Currentseams Three Hundred Followers Contest Winners

First Place: Ray Hamilton

Second Place: Rick Perrault

Third Place: Max Kantor

Congratulations! One of the possible prizes is the six striper soft-hackles I tied for my upcoming American Angler article. Ray gets first dibs on them. If he doesn’t want them, Rick gets next dibs, etc. If no one wants them, I will fish them myself. So there. Winners, please email me (swculton at yahoo) and let me know what you’d like. Your other options are a selection of trout streamers, trout wets, or steelhead flies. I also need your mailing addresses. Please don’t post those here.

I would like to thank everyone who entered. Your comments were both insightful and helpful. Best of all, they were just plain nice. It was truly gratifying to hear from so many people, and I feel like I got to know each one of you a little better.

A middle-of-the-night fishing trip toast to the winners. Wait — a toast to everyone. Thank you for your readership and support.

Why I love the Survivor Strain program

Sep3

Not every big fish in the Farmington is wild. Here is a Survivor Strain brown from a recent outing. Large, well-developed fins, clipped adipose, and some distinctive haloing around the lower spots. I wonder what else is in that belly? The fish’s attack was textbook big brown: hit, hit, then the take. You read so many reports of people catching 18″ trout on the Farmington that I suspect a good percentage of those fish are actually short of 18, what with it being such a nice, round default number. But I can tell you with certainty that this fish was at least 18″, measured against my landing net, which I’m pleased to report had some difficulty accommodating the catch.

Fall appearances, articles, and other currentseams-y stuff

Sep1

Hard to believe it’s September. Especially with this heat. We need rain, we need cool, and we need it soon.

In the meantime, here’s what’s on the fall calendar. As you can see, we have lots of “The Little Things” options all over southern New England. You don’t need to be a TU member to attend, so stop by and say hi.

“The Little Things” Presentation to TU Narragansett 225, Wednesday, September 30, Elks lodge, Coventry, RI. For directions and times, visit narragansett.tu.org.

“The Little Things” Presentation to TU Mianus, Tuesday, October 13, Waveny Mansion, New Canaan, CT. For directions and times, visit mianustu.org.

“The Little Things” Presentation to TU Farmington Valley, Thursday, October 15, (I believe it’s at the Whinstone Tavern at Stanley Golf Course, New Britain, CT). For directions and times, visit fvtu.org.

On the writing front, I’m told that my steelhead piece will be in the fall issue of The Drake. I’ll let you know if that’s the case, and I don’t mind saying that I think this is one of the better (not to mention funny) concept stories I’ve written. Look for a feature on striper soft-hackles in the next issue of American Angler. And, as I look over at my writing projects list, I see seven items. I suppose I’d better lock myself in my lonely writer’s garret and hop to it.

Only two more days till the 300 Followers contest closes! If you haven’t already, no better time to enter than now. And wow, just like that we’re up to 320.

Here’s to a tremendous fall season for everyone. (Fish included.)