Learn to catch big salmon in Connecticut

Ben Bilello, who speaks around the Northeast on salmon fishing, will talk about opportunities to catch big salmon close to home at the next meeting of the Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

The meeting will take place at Port 5, 69 Brewster St. in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17.

Pizza is available at the meeting, and beverages can be purchased from Port 5. You may RSVP here.

There will also be a presentation on the dangers presented when overheated runoff enters trout waters.

For Connecticut anglers, broodstock Atlantic salmon fishing is one most reliable ways to catch a large fish in fresh water. For anglers who fish for sea-run Atlantic salmon in Canada or Europe, the broodstock fishery is a good way to practice presentation close to home. For anglers new to Atlantic salmon fishing, this fishery is a great way to learn the techniques used to catch Atlantic salmon around the world.

Bilello is guiding Nutmeg members on two trips this fall, and information on scheduling a trip with him will be available at the meeting.

When he’s not behind a set of drums in a concert hall, jazz club, or recording studio, Ben Bilello can be found either on the water or behind the vise. While he’s an avid trout fisherman and fly tyer, Ben’s true fly fishing and tying passion is the Atlantic salmon. Ben has spent several seasons chasing sea-run Atlantic salmon in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Russia; landlocked Lake Ontario Atlantic salmon in New York and broodstock Atlantic salmon at home in Connecticut.

A collection of Ben’s classic and artistic salmon flies are featured in Michael Radencich’s book “Classic Salmon Fly Patterns: Over 1700 Patterns From the Golden Age of Tying.” Ben’s work can be seen at his website benbilello.com/salmonflies.