I fished three streams between 10:30 AM and 5 PM today.
The weather was near perfect: mostly sunny and cool. Although it was just 30 degrees when I woke up this morning, it had warmed up to the mid 40's by the time I got started, and edged up to the upper 50's by the time I finished.
I started with the East Housatonic in Dalton.
I tend to hit the East Housatonic a half dozen to a dozen times per year, and in most years find it to be fairly dependable.
But this year, I had tried it four or five times, without getting a single hit.
So my main objective for the day was to break my losing streak and catch a trout on the East Housatonic today.
The omens were encouraging: the stream levels were about ideal.
Fortunately, I achieved my goal early on, landing an 11" brookie just below the Depot Street dam.
Then I drove down to the West Housatonic Street bridge and eventually reeled in a 10" brown.
Next up was the West Housatonic in Pittsfield.
Unlike the East Housatonic, though, the West Housatonic was quite low.
I started by Clapp Park. Nothing under the trestle.
I headed upstream a football field or so, and caught a few dace and perch, but that was about it all the way to the next bridge.
I headed back to my car, drove upstream to the Greendale Street bridge, and fished down from there.
Along the way, I caught some perch and dace, and finally reeled in a symbolic 8" brown.
I backtracked to my car, and drove further upstream to Hungerford Street, parking near the Iron Man machine shop, and waded
downstream.
By the field with the big radio antennas, I came across a broad shallow "lagoon" loaded with small perch and (surprise) one 11" rainbow, which after a couple hits and misses, I managed to catch the third time around.
After walking back to my car, I drove to the Northwest Housatonic along Wahconah Street in Pittsfield, and fished both above and below the dam there - - hoping mainly to land one of the big carp that prowl the mudflats above the dam.
I saw one of the carp, but didn't even come close to hooking, much less landing one. However, I did reel in a miscellany of fish, ranging from dace to perch to sunfish to some of the smallest (3") bass that I've ever seen.
I also saw a lot of birds: geese, ducks, gulls, crows and kingfishers.
