Fly Fishing the Housatonic River. Harold McMillan, Jr.

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      37 . Housatonic River

       Location: Northwestern Connecticut and southwestern Massachusetts; a 1-hour ride from Hartford, Connecticut; a 3-hour ride from Boston, Massachusetts; and a 2-hour ride from New York City. Full-service airports are available in all three cities.

      “There is no tonic like the Housatonic.”

      —Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

      The Housatonic is one of the finest trout fisheries in New England. It is also one of the most popular. In addition to trout, the river holds smallmouth bass, pike, and carp. Pike are the only species that are indigenous to the river—all others are introduced. The Housatonic is

      142 miles long. It begins in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and terminates in Long Island Sound.

      Prior to the 1700s, the Housatonic River supported runs of anadromous salmon, shad, and striped bass. Due to a fast-growing population and development of the iron industry during the Revolutionary War, numerous dams and furnaces were erected on the river. The dams negatively affected the migratory fish. Much of this infrastructure still exists—especially on the tributaries. George Black’s book, The Trout Pool Paradox, is an excellent source for history on this region.

      The upper Trout Management Area (TMA) starts at Falls Village and extends roughly 10 miles to Cornwall Bridge. Route 7 parallels the river,

      offering numerous parking areas. It encompasses the covered bridge in West Cornwall—one of the most photographed in the country. It contains one of the first catch-and-release areas in New England, with 3½ miles restricted to fly fishing only. The catch-and release came about as a result of decades of PCB contamination. Thanks to the efforts of state and organizations such as Trout Unlimited, the Housatonic Fly Fishermen’s Association, The Rainbow Club, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, the Housatonic Valley Association, and local fly shops, the river is being managed