Hello Compleat Angler friends! Water levels have shot up a bit from recent rain, but they are still below average on all our local rivers and streams, so low water tactics are back in play. As a result, small nymphs are working well, and you can expect the most trout and insect activity during the afternoon when water temperatures are at their highest. The most prevalent insect will be Blue Winged Olives in sizes 20-26 both in the adult form and emergers. You may also consider bringing Tan Caddis and Midges. The Housatonic is also below average but fishing well from the Fall stocking, and the Farmington River is holding steady with wadable flows. Streamer fishing will still be in play as Brown Trout look for high calorie meals since most have completed their spawning. On the Salmon River in New York Steelhead fishing has seen an uptick in the lower sections of the river since there was a small increase in flows. This has triggered more fish to push into the river. The tributaries are also fishing well for Steelhead and Brown Trout. Local saltwater fishing has been spotty, but schoolies can still be found on Peanut Bunker along the shoreline, as well as around coves and the mouths of rivers. The mouth of the Housatonic River is seeing Stripers return to winter over upriver, and anglers are catching fish from the mouth to the I-95 bridge. The Striper action continues strong along the South Shore of Long Island down into New Jersey as large rafts of fish crash Bunker and Sand Eels. Meanwhile, Rhode Island is still seeing some schoolie action near the salt ponds and the mouth of the Providence River, however the bite has been tapering off.

Read on for more…

Connecticut

Local Rivers

Flows are back down below average on our local rivers and streams, despite some rain we received this past week. For instance, the Saugatuck River is flowing at 65.2 CFS and dropping, so we are back to our low water tactics. Cold mornings that are in the high 20s to the low 30s are creating low water temperatures, so look for more trout activity during the afternoon as they will be more lethargic in the morning until water temperatures warm. Hatches are diminishing now that we are entering Winter, but you may still see some small Blue Winged Olives in sizes 20-26, Midges in sizes 18-24, and Tan Caddis in sizes 18-24. Subsurface will be the most effective technique. Higher water also allows us to get away with more variety in terms of the sizes of nymphs. Strikes will be very subtle in the areas with slower currents if you’re fishing subsurface. Smaller drab-colored nymphs will be working in conjunction with Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Caddis Larvae, Waltz Worms, and Perdigones in sizes 14-20, as well as Zebra Midges in sizes 18-20. Having a dry/dropper rig or a wool indicator will be a stealthier presentation when compared to the splash of a twist on indicator. Streamer fishing will be tougher during lower flows; however, you may want to try fishing some small conehead Woolly Buggers in a variety of colors: Olive, White, Black, Brown, Tan, and Purple. Jig streamers either dead drifted or animated with a jigging action from the rod tip will also work well as they offer a slower and enticing motion.

Naugatuck River

Flows on the Naugatuck River have shot up but are still below average and are reading 400 CFS at the Beacon Falls gauge. The mornings have been cold, so trout and hatch activity will be highest during the afternoons. There are still some Small Blue Winged Olives, Midges, and Tan Caddis hatching from late morning into the afternoon. For nymphing the usual suspects will work well, Caddis Larvae, Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Waltz Worms and Perdigones in sizes 16-18. Also consider bringing Zebra Midges in sizes 18-24, Mop Flies, Egg Flies, and Squirmies. Streamer fishing will be improved since the flows have increased so bringing some weighted streamers and unweighted on sinking lines will be a good options briefly until flows drop further. Since we had a high-water event, some of the Atlantic Salmon will have pushed downriver, however you may still come across some holding in the deeper and slower pools. For targeting Atlantic Salmon, swinging and/or stripping streamers and traditional hairwing flies, Woolly Buggers, and different color intruders will work well. Change flies after swinging through a pool, as sometimes Salmon will be triggered by a particular color or fly that has some added flash. Focusing on the entire run and fishing all sections methodically will be a good strategy to hunt them down. The Naugatuck and Shetucket are good alternatives for areas with more crowds/pressure.

Farmington River

Flows on the West Branch of the Farmington River have been holding steady at 134 CFS and water temperatures have been fluctuating in the high 40s to low 50s at the Riverton gauge. The Still River is adding 90.3 CFS from rain and is slowly dropping. Overall conditions are clear and good for wading. Water temperatures will be coldest during the morning, so trout and hatch activity will be highest when water temperatures warm during the afternoon. In the morning you will still find some Tan Caddis hatching in sizes 18-24, which will switch over to Blue Winged Olives during the afternoon and into the evening in sizes 18-24. If you see trout rising slowly, it will be worth trying some Blue Winged Olive emergers. Nymphing will be the most productive technique throughout the day. Smaller nymphs have been working well in conjunction with egg patterns now that most of the Brown Trout have completed spawning. For nymphs we recommend Pheasant Tails and Prince Nymphs in sizes 12-20, Caddis Larva 14-18, Perdigones 12-20, Hare’s Ears 14-18, Waltz Worms in 14-18, Black Stoneflies in sizes 12-18, and Zebra Midges in 18-24. A few Brown trout are still finishing spawning so make sure to avoid fishing to these actively spawning fish or stepping on their spawning beds (Redds). Fishing downstream of spawning fish or Redds can be an effective technique as trout will hold below them and wait for eggs to become dislodged. During reduced and normal flows with good clarity, we recommend using long leaders in 5x-7x for dry flies (12’ or longer). Swinging wet flies, such as a Caddis Pupae, or soft hackle Hare’s Ear, can be an effective technique when Caddis hatch in the mornings and afternoons. In terms of rigging, look to use 5x-6x Fluorocarbon when nymphing. Smaller nymphs in sizes 18-20 will pair well on a dry/dropper rig. It is also worth streamers as Brown Trout will be more aggressive during the post spawn as they look for more calories to regain weight in preparation for winter. The best times to streamer fish will be during lower light conditions in the morning and evenings. For Streamer fishing you’ll want to bring some Woolly Buggers and jig style streamers in sizes 8-10 in a variety of colors: Olive, Black, White, Brown, and Yellow. Fishing articulated flies on a sinking/sink tip line can be another useful tool to include in your arsena. Weighted Sculpin patterns are another consideration and can be fished on a floating line. Now is a good time for our Trout Spey anglers to use Scandi heads and polyleaders during these average flows when swinging soft hackles. Try swinging some wet flies on less aggressive sinking tips, as insects will become more active during morning to early afternoon. Fishing larger streamers on a Skagit head will also work during the morning and evenings. 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 1-860-424-4357.

