Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We had a great time fishing in this year’s Western Sound portion of the Tightline Slam Tournament! Thanks to all who participated and worked behind the scenes to make it happen. This tournament is for a great cause and is dedicated to raising money and awareness for the conservation of our fisheries and marine resources. For more information, and to participate in next year’s tournament, visit:https://www.tightlinedslam.com/  

The biggest improvement so far has been on the freshwater side of things. Flows are now back down to normal, and most of our rivers in Connecticut have been stocked. A variety of flies will now work, with Streamers and Nymphs as the most productive until fish become acclimated and start to look up at hatches. The Housatonic and Farmington have great flows and clarity, and the primary hatches will be Blue Winged Olives and Caddis. Flows will slightly increase from Friday's rain. Please be careful this time of year, as Brown Trout will start to spawn so avoid stepping on their Redd’s (spawning beds) and avoid fishing to spawning pairs. On the Salmon River steelhead reports are improving by the day, and the greatest concentration of fish is at the lower end of the river. In Long Island Sound, Peanut Bunker continue to fuel Striper blitzes, and there have still been nice Bluefish being brought to hand. This time of year, look towards the beaches as most of the bait will start to flush from the coves, ponds, and the mouth of rivers. The best of Striper fishing has yet to come! Read on for more…

Connecticut

Local Rivers

All of our local rivers have been stocked for the Fall, and with normal flows and ideal water temperatures the fishing will be good. For instance, the Saugatuck is currently reading 47.6 CFS, which is great for both clarity and wading. Since fish are recently stocked, a variety of flies will work, and having some junk flies (Mops and Squirmies) will certainly catch fish. Try pairing that with a smaller pattern that is more imitative of aquatic insects, as the fish will start to acclimate to natural forage. For our small river and streams we like having a shorter leader, such as theRio Powerflex in 7.5ft. Both 5x and 6x will have you covered for most dry fly and nymphing scenarios. For dry flies one can expect a variety of Caddis in Tan and Olive sizes 16-24, Isonychia in sizes 10-12, Blue Winged Olives in sizes 18-24, as well as Tricos in sizes 20-26. Terrestrials are starting to taper off but there are still some Ants/Flying Ants as well as Beetles. Streamer fishing is also improving, as less educated trout coupled with Fall spawning behavior will ramp up their aggression. For smaller nymphs consider Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Perdigones, and Hare’s Ears. Sticking to sizes 14-18 in these patterns will imitate most of your subsurface insect sizes. One effective technique during the afternoon is to let your nymphs swing to the bank at the end of your dead-drift, as this will imitate an emerging insect. One of our favorite streamer lines for Fall is theAirflo Streamer Max Short,as well as theScientific Anglers Sonar Trout. The Short head loads rods well for our smaller rivers especially when targeting the opposite bank and sinking the fly quickly into the strike zone. Areas that should fish well include the Saugatuck, Mianus, Mill, and Aspetuck Rivers. Our anglers are reporting that some nice Rainbow Trout and Tiger Trout were stocked. Overcast with occasional rain is expected for Saturday, however these conditions won’t affect flows drastically.

Naugatuck River

The Naugatuck was stocked with Atlantic Salmon, and more recently Trout in the Trout Management Areas. Flows are clear and ideal for wading, reading 392 CFS at Beacon Falls. Again, having some junk flies will catch the less-educated, stocked fish, and look to fish similar offerings that we are using on our local streams: Sulphurs, Cahills, Caddis, Tricos, Blue Winged Olives, and Terrestrials. October Caddis should start arriving soon, so bring some Tan Caddis patterns in sizes 14-18. In respect to other insects, having a range of sizes from 12-24 in nymphs/dries will have you covered. Look to fish Isonychia in the evenings in size 12 and focus on the faster water where they will be more active. Overall, the hatch to focus on will be Blue Winged Olives, which are now becoming more prevalent again, as these are ideal temperatures for both afternoon and evening hatches. Fishing drab colored Woolly Buggers will also work for more aggressive fish. The Naugatuck is a good alternative for areas with more crowds/pressure. In addition, the Shetucket River was recently stocked with Atlantic Salmon, and for these fish your traditional Atlantic Flies and hairwing streamers will work: Grey Ghosts, Blue Charms and Mickey Finns. Don’t be afraid to throw some larger intruders in Pink, Black, Blue, and Purple, especially after they’ve just finished stocking. Try swinging these streamers slowly as you first fish the pool, and if you don’t get any takes, switch to a faster retrieve/swing. The fish will let you know what they prefer.

