ROAD TRIP

June 17, 2009 - In the event that your Quinnied or Swifted out, here are a few options that are certainly worth exploring. RI trout zealot, Tom Daniels, submitted the following report from southern New England. While we wouldn't consider them "after work" locations both watersheds can provide hours of amusement, particularly during the late spring and summer months.

"The Natchaug River in Eastford and Chaplin Connecticut, about 40 miles down Rt. 290/395 from the shop continues to provide excellent fishing although the levels are low. Nonetheless there are numerous deep holes and good riffles that hold fish throughout the season. Rain always helps to charge up this beauty, since springs and other natural flows are limited. We've seen a good caddis, sulphur a few gray drakes and of coarse, BWO hatches in recent days. This river is a CT trophy trout river with very good access, including a state park designated as a Trout Park. TU is active with a float-stocking program. There are about 8 miles of great water with 4 bridge crossings below the park."

Tom's view of the Farmington River…

"The Farmington… well you know the Farmy, simply great right now. Let me offer a tip on how to catch those hard-to-take holdovers based on experiences at both the Natchaug and the Farmington. At a personal favorite Farmington location on a recent Saturday (no one else in sight if you can believe that!), I encountered a bank feeding brown tucked inside some intervening current, a tricky drag situation. With caddis and sulphurs present in good numbers and rising fish, this was the fish I targeted as being worthwhile. I floated the caddis, sulphurs, even an ant over this fish to no avail. Over an hour's time, while the rises were infrequent, this fish was parked and not moving. Just before leaving the river, I tied on a gray soft hackle, dubbed body; size #16 greased up and in two casts landed a beautiful 19" female holdover brown. I took another, same size, earlier under the same scenario."

"This scenario has happened countless times locally and out west; fish refuse the match the hatch selections and fall for a softie greased and floated. If need be you can duck the soft hackle into the film, if the rise form looks like an emerger rise. The greased up soft hackles mimic so many cripples and stillborns that are prevalent on these insect rich waters. The body needs to be dubbed so it floats. Many soft hackles are tied with a tinsel body and are difficult to keep on top. In fact, I almost tied on a softie when rigging up before entering the river. As strictly a dry fly/emerger guy, if I had only one fly to tie on, it would be a soft hackle as described. Carry and try 'em on those selective fish during a strong natural hatch, especially in the slower, skinnier water of summer."

Good fishing and safe wading,
JB