Housy holdover browns?

[Magnet]

Just curious, anyone catch a brown larger than 12 inches on the Housatonic this year? I havent. Plenty of rainbows in the 14 to 17 inch catagory but those are mainly in a few certain areas. Im talkin hold over browns. Where they be? At the Farmington on Saturday morning in a 100 yard stretch of a riffle in the TMA I caught and released 3 gorgeous browns in the 16 to 18 inch catagory and hooked and lost another which I got close enough so I could see what a quality fish it was. I left the Farmington in the afternoon to try the Housatonic because I saw on a local web site that the big browns are back over there. I'm not seeing it. Anyone else have any success with larger browns? I mean there are plenty of "hook and strip em in" size browns but that is not what I was expecting after reading that web site.

[frankm205]

I was there today in the upper tma and managed 2 browns about 12-14 inches and 3 bows around the same size. Even managed a small bass!! Go figure! We did get some larger browns around 16 inches or so over the winter months on indis. So far this spring I have to agree with you I haven't seen any browns over 14 inches or so.

[stonefly21]

I want to catch a few of the rainbow trout. Bought the raffle ticket where are these fish?

[Magnet]

Stonefly21,

I'm sure the store where you bought the raffle ticket should be happy to help you find some rainbow action. After all, the proceeds from your raffle ticket goes toward the rainbow stocking and you should have knowlege of where they put them. I dont think they can help us find any large browns though

[jovalle]

The stockies are a nuisance until they wise up to getting yanked around by their lips. I actually got my first holdover since stocking this weekend, and he was in a prime lie surrounded by a bunch of over aggressive little guys. I think the key to getting the holdovers it to nymph the prime lies, despite the rising fish. Streamers at dusk work too.

The rainbows tend to sit in the faster water. There is one hole in some very fast water in the upper TMA that always yields a football or two, which is even better because of the speed of surrounding water. You need 4x on those pigs though, once their fat bellies get broadside to the current they can snap you off quickly.

[Troutastic]

Cars Pool, the lower part where the river bends and starts to get into some rapids. A couple deeper ruts there, chuck a streamer with some sinking line and I'm sure you'll pull a couple out of there.

[stonefly21]

I wish I could get some specifics on where these rainbows are? Are they put in places where mostly the guides access them with boats? If that is the case thats not in the spirit of the fund raising raffle. I would like to catch a few.

[Magnet]

Stonefly21,
If the shop doesn't help you just keep putting your time in over there and talk to other fishermen. If we mention specific spots on a forum like this there will be a hundred guys there next time you go and you wouldn't like that I'm sure. As for that shop, they have a very nice guy who happens to work behind the counter. I know he will help you find the bows. Beyond that I don't know as I don't use the place. But thats just me.

[castmaster]

Some of the bows are at push em up which is above the covered bridge off that dirt road. But if you notice, a lot of times you will see the drift boats stop for the longest time at the next pool above pushemup around the bend. So I tried it one day up there and low and behold it was loaded with them.

[Magnet]

At this point they must be spreading out. They are not concentrated like when they first put them in I'm sure.