Housatonic Fly Fishermen's Association
A Connecticut Fishermen's Club
Housatonic Fly Fisherman’s Association
Annual Dinner Meeting
Sunday, March 24, 2019
Il Monticello, Meriden, CT
1 – 4 pm
Appetizers, Buffet Dinner, Soda, Coffee & Dessert
Cash Bar
$45/person in advance
$50/person at the door
Presentation by noted CT Guide & Author, Ron Merly
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
The monthly meeting of the Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association will be held on Thursday, March 7 at 7:00PM at the St Paul’s Episcopal Church, 65 North Main Street, Wallingford, CT. The speaker for our March 7 meeting is Ben Bilello. He is an accomplished fly tier who specializes in Salmon flies & how to fish them. His focus is the unique Salmon fishery here in Connecticut where he also offers Connecticut Salmon Guide services. His presentation is Traditional Techniques for Broodstock Atlantic Salmon.
The HFFA is dedicated to preserving and protecting the Housatonic River as well as furthering the sport of fly fishing. Monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month from September through June. Meetings include featured speakers on various fly fishing subjects, fresh- and saltwater fly tying demonstrations, as well as door prizes. The meeting is free and open to the public. Membership applications will be available for those that want to join the HFFA. Refreshments will be served.
Submitted on behalf of the HFFA by:
Sam D’Ambruoso
Attention: Editors:
Please use the picture of the speaker in your release. Thanks.
65 N. Main St., WALLINGFORD, CT.
(Go to HFFA Facebook Page for more info)
FLY FISHING & TYING ACTIVITIES
“How to tie your own furled leaders.” By Mike Shannon 11:00 a.m.
“Fly Fishing the Cape – revised for 2019” By Paul Dinice 12:15 p.m.
HFFA Members will be on-hand to tie many of the best patterns used on the upper and lower Hous. Your welcome to bring your vice and tie with them.
FLY TYING DEMONSTRATIONS !
TYING MATERIALS PROVIDED FREE !
TIE YOUR FIRST SALT OR FRESH WATER FLY !
TIE THAT FLY PATTERN YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO LEARN !
SOME OF THE BEST TYERS AND FISHERMEN IN THE STATE WILL BE IN ATTENDANCE TO ANSWER ANY ?’S YOU MIGHT HAVE !
For more info call Paul Dinice at 203 305-3850 or email at pdinice@frontier.com .
-Including Dan Trela/Trela Rods & Nick Masi/Nick Masi Enterprises.
Upper Housatonic – The Hous is flowing a little over 200 c.f.s at the moment. That could change drastically today or tomorrow depending upon how much rain upper CT & MA will be getting with predicted thunderstorms. With higher temps & humidity also predicted, the water temperature will rise to levels that it’s best not to fish for trout. The good news is it’s prime ‘smally’ time on the river. In the early morning hours & at dusk, try using surface flies like gurglers and deer hair patterns. If you have to fish during high sun hours, use some gaudy & obnoxious streamers (I love using some with rubber legs), brightly colored deer hair patterns, as well as crayfish patterns (brown wooly buggers will work). This weekend I received reports that the small mouth fishing was excellent. If you do happen to hook a trout I recommend not taking it out of the water. You should be using a much heavier leader/tippet for bass, so horse those trout in a.s.a.p. Remember, it’s that time of the year that you must stay away from the thermal refuges. With water levels down it’s a great time to explore and investigate trout holes that you will be fishing in the fall. It’s also a great time to take kids and ‘newbees’ fly fishing with small mouth readily taking offerings. Don’t forget to pack up plenty of water on these warm & humid days.
Farmington River – Perhaps more than any other time of year, right now there is the most insect activity on Farmy. Sulfurs, olives, caddis, terrestrials, and iso’s are all over the river. It’s a trout ‘all you can eat buffet’. One of my favorite bugs to look for is the isonychia. It’s a bigger fly and the fish love to gobble them, especially in the faster water. If I’m nymphing I usually go to smaller sized patterns at this time of year. You can’t beat small pheasant tail type patterns. If you have never fished a ‘perdigon nymph’, do so! It’s become one of my ‘go to’ patterns. Simple to tie and it gets down fast. If it rains today or tomorrow, the ‘next’ day I’ve found that between now and September, there is a good possibility of an ant hatch. In recent years, one of the flies I’ve started to fish on the Farmington are big oversized foam flies like the ‘Moodah Poodah’. Sometimes fish just can’t resist such a big meal. A high floating pattern like that is also great to use with a small nymph dropper.
Lower Housatonic – Unfortunately the ‘doldrums of summer’ sums up how the lower Hous is fishing. You can still catch fish at the mouth but it’s a must that you fish between dusk to dawn. If you have a boat, travel a little outside the mouth to the rip on the Stratford side or the back side of Charles Island. Some boaters fishing chunks have done well in those two places. Sometimes the blue fish turn on this time of year, but nothing to report on that other than a few spotty hook ups.
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The Bend of River by Sam D’Ambruoso |
Hi All, here’s a little delayed Cape Cod report……..I was on the Cape from Wednesday May 2 to this past Sunday May 6…….the fishing was poor to fair……….things are 2 weeks behind there……….. I fished all over the place………I averaged 2-3 fish per outing…….fished 2-3 times a day ……..1-3 hours at a clip………had a 12 fish afternoon in Cotuit with the largest fish being 25”………….also got skunked on Saturday when I thought the fish would turn on with the warmer weather……things should be different when I return next week………I know at least a couple worm hatches will be happening……..also this year for the first time I’m entered in the Cheeky Tourney with Bear Cochrane…….other friends in it too……..the past 4-5 years I’ve been giving away 30-40 flies to participants and copies of my guide too……..anyway finally decided to participate in it since I kinda did anyway………..even though the fishing was off I had a blast fishing with friends, talking stripers, and eating primo seafood……..I hope to have better luck next week……….tight lines…….. Paul ps……..I’ll have a local report in a day or two……..the lower Hous is still hot !
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