Farmington River

Flows were cut at the dam which has dropped flows to an average level of 56.5 CFS on the West Branch at Riverton. The Still River is currently adding 87.3 CFS. Water temperatures are ideal and are fluctuating between the mid-50s to low 60s. All sections of the Farmington were stocked for Fall fishing, and anglers are still finding some nice holdover fish from the Spring. These lower flows and temperatures will improve hatches and dry fly fishing. During the late morning into the evening look for Blue Winged Olives in sizes 20-24, and Tan Caddis in sizes 16-18. If you’re fishing the hatches into the evening, consider bringing some Isonychia in sizes 12-14 and blind fish them in the faster water, which is where they will generally hatch. Other options to have in your box include Cahills in sizes 12-18, Midges in sizes 18-20, and terrestrials (Ants and Beetles) will still be a viable option, especially during the afternoon. For nymphing, junk flies will catch the recently stocked Trout (Mops and Squirmies) in addition to Stoneflies in sizes 8-12. One technique is to use these larger flies as your point nymph paired with a smaller dropper nymph: Pheasant Tails in sizes 12-18, Caddis Larva 14-18, Perdigones 12-20, Hare’s Ears 14-18, and Zebra Midges in 18-24. These nymphs are all safe bets from Fall and well into Winter. Streamer fishing is a good option this time of year as trout will become more aggressive during the spawn. Be careful when wading to avoid stepping on Redds (Trout spawning beds) and leave Brown Trout alone if they are paired up and spawning in shallow water. In terms of rigging, look to use 5x-6xFluorocarbon when nymphing, andNylon 5x-7x when dry fly fishing. During normal-low flows, and especially with smaller flies, it pays off to have a stealthy leader in the10-12’ range which will aid in a delicate presentation. Staying into the evening can result in some good spinner falls. With all the variety of bug activity, swinging wet flies can be a productive option as well. For our Trout Spey Anglers, look to fish larger streamers or intruders paired with afaster sinking tip. Fishing a wet fly swung on aless aggressive sinking tip can pull additional fish. The same can be said for those nymphing with single handers: swinging nymphs at the end of your drift can simulate an emerging insect. Twitching jigged streamers through a run can also be a deadly technique, and good colors to try include olive, black, tan, and white. Your odds will be better with streamers during the morning hours but will improve as Fall progresses. Vary retrieves, starting fast and then slowing down to see what the trout prefer.Remember to not high or low hole anyone. Let’s be respectful to other anglers. Good luck! Keep in mind:Please report any suspicious activity and poaching to DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

Housatonic River

The Housatonic Trout Management Areas were stocked this week. That, combined with summer conditions which helped many spring fish hold over, means that this Fall is on track for stellar fishing. Flows have dropped to clear and wadable levels, reading 763 CFS at Falls Village. With these improved flows we should also see an improvement in hatches, and look to fish Blue Winged Olives in sizes 18-24 and Isonychia in sizes 12-14 as your main options. Other bugs to bring include Tan Caddis in sizes 16-20, Midges in sizes 18-24, as well as Flying Ants and Beetles. For nymphs bring junk flies (Mops and Squirmies) as well as Stoneflies in sizes 10-16, Caddis Larva in sizes 14-18, Zebra Midges in sizes 18-24, as well as nymphs to imitate Mayflies (Olive Hare’s Ears, Waltz Worms, Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, and Perdigones) in sizes 12-18. Trout are starting to get into their spawning phase, which means that they will be looking for higher calorie meals so bringing some larger streamers should prove useful. If you are fishing articulated neutrally buoyant streamers (Mini Dungeons, Drunk and Disorderly, Circus Peanuts, etc), you will want to pair these with asinking line and a short 5’ leader tapered from20lb to 10lb. For our floating line Streamer Anglers, consider drab colored Conehead Woolly Buggers paired with a 9ft 2x leader. Now is also a good time for our Trout Spey anglers to consider throwing larger patterns during the afternoon in combination with swinging wet hackles in the mornings and evenings. Pike fishing has also improved, as the dropping water temperatures will trigger them to feed in preparation for Winter. Throw big flies (such as aFlashtail Whistler) paired with an 8-10wt, bite wire, and some form of sinking line (my personal favorite).

