Dear Liam's Brother Dan--

I may be able to make the Sounding Board on 8 May. I haven't been there in about 15 years. If I go, I'll be sure to let you know. Would you and Liam's Sister-in-law and/or anyone else be interested in a trip to Casino-land? The Wonder of the Connecticut Woods and all? There is a terrific little trout pond about 3 minutes south of Foxwoods on Route 2, where 2 and 201 intersect. The pond is opposite where 201N meets 2. I haven't been there much since the casino went in, because the traffic is brutal, but it used to be a terrific spot. I suggest it for several reasons--it's about an hour from Hartford, and you just stay on Route 2 the whole way; you can find it yourself if we can't meet up somehow; it is a good and *challenging* fishin' hole (more on the challenge below); it's convenient to other diversions if some members of your party prefer them to fishin' or the fishin' is lousy (or just too challenging on that particular day!)

Here are the challenges: I think it's fly fishing only, and it may be catch and release only now too, because a lot of places are going that way to keep the trout alive. I think C&R is nifty, in part because it helps environmentally, but also because the trout get suspicious in their little pea-brains, and it makes them more of a challenge to deceive. Other challenges of the pond include: There are few places to wade into it, and they have been set up/maintained by the state and Trout Unlimited. You might think you're on a nice gradual gravel slope into the water, when GLUG, you're in water over your wader top in mud to your knees. Also, you need a well-controlled back-cast, or be proficient at roll-casting, to get any decent distance. The big fish are "out far and in deep," but you can get some nice 8" to 12" fish about 12' from your boots.

Hint--don't fish from the dam--everybody tries it, and some people catch fish, but I've never had the luck there that I've had in the underbrush.

Tight lines, as they say--

V