Tangled Lines tackles the hard questions

Tangled Lines tackles the hard questions
Andrew Corrigan shows how to keep a low profile on a brook trout stream. 
Photo by Patrick L. Sullivan

Let us open the Tangled Lines mail bag and see what’s on offer.

It’s been so cold and rainy that instead of fishing I am watching documentaries about secret societies. I even joined an order of guys who call themselves Templars. Am I going crazy?  Linus J. Scrimshaw, Perth Amboy, N.J.

Be of good cheer, Linus. Or at least as cheerful as a guy named Linus can be. Yes, the Housatonic has been too high to wade lately. And yes, that was the case for much of 2022. But bear in mind that the state put 18,000 trout in the upper Housatonic Trout Management Area (between Cornwall Bridge and the Salisbury/Falls Village line) last year, and another 9,000 recently, and none of these fish have experienced the standard Housatonic summer doldrums of high water temperatures and low flows. At some point the flow is going to come down, and there will be a LOT of active trout going after the same food, and flies. So tell your fellow Templars about this at the next meeting, and maybe they’ll lighten up. P.S. Never mind the drain in the floor of the secret chamber.

I really like the idea of fishing little blue lines for wild brookies, but every time I try I spend all of my time getting hung up in the trees.  Plus I can’t find the streams you talk about. What should I do? Melvin Potzrebie, East Quahog, N.Y.

Melvin, part of your problem is you are treating the small stream the same way you approach a river. Think in terms of visiting neighborhoods. Start with a nice-looking plunge pool. Fish it hard and fast, and if nothing happens, move on.

In close quarters, get out of the habit of rearing back with a full backcast. Instead approach the stream from the sides, rarely getting out into the water at all. Keep the rod in front of you, and learn to execute sidearm, backhand and snap casts. And keep a low profile. Wild brook trout are almost suicidally eager to take flies, and equally skittish when they get a glimpse of an angler.

You don’t necessarily need a short rod for this, although anything over 8 feet is going to be a pain. You do need a rod with a little heft to it — a 4 or 5 weight that can turn over a weighted fly and still land softly enough to fish a dry without a fuss.

As far as finding the streams, get a De Lorme atlas for your state and pore over it. See those little blue lines? That’s why we call this kind of fishing “blue-lining.”

Exploring the streams is hit-or-miss, emphasis on the latter. But when you find one, and catch a couple of wild beauties, while noting the absence of beer cans and styrofoam bait cups, you will be happy. And don’t tell anyone.

Latest News

Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker

WINSTED — Gilbert Kenneth Schoonmaker, of Monroe, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on July 24, 2025, at the age of 77. Born on Jan. 18, 1948, in Winsted, Connecticut to Gilbert and Alta (Bierce) Schoonmaker, Gil spent four decades enjoying life on Highland Lake before settling in Monroe.

He is lovingly survived by his wife of 56 years, Sally (Gustafson) Schoonmaker, and his two daughters, Lynn Sindland and her husband Lee of Lead Hill, Arkansas, and Deb Pikiell and her husband Tim of Bristol, Connecticut. Gil was a proud grandfather to Ozzie, Tommy, Betsy, Katie, George, Lucy, Maddie, Joey, and Julia, and he cherished his time with his eight great-grandchildren. Gilbert leaves behind his siblings Ann, Gary, Gail, Jan, and Tim.

Keep ReadingShow less
Village meeting to explore ICE cooperation limits set for Tuesday, July 29

The Millerton Village Offices on Route 22 north of the intersection with Route 44.

Photo by Aly Morrissey

MILLERTON — The anticipated follow-up to the May 21 special meeting regarding Immigration and Customs Enforcement will take place Tuesday, July 29, at 6 p.m. Legal counsel for the village is expected to attend.

At the May meeting, nearly 20 residents and community members urged the village board to adopt a local law limiting cooperation between Millerton’s police and ICE, aiming to protect immigrants, including undocumented individuals. While no resolution was reached, Mayor Jenn Najdek committed to holding a follow-up meeting where village legal counsel would be present to help clarify questions and explore the proposal in more depth.

Keep ReadingShow less
Books and bites beckon at the upcoming Sharon Summer Book Signing

Author and cartoonist Peter Steiner signed books at Sharon Summer Book Signing last summer.

Photo by Stephanie Stanton

The 27th annual Sharon Summer Book Signing at the Hotchkiss Library of Sharon will be held Friday, Aug. 1, from 4:45 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 3, at noon.

Friday’s festivities will honor libraries and the power of the written word. In attendance will be 29 locally and nationally recognized authors whose books will be for sale. With a wide array of genres including historical fiction, satire, thrillers, young adult and non-fiction, there will be something for every reader.

Keep ReadingShow less
Voices from Ukraine to America come to Stissing Center July 27

Ukraine Emergency Fundraiser at The Stissing Center in 2022 raised over $120,000 for Sunflower of Peace.

Photo by Michael Churton

The spirit of Ukraine will be on display at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains on Sunday, July 27. Beginning at 5 p.m., the “Words to America from Ukraine” fundraiser is set to showcase the simultaneous beauty of Ukrainian culture and the war-time turmoil it faces, all the while fundraising in support of Ukrainian freedom.

“Words to America from Ukraine” aims to remind and spread awareness for the suffering that often gets forgotten by those who live in comfortable worlds, explained Leevi Ernits, an organizer for the event. “We are trying to make an attempt to remind people that we are human, and we are connected with human values,” she said. “With very few words, poetry can express very deep values.”

Keep ReadingShow less