Fish On

Been filming with JaJ Photography past few days during some serious fishing. Here are just a couple fish caught during the session. Should have some unreal footage out in next week or so. In the mean time check out jajphotography.wordpress.com. 

This brown ate a size 19 midge. Amazing to witness how well browns can see in the dark.

A healthy holdover 

Another beautiful blue headed brown. 

Into the Wild

A Croton Watershed Wild Trout

Trout Bummin'

Trout and their Food: Caddis larvae

With the recent rain the rivers are in excellent shape. Many of their residents are honing in on green caddis larvae. Be sure to check the banks and under rocks for what types of insects are hanging on.  Predicting a hatch is half the fun. 

Hook: Tiemco 2457 16. Tungsteen 1/8" Tungsten Bead. Ultra Wire

Hare's Wiggle Dub (Olive) 

Grizzly Hackle Ultra Light 

Make sure you cement your thread. Trout do have teeth! 

Blue Back Herring on the Spawn

The herring are returning to their natal streams in Connecticut. The migration is ancient and thanks to the recent installment of fish ladders, these historic creatures can do what their ancestors have done for thousands of years.

Rivers are up and so is the fishing!

With the recent down pour the rivers are back in good health. The Croton Watershed is producing a lot of big brown trout activity. Here is a fun flats fishing video filmed this past weekend down in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Enjoy and get out there! 

Filmed a bit on the river today as well. Will put up some footage tomorrow of some lunkers pulling through log jams.

Fresh to Salt

Trout Food

Massive 24-5 "male brown between tree branches

Caribbean in the morning! 

Schoolie Stripers are here!

Many striped bass have migrated home to the western sound. Look for them in the shallow sections of harbors on an incoming tide. Scout out a mud flat at a dead low tide and look for the mini channels. The channel might only be a few inches deeper then the flat. These are the highways you want to focus on. Shrimp patterns, sand eels, and white clouser minnows.

Pulled the tarp off the craft today. Ready to get her back in the salt!

Heading down to Caribbean on Friday...Tied up a few Peterson Spawning Shrimp to see the job done. 

A new unproven pattern.

Flies that make trout bug out

Farmington River on a Saturday

Got out on the Farmington River yesterday with a big group. When trout fishing it is best to fish solo or team up with another. Certain rivers however this might not be the case. Big and productive rivers tend to attract a lot of foot traffic (especially on the weekends). In times like these it can be more rewarding to dog team a hole or run. If your going to be fishing with a crowd why not bring your own? 

Massive Stonefly

Prey for Rain!

Well its official. Rivers are drying up pushing the big fish into deep and slow moving pools. We worked a 23-4 inch brown today for about an hour in some slow moving water. Couldn't get him to eat. Same with a 19 inch or so rainbow. Keep your fingers crossed with the weather. 

Massive Lake Run Browns

Had an epic day on the river today. Sight fished into a male brown that was in the 27 inch range. Sneaking up on this fish I thought it was a sucker or carp.  The fish was just massive. The plan of attack was a high stick from a 5 foot cliff. There were 4 other beautiful hens sitting along side the beast. With the sun being at my back and a few spotty clouds going by the timing was crucial to sneak up and high stick these fish. The cloud intervals were in the 30-60 sec. range. Without their cover I would have spooked the lie in no time. Jumping back and forth between sun and cloud I spent around 2 hours sifting through my fly box. Long story short I hooked the bruisers little sister. Still a beautiful fish that put up a heck of a fight through a never ending log jam maze. The hook set and jump off the cliff was exhilarating. 

My spooky shadow 

Picture taken where she was netted. Hooked her off cliff across river! 

Some more fishy water

April 11 Tips and Tricks

Midge hatch 

Blue Headed Brown 

 Still preying for rain. On the upside, the sight fishing has been on fire with the low flows. There are some big fish out there right now. This afternoon I was hung up on one in the 20 inch range for a few minutes until my micro midge pattern became unbuttoned.  Managed to hook and land a mini football. 

  Since some of the rivers have just turned off I thought I'd profess a few productive thoughts on the days fishing. 

