
Mike Barker provided a couple of well-crafted crawfish imitations.
Patrick L. Sullivan
Mike Barker provided a couple of well-crafted crawfish imitations.
Saturday, June 15 was clear and blessedly cool, ahead of what the weather ninnies assured me is a massive unprecedented disastrous heat wave.
I had one main item on the agenda, the angler’s flea market in Riverton.
So I figured I would prowl Sandy Brook beforehand.
Sandy Brook in Colebrook is a secondary tributary of the West Branch of the Farmington. I know this because I am a highly trained observer, and because I found a United States Geological Survey map that says so.
I am happy to report that getting the map from the USGS website was simple. Go to usgs.gov and look for The National Map, which is exactly what it says it is.
The state stocks Sandy Brook, twice this spring. With what exactly I do not know.
I’ve fooled around in this stream a couple times before, with minimal results. But I always came at it moving upstream, off Route 8.
This time, coming downstream on Sandy Brook Road (another triumph of clarity in labeling) I saw the stream and a couple of pull-offs with DEEP signs regarding creel limits and so on.
So I pulled off and suited up.
Water temperature at 8 a.m. was 63 in a shallow spot next to the bank. Not ideal, perhaps, but not terrible either.
I noticed the stream running roughly north-south, was almost completely shaded over at that hour, with the sun just starting to get through the canopy from the east.
This is good. Streams that have an east-west flow get the full brunt of the sun during the course of the day. In the summer, this means warmer water.
The first thing I noticed was this bucolic, babbling brook is misnamed. It should be called “Super Slippery Brook.” It’s a lot of rock shelf and getting around is like the proverbial tap-dancing on ball bearings dipped in motor oil. Some actual sand would have been nice.
Next time I will wear felt soled boots with studs.
Mike Barker provided a couple of well-crafted crawfish imitations.Patrick L. Sullivan
I deployed an eight-foot nine-inch four weight rod. There was plenty of room for casting and the four weight allowed for turning over a dry-dropper rig while not making a huge splash.
The rig was a Chubby Chernobyl on top and a size 16 Zug Bug, tied on a jig hook and with a heavy tungsten beadhead, on what started as two feet of 4X fluoro tippet tied to the hook of the Chubby with an improved clinch knot. (And don’t ask what an unimproved clinch knot is because I have no idea.)
This produced an immediate hangup and I lost the Zug. So I shortened the dropper to about 14 inches and put on another Zug.
This produced two immediate hookups of brook trout in the eight-to-10-inch range.
So far, so good.
I clambered downstream, because it looked slightly less slippery than upstream.
It wasn’t.
I found one cleft running into a deep, wide slot that just had to have fish in it. I worked it hard for 30 minutes, abandoning the dry-dropper and chucking the heavy artillery into the depths: Big Bread and Butter nymph, a Walt’s Worm, which has more lead than a .22 short, and Joe’s Weenie.
Bupkis. Infuriating.
Then I went back to the Chubby-Zug Bug rig and proceeded to catch a dozen more fish, including some browns and one lone rainbow.
I have no idea of the proportion of wild to stocked here. I can’t believe the state stocks eight-inch brookies, but maybe there’s some deep fish reason I don’t comprehend.
Around 11 a.m. I packed it in and went down to the flea market, which was in the little public space across the street from the post office.
A modest number of vendors were there, including Harold MacMillan who still runs Housatonic River Outfitters in Cornwall, albeit without the brick-and-mortar shop.
We exchanged fishing gossip, and he sold me a grab bag of bass poppers for an eminently reasonable 10 bucks.
Most of the vendors were selling conventional gear, which doesn’t interest me, but I did spot Mike Barker of Ansonia.
Barker is a garage door installer in real life, and ties flies as a side gig. He said it “calms the nerves” after a busy week driving all over the state installing garage doors.
He’s been tying and selling for about three years.
He had a couple of poppers the approximate size of Oklahoma, which he said were for getting the attention of big fish. Like the star of “Jaws.”
