By Al Raychard

In a nutshell, the trouting in New England was better than usual in 2003, thanks to a wet spring and summer, and early fall rains kept water flows slightly above normal, cool and well oxygenated throughout the region.

The season came to an end with plenty of trout still available throughout the region, and this spring should start off with a bang!

Overall, trout fishing throughout the six-state area has been improving during the past few years. This is due in part to initiatives and programs initiated by state fisheries divisions designed not only to preserve the resources already in place, but to improve the quality of fishing through catch-and-release regulations, reduced bag limits and increased length limits in special areas. Many agencies are also stocking larger fish and more fish in more areas, increasing the odds of hooking into a real keeper.

There is an increasing willingness among trout fishermen to put back fish caught for another day, even in areas not restricted to catch-and-release fishing.

Quality fishing opportunities seem to be among the top desires of New England trout anglers, and biologists throughout the region are giving them what they want.

Photo by Tom Evans

Most of these programs are designed to be stream specific and are based on the findings of DEP fishery personnel who identified streams that could support large trout, had wild fisheries and that could support trout fisheries year 'round, plus several other factors. These special trout areas will continue to be managed in 2004, and more areas will be added.

One of the things the DEP did was to increase the number of trout management areas (TMA) in the state. TMAs carry area-specific regulations such as catch-and-release or fly-fishing only. Until just a few years ago, there were 10 TMAs available, but there are now 15. The Bulls Bridge TMA, Hockanum River TMA, Pequaback TMA, William "Doc" Skerlick TMA on the Saugatuck River and Yantic River TMA were all added in 2002, joining others on the list from the beginning, such as the Farmington River TMA, Housatonic TMA and Willimantic TMA. By adding to the list, fishermen this spring will have a broader variety of TMAs to choose from, while angler access to high-quality, sustainable trout fishing has been increased.

To enhance opportunities even more, new season dates and creel limits were also initiated on many of the older streams within the TMA system.

The DEP also initiated what are called trout parks (TP). These areas provide easy access and ample parking. These are also great areas for families with youngsters because they are stocked on a weekly basis, offer plenty of space and allow all-tackle fishing. The creel limit is also two fish per day and there is no minimum length limit. There are 11 TPs in the state including Horse Pond in Salem, the Natchaug River in Eastford, the Salmon River in Colchester and Great Hollow Lake in Monroe.

Trophy trout streams are areas where large trout are the primary target. Minimum length limits depend on the specific stream or river, but in each area the creel limit is two fish, although most fishermen practice catch-and-release. Some areas are limited to barbless hooks, sections of some may be catch-and-release, while others allow the creeling of fish, so check the rules.

There are presently eight trophy trout streams in the state, including the West Branch Farmington River from Hartland to New Hartford, the Farmington River from New Hartford to Farmington, the Pequonock River in Trumbull and the Salmon River in Woodbury and Southbury.

Also available are wild trout management areas (WTMA). These are broken into three classes.

Class 1 WTMAs such as Deep Brook in Newtown, Eightmile River in Southington and the Mill River in Easton offer abundant wild trout. No fish are stocked in these eight areas, and while all fishing is catch-and-release, there is no closed season.

Class 2 streams offer some wild trout and stocked trout. The creel limit is two fish and there is a 12-inch minimum length limit.

Class 3 WTMAs also offer wild and hatchery fish, but the minimum length is 9 inches. A total of 17 areas are available in this class.

For more information on these trouting opportunities and specific regulations, contact the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106; the Fisheries Division at (860) 424-FISH or visit their Web site at www.dep.state.ct.us.

About the same number will be released in 2004. Of those fish, about 80 percent will be 2-year-olds averaging around 14 inches or so, with the rest 3 years or older. In addition, an impressive number of larger 3- to 5-year-old brood stock trout are also released, the actual number depending upon availability and future needs. On average, Rhode Island releases some of the largest trout annually in New England.

Within the state are more than 80 designated trout waters including brooks, rivers, ponds and lakes.

As in years past, all fish will be stocked prior to the opening of the trout season in April, with a good many receiving additional fish sometime in the fall. Because of the small size of the state, trout enthusiasts do not have to travel far to find productive water or trout of decent size.

In addition to hatchery-grown fish, wild trout are found in a number of rivers. Two of the best include the Wood River and many of its tributaries like the Flat River, Fall River and Breakheart River in Arcadia WMA north of Arcadia, and the Carr, Congdon, Nooseneck and Big River in the Big River WMA in West Greenwich. Some of these wild trout areas are designated catch-and-release areas, so check the regulations. The good thing is much of the land in the area is state-owned or controlled, so access is no problem.

For more information, contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, 4808 Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI 02879, or call (401) 789-0281.