CURRENT HATCHES

Click on the insect images below for details.

Blue-Winged Olive

Sulphur

Light Cahill

Tan Caddis

Spring Isonychia

Alder Fly

Go to www.fishbugs.net to learn more about insect hatches and Thomas Ames Jr.

Photos by Thomas Ames, Jr.

© Copyrighted images - Used by permission.

Bull\'s Bridge, Connecticut

July 17, 2010 Water Level Low- lower above the powerhouse, higher above it (flows may fluctuate)- exact level depends on what part of TMA you are in Water Temperature Mid 70's- AM temp, rises during the day Water Clarity Clear Release Schedule 326cfs per USGS- flows may fluctuate below the Powerhouse  Current Hatches -Alder/Zebra Caddis -Isonychia -Lt. Cahills -Caddis- black, tan/brown -Olives- cloudy days This Report Courtesy Of Torrey Housatonic River Outfitters 24 Kent Road, Cornwall Bridge, Connecticut

BEST BETS: 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. *********************************** *********************************** TROUT (when things cool back down)- DRIES: -Alder/Zebra Caddis #10-12- various patterns -Isonychia #10-12 -Usual #12-16- cream, sulfur -Lt. Cahill #12-14- parachute, CDC -Parachute Adams #10-24 -Rusty Spinner #14-24 -White Wulff #8-14 -Caddis #14-20- black, tan, olive, brown, green- use X-Caddis, Elk Hairs, CDC Caddis, E/C Caddis, Emergent Sparkle Pupa, Henryville Special, Spent Partridge Caddis -Olives #18-24- emergers, duns, rusty spinners ************************************* NYMPHS & WETS: -Isonychia Nymph #10-12 -Golden/Yellow Stonefly #6-12 -Twenty Incher #10-12 -Rubber Leg Stonefly #6-8- various colors -Fox Squirrel Nymph #8-12 -Prince Nymph #8-16 -Isonychia #8-12 -Tungsten Electric Caddis #14-16- olive -Barr's Uncased Caddis #14- green -Serendipity #14-16- brown, crystal -Z-Wing Caddis #14-16- olive/green -BH Deep Sparkle Pupa #14-16- green, ginger, yellow/brown -Wet Flies & Soft Hackles #12-16 various- Leadwing Coachman, Partridge & Herl, Hare's Ear Soft Hackle, etc. -BH Lightning Bug #14- pearl -Dark Lord #14 -BH Pheasant Tail #14-20 -Bottom Rollers #8-12- Hydrop(olive/green), Hare's Ear -Vladi's Polish Woven Nymph #8-12- brown/orange, green/orange, shrimp/white -Hare's Ear #10-18 ************************************* STREAMERS: -When in doubt, white is great year 'round streamer color on the Housy under a variety of water & light conditions, and yellow has been very good so far this Spring. Try also brown, very "Crayfishy", they are quite active right now & the big fish key on them. -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 ************************************* 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. ************************************ ************************************ ***************************************

COMMENTS: RIVER REPORT: With Summer here, Smallmouth are the fish to target, water temps are ranging from the low 70's to mid 80's- great for the bass fishing. Leave the trout alone until things cool down, usually sometime in mid to late August. Bass fishing has been good to excellent many days, this hotter, droughty weather gets the bass cranking. 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.