Choice of colors Forest green or Safari tan.

Can be purchased at monthly meeting

Our Connecticut Trout Unlimited council has launched a website aimed at helping bring our chapters together statewide. The web site has a large amount of information and links to each chapter in the state. Take a look, it is well worth it.

CT RECORD FISH & TROPHY AWARD PROGRAMS of 2006

By Bob Gregorski

As the freshwater and saltwater seasons get humming,
here are some reasons to get motivated for those seasons. Here's what happened last year in Connecticut waters that was reported. Some of trophy-size fish that were caught were not reported for a variety of reasons.

Inland and saltwater anglers reeled in lots of trophy fish in 2006 and set two new state records. These were fish that anglers applied for and received trophy status from the DEP Fisheries Division. Some anglers who caught trophy size fish did not apply for awards. Here's a summary of the new records and Trophy Awards for Inland Waters and Saltwater.

Inland: No new state fishery records were established in 2006. In 2005 there was one, and 168 Trophy Awards for 14 species of fish were granted. Brown trout and rainbow trout had the most awards with 43 and 32 respectively. In 2006, there were 166 awards for 14 species. There were awards for 31 channel catfish and 28 each for brown and rainbow trout. The Inland total was 168 awards for 14 species of fish.

The following are the heaviest fish caught for the five most numerous awarded species, its weight, location and angler. Channel Catfish 10.0 lbs CT River Windsor (a tie) by Brian Bari and Ron Barbour; Brown Trout, 13.0 lbs. Saugatuck Reservoir by Albert Tirnadi, Jr.; Rainbow Trout 8.6 lbs. Mansfield Hollow Reservoir by Joe Walsh; Largemouth Bass 8.0 lbs. Lake Pocotopaug by William Shaw and Northern Pike 22.2 lbs. Mansfield Hollow Reservoir by Dan Southwick. Note: The heaviest Award Fish caught was 25.0-pound Carp in the Housatonic River in Canaan by Dave Jones.

Saltwater: Two new saltwater state fishery records
were established in 2006; Inshore Species -- Summer
Flounder 14.25 lbs. Fayerweather Island by Quinto
Fillippino and Exotic Species – Thresher Shark 467.0
lbs. Montauk Point by Mark Hiller. There were three
new records set in 2005.

There were 50 Marine Trophy Awards to 42 anglers; 10
summer flounder, 9 Blackfish, 7 Scup, 6 Black Sea
Bass, 6 Bluefish, 5 Striped Bass and 2 Weakfish.

Thanks to DEP Fisheries Biologists Dave Molnar and
Fisheries Secretary Madeline Ortiz who provided the
information.

According to the late Jim Moulton, who was Manager of
Inland Fisheries and deeply involved the Record and
Trophy programs, "The purpose of the TROPHY FISH AWARD PROGRAM is to recognize and to reward angling skill and to maintain a listing of Connecticut record fish. The TFAP is not a fishing contest." The freshwater and the saltwater programs started in 1963 and 1983 respectively.
Note--the length of the fish isn't a factor.

The Trophy Fish Award Program has issued about 7,000
certificates and pins. That has made a lot of anglers happy. The Connecticut Fisheries Division evaluates its programs annually and makes changes to improve them. I'll be looking for the listing of your catch and a picture of you and your trophy on the "WALL OF FAME" at the Quinebaug Valley Hatchery this time next year. Good fishing-