I picked up a couple of beautifully crafted crawfish imitations. I generally make do with a Wooly Bugger for this, but I like to encourage the up-and-comers.
So the Research & Development ratio was nice and balanced. I established that Sandy Brook is not very sandy but has a lot of hungry fish in it, and it probably stays cool enough to be plausible most of the time.
I found a cost-effective way to replenish the bass bug box.
And I contributed in a small way to a young fly tier’s craft.
Participating students and teachers gathered for the traditional photo at the 2025 Troutbeck Symposium on Thursday, May 1.
Students and educators from throughout the region converged at Troutbeck in Amenia for a three-day conference to present historical research projects undertaken collaboratively by students with a common focus on original research into their chosen topics. Area independent schools and public schools participated in the conference that extended from Wednesday, April 30 to Friday, May 2.
The symposium continues the Troutbeck legacy as a decades-old gathering place for pioneers in social justice and reform. Today it is a destination luxury country inn, but Troutbeck remains conscious of its significant place in history.
A showing of student artworks within the theme of linking the past with the present opened the symposium on Wednesday evening. Each work of art had to draw on historical research to foster an informed dialogue between the artist and the contemporary audience.
The second day was devoted to student research presentations, showcasing teams from the region’s leading public and private schools with strong programs aimed at cultivating engaged young historians. Primary source materials and live interviews with descendants were included in the process.
Topics were divided into blocks with guest commentators providing reactive response as each block of student presentations concluded. Serving as commentators were Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, Ohio State University, and Dr. Christine Proenza-Coles, University of Virginia.
Resistance in the face of oppression and stories of resilience that spanned generations formed an important theme as students presented the stories of area settlers and residents who suffered but endured.
As a sampling, The Taconic School teamed up with The Salisbury School to unearth untold stories of Boston Corners. The Hotchkiss School looked into the activities of the Ku Klux Klan in Connecticut. The Cornwall Consolidated School students stepped up with their untold stories of early Cornwall women.
Other presentations explored criminal justice — witchcraft trials — dealing with society’s “undesirable” elements, individuals in history who took action, people and movements that formed resistance, and various forms of discrimination.
Praising the work of the students, Dr. Jeffries identified a theme of resistance and survival.
“The war ended but the resistance did not,” Jeffries said. “We don’t take indigenous people seriously,” he added. “White supremacy happened in our own back yards.”
“We saw the evolution of research,” said a Cornwall Consolidated School representative. That project moved into civic engagement by the students that moved beyond the classroom.
“This is not the past; this is part of the present,” said Dr. Proenza-Coles.
A panel discussion among educators whose students had participated in the 2025 Troutbeck Symposium was held on Friday, May 2, to offer reflections on the symposium, its value and future development. Panelists from left to right were Jessica Jenkins, Litchfield Historical Society;Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason, Brown University; Morgan Bengal, Old New-Gate Prison; Frank Mitchell, Connecticut Humanities; and student representatives Dominik Valcin of Salisbury School, and Shanaya Duprey of Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Leila Hawken
The third day invited area history educators to assemble and share ideas for redesigning elements of history education, a day of reflection.
The panel included Jessica Jenkins, Litchfield Historical Society; Wunneanatsu Lamb-Cason, Brown University; Morgan Bengal, Old New-Gate Prison; Frank Mitchell, Connecticut Humanities; and student representatives Dominik Valcin of Salisbury School, and Shanaya Duprey of Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
Valcin reflected on his work as a shared project within The Salisbury School, one where the inquiry would seek to find “the deeper story behind a base story.”
Duprey also spoke of process and the educational value of engaging with historical inquiry.
Each representing a profession that brings them into contact with historical inquiry, the panelists recounted tedious history classes of past decades. Jenkins described her own career as “public history.”Lamb-Canon’s experience began with choosing history electives in college. Bengal spoke of community engagement and the power of involvement with history.
“History is not the opposite of scientific inquiry,” said Bengal.
Significant discussion centered on the possibility of offering the Troutbeck Symposium model to a wider audience of school systems throughout the U.S.
