Publisher: Cathy Unger
Contributors: Dom Falcone, Bob Gregorski, Marty Petersen
April 6, 2011 at 7:00 PM in the Community Room at the, Naugatuck
Savings Bank, 87 Church St., Naugatuck, CT. Adam Franceschini will speak about the Housatonic River. For further information call Dom Falcone at 860-274-4103 or dafalcone@snet.net or visit www.tunaugpomp.org.
Adam Franceschini
Head Guide of Housatonic River Outfitters
Adam began guiding on the famed rivers of western Montana, where he quickly learned how to navigate a drift boat on big water. Since then, he has guided on the San Juan, where the well-known Baetis hatches helped him refine his sight nymphing skills, and the Amazon basin of Brazil, where he chased peacock bass on the fly. Adam is a year-round Professional Guide, and spends his summers guiding for Tikchik Narrows Lodge located in Bristol Bay Alaska. Over the past four years he has used his boat handling skills, as well as his excellent indicator nymphing techniques, to help him catch some of Alaska's massive leopard rainbow trout. This winter, Adam was named Head Guide at Housatonic River Outfitters. Growing up in just 15 miles from the Housatonic, Adam has fished much of the local waters. Guiding wading trips, drift boat trips, and instructing classes, Adam has made a home, once again guiding on the water he where learned to fish.
Notes from the President:
The first item is a River Clean Up on April 30th Linden Park Naugatuck. We will be providing coffee and doughnuts. The clean up starts at 8 am and it would be nice to see a large showing of members to clean up and do support items.
The next item is the River Fest and Race on May 7th in Beacon Falls. Chapter members are needed to help with a table and casting questions. We will be putting fliers on the table to promote the youth fishing derby to be held on May 14th at Hop Brook.
The Fishing Derby at Hop Brook is the 14th of May 8-10am. It will kick off a series of fly casting days for local youth to participate in from this date we will hold casting on the third Sunday of June, July and August more information will follow on this. We will have prizes and give aways for youth fishermen from ages up to 16. The lake will be stocked and we will have some refreshments.
Tight lines,
Glenn Lafreniere
THINGS TO DO WHEN FLIES WONT FLY
4-02-11 Rosce Chamber of Commerce is having a Season Opener at
Junction Pool .You can call the museum at 845-439-4810
April 2011 Bob Gregorski
The heavy rainy weather we have experienced lately spoiled on-ice sports including ice-boating, pond hockey, ice skating and ice fishing. Swollen rivers and streams made fishing impossible to fish and canoeing and kayaking dangerous. Melting snow and ice changed trail conditions to muddy and slippery. Think spring. Start preparing for favorable outdoor conditions for outdoor sports. Here’s some motivation for anglers. Think of catching trophy and new State Record fish.
The Annual Trophy Fish and Record Award program was established to recognize anglers for catching freshwater and saltwater fish of qualifying size. Anglers complete and submit an affidavit with an attached photo of their catch. The program has evolved in the years since its inception. There are now youth (anglers under the age of 16) and adult categories for both Catch-and-Release fishing and for those who harvest their catch.
In 2010, saltwater anglers received more awards than in most previous years. They established twelve new STATE RECORDS compared to six new in 2009.
A total of 81 awards were given to 54 anglers, 48 were men, 7 women and 10 in the Youth category. The top seven species and number of awards were: Fluke (Summer Flounder) 21, Scup (Porgy) 18, Striped Bass 9, Black Sea Bass 9, Tautog (Blackfish) 9,
(Oyster Toadfish) 6 and (Bluefish) 4. There were 79 Marine Water Trophy Awards in 2009 and 58 in 2008.
The new State Records are: New Species -- Jaan Kurisco, Banded Rudderfish, 0 lbs 9 oz (11”) caught at Pleasure Beach, Waterford on a silverside.
Catch & Release State Records -- New Species-- Larry E. Lainey, Atlantic Stingray
14 lbs 4 oz ( 36” ) New Haven using Squid; Jason Bradshaw, Black Sea Bass, 21'' Hatchett Reef, Squid; Fred Spadaccini, Bluefish (34.5 ”) Southwest Reef, Menhaden; George Fisher, Oyster Toadfish, 2 lbs 0 oz (14 '') Fish Island, Norwalk, Green Crab; Christopher McDowell, Striped, Bass, 47 lbs 0 oz (48 '') Valiant Rock, Eel;
Christopher McDowell, Summer Flounder, 7 lbs 0 oz (25.25 ” ) The Race, Bucktail Jig.
