Housatonic Fly Fishermen's Association

1961 Est.

Our Story

Guardians of the Housy
for Over Six Decades

Founded in 1961 as the Housatonic Fishermens Association, our organization was born from a fight — a battle to stop Route 7 from being widened into a highway that would have scarred the river valley forever. We retained legal counsel, filed suit against the State of Connecticut, and won. In winning, we helped secure the Housatonic's designation as the state's second Trout Management Area.

Today our members fish the entire river — from the Massachusetts border to where the Housatonic meets Long Island Sound at Milford and Stratford — pursuing trophy brown and rainbow trout in the upper TMAs as well as striped bass in the tidal estuary below.

We gather the first Thursday of every month from September through June: guest speakers, fly tying demonstrations, conservation reports, and the fellowship of people who share a deep passion for the art of fly fishing. Meetings are free and open to everyone.

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Monthly Meetings

First Thursday, Sept–June

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Conservation Work

Active river stewardship

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Fly Tying Demos

All skill levels welcome

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Open to the Public

No membership required to attend

Connecticut's Crown Jewel

The Housatonic River

Locals call it "the Housy." A Western-style fishery just two hours from Manhattan and Boston, the Housatonic flows through Litchfield County's limestone hills, producing extraordinary insect hatches and world-class trout — all within a stunning natural valley.

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Upper Trout Management Area

A legendary 10.4-mile catch-and-release stretch from Falls Village to the Route 4 bridge in Cornwall. The final three miles — Dun Rollin Pool to Route 4 — are fly-fishing-only water of rare quality.

📍 Falls Village → Cornwall Bridge

🎣 Last 3 mi: Fly Fishing Only

🐟 Brown & Rainbow Trout

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Lower Trout Management Area

Three miles of premier catch-and-release water from Bulls Bridge to Gaylordsville Bridge in Kent. Less pressured than the upper TMA and tucked against Route 7 through wild, scenic country.

📍 Bulls Bridge → Gaylordsville

🎣 Catch & Release Only

🐟 Brown Trout

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World-Class Hatches

Limestone-buffered water produces one of the richest insect larders in the Northeast. Prolific Caddis and Mayfly emergences from early spring through late fall keep experienced dry-fly anglers endlessly engaged.

🪰 Blue-Winged Olive & Hendrickson

🪰 Sulphur, Green Drake & Trico

🪰 October Caddis in the fall

On the Water

Watch the Housy

See why anglers call the Housatonic one of the top trout streams in America — stunning water, rich hatches, and wild fish.

Fly Fishing the Housatonic River in Cornwall, CT

Click to play

Fly Fishing the Housatonic River · Cornwall, Connecticut · Nymphing for Trout

Seasonal Fishing Guide

Hatch Chart

Plan your visit around the Housy's legendary insect hatches — one of the most productive calendars of any river in the Northeast.

Spring · Mar–May

Spring Awakenings

Hendrickson
Blue-Winged Olive
Quill Gordon
Early Black Stonefly
March Brown

Late Spring · May–Jun

Peak Season

Sulphur
Green Drake
Light Cahill
Caddis (Various)
Isonychia

Late Summer · Sep–Oct

Post-Closure Action

Trico (Morning Spinner)
Blue-Winged Olive
Flying Ant Hatch
Cranefly
Terrestrials

Fall · Oct–Nov

Autumn Finale

October Caddis
Blue-Winged Olive
Mahogany Dun
Midge
Little Black Stonefly

Seasonal Closure: To protect trout from thermal stress, fishing in the TMAs is prohibited from June 15 to September 15 each year. Please respect this regulation — it's why the Housy remains one of the finest wild-trout rivers in New England.

Calendar

Meetings
& Events

All meetings are free and open to the public. Come as a guest, meet our members, and experience the HFFA community firsthand — no membership required to attend.

General Membership Meetings

First Thursday of the month
September through June

Executive Board Meetings

Third Thursday of the month
September through June

Location

Wallingford, CT area
Check Facebook for current venue

Our Mission

Protecting the Housatonic
for Future Generations

Since our founding, the HFFA has been the Housatonic's most dedicated watchdog. We believe that excellent fly fishing and a healthy river ecosystem are inseparable — protect one and you protect the other.

Our conservation programs include annual fingerling stocking in TMA feeder streams each spring, collaborative water quality monitoring with Connecticut DEEP, and advocacy at the state and local level whenever the health of the river is at stake.

Every membership dollar and volunteer hour goes directly toward keeping the Housy one of the finest wild-trout rivers in the northeastern United States.

Support Our Work

Conservation Timeline

1961

Association Founded

Formed to fight a proposed Route 7 highway expansion that threatened to devastate the river valley and its fishery.

1965

TMA Victory

HFFA's legal campaign resulted in the Housatonic becoming Connecticut's second Trout Management Area — a landmark conservation win for the region.

Annual

Fingerling Stocking

Each March and April, members hand-stock juvenile trout in TMA feeder streams — a tradition that bolsters wild trout populations year after year.

Today

Ongoing Stewardship

Active partnerships with CT DEEP, Trout Unlimited, and the Housatonic Valley Association keep the Housy healthy for anglers and wildlife alike.

Join the Family

Become a Member

Your membership directly funds river conservation, legal advocacy, and the fly fishing community that has called the Housatonic home since 1961.

Individual

^$30

per year

✓ Monthly meeting access
✓ HFFA newsletter
✓ Conservation programs
✓ Fly tying evenings
✓ Member discounts

Join Now

Family

^$45

per year

✓ All household members
✓ Monthly meeting access
✓ HFFA newsletter
✓ Conservation programs
✓ Priority event access

Join Now

Life Member

^$300

one-time payment

✓ Lifetime membership
✓ All member benefits
✓ Newsletter recognition
✓ Legacy supporter status
✓ Full voting rights

Join Now

To apply, mail your name, address, and dues check payable to:

HFFA · P.O. Box 185092 · Hamden, CT 06518

Get in Touch

Contact the HFFA

Have questions about membership, meetings, or the river? Reach out — we love talking fly fishing.

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Mailing Address

P.O. Box 185092
Hamden, CT 06518

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Email

HousatonicFlyFishermen@gmail.com

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