself. Maybe I can sneak away for a quick trip if the opportunity presents itself...

Cockburn Shrimp for high water on the Miramichi

Boston Event: Sippin' Suds for Atlantic Salmon

click to enlarge

      A couple weeks ago, New England on the Fly's Ben Carmichael sent me a heads up about an upcoming event. I checked my calendar to make sure I don't have a gig on the evening of April 26. I do not, so I immediately purchased a ticket online.

     Some friends and I have causally talked about having a meet up of local Atlantic salmon anglers. Evidentially, we are not good enough organizers to make such a thing happen. Thank goodness guys like Ben Carmichael are! Ben mentioned that it will be a way to get hopeful and inexperienced Atlantic salmon anglers in the same room with experienced salmon anglers. 

     Recently, while I was talking with a friend of mine who is a very experienced fly fisherman, but new to Atlantic salmon fishing, we talked about conversations that happen between Atlantic salmon anglers. I mentioned how I noticed how Atlantic salmon fishers have their own unique "dialect" within the larger language of fly fishing. When salmon anglers get talking amongst a larger group of fly anglers, it doesn't take long before the Atlantic salmon guys and gals begin speaking in what sounds like a sort of "code" to everyone else. It can be hard to follow for those who have yet to participate in this branch of the sport. 

     The way I see it, Sippin' Suds for Atlantic Salmon is an event that was created to break down such walls. I have plenty of salmon fishing friends my age and younger, but most don't live in the U.S. Most of my American salmon fishing friends are older than I am. A lot of American anglers consider the Atlantic out-of-reach, either financially, in terms of proximity, or otherwise. Nothing could be further from the truth. An event such as this allows connections to be made and information to be passed along to the next generation of Atlantic salmon anglers. Let's face it, the Atlantic salmon needs as many advocates it can get. 

     If you are free, I encourage you to attend this event. I am very much looking forward to it. If you happen to go, I look forward to meeting you and talking salmon. 

"Sector E2" - A Painting by Val Kropiwnicki

A fish, a fly, a river, a run

     I have a basement music studio I use for practice, teaching, and rehearsals. It's a bigger room than what I need so, a few months ago, I decided to make it a more comfortable place to hang out. I added a couch, a chair, house plants, and a couple of tables. It's a great little spot to relax and listen to music. The walls were too bare, though. I have a painting and framed fly by my fishing buddy, visual artist Val Kropiwnicki, as well as some other decorative odds and ends. I felt like the room needed another big piece, so I called Val and asked him to paint something else for me. I described the scene to him in great detail and told him to interpret it however he wanted. 

     Val's summary of the work is far more to the point than was my description. He called the painting "Sector E2" and said it's about "A fish, a fly, a river, a run." Below is Val's process, followed by the finished painting. As you will see, there was some editing involved, which implies improvisation...perfect for a jazz musician's practice studio. 

(click images to enlarge and view as a slideshow)

     The image below is the completed painting as it hangs on my wall. It's hard to capture the detail in a small, crude picture. The texture can only be fully appreciated in person. The close-up scales of the salmon are incredible. While I enjoy more traditional pieces of angling art, this is not a traditional room, at least not in terms of its use. Val's "Sector E2" perfectly complements the attitude of the space it's in. 

Sector E2