Upper Connecticut River Fishing Update: 6/4

That’s Tall Timber guest Jack Krisko posing with a bruising Trophy Stretch brook trout yesterday, under the guidance of our own Mickey Cunliffe. They had quite an afternoon nymphing the Connecticut River yesterday, catching several fish in the class above, and quite a few smaller fish as well.

Jack actually achieved the somewhat rare “Trophy Stretch Slam” yesterday too – a brookie, a rainbow, a brown, and a salmon all in one session on the stretch. According to Mickey, Jack is a frequent visitor to the Tall Timber Fishing Blog, and, lo and behold, actually finds some of the information written here useful on occasion …

Earlier this spring, he visited the blog and decided to take a trip north to get in on the salmon run at Magalloway and he had himself a good day up there. Yet another example that knowledge is power.

The Trophy Stretch, and really most of Pittsburg’s waters right now – streams, ponds and lakes – are fishing well, so it’s certainly the right time to be here.

River flows are good and steady. Second Connecticut Lake Dam (86 CFS), First Connecticut Lake Dam (154 CFS), Murphy Dam at Lake Francis (300 CFS).

We have had a decent amount of rain in the last week, and we have some more coming, so staying below the dams, where the flows are steady, is your best bet. Where major tributaries join the Connecticut is where things will get dicey when we get a good slug of rain.

As far as fly patterns go, nymphing down and dirty is still the most effective way to bring trout to the net, and using a combination of a heavier weighted nymph up front with a dropper following behind is the preferred set up.

BH Prince, BH Pheasant Tail, Purple or Green Weight Fly, JQ Caddis, Glass Bead Caddis, Caddis Pupa, Goomie Worm, San Juan Worm, Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear, Yellow Stone, BH Black Stone, Hatching Pupa, Soft Hackle Pheasant Tail, Partridge & Yellow, Lightning Bug, Disco Midge.

If you’re a dry fly enthusiast, our cold temperatures lately would leave you slightly disappointed, but better days are on the way. Water temps are taking some time to warm up, especially south of Murphy Dam, so be patient. These are just a few – there are many I’m forgetting.

Blue Winged Olive, CDC Caddis, Brown Elk Hair Caddis, Sulphur, Klinkhammer, Adams, Yellow Stimulator.

Try ’em all if you have to – change frequently until you find the right combination, but just get out there and fish.

Good luck … and remember to practice Catch & Release.