Archive

Southern New England Region

May 15, 2003

Welcome to the Southern New England FishWire

The fish have arrived in force, and I’m ashamed to admit that Reel-Time’s first report or a week or two late.  Chalk it up to me being a rookie writer in the Southern New England reader.

Narragansett Bay

Captain Ray Stachelek is just getting geared up for the upper bay fishery that peaks in the early season. He reports that the upper bay is in early season form with the classic early season spot – the gut of the Mill pond in Colt state park – producing predictably, especially on the ebb tide.

Some of my bait dunking friends also report that the “Red Bridge” on the Seakonk River is holding fish. In addition, many of the rivers in the upper bay are now holding fish both large and small. The rivers through Warren and Barrington are holding fish both large and small. Since Hundred Acre Cove has an active herring run near the white church on Rt. 114, this would be a good river to start stripping large herring flies.

Further South, Barrington Rock, Rumstick Point, Jacob’s Point, and Colt State park should all be holding numbers of fish. To the east, anglers have been spotted (by my wife) sticking eighteen inch bass on flies in the Coles River, which means that the Kikemuit river is probably producing as well.

While the action is concentrated in the upper bay all the way to India Point in Providence, the lower bay can produce as well, especially in the area around Nonquit and Fogland, where the herring run has keeper sized bass milling around looking for a meal.

Sound Eastern Long Island

Mark at Rivers End Tackle in Old Saybrook, Connecticut reports that there are lots of little bass from 18 to 22 inches. Anglers have been catching large numbers of these rats on the Connecticut River from the “bridge to the mouth” – at times visibly on the surface. These fish are feeding on, and hence will be fooled by, predominantly smaller baits.

On the other hand, larger fish (Mark had personally heard of 35-inch and 40-inch fish) are keying in on herring migrating upriver. If you are interested in targeting big fish, it’s a good idea to venture much further up tributaries in the area, which are home to herring runs. It’s here that the big fish are camped looking for big meals.

Sound Western Long Island Sound

Capt. Tom Pitasi, who fishes around the Norwalk Islands in the Western Sound, was pretty frustrated by the recent developments on the water. He reports that the recent fronts that came through have lowered the water temperature a full five degrees – from 53 to 48 degrees -- virtually shutting off the early season fishing. Earlier in the week, anglers were starting to get fish in a variety of sizes, but with the dropping water temperatures, Thursday saw only three fish caught by all of the guides with whom Capt. Tom checked in.

Bill in Westport Outfitters arounf the Norwalk Islands reports having fished two times last week. The first time the party landed 100 stripers up to twenty-six inches. The second time, Wednesday night, Bill landed approximately twenty fish near the power plant.

Fairfield Flyshop reports from their web site:

There have been a few reports of fish on Penfield Reef, but nothing to get excited about. Still a little early for the beaches. Check out any estuary, they seem to be producing best. I have also heard a few reports of fish being taken by our customers at Burying Hill. Nothing big, but it is a pull on the end your line. In the Housatonic River, anglers have been getting fish from the mouth up to the Derby Dam. Short Beach in Stratford has been a hot spot, on fire, everybody that has been fishing there has been picking up fish, up to 30 inches (with a report of a 46" taken on the fly, WOW). Everything from small #2 Clousers to big 6-8 inch Herring flies have been producing especially Page Rodgers Big Eye Baitfish.