On December 8, Aspetuck Land Trust and the Nutmeg Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host an evening at The Westport Library with longtime local angler Michael Piquette exploring the history, ecology, and fly fishing of the Mill River and its Wild Trout Management Area. The talk will be in the Komansky Room, and we'll gather at 7:00 and be done by 8:00.

Hidden in the woods of Fairfield County is something increasingly rare: a stream with cold, clean water and a thriving population of wild trout.

A retired analytical chemist, lifelong area resident, and avid fly fisherman for more than 30 years, Michael first fished the Mill River as a teenager. Years later, after moving to Trumbull, he returned to the river in Easton for an entirely different reason — to collect gravel for an aquarium.

It was August, and Michael was struck by how cold the water was. He came back with a fly rod and caught several wild brown trout. Michael alerted a Connecticut DEEP fisheries biologist and later assisted in sampling the river, helping document its thriving wild trout population. The Mill River was subsequently designated a Connecticut Wild Trout Management Area.

Michael has continued to fish and sample the Mill over the years, developing an intimate knowledge of its trout, ecology, and history. He’ll discuss the challenges facing wild trout in Connecticut, the history of the Mill River Wild Trout Management Area, what makes its trout population unusual, and the importance of protecting the cold-water habitat on which these fish depend.

And he’ll talk about fishing it — the pleasures and challenges of pursuing wild trout on a beautiful stream right here in Fairfield County.

Whether you’re an angler, conservationist, local history enthusiast, or simply interested in the wild places that still survive close to home, come discover the remarkable story of the Mill River.

Aspetuck Land Trust and Trout Unlimited have been involved in restoring the upper Mill River to improve the trout habitat and the ecology of the river itself. Aspetuck Land Trust maintains 3 fishing access points along the upper Mill and recently preserved 18.7 acres along the river which has been named the William J. Kupinse, Jr. & Patricia Kupinse Preserve. Click HERE for more information on this preserve.