Saltwater

The main action recently has been schoolie Stripers blitzing on Peanut Bunker around coves and harbors. Since there is a large mass of Peanut Bunker that has not yet left the coves and mouths of rivers, now is a good time for wade and boat anglers to get into fish. The Norwalk River has seen Stripers and Blues fired up on the surface, as well as the beaches off Westport, Fairfield, and Bridgeport. Bringing Deceivers, Clousers, and EP Peanut Bunker flies will catch fish as they’re blitzing, and these fish will not be particularly picky. In addition, if there is no surface action happening, it is worth blind fishing the points and coves. A variety of baitfish imitations will interest fish on either an intermediate or sinking line, however another effective method is covering water with a popper that will create a lot of disturbance, such as a Bob’s Banger. Albies have shown up infrequently from Norwalk to Bridgeport and the primary bait has been Peanut Bunker and Bay Anchovies. Look for quick blitzes of small pods of fish near cove entrances and along reefs. Some areas to focus on are the reefs and beaches off of Westport, Southport, Penfield Reef, Stratford Shoals, the mouth of the Housatonic and off New London. Larger Bluefish can be found finning in the mornings in and around coves and beaches, as well as blitzing on bait in deep water structure. It is also worth checking near the mouth of Niantic Harbor, as they have been spotted crashing bait along the jetty and shoreline. Every day has been different in terms of fish activity. For our wade anglers Old Mill in Westport has been fishing well, and there is plenty of bait along with Stripers and the occasional Bluefish in the Pond. This time of year is worth casting along the beaches as the bait will push out and travel along the beach with Stripers in pursuit. Other areas to consider include the mouth of the Housatonic, Calf Pasture, Penfield Reef, Veterans Park, and Todd’s Point. While blitzes can erupt at any time, seemingly out of nowhere, we like to focus our efforts on mornings and evenings, low light conditions, as well as tidal movements. Our anglers have reported some impressive Bluefish being landed around 10lbs, and fishing poppers remains an effective and exciting way to get into the action, especially during first light. We recommend bringing wire leader in20lb, and knottable wire is easy to work with when adding a section to your leader. For your standard Striper leader, we prefer a leader7’ of 16-20lb, and if using poppers, you may extend your leader by a couple more feet. It will also help to bring some longer fullfluorocarbon leaders in 16lb in case you encounter Albies.

Hot Flies:
Deceivers in various colors
Clousers
Bay Anchovy Patterns
Peanut Bunker Patterns
Medium Sized Bunker Flies
Epoxy Sardine (Great Albie Fly)
Bob’s Banger (Stripers and Bluefish)

Good Fly Lines For Fall:
SA Full Intermediate
Wulff Monoclear (For picky Albie days)
Rio Outbound Short (Good for big flies and big winds)
Rio Striper (Good all-rounder)

Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

New York

Salmon River

Flows have lowered on the Salmon River, and are currently at 464 CFS at the Pineville Gauge. Towards the lower end of the river there is a mix of Kings and Steelhead that are still pushing in fresh from the lake, with the occasional Atlantic being landed. The occasional Coho and Brown Trout have been landed too, but the consensus is that more Steelhead are entering the system. Kings will be spread throughout the entire river, as well as in the tributaries, while Steelhead are starting to push into the Middle and Upper sections. It’s all a matter of finding pods of fish that are staging and willing to cooperate. During these average flows the steelhead are going to be more wary, which, when combined with angling pressure, means that it is worth bringing some 3x fluorocarbon. The most popular flies for Kings have been dead drifting egg sucking leeches and Woolly Buggers in various colors, and some anglers are having success fishing large brightintruders in Pink, Black, Purple, and Blue/Chartreuse swinging the lower parts of the estuary. Larger Glow Bugs andbeads in different colors will also take fish, so switching up flies/colors and techniques will be the key to success. As a bonus, these flies will also work on Brown Trout and Steelhead, in addition to smaller Glow Bugs, and Chartreuse/Mottled Tangerine beads. Having amicro barrel swivel incorporated into your leader will help avoid splitshot sliding down your leader, and will also aid in quicker rerigging during breakoffs and snags. For our two handed anglers, Skagit has been the most productive method, and we like Rio’sSkagit Max Power head combined with either a mono or coated running line. Having a variety ofMOW Tips is also useful so that you can fine tune the depth of your fly based on flows, depth, and current speed, to aid in your success.

