|
Between the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers, and their many tributaries, there is almost always productive fishing. When conditions are poor on one river, opportunities open up on another. |
|
River Flow
HOUSATONIC RIVER AT FALLS VILLAGE, CT. WEST BRANCH FARMINGTON RIVER AND THE STILL RIVER
|
River Report
Sat. May 25th: The heavy rains have the Housy at 3300 CFS and it apprears to be leveling off but there is more rain in the forecast. It could be a week before the Housy is back on the menu.
The Farmington is at 835 CFS and fishable today. The forecast, however, is not pretty with more rain for today, air temps as low as 46, and winds from 15-30 MPH. My advice is to do something other than
fishing this Memorial Day Weekend. I am available for guiding on June 20.26,27,30. These later dates in June are great for catching both bass and trout. For July and August I will be doing some renovations
to my house and available to guide on a part time basis. My son Ben (17yrs) is a budding fly fisherman who would like to start guiding this summer. He will be available to row you down the river
(June 1-Aug 15), targeting trout, bass and pike for the bargain basement price of $100 per trip!
If he does a good job please consider giving him a tip. I will be hosting the following trips to Patagonia. Jan 4-11 (www.esqueloutfitters.com), Jan 11-18 (www.outfitterspatagonia.com)and Jan 18-25
(www.palomariverlodge.com). All trips are currently available but they can all of a sudden fill quickly so please let me know if you are interested.
--> |
HOW TO INTEPRET RIVER FLOWS
|
Housatonic Flow
Reading flows and trying to determine whether the Housatonic is fishing well is a tricky business. An angler who states that the "The fishing on the Housatonic is best between 400 and 800 CFS (Cubic Feet per Second)" is making too many assumptions. This statement is by and large true for wade anglers, but how is the fishing when it is at1500 CFS? The answer to this question varies greatly. Look at the graph. If the river has been at 1500 CFS for a period of several days then the fishing is likely to be good, especially for the streamer and nymph fisherman. On the other hand, if the river has been at a consistent 500 CFS and then jumps up to 1000CFS in one day, chances are the fishing will be poor. What is most important is water clarity and flow consistency. If the river has been flowing at a consistent CFS or is falling, then the clarity is likely to be good and the fishing good .... regardless of the CFS. I have enjoyed excellent fishing at 2000CFS from my drift boat. Water temperature is the most critical factor in terms of trying to determine whether trout will be active or not. As a general rule, the trout on the Housatonic will be most active when the temps are between 55 & 70 degrees. Once the river hits 70 degrees or more look for the bass fishing to improve. |
Farmington Flow
My stance on the Farmington is very different from most anglers. In my opinion, there is no bad time to fish the Farmington, unless the river is in excess 1500 CFS. Even after several inches of rain, I have enjoyed superb fishing when the river was up to 1200CFS. The Farm stays reasonably clear even after heavy rains, and in many cases when the water comes up and discolors the big boys turn on and can be caught with streamers. To generalize, the Farmington is best to wade at 600CFS or less and it is at these flows you are likely to have the best dry fly fishing. Water temperature is rarely an issue on the Farmington, the more you move upstream towards Riverton and towards the dam the colder she gets. In order to understand what the flow is you must add the flow of both the Still River and the West Branch. |
For reservations or information please call or write to:
(860) 672-4457 - Cell: 860-387-3300
Housatonic Anglers
26 Bolton Hill Road
Cornwall, CT 06753
E-mail: housangler@yahoo.com
Winter Trout Fising in Chile