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Post by BambooMatt on May 7, 2005 15:20:13 GMT -5
5/7/05
The recent cold weather has put a damper on the strong spinnerfalls in the past few days, but Harold (owner of Housatonic River Outfitters) and I fished Thursday (May 5) evening and found an excellent rise of trout in the C&R area. Fish were still looking for the Hendrickson spinners even though there weren't too many on the water. We both caught some nice trout, but Harold got a beautiful fat 20" brown on a Dark Usual.
Green caddis pupae are becoming more active and a big hatch must be right around the corner. It can happen at any time of the day, but late afternoon is usually best. I'll be on the lookout with a flybox stuffed with various green caddis imitations: Beadhead pupae, Lafontaine deep sparkle pupae, Lafontaine emergent sparkle pupae, Henryville Specials and Matthew's X-Caddis (my favorite)
The colder cloudy weather has brought out some decent Blue-Winged-Olive hatches (#16-18) throughout the day and the trout are keying in on them sporadically.
Take advantage of the low water while you can. Water level in the Housatonic usually averages twice as much in April and early May making dry fly fishing very difficult. (for us and the fish) This has been an unusual blessing.
We're bound to get washed out or snowed upon any day now. Things are looking good around here for fishing, but we do need a little water for later in the spring.
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cgill
Full User
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Post by cgill on Jun 10, 2005 10:15:58 GMT -5
The water temps on the Housatonic have reached into the low 70's. It's probably time to fish elsewhere until the water cools down, at these temps it is unlikely any trout you release will survive.
We need some significant rain to cool things off and it looks like we're going to get it when the tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico makes its way up here next week.
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Post by ctroy36 on Jun 10, 2005 21:52:43 GMT -5
You're right about fishing somewhere else. Browns can barely survive in 70 degree water. They don't have to be caught and released to expire.
Summer time temps in the 70s were one of the reasons put forth by those folks who objected to establishing a catch-and-release fishery on the Housatonic.
That there were hold-over fish from last year's stocking has been attributed to last year's rainy summer which kept river temps from soaring.
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Post by BambooMatt on Jun 11, 2005 16:17:47 GMT -5
Deerfield, Farmington, Swift Rivers seem like the only ones that'll stand this kind of withering heat for so many days...but on the bright side, the presence of so many 20-22 inch browns and plenty of little guys (6-7 inches) in the Housy tells me that lots of these fish are able to find refuge year after year. Let's hope they do so and let's pray for rain and cooler weather soon!
I catch a few huge browns every summer while fishing for bass in slow, weedy warm water areas of the Housy, so hopefully the trout in the cooler stretches of the river can survive as well. We'll be watching the thermometer and hoping for the best.
If the water temp is above 70 or so, PLEASE DON'T FISH FOR THE TROUT!!
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Post by BambooMatt on Jun 18, 2005 15:50:09 GMT -5
Finally!
Cooler weather and a good rain has revived the river and the trout. Water temps are back down in the mid-60's after topping out near 80 last week!
Trout have abandoned the thermal refuge areas for the time being and have spread back out into the main river again. Fishing has picked up with sulfurs, cahills and tan caddis on the water now.
I had a client from New York on the water this morning (Saturday) for his first time fly fishing and he hooked a monster brown (about 22-24 inches) on his third cast!
What a fish.
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Post by ctroy36 on Jun 20, 2005 16:21:15 GMT -5
Fished the Housatonic in Lee this afternoon. Water temp in upper 60s. This section has lots of rifles and appears to be well oxygenated. Caught a couple of nice browns and several smallies. Fish were hanging in shaded parts of the river. Not much hatching, but then I prefer nymphing so nothing lost there.
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Post by ctroy36 on Jul 12, 2005 20:31:59 GMT -5
Stopped by the Housatonic in Lee for an hour or so this afternoon. Water temp in high 70s. River nearly normal height and running clear.
Smallmouths were occasionally grabbing sewing needles that touched down on the water. Caught a couple of smallies on weighted pheasant tail nymph.
Thunderstorm came and I left.
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Post by ctroy36 on Aug 23, 2005 18:30:40 GMT -5
Spent an hour or so on the Housy in Lee this afternoon. Water temps in mid-seventies. Smallmouths were exceptionally active. Started with a streamer, switched to hopper patterns and finished with nymphs. Didn't seem to matter what I threw, they were taking everything. A couple of nice fish about pond-and-a-half each, rest were smaller. River is as low as I've ever seen it. Can't believe that any trout could survive these conditions.
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Post by ctroy36 on Nov 4, 2005 23:16:14 GMT -5
Stopped by the Housatonic in Lee this afternoon. River is very high, cold and full of leaves. Snagging leaves on about every other cast made it almost unfishable. And it was not just leaves on the surface I was picking them up at all depths. Will try it again when the leaves are all gone -- providing we get another warm day like today.
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Post by ctroy36 on Nov 12, 2005 16:36:47 GMT -5
Fished Housatonic in Lee for an hour this afternoon. Water still very high and cold -- 42 degrees on my thermometer. Not much activity with those conditions.
May check out Hoosic tomorrow if it stays warm.
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Post by ctroy36 on Apr 10, 2006 13:44:52 GMT -5
Fished the Housatonic in Lee around mid-day. Water temp in low 40s, sunny but windy and chilly. Had only one take and lost that when knot quickly failed.
