Atlantic Salmon in CT

[Kierran]

A message from the D.E.P...

ATLANTIC SALMON OPEN SEASON, DAILY CREEL LIMIT,
MINIMUM LENGTH AND METHOD OF TAKING


Under the authority of Section 26-112 of the Connecticut General Statutes and Section 26-112-45(c) of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, I hereby declare open fishing seasons, daily creel limits, minimum lengths and legal methods for taking Atlantic salmon in the following stream sections and lakes: that portion of the Naugatuck River extending from the confluence of the East and West Branches of the Naugatuck River (Torrington) downstream to its confluence with the Housatonic River; that portion of the Housatonic River extending from the Derby Dam (Derby-Shelton) downstream to its confluence with Long Island Sound (Stratford-Milford); and that portion of the Shetucket River extending from Scotland Dam (Windham) downstream to the Water Street Bridge (Norwich); Beach Pond (Voluntown), Crystal lake (Ellington), Mt. Tom Pond (Morris, Litchfield, Washington), Squantz Pond (New Fairfield, Sherman), and Tyler Pond (Goshen). The taking of Atlantic salmon remains prohibited in all other areas of the State of Connecticut.

The open seasons and daily creel limits for Atlantic salmon in open areas of the Naugatuck River, Housatonic River, and Shetucket River will be as follows:
(1) From 6:00 AM on October 1, 2007, through November 30, 2007, angling will be restricted to catch-and-release only in all areas. The daily creel limit is zero and all Atlantic salmon shall be immediately returned, without avoidable injury, to the waters from which taken.
(2) From December 1, 2007, through March 31, 2008, the daily creel limit for Atlantic salmon is one.
(3) From April 1, 2008, to 6:00 AM on April 19, 2008, the fishing season for Atlantic salmon is closed.
(4) From 6:00 AM on April 19, 2008 through September 30, 2008, the daily creel limit for Atlantic salmon is one.

The open seasons and daily creel limits for Atlantic salmon in Beach Pond, Mt Tom Pond and Tyler Pond will be as follows:
(1) From 6:00 AM on October 15, 2007, through February 29, 2008, the daily creel limit for Atlantic salmon is one.
(2) From March 1, 2008, to 6:00 AM on April 19, 2008, the fishing season for Atlantic salmon is closed.
(3) From 6:00 AM on April 19, 2008 through September 30, 2008, the daily creel limit for Atlantic salmon is one.

Page 2 - Atlantic Salmon Open Season


The open seasons and daily creel limits for Atlantic salmon in Crystal Lake and Squantz Pond will be as follows:
(1) From 6:00 AM on October 15, 2007, through March 31, 2008, the daily creel limit for Atlantic salmon is one.
(2) From April 1, 2008, to 6:00 AM on April 19, 2008, the fishing season for Atlantic salmon is closed.
(3) From 6:00 AM on April 19, 2008 through September 30, 2008, the daily creel limit for Atlantic salmon is one.

There shall be no minimum length for Atlantic salmon in all areas open to the taking of Atlantic salmon, except for Crystal Lake, where the minimum length for Atlantic salmon is sixteen inches, and Squantz Pond, where during the period March 1, 2008, through March 31, 2008, the minimum length for Atlantic salmon shall be sixteen inches.

During the open season, the legal method for taking Atlantic salmon in open areas of the Naugatuck River, Housatonic River, and Shetucket River is limited to angling using a single fly, or an artificial lure with a single free swinging hook. Additional weight may not be added to the line.

During the open season, the legal methods for taking Atlantic salmon in Beach Pond, Crystal lake, Mt Tom Pond, Squantz Pond and Tyler Lake are limited to angling and ice fishing.

[Kierran]

Drought forces changes in state's salmon stocking

By: Harlan Levy, Journal Inquirer
10/13/2007


The drought that started in early August has forced a change in the state's annual fall stocking of adult Atlantic salmon in Connecticut waterways that don't connect with the Connecticut River.

Because water levels are so low, the state can't stock the Naugatuck River in western Connecticut and the Shetuckit River in northeastern Connecticut with the first batch of salmon, as was done in past years.

The Shetuckit River flows from Windham to Norwich, where it flows into the Thames. The Naugatuck River is a major tributary of the Housatonic River in western Connecticut.

Instead, the plan is to place 250 fish in the Naugatuck River, 100 in Crystal Lake in Ellington, and 150 in Beach Pond in Voluntown on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

"You can't put a 15-pound fish in a 4-inch puddle. They won't survive," said Bill Foreman, an environmental analyst at the Inland Fisheries Division of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

"Even before the drought, some rivers and streams in northeastern Connecticut were really low," Foreman said. "Unfortunately, northeastern Connecticut did not get as much rain as the other parts of the state last week, and the flows have not increased enough in the Shetuckit River. But the flows are high enough in the Naugatuck River."

DEP spokesman Dennis Schain said the agency checked ponds and lakes statewide and found Crystal Lake and Beach Pond, with their deep waters, were the most suitable locations to make up for not stocking the Shetuckit.

The fish that are stocked in the smaller rivers and lakes - several hundred a year - are unneeded veterans weeded out from the thousands of adults that live in hatcheries and lay about 2 million eggs a year in a project to re-stock the Connecticut River with juvenile Atlantic salmon.

DEP releases the surplus "broodstock," as they are called, in waterways that don't connect with the Connecticut River so that they don't compete with the juveniles and make it harder for them to survive.

"In the last few years we've had between 1,200 and 1,800 surplus broodstock," Schain said.

"We may have two more batches of surplus broodstock for stocking," Schain said. "We'll watch the rainfall and water levels of the rivers to see where we can release them. If the rivers are too low we'll follow the lake and pond strategy."

DEP has adjusted the fishing regulations so that anglers can fish for the salmon, Schain said.

At Crystal Lake and Beach Pond, the salmon will be treated as if they are trout, except that the "creel," or allowable daily take, will be one salmon per person for fishing in one or both waterways.

For Crystal Lake, the end of the fishing season is March 31. For Beach Pond the last day is Feb. 29. The season opens again for both lakes on April 19.

For salmon in the Naugatuck River, the current regulations govern: It's catch and release only from Oct. 1 through Nov. 30. From Dec. 1 to March 31, each person will be allowed to keep one Atlantic salmon per day.

About 4,000 adult broodstock live and breed in the state's hatchery in the Kensington section of Berlin at peak spawning times. A second major hatchery is in White River Junction, Vt.

The restocking project involves New England states along the Connecticut River and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which runs the White River Junction hatchery.

[The Patriot]

Two questions:

1) No weight added to the line.... so that means no split shot on nymph rigs, yes? What about sinking fly lines? Forgive my ignorance, I've never fished for Salmon in CT, only in Lake Winnepesaukee......

2) First, the article says they can't stock the Naugy..... then later it says they'll put 250 fish in the Naugy. Which is correct?

Thanks for posting this, Kierran! Good job!

Regards,

Jim

[Kierran]

Go with the DEP (1st post) not the newspaper (2nd post).