Opening day reports

Hartford Courant: The secret was to fish slow and deep.

1. The Quinnipiac River: "Fishing there has been good. The Quinnipiac was stocked today with golden trout." said Vennie Mangiaracina at the Fishin Factory in Southington.
2. Mount Tom Pond: 5-pound brown trout caught by Joe Fabiano of Southington on a silver phoebe.
3. Salmon River in East Hampton: two 8-pounders

Greenwich Advocate reports on saltwater anglers:

1. Housatonic River Shelton: 30 striped bass, Finesse lures from a boat
2. Port Chester Harbor: 32" striped bass, green & white storm shad
3. Norwalk Harbor: 17 winter flounder, clam chum & sandworms for bait
4. Greenwich Harbor: 6 keeper winter flounders, clam chum & sandworms for bait

Stamford Advocate reports: An additional 400 broodstock Seeforellen strain brown trout ranging from 2 to 8 pounds were stocked into 12 lakes and ponds in early January. The broodstock were released into Beach Pond, Black Pond in Middlefield/Meriden, Crystal Lake, Mashapaug Lake, Quonnipaug Lake, Cedar Lake in Chester, West Hill Pond, Mount Tom Pond, Mohawk Pond, Stillwater Pond, West Side Pond and Tyler Lake.

Connecticut Post reports: when the water levels fall later this week, the DEP will resume trout stocking, giving anglers a second opening day. When that day comes, the target of many anglers will be rainbow trout, which were heavily stocked by the DEP this year. The best method for nailing one of these aggressive hitters is a meal worm or a Berkley Power Bait on a hook knotted to the end of very light line, six-pound test or less.

Several new areas have been stocked by the DEP this spring including Lake Wintergreen in Hamden, as well as a stretch of the Norwalk River downstream of the Merritt Parkway in Norwalk, along Riverside Avenue below Route 123. The Fivemile River was stocked in mid-March with 1,970 brook and brown trout (including 20 of the large broodstock trout).

The Day reports: Mohegan Park's Spaulding Pond in Norwich is one of three new areas designated as a trout park; the others include Day Pond in Colchester and Valley Falls Pond in Vernon. The state will stock the parks with trout weekly between opening day and Memorial Day.