
Joe’s Green Weenie, top right; Bread and Butter nymph, bottom right; Wooly Bugger in grey/purple.
Photo by Patrick L. Sullivan
Joe’s Green Weenie, top right; Bread and Butter nymph, bottom right; Wooly Bugger in grey/purple.
We were only a few days into 2024 and I was casting around for a word to describe the immediate angling prospects.
After rejecting “lousy” as ordinary and “@&#%!” as unsuitable for publication in a family newspaper, I settled on “bleak.”
It was cold. It was rainy, except when it was snowy. All the rivers and streams were high.
And then it happened. Friday, Jan. 12, wasn’t bleak.
The day before, I had to go to the dentist in Kent. I decided to improve the shining moment by doing a little recon work in the vicinity.
Macedonia Brook was just barely fishable. It would have been a question of walking along and dropping a line into intermittent spots, primarily deeper slower pools and runs with some soft water on top.
Kent Falls brook was in similar shape.
Problem is, Lakeville to Kent is 45 minutes no matter how you slice it, unless you drive over the speed limit and don’t take your foot off the gas for anything, such as other cars, stop signs, animals or people — then it’s 43 minutes.
So I looked around here first. The Blackberry was too high, full stop. But the Mystery Brook (That Shall Not Be Named) was in decent shape.
I suited up and deployed a fixed-line rod, a Dragontail Mizuchi, with No. 3 level fluoro line and the same 2 feet of 4X nylon tippet I used the last time. Hell, I used the same fly, a bedraggled size 12 March Brown dry with most of one wing chewed off.
No takers on the surface, which wasn’t surprising. The fish were feeling the bleakness.
The only way forward was to get something down into the slow-moving depths, where a lethargic char might shake off the winter blahs long enough to eat something. Similar to me falling asleep during a Knicks game and only stirring from the couch long enough to get something from the fridge.
Sounds bleak, doesn’t it?
Around 1 p.m. two things happened. The sunlight hit the water, and almost immediately little tiny speck-type insects appeared. Nobody was eating them, at least not on the surface, but it did indicate the stirring of life.
The second thing that happened was I caught a spunky little brookie while tight-lining a size 14 Bread and Butter nymph through a slow, deep section.
This dizzying success made me think of trying a bigger fly.
The size 16 Wooly Bugger in a greyish purple-y color and with a tungsten head had the fish swimming in circles. I nicked a couple but could not seal the deal.
So I went with the nuclear option: a Green Weenie.
Not just any Green Weenie, either. This is Joe’s Green Weenie, tied with a darker green material than the average store-bought Weenie, with a jig hook and a heavy bead head.
I have suggested to Joe that he sell these remarkably effective flies and even offered a marketing slogan: “Nothing Beats Joe’s Weenie.”
For some reason Joe thinks the slogan might be a bit much.
Anyhoo, Joe’s Green Weenie sinks like a stone, and provoked bona fide tugs.
But the bleakness had rendered me rusty, and I was unable to bring any of the participants to hand.
I did, however, land a stick. For a hot second, I thought it was the proverbial monster brook trout.
Bottom line, I spent an enjoyable two hours and change on a trout stream with some action in the middle of January. I did not freeze, fall in or suffer any injury other than getting slapped in the face by a branch.
My message is simple. Never mind bleak. Just watch the weather, monitor the streams and keep your gear handy. The opportunities will come.
FALLS VILLAGE — Housatonic Valley Regional High School girls basketball won 52-29 against Shepaug Valley High School in round one of the Berkshire League playoff tournament Feb. 19.
The Mountaineers established a lead early in the game and maintained a double-digit buffer throughout all four quarters. Housatonic's relentless defense completely stalled Shepaug, forcing numerous turnovers that paved the way for victory.
Olivia Brooks plays point guard for HVRHS.Photo by Riley Klein
HVRHS seniors Kylie Leonard and Daniela Brennan each posted five steals in the game. Leonard led the team in scoring with 13 points and Brennan added a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Shepaug battled until the end, but the young Spartan squad struggled to build momentum. Sophomore Eliana Ostrosky scored a team-high 10 points. Emma O'Dwyer scored eight points.
Elian Ostrosky, right, led Shepaug Valley in scoring with 10 points. Photo by Riley Klein
Housatonic advanced to the semifinals to play the reigning champs, Northwestern Regional High School. On the other side of the bracket, top-ranked Gilbret School will play Thomaston High School.
Berkshire League girls semifinals games will be played Friday, Feb. 21 on neutral ground at Nonnewaug High School. HVRHS and Northwestern play first at 5 p.m. and the Gilbert versus Thomaston will follow immediately after.
The BL girls basketball championship game is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. at Nonnewaug.
The home section of the bleachers looks on with anticipation as a three-pointer by Olivia Brooks finds the hoop.Photo by Riley Klein
The Lakeville Journal and Millerton News are seeking young journalists for an educational internship program.
The six week program provides training in the everyday operations of a community weekly. Interns will learn the news-gatheringprocess from pitch to print through regular workshops with industry professionals on topics such as photography, libel and copy-editing.
Interns will also work closely with the papers’ staff. Editors will collaborate with interns to develop stories and provide feedback throughout the program. The papers’ reporters will take interns into the field for shadowing opportunities, teaching interviewing and photography in action.
By the end of the program, interns should be capable of reporting and writing a hard news story or feature fit for print, and should have an article clip and a photograph to start a reporting portfolio. Interns should finish the six-week program with an understanding of current community journalism best practices, interviewing techniques and news-writing skills.
Interested students can find the application online at lakevillejournal.com/education-internship-programs or on our social media accounts.
WOODBURY — Housatonic Valley Regional High School boys basketball was eliminated from the Berkshire League tournament Feb. 18 after a 76-62 loss to reigning champion Nonnewaug High School.
Nonnewaug's triple-threat offense found success both in the paint and on the perimeter against Housatonic. Lincoln Nichols, Brady Herman and Matt Shupenis combined for 64 of the Chiefs' points in the quarterfinal game.
Housatonic's Jesse Bonhotel, left, sets up a play against Nonnewaug.Photo by Riley Klein
After falling behind early, the Mountaineers refused to go down without a fight. HVRHS cut a double-digit lead to seven points in the third quarter before foul trouble stalled offensive momentum.
HVRHS juniors Anthony Foley and Wesley Allyn each had season-high scoring nights with 21 and 16 points respectively. Defensively, Owen Riemer forced repeated turnovers through steals and swatted shots.
Anthony Foley scored 21 points for HVRHS Feb. 18.Photo by Riley Klein
After the game, Housatonic coach Kurt Johnson reflected on the season, calling it an "improvement but we didn't hit our ceiling." He described graduating seniors Jesse Bonhotel, Mason O'Niel, Sam and Jacob Marcus as "the toughness of the team, so that's the challenge that the young guys will have to figure out" next year.
Nonnewaug advanced to the semifinal round Feb. 20 against Thomaston High School. On the other side of the Berkshire League bracket, undefeated Shepaug Valley High School got matched against Lakeview High School. Both games will be played at Northwestern High School back-to-back beginning at 5:15 p.m.
Housatonic coach Kurt Johnson.Photo by Riley Klein