Did see one interesting thing, though. In mid-stream a fish jumped clear out of the water -- about a foot out. Then did it again. Figure he must have been being chased by a pike or an otter.
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Post by DanaC on Apr 10, 2006 17:16:26 GMT -5
Could'a been chasing hatching caddis
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Post by ctroy36 on Apr 10, 2006 19:12:21 GMT -5
That's what I thought at first so I watched the spot carefully and when it did it a second time it went straight up and out of the water about a foot or so. Also looked around for any bug activity and saw none. I worked the water in that section pretty thoroughly with nymphs and also skittered them along the surface to see if that would do any good. Nothing.
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Post by jlibs on Apr 13, 2006 17:17:32 GMT -5
Housy River report (and catch report) 4/14/06
The Housatonic catch and release section had 4 guys on it today mid afternoon. Since it's a big section, there was obviously tons of room and no crowding. The water was clear and warm. I did not take the temp, but there was no chill and I caught a nice smallie. Normally, I would not have expected to see a smallie until later in summer. However, I did land a short, but fat stocked rainbow below the trussle bridge.
JLIBS
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Post by ctroy36 on Apr 13, 2006 18:28:46 GMT -5
That's the second report I've heard about rainbows in the C&R sections. The state is supposed to be stocking only browns. That was part of the deal on creating the C&R sections. Either the state has gone back on the deal or whomever is directing the stocking program is not with the program. In any case, somebody should be checking with MassWildlife on this.
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Post by jlibs on Apr 14, 2006 5:26:37 GMT -5
I agree, CTROY.
Oh, and there was a terrific hatch going on. I am not a skilled entomologist, but I thouight I observed adult caddis coming off of the water and laying eggs. I dont have too many experiences like this.
-Not to sound too corny, but it was kind of magical to see one whole area right in front of me have hundreds of pretty large (size 12 maybe) adults flying around, but not getting in my face. The sun was just right for me to see little starbursts of light reflect of their wings as the bugs were between me and the sun.
JLIBS
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Post by jf5 on Apr 14, 2006 11:00:06 GMT -5
Bows get stocked in the tribs and travel down into the river, its not a big deal. I caught one there years before the C & R regulation. Rainbows are a very mobile species. MA has tracked stocked bows that where stocked in one CT river trib only swim out of that trib into the CT and up another tributary.
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Post by ctroy36 on Apr 14, 2006 13:26:46 GMT -5
jf5:
Hope you are right.
I agree that rainbows leave in a hurry, which is one reason they intended to put only browns in the C&R sections.
If what folks are seeing are this year's stockers then they would probably have to come from the southwest branch in West Pittsfield along Rt 20. Not a terribly long distance but they would have to get past the pike and the dam at Woods pond. Getting to the Glendale section would be a longer trip.
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Post by jf5 on Apr 14, 2006 14:21:05 GMT -5
They also could come from Hop Brook or Goose Pond Brook, which is even more direct to the main Housy. But it won't hurt the fishery much to have a few bows around...
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Post by ctroy36 on Apr 15, 2006 7:40:06 GMT -5
Jf5:
Right about Hop Brook, that is a more direct route. I forgot about it as I haven't fished there in ages. Used to hit it a lot way back when.
Still, I wouldn't put it past the hatchery truck guys to dump fish in the wrong places.
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iroc
New User
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Post by iroc on Sept 18, 2006 11:04:25 GMT -5
Hop Brook has a Beaver Dam across the mouth of the brook at the river's edge, large enough to prevent fish from entering the river. Goose Pond Brook is wide open to the river, but they stocked only brookies in that brook this year. I know for fact that the State put rainbows in the Housy early in the season.
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Post by ctroy36 on Apr 9, 2007 11:23:32 GMT -5
Drove down to Lee this morning to check out the Housatonic. It's not very friendly looking. High, cold and dark. Branches hanging down into the water were covered with ice. I'd say not fishable now and probably not for a while. With so many tribs upstream it always drops slowly and it will take some hot days for it to warm up.
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Post by hsweren on Apr 16, 2007 8:20:49 GMT -5
I fished the Housatonic River upstream of the bridge near Waconah Country Club on Saturday from 3:30pm until 5:00pm.
The Water temp was 43 degrees and the water level was high but not unwadeable. I caught 2 rainbows between 10 and 11 inches long. Not much of a fight and I'm sure these fish must have been stocked recently.
I was using hornbergs, My 3 wt bamboo rod and Orvis CFO 1 reel. It was just nice to get outside and into a river.
I hope to meet some of you soon. Although starting in May I will be limited to weekday fishing because of my job.
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Post by jskowron on Apr 16, 2007 10:56:50 GMT -5
hsweren,
I had planned on fishing that stretch tomorrow afternoon, but I assume it will be pretty washed out. The east branch along route 8 between Hinsdale and Dalton does tend to stay low, relative to the other streams in the area, but 3 inches of rain will swell any stream. Being an optimist, I'll keep the rods in the car just in case.
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Post by jlibs on May 2, 2007 6:57:52 GMT -5
4/30 and 5/1 - Housatonic in Sheffield and GB
Water was 56 degrees and roaring. Water is still 2 ft or so above normal in the Housy.
Fishable fish are holding in seems in slightly slower water on deep undercut bank areas.
Unfishable fish are holding in unreachable water by fly fisherman in the deepest pockets behind boulders where we (atleast I) can't get even a heavily weighted zonker down too.
JLIBS
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