Send letters about your escapades to webmaster@nwctu.com
From 10-22-21 Late in the Season
The Housy is still too high for me but the Farmington was low enough where I could get in to certain spots. And looking at the forecast, it looks like the rivers will get blown out again with the rain coming in. So I figured now or never.
At any rate, I went to the Wall in New Hartford armed with a bunch of my “Clunkers” and a fast sink tip line. It turned in to one of the strangest outings I’ve ever had. The good news is I caught a 15″ and a 16″ rainbow – beautiful chunky fish, and good fighters. Then I hooked in to Moby Dick – couldn’t see him at first but my rod was doubled over and he took me in to my backing. After a serious fight and quite a bit of time, I landed a 15″ sucker that I foul hooked in the side! But that wasn’t the kicker. I then caught a snake! I said I caught a snake on a fly rod! It was a 2-1/2 foot some kind of water snake. He was swimming across the river and got underneath my line and as the line dragged across his body, I hooked him. It was a fair fight but as he got closer to me, he let me know how pissed he was at me for hooking him. He kept trying to strike me but I held him away with the rod. No way was I going to unhook him so I cut the leader and the current took him away.
So in my life, I have hooked a turtle, and a bird, and now I can add a snake to my resume!
Like I said, not a typical day of fishing!
A note received today from Bob Hart…
I went to the Housatonic State Park fishing this AM. Wanted to go Thursday or Friday and take advantage of the nice weather, but the levels were too high – over 1500 cfs Thurs and 1200 Friday. This morning it was down to 900 so I packed up the car and dealt with the cooler temps and higher winds and high water.
Started out real slow, only one small rainbow and a couple of hits for the first hour. But then I got in to a couple of pods of fish and action picked up. I ended up with 19 fish and lost 2 more, had at least that many short hits (not surprising with stained water and me fishing my “Clunker” streamer). But included in those 19 fish, I caught 5 Brookies, one 14″ Brown, two 15″ Rainbows, an 18″ Brown and a 20″ Rainbow! I was trying for number 20 and actually hooked one but it became one of the two fish I lost. So I never got to my 20 count, but I’ll happily settle for 19! Great day fishing on the Housy!
Bob Hart 10-8-2022