Catskills

The Mainstem at Lordville on the Delaware River is currently 1290 CFS, while the West Branch at Hale Eddy is flowing at 156 CFS. Flows at Fish’s Eddy on the East are 832 CFS. Conditions and clarity are good for wading, and overall flows are low. Hatches have improved for Blue Winged Olives in sizes 18-22, and look for fish rising for them during the afternoon. Water temperatures have been cooling, and are currently fluctuating between the low to mid 50s, which means searching for rising fish during the afternoon is effective again. Staying into the evening, you may also encounter Isonychia in sizes 12-14, Cahill in size 16, Hebes in sizes 18-20, and October Caddis in sizes 12-18. Having a leader of at least12’ of 5x-6x will help when looking for a stealthier approach for dry flies. With that said, nymphing has been the most productive of late. During the mornings nymphing or using a dry/dropper rig will be effective techniques. Streamer fishing is also a viable method when flows increase because Brown Trout are approaching their pre-spawn, especially when flows improve. Stoneflies, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, Caddis Pupa, Caddis Larvae, Waltz Worms, and jig style flies (like Perdigones) are all good considerations when going subsurface. Bring some small Pheasant Tails (18-22) to imitate Blue Winged Olives. Don’t overlook swinging wet flies and nymphs, such as an Isonychia, at the end of your drift to simulate emerging insects. For the Neversink, Willowemoc, and Beaverkill rivers bring similar patterns and add Light Cahills to your box.

Saltwater

Albie fishing continues to be consistent, with some days being more cooperative than others. Some hotspots are the rips around Montauk, off Mattituck, Plum Gut, and Port Jefferson. Montauk has been a hit or miss, the outgoing tide has been most productive, however the numbers and school size for Hardtails hasn’t been off the charts. Most anglers are catching in the single digits. Overall, it seems like the best concentration of fish is along the Northshore, Watch Hill, and Fisher’s.  There are some Bluefish mixed in, and you may encounter them around some of the jetties and blitzing on beaches. The primary baitfish will include Peanut Bunker and Bay Anchovies. Wade fishing has been a hit or miss, with some anglers finding an occasional Striper or Bluefish, and finding birds working the bait has been the key to success. When fishing by boat, focus on structure around the bays and look for birds/baitfish as Stripers, Albies, or Bluefish will be blitzing. This tends to be a low light scenario. Bringing some poppers, like a Bob’s Banger, will result in some Blue and Striper action during dusk and dawn. Night fishing has held steady for Stripers, especially around docks and lights, and anglers fishing from shore are finding large Stripers off the beaches. Looking for fish pushing bait to the surface in the rips can result in some fish 30lbs and over. Tide movement is crucial when looking for fish, as this will stack bait into the rips which will make for an easy meal. If there is no surface action, you can use an aggressive sinking line paired with a larger Clouser to get deeper. The back bays on the Northshore are still seeing plenty of Bluefish, and some Albies are starting to filter in, especially near Wading River. With the abundance of bait and different species you will encounter, we recommend bringing some Deceivers, Clousers, Sand Eel patterns, and Popovic’s Surf Candies to imitate Bay Anchovies.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island is seeing the most Albie and Bonito action so far, with Bass and Bluefish mixed in. Hot spots include Watch Hill, Point Judith, Charlestown Breachway, and the West Wall. Covering ground is the name of the game as some anglers are finding Albies in deeper water as well as along the beaches. Striper rafts have been mixed in nearshore which has proven helpful for shore-bound anglers. Everyday has been different, so cover ground and look for signs of bait on the surface. There have been really small Bay Anchovies in the 1.5” range so having some smaller Tan/White Clousers and Surf Candies will imitate these if the fish are picky. The ledges off Block Island are still fishing well, with large Stripers and Bluefish on Sand Eels in the rips. Look for fish on top during tide movements during dusk. Some of the flats are seeing slot size and over fish cruising in shallow, with the most effective patterns being crab flies. If you are struggling to find hard tails, the consistent Bluefish action on topwater can save the day, as they are still nearshore in bays and salt ponds. With big Striper rafts, Bluefish to play with, and consistency in Albies/Bonito, the Fall run is on!