Weekly report and newsletter

            RODs…….When you plan to try/buy a rod bring along your own reel with the line you plan to use and test cast them before you buy. If a shop hesitates or will not let you test cast a rod, find another shop. That is just good customer service. I look at rods as a tool to get a job done. A rod that works great for one situation will be useless in another. There are some all-around rods that are good at most stuff but don’t excel at any either. 9’ 9 weight is a good all-around saltwater rod a little heavy for some stuff and light for other but will work. As will an 8’ 6” 5 weight rod for fresh water. It may be a little light for bigger streamers and too large for some small midges. But will cover most of what you will be fishing. But remember if you plan to do any specialized fishing don’t be afraid to get the correct tool for the job, it will make it that much more fun. I have far more rods than I could use in any normal season. Many of those are dedicated solely for guiding, these guide rods have two important things they are easy to cast for any level of caster and they are constructed well. They are far from top of the line rods but they are also not entry level ones. My personal rods are all very different from these rods. While the rods I use for guiding all seem to be general in size & length, I have a tool crate of personal rods from 11’6” & 12 two handers down to a 6’6” fiberglass 5wt for small streams. I tend to be very specific when I am fishing, it may be 10’ nymph rod, slow action old style dry fly rod or an ultra-fast rod for casting heavy steelhead rigs. When it comes to rods they are a real personal choice of what or how we want to fish. At this point in fly fishing history we are lucky because we have the greatest choice of great rods from $100 to $1,500 rods in all sizes shapes and colors.

Report

Natchaug:

Flow is at  21 CFS (), water clear

Water temps are 65 degrees in the Am rising to about 70 at 3 Pm.

Right now there are small tan caddis sz 18, yellow sallies, mahogany quills(paraleps) sz. 18 , BWO sz 18.-20 and a few march browns sz 12-14

Willimantic:

flow is at 45 CFS (, water is clear

water temps are 65 in the morning rising to about 70 at 3 PM

 some small midges, small tan caddis sz 18, yellow sallies, mahogany quills(paraleps) sz. 18 , BWO sz 18.-20 and a few march browns sz 12-14

Mount Hope:

Flow is at 7.9 CFS , water is clear (I would skip fishing here if possible)

Water temps are 66 am to about 72 PM

 small tan caddis sz 18, yellow sallies, mahogany quills(paraleps) sz. 18 , BWO sz 18.-20 and a few march browns sz 12-14

Fenton:

Flow is at 5.1CFS , water is clear ( like above I would try someplace else)

Water temps 58 am to almost 63 in pm

Paraleps sz. 18, BWO sz 18,  gray caddis, look for egg layers in the afternoon.

Shetucket:

Flow is at 195 CFS )

Temps are 67to 72 flow is clearing

Should see some decent grey caddis sz 16 -18, BWO sz 18, tan caddis 18

Salmon:

Flow is at 31 CFS, flow is clear

Water temps are  67 in the am going up to 73 in pm

 there  tan caddis sz 18, paraleps sz 18.

What to use:

As always buggers sz 8-10 in black, olive or a thin mint will work well.  Streamers like 6-8 grey ghosts and black nose dace will work as well. Bow river buggers sz 6-8 will produce as well. For nymphs try black hares ears sz 14-16, Riffle stones sz 8 fished dead drift as always will take fish.  The mahogany duns use a small red quill sz.18 and a sz.18 rusty spinner. For the caddis hatch use a sparkle pupa fished in the surface film. For the BWO a sz. 18 dry will work great. March brown floating nymphs emergers are good sz 12, tan X caddis sz 16-18 BWO parachutes are working really well also sz 18-20

Shop droppings:

We have some nice used rods for sale 11’6” 6 wt. Two hander , TFO pro 9’6” 5wt. with prism reel and Airflo line. A couple of bamboo rods and several NEW Greys rods left 8’ 4wt, 8’6” 5 wt , 9’ 5wt , 9’ 6 wt in the GS 2 series, XF2 11’ 7wt, XF 2 6’6” 2wt, 9’ 8 and 9 wt. salt water rods. Hardy Zane  9’ 8wt XF 2 9’ 12wt Stop in and check them out.

Tight lines,

Steve’O