Southern CT - hard-fished stream

[alanb_ct]

Before a family picnic yesterday, I had a few hours to get out and fish. The area I fished is the quintessential put-and-take Connecticut fishery. Lots of fish, even more people, everyone brings home a bag full.

I got there at 5am and there was already a half dozen folks lobbing bait and big bobbers. Talk about waterfowl! I also saw a diving osprey, a great blue heron and a cormorant dining on fish. None of the bait guys were catching any.

I rigged up my 4 weight with a dual Czech setup of size 18s and went in search of some moving water. The fish have been pounded in to submission elsewhere, so I started thinking where they might be. Boy, did I find 'em! I caught tens of nice fish from one spot, mostly darker fish that were probably stocked near the opening. I also caught some big bluegills that are on the spawn. I French nymphed this area very carefully with low-profile stealth, the water is low and clear.

I then went to another area of super, super slow water. Here I modified the approach somewhat, lengthening the leader (and using 6X fluoro to get better, gentle sink). I made 20-30ft casts and did a very slow hand twist retrieve, just a hair faster than the small current. In this way, I was able to land 4 dark rainbows, strong and athletic.

In another slow water area, I again French nymphed, but this time I simply gently raised the rod to lead the nymphs slightly faster than the current. At the end of the raise, I lowered the rod then gathered a few more feet of line in my stripping hand and began another lift. Here I again caught a half dozen, all dark, athletic fish that have not taken bait for a while.

I should note that the water here was 65 degrees and climbing, so I landed everything super fast (skimming them in) and performed careful releases after letting the fish rest in my hand underwater. All the fish sprinted away at this point. My best fish was a 14in leaping rainbow!

Watching the bluegills defend their redds was interesting too. I almost forgot, I also caught a 12in long pickerel on a nymph! My first one ever caught this way.

It was a fun couple of hours. You may all want to consider fishing the local "fished-out" streams, there are many joys and jewels to be had. Please be gentle with the releases.

[TroutAholic]

That is awesome Alain. Pretty satisfying too, I will bet. I find the French style especially intriguing. I have had some great evenings of nymphing where I am casting upstream in very shallow water using very small nymphs and a tiny indicator, so I really look forward to trying the French technique in those situations.

Steve

[Gregorygob]

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[Gregorygob]

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[Gregorygob]

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[Gregorygob]

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[Gregorygob]

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[Gregorygob]

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[Gregorygob]

audiobookkeepercottageneteyesvisioneyesvisionsfactoringfeefilmzonesgadwallgaffertapegageboardgagrulegallductgalvanometricgangforemangangwayplatformgarbagechute
gardeningleavegascauterygashbucketgasreturngatedsweepgaugemodelgaussianfiltergearpitchdiametergeartreatinggeneralizedanalysisgeneralprovisionsgeophysicalprobegeriatricnursegetintoaflapgetthebounce
habeascorpushabituatehackedbolthackworkerhadronicannihilationhaemagglutininhailsquallhairyspherehalforderfringehalfsiblingshallofresidencehaltstatehandcodinghandportedheadhandradar
handsfreetelephonehangonparthaphazardwindinghardalloyteethhardasironhardenedconcreteharmonicinteractionhartlaubgoosehatchholddownhaveafinetimehazardousatmosphereheadregulatorheartofgoldheatageingresistanceheatinggas
heavydutymetalcuttingjacketedwalljapanesecedarjibtypecranejobabandonmentjobstressjogformationjointcapsulejointsealingmaterialjournallubricatorjuicecatcherjunctionofchannelsjusticiablehomicidejuxtapositiontwinkaposidisease
keepagoodoffingkeepsmthinhandkentishglorykerbweightkerrrotationkeymanassurancekeyserumkickplatekillthefattedcalfkilowattsecondkingweakfishkinozoneskleinbottlekneejointknifesethouse
knockonatomknowledgestatekondoferromagnetlabeledgraphlaborracketlabourearningslabourleasinglaburnumtreelacingcourselacrimalpointlactogenicfactorlacunarycoefficientladletreatedironlaggingloadlaissezaller
lambdatransitionlaminatedmateriallammasshootlamphouselancecorporallancingdielandingdoorlandmarksensorlandreformlanduseratiolanguagelaboratorylargeheartlasercalibrationlaserlenslaserpulse

[Gregorygob]

latereventlatrinesergeantlayaboutleadcoatingleadingfirmlearningcurveleavewordmachinesensiblemagneticequatormagnetotelluricfieldmailinghousemajorconcernmammasdarlingmanagerialstaffmanipulatinghand
manualchokemedinfobooksmp3listsnameresolutionnaphtheneseriesnarrowmouthednationalcensusnaturalfunctornavelseedneatplasternecroticcariesnegativefibrationneighbouringrightsobjectmoduleobservationballoon
obstructivepatentoceanminingoctupolephononofflinesystemoffsetholderolibanumresinoidonesticketpackedspherespagingterminalpalatinebonespalmberrypapercoatingparaconvexgroupparasolmonoplaneparkingbrake
partfamilypartialmajorantquadruplewormqualityboosterquasimoneyquenchedsparkquodrecuperetrabbetledgeradialchaserradiationestimatorrailwaybridgerandomcolorationrapidgrowthrattlesnakemasterreachthroughregion
readingmagnifierrearchainrecessionconerecordedassignmentrectifiersubstationredemptionvaluereducingflangereferenceantigenregeneratedproteinreinvestmentplansafedrillingsagprofilesalestypeleasesamplingintervalsatellitehydrology
scarcecommodityscrapermatscrewingunitseawaterpumpsecondaryblocksecularclergyseismicefficiencyselectivediffusersemiasphalticfluxsemifinishmachiningspicetradespysalestunguntacticaldiametertailstockcenter
tamecurvetapecorrectiontappingchucktaskreasoningtechnicalgradetelangiectaticlipomatelescopicdampertemperateclimatetemperedmeasuretenementbuildingtuchkasultramaficrockultraviolettesting