1.) When you can...go out of your way and utilize a high bank to scan a lie. Even if you cannot see the fish you can take note of the multiple micro currents within the layered depth and flow.  

2.) If there is cell service and you have a smart phone...Check the rivers' flow periodically through out the day. Pull up the USGS flow monitor and click refresh. You will begin to learn a lot on how the fish react to certain flows and conditions.  

3.)It is important to recognize a clean drift and be cognizant on how your fly or flies hit the water in relation to your fly line or indicator. If your fly is remotely up river or to the side of the fly line (when nymphing) then your drift will more often then not be doomed from the start.

4.) Wear colors that have the appearance of the background being fished. Especially with this low water. 

5.) Hook set on anything and everything...the takes have been light! 

6.) Put pressure on a fish through the upper portion and tip of the fly rod. Unlike saltwater you do not want to emphasize the weight on the butt section. Do Not Point Rod! The current will pop the fly out in a blink of an eye. Especially with tiny flies.  

7.) Do not ignore the midge hatch. There are various insects flying within the spring air. However, the midge hatches have been productive. Yes winter is over but big fish will eat small flies. 

Sucker spawning bed: Look closer...

  

Flows are Dropping

 A beautiful Yellowstone Brown caught last week by Jack Hahn.

Within the past 24 hours the flows have gone low. The big wild fish have pushed back into the reservoirs. All I can say is prey for rain!

Croton Watershed Brown Trout

The fishing in the Croton Watershed is currently as good as it gets. The rivers are stocked and big fish are coming out of the lake. Some being wild! Many of these fish are incredibly fat (not so much pictured above). I believe there is a good chance that the trout have engorged themselves on alewives. The minnows are susceptible to rapid drops in water temperature which more often then not leads to a die-off. With such a mild winter I do not believe that this was the case. Still one way or another I think these fish have died resulting in the lake trout engorging themselves before they entered the river this winter.

Czech Nymphing: Improve your catch rate

Home sweet home. After a few months in the caribbean and a week out in Montana it is good to finally be back on the right coast. With spring in the air the bugs are hatching left and right.  Hendricksons, Olives, Midges, Caddis, and Quill Gordons are everywhere.

After fishing for 3 months straight I naturally had to get the feet wet today within the Croton Watershed. I spent the morning sniffing for carp only to find them uninterested and in spawn mode. The afternoon however, I got into some serious trout fishing. Once in trout mode I commenced my plan of attack using conventional methods. The fish were everywhere but on the end of my line. In fishing it is important to be open to a new game plan. Most of the time (not always) it is also imperative to keep changing ones rig, casting position, flies, and so forth. Today I did just this. I threw on a 25 foot leader and began Czech nymphing. After the first 10 minutes I had caught 4 fish. 

A Montana Brown

Czech nymphing when executed properly is deadly. Pure and simple. The Czech nymphing attack occurs within a close proximity of the angler, usually no more then 5 yards. Allowing one to create a drag free drift. More often then not I find myself on my knees so wearing knee pads can be useful. Think of a heron or egret hunt and stalk its prey with a stealthy low profile. The plan of attack is quite similar. Fish are more often then not caught right under the rod tip. To commence the attack it is important to take your time getting into position in a low and quiet manner, since the fish are close at hand. When in position throw a lob or roll cast 5 or so yards up stream. With the fly in the water high stick the rod in motion with the fly going down stream. Tracking with the fly downstream one steadily dips the rod to maintain a drag free drift. It is important to keep the leader taunt and at a 90 degree angle to the water. That way one can maintain a solid connection with the fly. Using a 20 foot leader can be crucial. The rod is literally tracking over the fish more often then not, any fly line hanging over the water or within the guides can spook the fish.  The bare rod tip will blend in with any branches. I find it useful to use a light fly rod since the never ending high stick method is tough on the shoulder. A 10 foot rod can be ideal. For those new to the method I recommend using an indicator of some sort. Without the indicator one must focus his or her eyes on the leader or fish. Any abrupt change in the leaders' motion will suggest a strike. When delivered properly the Czech nymphing technique creates a drag free drift. Mastering the technique WILL improve and probably double your catch rate.