Youth State Records --Theresa Carlton, Porgy, 2 lbs 8 oz (15.5 ”), Kelsey Point, Frozen Squid; Kevin Fasulo, Summer Flounder, 9 lbs 15 oz (27.5 ” ) Fishers Island, Squid;
Amanda Wallace, Tautog, 4 lbs 15 oz ( 20 '') New Haven, Asian Shore Crab;
Bryan Bottone, Black Sea Bass, 3 lbs 15 oz (22 ''), Falkner Island, Squid;
Braeden Giller, Gray Triggerfish, 3 lbs 1 oz ( 18 ''), Niantic Bay, Squid.
Sixty three freshwater anglers received 152 Trophy Awards compared to 141 in 2009. There were no new State Records last year compared to one in 2009 and none in 2008.
The top seven species and (number of awards) for which Trophy Awards were given are: Channel Catfish (35), Rainbow Trout (28), Northern Pike (21), Walleye (16), Brown Trout (10), Bluegill (10) and Largemouth Bass (8). The largest of each species were: Channel Catfish (8.9 lbs), Rainbow Trout (9.6 lbs), Northern Pike (42.8”), Walleye (11.0 lbs), Brown Trout (9.2 lbs), Bluegill (1.2 lbs) and Largemouth Bass (24.4”).
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 is the measure in the Catch & Release section of the program. The Trophy Fish Award Program has issued more than 7,500 certificates and pins. That has made a lot of anglers happy.
Thanks to D.E.P. Fisheries Division personnel Bill Foreman and Dave Molnar who provided complete lists of Trophy Award winners. All 233 could not be printed in this column.
Fishing Guide
For anglers who are planning their fishing this season and looking for new waters to fish, here’s an excellent source for inland anglers being promoted by the CT DEP –
“A Pictorial Guide to Freshwater Fishes of Connecticut”. If you ever see or catch a fish that you couldn’t identify, this guide should help you identify it. It’s a valuable field guide. DEP staff Robert P. Jacobs and Eileen B. O’Donnell wrote the guide. It’s the first publication to present multiple, high resolution, full-color photos of most
New England and all Connecticut freshwater fish species, including all anadromous species and occasional visitors from salt water.
This guide and other environmental books and gifts are available at DEP Headquarters,
79 Elm Street, Hartford. Online orders may be placed by visiting: www.ctdepstore.com. Phone: (860) 424-3555, E-mail: dep.store@ct.gov, or visit www.ct.gov/dep.
April 2011 Bob Gregorski
Fishing Lines
If you haven’t started getting prepared for Opening Day of the freshwater season, or fishing the TMA’s or marine waters soon, here’s are a few suggestions about fishing lines
Fly lines should be cleaned before being dressed. Soaking a line in the kitchen sink in a bath of warm soapy water works. After a soaking, pull the line through a paper towel. The grime will show on the towel. Soak more if necessary. Then dress the line if needed.
Spinning, trolling and casting lines should be checked for strength. The covering on trolling lines should be checked for fraying and strength and wire lines for knots and kinks. Spinning and casting lines used for one season or more should be changed. To save money some anglers replace only the section that gets used and abused. However if you will be pursuing trophy-size fish it's a good practice to replace the entire line. Don't replace the line until the reel has been cleaned and lubricated. Fishing reels can be the most expensive piece of angling equipment that needs continual maintenance.
SPECIAL NOTICE TO ANGLERS AND HUNTERS:
During the 2010 session of the General Assembly, legislation was
approved and signed into law in April reducing many of the fees
for sportsmen’s licenses and permits. This was followed in
June by legislation authorizing a credit to be applied against the
fee for any 2011 sportsmen’s license, permit or tag when purchase
of a license, permit or tag had been made at the higher prices in
place between October 1, 2009 and April 14, 2010. The credit amount
will be the difference between the higher amount paid during that
time period and the amount set by the new fee structure established
April 14, 2010. For information about these credits, please visit
the DEP website license fees and credits page: www.ct.gov/dep/sportsmensfeereduction.
