Strong trout-fishing season expected

Throughout New England, capricious spring weather threatened to turn trout-fishing season into the proverbial "one that got away." But officials are discovering that the late-season storms could instead offer a boom -- far from the potential bust that had many anglers concerned. Heavy rains and flooding pushed some trout out of main river channels and into reservoirs, downstream ponds and small streams. That could have harmed the supply, especially if large numbers of confused trout were stranded where food was limited and they were vulnerable to birds or more aggressive fish. But when the rains stopped, the fish had a chance to settle into their new surroundings. That should make for good pickings in many non-traditional fishing spots, while trout in the main rivers will be easier to catch as the high waters recede in the next several days. "It's almost be like getting two opening days in one season," said Bill Hyatt, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's director of inland fisheries.