Fishing the Farmington River, CT (Fishing)

Video Produced By Photos on the Fly

The Farmington River that most fly anglers talk about is the West Branch of the Farmington River, in particular the section from Riverton downstream to New Hartford. This section of river, which has the highest trout population density in the state - rivaling some western waters - is the product of a 200-foot-high dam which releases a fairly consistent flow of cold water year round. This is called a tailwater fishery.The combination of the river's size and the release of 50-degree water from the bottom of the dam creates the ideal habitat for trout to thrive and grow. For Mianus TU members, the river is particularly important as a summer fishing stream, as it is often at its best when our rivers are at their lowest and hottest conditions. Even better, for the majority of chapter members, the river is just an hour and a half away. (The only problem with summer fishing on the Farmington are the frequent interruptions as canoers, kayakers and tubers float downstream.) Click here to learn more about fly fishing the Farmington River, CT

Fishing the Saugatuck River, Redding / Westport (Fishing)

The main stem of the Saugatuck River runs from Ridgefield through Redding, Weston and Westport where it empties into Long Island Sound. Along the way it becomes larger as two main tributaries, the West Branch of the Saugatuck River and the Aspetuck River, enter the main branch.The Saugatuck ranges in size from a stream roughly 10-feet wide near the headwaters, to a much larger river as it draws closer to the Sound. Additionally, the Saugatuck is part of a drinking water supply reservoir system, with a large section of the reservoir which can be fished from shore, but is difficult to fish with a fly rod.There are all types of water to be fished in the Saugatuck, including pocket water and riffles, deep gorge pools below the reservoir, and large expanses of calm water where dry fly fishing can be excellent. Click here to learn more about fly fishing the Saugatuck River.

Mianus River, Stamford / Greenwich Ct (Fishing)

About the River
The Mianus River offers excellent fishing in the spring, fall and winter, and can be decent in the summer, depending on rainfall and water levels.

The Mianus River Park is the most popular place to fish and is where the Trout Management Area is located. The park is roughly 200 acres and owned jointly by the cities of Stamford and Greenwich. Though often crowded with other park users, including dog walkers, hikers and mountain bikers, a mid-week trip, or weekend or evening in the off-season, can often mean a day of fishing in relative solitude (under lower Fairfield County standards!) Click here to learn more about fly fishing the Mianus River

Norwalk River, CT (Fishing)

About the river

The Norwalk River is a relatively small stream running from the Great Swamp in Ridgefield to the Long Island Sound in Norwalk. For the majority of its roughly 20-mile length, the Norwalk is publicly accessible, with only two short sections of private property currently posted No Trespassing.The river is easy to get to as it parallels Route 7 for most of its length, with many easy parking areas. The best sections of the river runs from Wolfpit Road in Wilton north to Topstone Road near the Redding and Ridgefield town lines.Despite the ease of access, the Norwalk is a challenging river for two main reasons. For much of its length, the river width is fairly narrow, ranging from 10 to 20 feet, and is well overgrown with trees, shrubs and other vegetation. This makes for ideal cover and protection for trout, but can be maddening for fly fishermen. Additionally, the river is heavily loaded with softball-size cobblestones, making wading a bit tricky. Click here to learn more about fly fishing the Norwalk River.

Black Stoneflies and Hungry Trout

An Early Spring Buffet (Video)

The weather is warming, the rivers are flowing at a good clip, and the Early Black Stoneflies are hatching like crazy. These early season insect cause such a commotion on the water's surface that trout fresh from the stocking truck and those whose metabosisms have yet to get that spring kick find them too irresistible to ignore. No music, no other audio, but I think you'll get the point of this video quite quickly. This video is brought to you by my friend Jeff Yates from the Mianus Chapter of Trouts Unlimited. Watch Now!

Trout Unlimited

Help conserve, protect and restore our nation's coldwater rivers and streams and the great fishing they provide.

Join the Community
We'd love to have you as a member, whether or not you fish.
Healthy streams benefit everyone, not just anglers.
We'll assign you to a local chapter. Chapters meet regularly to hear about fishing hot spots from Maine to the Bahamas, discuss conservation issues, plan work days on their home waters, organize fundraisers, and of course, swap a few fish tales and learn how to tie the latest fly patterns. Looking for a fishing partner? Many chapters sponsor "Fish with a Friend" programs that connect members in search of fishing companions.
All members also receive TROUT, TU's award-winning color magazine. You'll get four issues a year, full of conservation news, updates on TU activities, grassroots success stories, and fishing destinations.
TU offers a variety of membership categories which allow individuals and businesses to contribute to TU's mission at the conservation support levels of their choosing:

Join Today

Pre-Season Fly Fishing on the Mianus River

Waders, Water and Some Willing Trout

Sorry folks, no tips, tactics or advice in this one, just a short video of trout in the Mianus River. And plenty of them! With the river recently stocked by the state, the trout have yet to spread out of their hatchery-bred instinct to pod up. Fortunately for them, the river is open only for catch-and-release, single, barbless hooks, until Opening Day on Saturday, April 18. I did my best to get out there and "educate" as many of them as I could so they're a bit smarter once the season opens. Now it's your turn. Please obey the regulations and handle the trout with care so they are still there for the May hatch of sulphurs and cahills. Click here for directions to the Mianus River Trout Management Area.

Check out the video