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

Weekly report and newsletter

this time of year the small grey caddis & green caddis will hatch sporadically throughout the day. When this happens the best way to fish is using a small grey or light green wet fly or soft hackle fished on the swing. If you see bulges use an unweighted fly swing it to the area were the bulge was. If the fish are not showing swing the fly into tail outs. At the end of the drift use a little rise of the rod tip to get the fish to take.

Report

Natchaug:

Flow is at 117 CFS (normal), water clear

Water temps are 50 degrees in the Am rising to about 55 at 3 Pm.

Right now there are black and brown stones sz 16-18, Hendricksons (pink sz 12, sz 14 red quills)with small black caddis sz 18.

Willimantic:

flow is at 216 CFS ( normal), water is clear

water temps are 50 in the morning rising to about 55 at 3 PM

small stones black and sz 16-18, with some small midges, Hendricksons and a few quill Gordon’s,  with little black caddis mixed as well.

Mount Hope:

Flow is at 48 CFS , water is clear

Water temps are 50 am to about 53 PM

Small stones and some small grey caddis. Hendricksons, look for small black caddis as well.

Fenton:

Flow is at 33 CFS , water is clear

Water temps 50 am to almost 54 in pm

Should have decent stones egg laying about now. Hendricksons, gray caddis, look for spinners in the afternoon.

Shetucket:

Flow is at 849 CFS (this is about the limit of fishable high water)

Temps are 50 to 56 flow is clearing

Should see some decent grey caddis sz 16 -18, small stones

Salmon:

Flow is at 193 CFS, flow is clear

Water temps are 49 in the am going up to 56 in pm

Some caddis and yes Pat S there Hendricksons in the river now.

What to use:

As always buggers sz 8-10 in black, olive or a thin mint will work well. Small stone fly imitations in sz 16-18 to match the hatching stones ( dark brown/ black) . also try small dark wet flies later in the afternoon fished just under the surface upstream, this imitates the drown egg laying stones. 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. For quill Gordons use a Quill Gordon Wet instead of regular dry. The Epeorus nymphs actually shed their shuck on the bottom and rise as an almost fully formed adult. Warmer day they will only sit for a short time then take off so the wet fly swung to bulging trout works wonders. For the Hendricksons remember the male and female look completely different. Makes are a full hook size smaller (14) and reddish brown, female is size 12 and a pinkish /tan color. The males usually hatch first then the females will come off. Try a red quill parachute early the switch to a female colored dry once that stops working. With almost a week o emergence we will also see the spinner fall later in the afternoon, look for lazy rolling rises and hit them with a sz 12 rusty spinner.  

Shop droppings:

We have some nice used rods for sale 11’6” 6 wt. Two hander , Greys 9’ 4wt StreamFlex, TFO pro 9’6” 5wt. with prism reel and Airflo line. A couple of bamboo rods and several 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. Stop in and check them out.

Tight lines,

Steve’O