Zoom Coffee Hour, Rivers are Stocked, Roger's Masterpiece

No in person meetings this week, so we did the next best thing, a Coffee Hour Zoom call, 17 joined us this week when we discussed current stocking by DEEP, increased catch rates for those that have been on the river lately, and some upcoming changes with evening fly tying and some Saturday outings being added to our 2026 calendar.  If you have not joined our Zoom calls, try one, there are some great discussions and a lot of good-natured ribbing and laughs.   

Our next in person meeting will be Fly Tying at the American Legion Hall in Newington on 10/30.  We will be tying the “EZ Silverside Spearing”.

Back in the mid 1990’s when the Striped Bass population was on the increase, fly tying innovation became the name of game. There were few saltwater patterns on the market that could match one of the most prolific baitfish found in our waters, the Atlantic Spearing or Silverside. In order to truly match the small shimmering baitfish, a creative tyer from Connecticut experimented with computer cable tubing and created the EZ Silverside. The pattern is deadly for not only Striped Bass, but also Bonito, False Albacore and Bluefish.

Two of our vets have, Tim O and John S (aka Santa), landed some nice trout, but the fish of the week was could by Gary B, one of our vols.  This 36” Striper was caught on the Vineyard this week.

Roger one our vet participants, Roger created a real masterpiece, a fly-tying desk from hickory and ash trees that were recently felled at his new home.  This treasure can be yours and will be available at one of our upcoming fundraisers. Please don’t forget we are a nonprofit self-funded 501[c]3.

Brown trout are getting into the beginning of spawning time now, keep your eyes out for redds, the light-colored oval areas in shallow gravelly riffles where trout drop their eggs. Avoid walking through them, and the first 15 feet or so below them as the eggs will often wash 5-15 feet below the redd. Favored spawning areas typically include side channels and pool tailouts, but riffles at pool heads can also have spawners if there is pea gravel present. The bulk of the spawning on the Farmington River is typically from about mid-October through late November, and the eggs/fry hatch out in February through early March. Walking on the eggs at this time will crush and destroy them and future wild trout. Please also refrain from fishing to spawning trout on redds, it is unsporting & unethical. They are stressed enough already, just let them do their thing and make more wild brown trout. There are always lots of non-spawning trout to catch, as well as trout that are still pre-spawn, and soon there will be plenty of trout that have completed spawning. Some trout will position in the first deeper water downstream of spawning fish to eat loose eggs in the drift.

Redds

Brown trout are getting into the beginning of spawning time now, keep your eyes out for redds, the light-colored oval areas in shallow gravelly riffles where trout drop their eggs. Avoid walking through them, and the first 15 feet or so below them as the eggs will often wash 5-15 feet below the redd. Favored spawning areas typically include side channels and pool tailouts, but riffles at pool heads can also have spawners if there is pea gravel present. The bulk of the spawning on the Farmington River is typically from about mid-October through late November, and the eggs/fry hatch out in February through early March. Walking on the eggs at this time will crush and destroy them and future wild trout. Please also refrain from fishing to spawning trout on redds, it is unsporting & unethical. They are stressed enough already, just let them do their thing and make more wild brown trout. There are always lots of non-spawning trout to catch, as well as trout that are still pre-spawn, and soon there will be plenty of trout that have completed spawning. Some trout will position in the first deeper water downstream of spawning fish to eat loose eggs in the drift.

What is a “redd?”  Redds are shallow, bowl-like depressions on the bottom of a river created by spawning brown trout. Redds function much the same way a bird’s nest does. Eggs are deposited in the redd, then milt (fish sperm) is sprayed to fertilize the eggs. Six months later, trout hatch and the cycle start anew.

You will most often see redds on river bottoms in gravelly areas, though I have also seen them dug into silty bottoms as well. Brown trout especially prefer rocky terrain for digging their redds. You will find redds in areas where fish can easily keep these gravel areas clean of moss and other debris.

Why do redds matter?  As you can imagine, redds are integral to self-sustaining wild brown trout populations. From about this time in November through December (and on into January in some places) brown trout will continue to dig redds, deposit eggs and milt, and then settle in for a long winter.

What should I do when I find a redd?  There are all sorts of debate about this in the fly-fishing world. The ethics of fishing to spawning brown trout are hotly debated, though I personally do not see what the difference is between fishing the spawn and hunting during the rut.

Regardless, if you find some redds this fall while fishing, take care not to step through them. Any disturbance to the redd can potentially crush trout eggs, meaning that many fewer new trout will hatch in the spring.

Can I fish near redds?  The short answer to this question is yes. Fishing near redds, so long as you are not stepping on them, is not inherently “bad” or “unethical.” Again, what is the difference between that and shooting a bugling bull elk?

What I see as crossing the line, though, is fishing to trout that are actively spawning. These fish are easy to spot. They tend to be paired up, nearly touching, directly over the center of a redd. Every so often, the male or female will turn, wiggle, and deposit milt or eggs into the redd. So, a good general rule of thumb is to not cast to any trout that is on a redd.

However, there is nothing wrong with fishing around redds. All the ruckus created by spawning brown trout stirs up plenty of bugs from the river bottom, creating a fresh supply of easy food. On top of that, not every egg makes it into the redd. Eggs are a protein-rich food source for any trout, so you will often find fish stacked in the pools and buckets behind redds. Drifting an egg pattern off the end of a redd and into the deeper water behind it will give you some of the fastest fishing you will get all year.

This is a touchy subject, but it is entirely possible to fish the spawn in a way that does not negatively affect the trout. At the end of the day, all of us as anglers have a responsibility to respect and care for the resources that give us so much. Respecting the spawn – and leaving actively spawning fish alone – is just one of the many things you can do to ensure the long-term potential of your favorite fisheries.

If you are a vet with disabilities, or know one that may be interested in our program, maybe you are interested in supporting our program as a volunteer or donation, please check out our contact info on this website www.vetshealingonthefly.org.  You can contact us or support us by using the links on the site.