A First: Blueback Herring

IMPORTANT: Under any normal circumstances, it is not legal in the state of Connecticut to target river herring for any reason, by any means. I am currently a volunteer for a project to monitor river herring and because of this and that the best method I now to identify fish or collect a sample if to angle for them, I was permitted to fish for these herring. If I ever catch any of my readers intentionally targeting river herring I will call them out on it!

One of the four main members of the group saw the first substantial school of herring on Thursday. Yesterday, there were even more. After a failed attempt to net one to send to DEEP to determine the identity my assistance was asked for. It didn't take me long. I caught a herring, based on the time of year most likely  blueback, and as I worked downstream I swung flies through every riffle to determine the extent of the run. I caught a few herring and saw hundreds. Every place that could have fish did. It was amazing and totally unexpected. I went back today and there were still quite a few there. Tomorrow, it's striper time!!!