“A community approach to education,” was a characterization offered by Troutbeck owner Charlie Champalimaud, commenting during a brief interview at the end of the symposium on Friday, May 2. She encouraged a push toward increasing even more the number of participating schools, their educational communities and symposium sponsors.
Terence S. Miller, owner of Roaring Oaks Florist in the new self-serve area of the shop.
Just in time for Mother’s Day, Roaring Oaks Florist in Lakeville has launched a new self-serve flower station next to its Main Street shop, offering high-quality, grab-and-go bouquets from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week — including Sundays when the main store is closed.
Owner Terence S. Miller, who bought the shop 24 years ago at just 20 years old, calls the new feature “a modern twist on an old-school honor system,” with some high-tech updates.
“We’re still using our same high-end flowers, just with less markup and no labor,” said Miller. “That way people can access our quality anytime, even if we’re closed.”
Tucked beside the shop’s main entrance at 349A Main Street next to The Boathouse, the self-serve area is partitioned and monitored by security cameras. A simple touchscreen checkout system lets customers pay with a credit card — no cash accepted — and includes photo prompts to make selection easy. Vases, ribbons, flower food, and care instructions are all stocked and labeled.
“We’ve tried to think of everything people might need,” said Miller. “It’s all about making great flowers more accessible without losing what makes Roaring Oaks special.”
Miller said the idea came from years of watching customers try to squeeze in a visit before or after hours. “We’re open 8 hours a day, but we’re here for almost 10, and it still isn’t enough. People are always showing up after we close,” he said. “This way we can be ‘open’ more hours without adding staff.”
Though he considered making the space available 24/7, Miller ultimately decided against it. “We didn’t want to encourage late-night tampering,” he said, noting the shop’s proximity to local bars and restaurants.
Miller’s journey into flowers was unexpected. As soon as he could get his farming papers at 12 years old, he started working at Silamar Farm in Millerton. Alongside its produce, Silamar’s was one of the first farm stands in the area to sell fresh cut flowers.Miller began growing and bundling cut flowers for city-bound customers. “By 16 I needed a year-round job, so I applied to every florist around. I just had a knack for it,” he said. After a stint in Rhinebeck, he returned and bought Roaring Oaks from its previous owner.
In the decades since, he’s built a reputation for quality and creativity. The shop’s flowers are sourced from around the world, particularly Canada and South America, though Miller is committed to supporting local growers wherever possible, especially for summer offerings and weddings.
“We’re hoping to feature some smaller farms in the self-serve section this summer,” said Miller. “DIY weddings have taken off, and people don’t always realize the benefits of buying local. Cold chain is everything. The flowers we source come straight from the airport to the wholesaler and right up here. That’s how we keep them fresh.”
Roaring Oaks also offers consultations and bulk flower discounts for events and weddings, a service Miller hopes more customers will discover through the new self-serve setup.
After 50 years in business, and nearly a decade at its current Lakeville location, Roaring Oaks continues to evolve. “This September marks my 25th year,” said Miller. “I’m always looking for ways to make people happy. Flowers should be simple, joyful, and accessible. That’s what this is all about.”
For more information or to plan your Mother’s Day bouquet, visit Roaring Oaks Florist at 349A Main Street, Lakeville.
A string quartet opened the Bard Conservatory of Music program for Region One third grade students at Music Mountain.
Region One third grade students attended a chamber music concert by Bard Conservatory of Music students at Music Mountain Tuesday, April 29.
After expending spare energy racing around the Music Mountain lawn, the children trooped into the concert hall and took their seats.
After a brief introduction from Bard’s Mira Wang, the first item on the program was a string quartet, playing a piece by Haydn.
The students also heard a solo rendition of medieval songs played on the alto trombone, an unusual instrument.
The annual third grade concert is a tradition that stretches back decades at Music Mountain. It’s a treat for the children, and for the music students, who get to experience the incredible acoustics of the Music Mountain concert hall.
Two flutists performed later in the show.Patrick L. Sullivan