Friday's fishing report
Published: 12:47 a.m., Friday, April 2, 2010
Having learned a hard lesson in 2007 when flooding rivers washed thousands of recently stocked trout down rivers and over dams into Long island Sound, the Department of Environmental Protection Inland Fishing Division has adjusted its spring stocking program. Connecticut Post capitol reporter Ken Dixon reported on the stocking schedule changes in Thursday's edition. An excerpt of his story:
Unlike flooding in 2007, which swept away thousands of fish in the days just before the mid-April start of the trout season, this year's high water is more than two weeks in advance of the season's opening day on April 17.
Bob Orciari, a DEP fishery biologist in the agency's Harwinton office, said Wednesday that ponds and lakes have gotten the bulk of deliveries from the state's three hatcheries. Rivers and streams will get their share of the 400,000 fish as the recent floodwaters subside over the next couple of weeks.
About 117,600 brookies, browns, tigers and rainbows have already gone into inland state waters. By opening day 63,600 brook trout, 200,000 brown trout, 8,000 tiger trout hybrids, 115,000 rainbows and 2,800 surplus broodstock will have been dumped in the state's lakes and ponds and 200 rivers and streams, including.
Southwestern Connecticut ponds that were moved up in the stocking schedule include Bunnell's Pond in Bridgeport and Great Hollow Pond in Monroe. Orciari said he is confident that all Fairfield County rivers and streams will be fully stocked on Opening Day. They include the Mianus River in Stamford, the Saugatuck River fly-only area in Westport and the Mill River in Fairfield.
SALTWATER
Striped bass: The hordes of school stripers that typically arrive in the Housatonic River at this time of year seem to be ignoring the billions of gallons of fresh water that has sent many of the state rivers out of their banks. Reports are "the fish are on the feed in all parts of the river" from Short Beach in Stratford to Sullivan's Island in Shelton. Anglers who ventured out Thursday as the storm abated reported catches (and returns) of 50-plus fish. Most were casting white rubber shad artificials, while the fly casters threw weighted flies, including chartreuse Clouser flies. The heavy runoff in the rivers' tributaries has likely washed thousands of small shad downstream and over the dams, and the stripers are taking advantage of the feast.
The Saugatuck River in Westport and Holly Pond and Scott Cove in Darien have also seen an influx of small striped bass.
Blackfish: The blackfish season has been open for a few weeks, but has yet to really kick in. Anglers who have tried the usually productive Milford breakwater have so far come up empty. Jason Jadach at Bobby J's in Milford thinks it will be another week before blackfish get really hungry and start to hit worms and crabs on the bottom.
-- Charles Walsh
Published: 12:47 a.m., Friday, April 2, 2010
Having learned a hard lesson in 2007 when flooding rivers washed thousands of recently stocked trout down rivers and over dams into Long island Sound, the Department of Environmental Protection Inland Fishing Division has adjusted its spring stocking program. Connecticut Post capitol reporter Ken Dixon reported on the stocking schedule changes in Thursday's edition. An excerpt of his story:
Unlike flooding in 2007, which swept away thousands of fish in the days just before the mid-April start of the trout season, this year's high water is more than two weeks in advance of the season's opening day on April 17.
Bob Orciari, a DEP fishery biologist in the agency's Harwinton office, said Wednesday that ponds and lakes have gotten the bulk of deliveries from the state's three hatcheries. Rivers and streams will get their share of the 400,000 fish as the recent floodwaters subside over the next couple of weeks.
About 117,600 brookies, browns, tigers and rainbows have already gone into inland state waters. By opening day 63,600 brook trout, 200,000 brown trout, 8,000 tiger trout hybrids, 115,000 rainbows and 2,800 surplus broodstock will have been dumped in the state's lakes and ponds and 200 rivers and streams, including.
Southwestern Connecticut ponds that were moved up in the stocking schedule include Bunnell's Pond in Bridgeport and Great Hollow Pond in Monroe. Orciari said he is confident that all Fairfield County rivers and streams will be fully stocked on Opening Day. They include the Mianus River in Stamford, the Saugatuck River fly-only area in Westport and the Mill River in Fairfield.
SALTWATER
Striped bass: The hordes of school stripers that typically arrive in the Housatonic River at this time of year seem to be ignoring the billions of gallons of fresh water that has sent many of the state rivers out of their banks. Reports are "the fish are on the feed in all parts of the river" from Short Beach in Stratford to Sullivan's Island in Shelton. Anglers who ventured out Thursday as the storm abated reported catches (and returns) of 50-plus fish. Most were casting white rubber shad artificials, while the fly casters threw weighted flies, including chartreuse Clouser flies. The heavy runoff in the rivers' tributaries has likely washed thousands of small shad downstream and over the dams, and the stripers are taking advantage of the feast.
The Saugatuck River in Westport and Holly Pond and Scott Cove in Darien have also seen an influx of small striped bass.
Blackfish: The blackfish season has been open for a few weeks, but has yet to really kick in. Anglers who have tried the usually productive Milford breakwater have so far come up empty. Jason Jadach at Bobby J's in Milford thinks it will be another week before blackfish get really hungry and start to hit worms and crabs on the bottom.
-- Charles Walsh