When the water gets low, trout hold in deep pools—low water means warm water, which trout can't tolerate. As you might imagine, areas with deep spots get overrun with anglers.
In addition to low flows and warm water, many of the best stretches of trout streams in the eastern part of Connecticut have limited access. Because so much of the land near streams and rivers is privately-owned, anglers aren't admitted. For example, the best part of the Salmon River is the lower four miles—below the Trout Management Area—which requires an angler to hike quite a distance. In the same vein, the Quinebaug could be a great trout stream, but it's hard to access in its lower reaches. The Inland Fisheries Division works continuously to gain access by way of easements, rights of entry, and other forms of admittance. (Usually, access to streams by land purchases is financially out of the question.)
On the other hand, some of the best stretches of the Natchaug and Shetucket have acceptable access for most of their runs. By and large though, the trout streams of eastern Connecticut are a trickier lot, made challenging by their uncertain flows as a result of dry weather and dams at Scotland, Occum, Greenville, Danielson, Jewett City, Mansfield Hollow, West Thompson, and Willimantic. A couple of these dams are hydroelectric facilities made functional by the disgorgement of large amounts of water during times of peak electricity demand. The operation of these hydroelectric dams makes water flows uncertain and wading sometimes exceedingly treacherous.
Some of the smaller streams of eastern Connecticut stay cool enough to support trout almost year round, but the larger streams heat up too much in the summer to offer much sport. Still, the peculiarities of the trout streams east of the Connecticut River won't be a concern for the novice who sticks to the Trout Parks and Trout Management Areas.
Trout Parks
In Connecticut's new Trout Park system, eleven “fishing holes” have been set aside for beginners, where the odds of catching trout are somewhere between an ironclad promise and a mathematical certainty. You can practice wading, casting, and learn to let your leader roll over nicely to deliver the fly to the exact spot desired. When using a dry fly, these protected bodies of water are also an excellent place for you to learn what a “drag-free” presentation looks like. That knowledge will come in handy later. The creel limit is two trout a day—of any size. The Trout Parks are located in easily accessible areas and are heavily stocked on a weekly basis to enhance the fishing experience for children and families, as well as those with limited mobility. There is also ample parking at the Trout Parks. Here are Connecticut's eleven trout parks, by town:
Western Connecticut
Kent........Kent Falls State Park
Killingworth..Chatfield Hollow Pond
Monroe...........Great Hollow Pond (Wolfe Park)
Oxford........Southford Falls Trout Park
Simsbury..........Stratton Brook State Park
Wallingford......Wharton Brook State Park
Watertown......Black Rock State Park's Branch Brook
Eastern Connecticut
Colchester.....Day Pond
Eastford...........Natchaug River Trout Park
Norwich.........Spaulding Pond
Vernon............Valley Falls Pond
Trout Management Areas
After you've polished your casting skills and mastered the art of wading to the point where a trip to a serious trout stream would not be inherently dangerous, then and only then, would graduation to a Trout Management Area (TMA) be in order. The idea for Trout Management Areas in Connecticut was conceived a few decades ago. By conducting surveys from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s, the state firmed up a plan to stock the most desirable fish in these protected areas. The TMAs were instituted in 2001 and smaller creel limits and length requirements were adopted in order to ensure the viability of these unique areas.
Connecticut has fifteen Trout Management Areas: Naugatuck River, Bull's Bridge, Farmington River, Hammonasset River, Hockanum River, Housatonic River, Mianus River, Mill River, Moosup River, Pequabuck River, Salmon River, West Branch-Farmington River, William “Doc” Skerlick Saugatuck River, Willimantic River, and Yantic River.
These TMAs have various catch-and-release provisions, and generally have more fishing pressure than other areas. After you've fished the Trout Parks for a while, the TMAs are the perfect place for you to get some “on stream experience.” With their higher catch rates, they keep boredom at bay while skills are honed. The TMAs have area-specific regulations such as “fly fishing only” and “catch-and-release only.” (Go to the Connecticut DEP web site, found in the back of the book, for up-to-date information.)
Beyond the Trout Parks and the Trout Management Areas, there are hundreds of miles of rivers and streams in Connecticut for anglers to ply their trade. After practicing in the Trout Parks and TMAs, you'll acquire the skills to manage wilder areas and can branch out. At that point, Sam Tippet's favorite fishing holes—mentioned throughout this book—may be of use.
There's generally good trout fishing above and below these TMAs too, although fishing season regulations apply. Catch-and-release TMAs can usually be fished all year round Hearty folks fish them even in January, but when the water temperatures get below 45—50 degrees, trout get sluggish and don't eat much. I prefer the warm-weather fishing.
Trout belong to the family Salmonidae whose members include Atlantic salmon, char, and whitefish. Members are commonly referred to as salmonids. The three most common trout—and the ones stocked in Connecticut—are rainbow, brown and brook trout. The rainbows spawn in the spring; the browns and brookies in the fall. Other fish that an angler will meet in the rivers and streams of the state include tiger trout (brown/brook hybrids that do not reproduce), and Atlantic salmon. However, this text is limited to the three trout most common in Connecticut's inland waters.
The brook trout is the only true native of the area, and is the most sought after of the three types of trout among long-time fly fishermen and fisherwomen. Thus, the expensive trips into northern Canada to catch native brookies or “squaretails.” Brookies have long streamlined bodies and a rather large mouth that extends beyond the eye. They have a silvery white belly, sides of olive-green or blue-gray, and thoroughly unique worm-like markings along their backs and on their dorsal fin. Brook trout require cool, clear, stream-fed pools.
The rainbows are the most beautiful of the three species. Their body color is dark olive or blue-green on the back, blending into a silvery blue on the underside. Reddish-pink to light tan stripes and spots run down their sides, and an eerie sheen of mother-of-pearl helps to correctly identify this fish. Rainbows range in size from nine to eighteen inches in Connecticut waters. They are ravenous eaters and have been known to eat shiners—small silvery minnows— up to a third of their length.
Brown trout (German brown trout) have large black, and sometimes reddish-orange spots on the upper half of their torsos. A pale border of silvery brown borders their lower sections, and they often present a white belly. However, brown trout colors range quite a bit more widely than those of brookies and rainbows. Generally speaking, if you catch a trout and don't see worm-like markings on its upper surfaces or reddish-pink stripes down its sides, what you have is a brown trout.
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