A surprise early opening  to fishing season (again)
Fishing season opened a month early, on Thursday, March 4. Above, on March 5, a fisherman in the Housatonic. Days later, ice fishermen were still out on area lakes. 
Photo by Lans Christense

A surprise early opening to fishing season (again)

Gov. Ned Lamont quietly announced the first day of fishing season, late in the day on Thursday, March 4. 

The season normally begins in mid April, when ice fishing is a distant memory and most of the snow has melted. 

The first day of fishing is usually a gala event, with dozens of fishermen turning out at popular spots such as Lakeville’s Lake Wononscopomuc and Kent Falls State Park. The idea behind the quiet openings seems to be to limit the number of anglers coming together and fishing at the same time. 

“Opening the fishing season early helps to reduce opening day crowds and limit the potential for spread of COVID-19,” Lamont said in his March 4 news release. “Anglers are encouraged to continue to practice social distancing, and we encourage fishing to be enjoyed only with members of your immediate household and not as a group activity.”

On Friday, March 5, photographer Lans Christensen went out in search of fishermen on the Housatonic River (which is open for fishing at all times in the Trout Management Area) and other spots; he found only one soul brave enough to go in the frigid water. 

By the weekend, temperatures had dropped low enough that area lakes had frozen over again. There were ice fishermen out on Lakeville’s Lake Wononscopomuc and other water bodies.

Fishing licenses are required and can be obtained at town halls and online at portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Fishing/CT-Fishing.

The Lakeville Journal’s fishing columnist, Patrick L. Sullivan, commented wryly that the thing you’re most likely to catch when fishing at this time of year is pneumonia. To read more of his late-winter thoughts on the fishing season look for his Tangled Lines column next week.

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