Danbury News-Times 4/29/06

1. Fishing reports for trout all positive early in the season: For the most part, anglers have been reporting good trout fishing around the state. Reports of big fish from the Hockanum (24 inches), Housatonic, Naugatuck, Farmington (browns up to 20 inches), Eight Mile, Pootatuck, Weekeepeemee, Nonewaug, Mianus and Pomperaug Rivers, among others.
2. Earthworms and mealworms became the most productive presentations when the streams muddied up and got high and fast following last weekend’s deluge.
3. Fly fishermen in the Farmington and Housatonic Rivers report that nymph fishing has remained productive despite the water color and flow rates as high as 3,000 cubic feet per second. Whether fly, lure or bait as the flow rate diminishes a bit and the water temperatures inch into the mid-fifites, fishing is likely to get even better.
4. Expect good trout fishing at the West Branch and mainstem Farmington, Mianus, Naugatuck, Nepaug, Norwalk, Pequonnock, Pootatuck, Saugatuck (including the West branch) and Still River in Colebrook. Eight Mile Brook in Southford Falls State Park is also a good bet.
5. Still water trout fishermen have been reporting good catches from Colebrook Reservoir, East Twin (20-inch trout) and Wonoscopomuc Lakes, and Squantz Pond. Notable by its absence from that list, is Candlewood Lake. While there have been some reports of success, it’s mostly been with smaller fish, and there have been far more reports of disappointing outings. Perhaps the seemingly unceasing wind has put a damper on trout fishing on the state’s largest impoundment even more than it has affected the bass fishing there.
6. Speaking of bass fishing, largemouth action has been great on the smaller ponds — at least until last weekend’s cold rain slowed thing down. Candlewood’s smallmouth action has been great, and seems to have survived the cold spell. Jerkbait time seems to be still in full swing on Candlewood, but grubs and hair jigs shouldn’t be too far from you hand, as thing will switch over in a hurry as soon as the wind slows down enough to allow effective light jig fishing.
7. Lake Saltonstall in East Haven was considered one of the premier lunker largemouth lakes in the state when it first opened to fishing some years ago. Many Saltonstall regulars blame the walleye program for the downturn the largemouth’s fortunes there over the past decade. But the lake still produces its share of oversized bass, as well as some huge walleyes. A couple of the latter species in the 24 to 25-inch range were taken there in the past week, as was a black crappie weighing more than three pounds.
8. Walleye have also been a big part of the angler satisfaction index at Squantz Pond the last week or two, while in the Connecticut River, both the northern pike fishing and the striped bass run are as hot as can be right now. Most of the stripers are schoolies, but there have been enough fish in the 36 to 40 inch range taken to keep things interesting. The pike are mainly in the coves and setbacks, and will probably stay in those areas until the water flow drops a bit. But there’s plenty of big ones being caught — mostly on large soft plastic baitfish imitators. [News-Time, by Rich Zaleski]