23
Mar '16
Housatonic Lower TMA - 3/23/2016
Posted by Matthias Hackett in bullsbridge, caddis, hatch, hendrickson, housatonic, lowertma, scottrods, stonefly, trout, troutmanagementarea
1 Comment
Franks Report: I was able to hit the Lower Housy TMA with one of my good friends. We managed a bunch of fish and some dropped ones as well, but action definitely picked up after 11 am when we started seeing stoneflies. We nymphed mostly and one one fish came on a streamer, but golden stones and brown stone imitations brought fish to the net. I was able to land a beautiful brown, that took me for a little bit of a ride. The water temps were a little on the cold side starting out at 41, but rose to almost 43 before we left at 2.
I hit the EB in the evening, and saw no surface activity. The Blue Quills are still going during the early and mid afternoon. Brown and Black Stones are fluttering around as well. I nymphed one nice little wild fish up on a hare and copper in some slower water after a pocket. Look for the midges to really get going soon, and it should get the fish feeding on a more consistent basis throughout the day.
The Upper Housy TMA was a bit warmer today starting out at 43, but no action till around 11 am. I got into two small fish on a golden stone imitation, and I did get one to rise to a brown simulator that I was skating along the surface. The stone fly activity was good, but the wind kept the fish down. The temp when I left @ 3pm, was almost 45. Fishing throughout the Housy right now is to all wild and holdover fish as it hasn't been stocked yet.
Fish are still holding in the medium depth, slower water right after riffles. If you can find a drop off just below the fast water hit the as well. Fish are definitely moving into much slower water to feed on the surface. Remember the magic number for temps is 50 in the early spring. Once we hit that, the early black caddis will start and the fish will begin to move in the faster water to feed during hatches and low light hours. Flies I would carry would be hare and coppers size 14-16, midge larve, small olive nymphs size 16-20, hendrickson nymphs in size 14, black czech nymphs size 16, black and golden stones in size 10-12, prince nymphs size 14-18, copper johns 16-18, and Blue Quill emergers and dries size 14-16.
Good Luck next week on Opening Day, take someone fishing and make it a memorable one!
I hit the EB in the evening, and saw no surface activity. The Blue Quills are still going during the early and mid afternoon. Brown and Black Stones are fluttering around as well. I nymphed one nice little wild fish up on a hare and copper in some slower water after a pocket. Look for the midges to really get going soon, and it should get the fish feeding on a more consistent basis throughout the day.
The Upper Housy TMA was a bit warmer today starting out at 43, but no action till around 11 am. I got into two small fish on a golden stone imitation, and I did get one to rise to a brown simulator that I was skating along the surface. The stone fly activity was good, but the wind kept the fish down. The temp when I left @ 3pm, was almost 45. Fishing throughout the Housy right now is to all wild and holdover fish as it hasn't been stocked yet.
Fish are still holding in the medium depth, slower water right after riffles. If you can find a drop off just below the fast water hit the as well. Fish are definitely moving into much slower water to feed on the surface. Remember the magic number for temps is 50 in the early spring. Once we hit that, the early black caddis will start and the fish will begin to move in the faster water to feed during hatches and low light hours. Flies I would carry would be hare and coppers size 14-16, midge larve, small olive nymphs size 16-20, hendrickson nymphs in size 14, black czech nymphs size 16, black and golden stones in size 10-12, prince nymphs size 14-18, copper johns 16-18, and Blue Quill emergers and dries size 14-16.
Good Luck next week on Opening Day, take someone fishing and make it a memorable one!
I did see some Hendrickson nymphs in the drift, but they could have just gotten loose from the flows. I did sample the drift Sunday morning, and there were very few bugs, some small green caddis, a couple of tiny olives and a Hendrickson nymph. Sunday afternoon I did see a few tan caddis here and there. I even saw two rise as I was leaving around 6:45 pm. The fish are still in the slower water. I did manage a couple more, one brown and a bow.
Looks like some rain for Monday, but the temps should help warm the water, I think things will be 2-3 weeks early, will we see Hendricksons by opening day????