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Housatonic River Conditions
Bull\'s Bridge, Connecticut
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January 17, 2010 |
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Water Level |
Medium, lower above the powerhouse, higher above it (flows may fluctuate)- exact level depends on what part of TMA you are in |
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Water Temperature |
Low/Mid 30's- AM temp, typically rises during the day |
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Water Clarity |
Clear |
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Release Schedule |
1,130cfs per USGS- flows may fluctuate below the Powerhouse |
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Current Hatches |
-Midges |
This Report Courtesy Of Torrey
Housatonic River Outfitters
24 Kent Road, Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut | |
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BEST BETS:
TROUT-
DRIES:
-Midges #20-28- various patterns
-Adams & Parachute Adams #10-24
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NYMPHS & WETS:
-Scuds #14-16- tan, grey, olive
-Red Midge Larve/Pupa #16-20- Pure Midge Larva, Zebra Midge, etc.
-WD-50 #18- olive
-Golden/Yellow Stonefly #6-12
-San Juan Worms #8-16- pink, red, brown, orange, wine
-Prince Nymph #10-18
-Egg Flies #10-18- various colors
-Wet Flies & Soft-Hackles #10-16- assorted patterns
-Brown Serendipity #16
-BH Caddis #14-16- olive, Hare's Ear
-Bottom Rollers #8-12- Hydrop(olive/green), Hare's Ear
-Vladi's Polish Woven Nymph #8-12- brown/orange, green/orange, chartreuse
-Micro Mayfly #16-18- brown, olive
-BH Pheasant Tail #14-22
-Hare's Ear #10-20
-Fox Squirrel Nymph #8-14
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STREAMERS:
-When in doubt, white is great year 'round streamer color on the Housy under a variety of water & light conditions, and yellow is a killer Fall color, esp. for brown trout
-Bread 'N Butter Bugger #4- blonde
-Trina's CH Rubber Bugger #4-6- olive, Tkillya(brown/yellow), Halloween(orange/brown)
-Leadeye Bugger #4 olive/black
-Muddlers #4-10
-Double Bunny #2-4- olive/white
-Conehead Madonna #4- yellow, white
-Barr's Slump Buster #6- olive, rust, natural
-Zoo Cougar #2-4 yelllow, white
-Zonkers #2-8- natural, white, brown
-Woolly Sculpin- black, white, tan #4-6
-Clouser Minnow #2-6- various colors, esp. Sculpin (brown/orange)
-Bob's Dangerous Darters #4
-Conehead Bow River Buggers- black, brown #4-8
-Woolybuggers- Olive, Black, Brown, White and Yellow #2-12
-Traditional Streamers: Grey Ghost, Black Ghost(deadly on brown trout ANYWHERE), Muddler, Mickey Finn, Baby Brown Trout(great Fall & clear water Streamer), etc. #2-12
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HIGH/DIRTY WATER:
-Medium to large streamers, esp. in black, white, yellow, chartreuse- Burgin Halloween Buggers, Zonkers, Woolly Buggers, Egg Sucking Leeches, Clousers, Zuddlers, Bow River Buggers, etc.
-Kaufmann's Stonefly- brown, black #2-8
-Bitch Creek #4-8
-Golden Stonefly #4-8
-Prince Nymph #6-10
-Green Weenie #12
-Egg Flies- various colors #8-14
-Helgramite patterns #2-8
-Wooly Worms- black, peacock #8-10
-San Juan Worm- red, pink, orange
SMALLMOUTH BASS:
-Medium to large streamers in #2-8- patterns such as Zonkers, Clousers, Woolly Buggers, Madonnas, Woolly Sculpins, Bow River Buggers, Double Bunnies, etc. - think colors such as chartreuse, white, brown, yellow, olive, black, etc.
-Crayfish patterns #4-10- Crazy Dad, Clouser Crayfish, Near-Nuff Crayfish, Mini-Dad, etc.
-Howell's Big Nasty #6- brown/orange (could be a crayfish, helgramite, streamer, etc.- great "crossover" fly)
-Larger Nymphs #2-10- Bitch Creek, Stoneflies, Princes, Fox Squirrels, Helgramites, Halfback, etc.
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COMMENTS:
RIVER REPORT:
With this break in the Winter weather, we are fishable once again. While I haven't heard any recent reports from the Bull's Bridge TMA, the fishing usually parallels the upper one in Cornwall, and it has been producing some nice trout on nymphs such as scuds, egg patterns, stonflies & midges. Focus on the major pools, that's where most of the trout are in the Winter. They tend to pod up in cold water, so where you catch one there are often a bunch more. Move around until you find the pods. Best time slot is typically late morning to late afternoon- it both gives time for slush to melt if it formed overnight, and it allows the water to warm slightly and get the trout feeding. It's also the most comfortable time of day to fish.
A quick note about flows in this TMA:
A significant amount of water is pulled into a canal at Bull's Bridge Dam dam, and runs along the East side of Rt. 7, and then dumps back in at the Powerhouse, a little more than a mile below the dam. This makes a reduced flow above this. You can use this to your advantage by going above the Powerhouse during higher flows, and fishing below it when the level is lower than you like it in the upper section.
A note on etiquette.
In recent seasons, we are
seeing more and more fishermen
who crowd others and do not
seem to be aware of proper
etiquette. Nobody likes it
when they have a big chunk of
water to themselves and
somebody steps in 20-30 feet
away, and starts casting to
the fish they are working on.
When you approach a piece of
water that another fisherman
is occupying, ask yourself how
far you would want someone to
stay away if you were there
first- try to stay at least a
cast and a half away if
possible. And DO NOT EVER
throw to the same fish or
water that another person is
fishing, even if you can reach
it. That is a HUGE no-no, do
not be surprised if you get
yelled at or get your ass
kicked if you do that to
someone, I'll have no sympathy
for you. The Housy is a big
river, and there is plenty of
water for people to fish, even
on a popular weekend. If the
spot you want to fish is
occupied, don't crowd that
person, just go elsewhere.
Believe me, there are TONS of
fish (and big ones) all over
the upper and lower TMA's, and
outside of it also. Don't fish
Corner Hole, Sand Hole, Cellar
Hole, etc. on a busy Saturday
at prime time and expect to
have solitude- the easy access
spots almost always hold the
most fishermen. The Upper TMA is
somewhere in the vicinity of
10 miles or so, and the lower
one is about 2.5 miles, giving
us all plenty of water to
spread the pressure out in.
Just make sure to practice
courtesy and common sense, and
treat other fishermen as you
would like to be treated, and
it will be a better experience
for everyone. |
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