Pine Knob Loop and a Slushy River

Well folks, we're still a long way off from bonafide fishing in these parts. Yesterday, we got hit with a pretty potent winter storm that dropped about 5 inches of snow. Then it changed over to sleet, then finally to rain, just to make it extra sloppy out there.

If you take a look at the river, it seems like a different beast. Hatches of caddis and Hendricksons seem like a distant daydream. But, sure enough it will come with time, if we can just make it through the cold nights for another couple of months.

I took a look at the Housatonic yesterday and it looked as if the weather gods had a snowball fight, all of them landing in the water.


Went on a hike with Nora. The hills overlooking the Housy are certainly beautiful, yet quiet this time of year. We didn't see any wildlife at all. Maybe they were hunkering down, trying to get through the storm. Or, perhaps the dogs gave them ample warning of our presence. We were the only ones on the trail and the dogs really loved playing in the snow. Doesn't seem to bother them at all, in fact they relish it.


Anyway, fishing season is not officially closed yet here in Connecticut. Massachusetts (a short drive) doesn't have a closed season. Those are potentially options for me if and when it thaws out. The trout are still in there, surviving in their lethargic states, just waiting for those first warm days of spring.

Winter Must be Tough on the Wild Ones

Here in the northeast, it's been a very snowy winter thus far. For the past few days, the temps have been in the single digits and at nighttime, well below zero. After awhile, it starts to get to you.

I haven't fished in about a month now. The days are short and cold. The fish are lethargic and sometimes it seems hardly worth the frozen fingers and toes. The fishing on the Farmington has been very off compared to last winter. Even my friends who have fished it and are very good fisherman have been doing poorly. Days like these make you long for the warmth of spring, but it is still a long time from now.

So, today I decided to try to pull myself out of my mid-winter malaise and went for a hike along a couple of my favorite local brook trout streams. One of these brooks gets stocked in early spring, but if you do a little hiking and wading, you can get into some very pretty wild fish. I didn't expect to find much open water, but I did find it in spots. Even hearing the sound of running water on a cold day like today makes you want to close your eyes and daydream about warmer days when the brookies will race up and smash a dry fly.

Making it through the winter must be tough on these little guys. Every day is a fight to survive and it makes me respect them even more. When I hold them in my hand this spring, I will appreciate their beauty, then set them free.

Here are some photos from today:

Winter photos

Just driving around the NW corner yesterday and snapped a few shots. It's been a pretty snowy winter so far and I'm already pretty sick of it, to be honest. I guess you just have to try to make the best of it.

Church in Milton













A Cold Housatonic:













Wow - this is sad - wading shoes buried in the snow:













At least the homebrew is ready - YUM!










Winter is supposed to be a contemplative season, and to some extent I guess it is. Although, right now, all I can think about is spring.