A Guide to Fishing the Connecticut River

Smallmouth Bass are a lot of fun to pursue, especially with a fly rod. They are hard hitting, tenacious fighting and high jumping. A smallmouth bass could tow an equal size trout at will. The area we fish for smallmouth is below Wilder Dam to the Windsor-Cornish Bridge. The Connecticut River portrays its diversity here by being able to support many fishable species. There is a terrific insect population. Abundant crustaceans and bait fish provide an excellent forage base.

1. Active
2. Neutral
3. Inactive

Active is when they will travel 15 to 50 feet in pursuit of food. A good time for the surface such as cork poppers, hair bugs, dahlberg divers, mice imitations and similar offerings. Use a weight forward or bass bug floating fly line in 6 to 8 weight and a 9 foot leader tapered to 1 - 2x.

When surface fishing for smallmouth it is very important to keep your rod low and retrieve and add action to the fly with your line hand.

1. Active feeding mode
a. Rebel - Pop-N-R 1/8 oz to 1/4 oz
b. Heddon - Tiny or Baby Torpedo
c. Zara Spook Puppy
d. Sluggo 4-6 inch

2. Neutral Feeding Mode
a. Floating Rapala size 5 - 11, most used 7 - 9
b. Sinking Rapala size 3 - 7, most used 5 - 7
c. Rebel Crawfish
d. Jensens Speed Trap

3. Inactive Feeding Mode
a. 2-4 inch jigs bounce of the bottom
b. 4-6 inch plastic worms crawled on the bottom
c. Sluggos - carolina rigged or texas rigged and crawled across the bottom
d. Gizzits - bounced or crawled across the bottom
e. Crankbaits reeled slowly while diging the bottom

Try to concentrate on targets. Those areas a trout is most likely to be holding. Try in front of or behind a current breaking obstruction such as a boulder or log. Look for shade, or where darker water meets clearer water, pockets, drop offs, cuts in the bank, downed trees, where tributaries enter, seams near the faster currents and shoals and islands, etc. Allow your lure or plug to swing through theses targets. Depth and control will best be achieved by raising or lowering the rod as your offering is steered through good fish holding structure. Reel in fast enough to gain the desired depth while keeping the blades turning, spoon wobbling or good plug action continuing. Concentrate on the drift but more importantly on the swing. Many strikes occur through or at the end of this swing. This is when your offering will begin to rise from the bottom due to increased current velocity. This causes the spinner blades, spoon or plug to give off more vibration and fish attracting action. Be ready. I use 4 - 8 lb line depending on conditions.

A Few Recommended Lures and Plugs for Trout

1. 1/16oz - 1/4 oz Spinners and Spoons
  a. Mepps Aglia - gold or silver
  b. Panther Martin
    i. gold blade-black body-orange dots
    ii. silver blade-yelow body-orange dots
  c. Cleo Spoon - 1/8oz to 1/4 oz - gold
  d. Al's Goldfish - 1/8oz to 1/4 oz - gold

2. Rapalas
  a. Sinking Rapala, size 3 - size 9 - most used 5-7
  b. Floating Rapala size 5 - size 11 most used 5-7

3.Small Crankbaits
  a. Baitfish Imitation
  b.Crawfish imitation
  c. Insect Imitation

There are many different techniques and riggings in river fishing for trout. Usually this depends upon what the trout are feeding on at that particular moment, what level, (top, middle, or bottom) and the river conditions (low water, high water, stained water, lightly stained water, perfect conditions, etc). Trout will feed on many different food items such as sculpins, leeches, dragons flies, damsel flies, dobson flies (helgramites), crane flies, terrestials such as worms, beetles, ants and hoppers, bait fish, smaller trout, mice and even baby birds, etc. However, the four food forms usually utilized by river trout for food are Mayflies, Caddis flies, diptera (midges) and stoneflies.

Lets follow the progression of most emerging mayflies. They are first available to trout near the bottom of the stream as a nymph. When ready to emerge they make their way to the elastic-like miniscus called the surface film (Surface). (Many biologists refer to an insect's difficulty in breaking through this surface film to become airborne as similar to a human trying to push through six feet of dirt. No simple task.) Then the insect begins to literally crawl out of the back of its thorax. This stage is called the emerger.

The insect is very susceptible to the trout at this time. Huge quantities of vulnerable insects during this stage can be efficiently sipped from the surface film. If the insect gets wet it will prevent or delay successful emergence. Because of this many do not make it and are consumed by trout as cripples or stillborn. Isn't it ironic that after spending their entire lives as an sub aquatic nymph their very existence and purpose upon emergence depends on their not getting wet.

Sometimes a trout will only accept a specific stage of insect near the surface but usually an imitation of a floating nymph, emerger, captive dun, transitional dun or high riding dun will save the day. I like to fish two different stages at a time and let the trout tell me what they want. This preference can change as the hatch progresses or another insect begins hatching in greater numbers. That is what to me offers the greatest challenge. If we could go out and fish for showing trout with the same fly every time and receive a strike on every cast I believe we would soon find another sport.

When fishing on or near the surface I generally use 3x for size 6 to 8, 4x 10 to 12, 5x 14 to 16, 6x 18 to 20, 7x 22 to 24.

Emerger Stages & Suggested Flies to Match

1. Nymph

Fished on the bottom or rising to the surface

2. Floating nymph

No weight, mole fur or cdc added to thorax region Fished just under or in the surface film

3. Emerger

Soft Hackle or CDC emerger

4. Captive Dun

• Compara Dun with an z-lon or antron shuck, light, med or dark dun cdc or elk can be used for wing
• A parachutte style fly with an antron or z-lon shuck is a good option

5. Transitional Dun

• Compara dun - light, med or dark dun cdc or elk can be used for wing
• A parachutte style fly is a good option

6. Dun

Classic catskill tie with cock hackle tail and hackle. Wood duck wings for most ties. Hackle can be clipped below the body to present a flush in the film imitation similar to a Transitional dun

There will be times there is little or no surface activity. If you are on a good trout stream there are options.

1. Nymph
2. Streamer
3. Attractor Flies - Wulff, Stimulator, Humpy, Parachutte Adams

Nymphs:
You can fish one or two nymphs either with or without a strike indicator on a floating fly line. When rigging an indicator (small bobber) or fishing any nymph I try to use as little lead free split shot as needed to accomplish sinking the fly to the desired depth. The shot is placed 10 to 12 inches above the nymph. Place your indicator 1 1/2 times the water depth above the shot. As the depth changes you must adjust your indicator. A drag free drift is desired. To accomplish this use rod and line manipulations. Many times little or no fly line will be touching the water. As the nymph hits the water your rod should be low and pointing towards that area. Gradually lift the rod and retrieve line, while following with the speed of the current until held high overhead as the offering drifts in front of your position. Now lower the rod, slowly pivot your body towards downstream and follow the fly as it passes. Reach a little at the end, allowing a few extra drag free feet. When not using an indicator I still place the shot 10 to 12 inches above my fly. If you are concentrating on fishing the swing with a nymph the shot should be placed 2 to 3 feet above the fly, for a more natural swing.

For fishing nymphs I will use from 6x to 3x depending on conditions. For a size 18 to 20 nymph 6x. 14 to 16 5x. 8 to12 4x. 2 - 6 3x

When fishing streamers I use from 4x to 2x. In stained water I will go to 2x. During low clear water 4x. I use 3x for most other conditions.