Housatonic River

Flows have improved a bit on the Housatonic since this past week’s rain, however they are still below average reading 639 CFS at Falls Village and will keep increasing a bit from residual in Massachusetts. These flows make for wading and good clarity, and anglers are still finding plenty of fish willing to cooperate. Dry fly fishing will be best during the afternoon when water temperatures are at their peak, and most of the hatch consists of small Blue Winged Olives in sizes 20-26. It will be worth bringing some emergers and longer leader in 6x-7x as the rising fish have been more difficult to fool. On occasion you may find some Tan Caddis hatching during the late morning hours in sizes 18-24. Overall nymphing is going to be the most productive technique, especially during the morning when temperatures are cold, and trout are more lethargic. Good nymphs to include in your rotation this time of year include Caddis and Scud patterns, Waltz Worms, Perdigones, Prince Nymphs, and Pheasant Tails all in sizes 14-18. In addition, bring some Black Stoneflies in sizes 12-18, as well as some Zebra Midges in sizes 18-20. Egg patterns will still be effective in 6mm since Brown Trout are finishing spawning. Having a double nymph rig will give the fish multiple options, and well as cover different areas in the water column. The streamer bite has been picking up now that Brown Trout are more aggressive during post-spawn. Bringing some smaller conehead Woolly Buggers will work during these low flows, as well as larger articulated streamers on sink tip lines. Make sure to avoid fish that are actively spawning and avoid stepping on Redds.

Saltwater

Striper fishing has started to slow down a bit and is more inconsistent as we come into the homestretch of Fall. Anglers are still finding some blitzing on Peanut Bunker and Silversides, however some of the feeds have been short lived. If you decide to fish soon your best option will be covering ground and running the shoreline until you see fish materialize or birds working on bait. Schoolies will concentrate around coves, mouths of rivers, and harbors. For the most part, Bluefish have moved out of our area. For the Wade angler good spots to try include Compo beach, Calf Pasture, the mouth of the Housatonic, and Penfield Reef. During the morning hours you can find Stripers blitzing on Peanut Bunker around 3” in length, and in some instances, they will be pushing them into the surf. A variety of fly patterns will be working during these scenarios, which include Clousers, Poppers, Deceivers, Hollow Flies, and EP Peanut Butter Flies. If fishing by boat, some areas to focus on include the Norwalk Islands, and running the shoreline from Westport the Greenwich if focusing on the Western Sound. Further East you will want to focus on the mouth of the Housatonic and Connecticut Rivers, as well as the shoreline along Old Saybrook to Stonington. For our saltwater fishery we recommend using a 9 or 10wt rod paired with an intermediate sinking line. For your leader a shorter 7.5ft section of 20-30lb will turn over easily when paired with a Clouser or other larger wind resistant flies. For colors consider bringing Olive and White on clear sunny days. If the water is stained, bringing brighter colors such as Chartreuse and White will help stand out in dirty water. If there’s no surface activity, marking fish with sonar and using full sinking lines will also work on deeper water ledges. For this fishing we recommend a 4-6” Deceiver in Olive/White and an aggressive full sinking line.

Hot Flies:

Deceivers in various colors

Clousers

Peanut Bunker Patterns

Custom Tied Baby Bunker (Super Realistic!)

Medium Sized Bunker Flies

Bob’s Banger (Stripers and Bluefish)

Larger Herring Flies

Good Fly Lines For Fall:

SA Full Intermediate

Rio Outbound Short (Good for big flies and big winds)

Rio Striper (Good all-rounder)

Airflo Universal Cold Salt

Leaders:

Rio Striped Bass Leader

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

New York

Salmon River

A small bump in flows on the Salmon River have helped push more Steelhead into the system, and as a result anglers are finding steady action each day in the lower sections of the river. Persistent angler are find a few fish each day in the middle and upper sections of the river as fish have now spread out in all sections. Since flows are below average, currently 322 CFS at the Pineville gauge, fish are most concentrated in the deepest pools. Nymphing is the most effective technique now, and smaller egg patterns around 6mm are working with the low clear water. Using fluorocarbon leaders will aid in abrasion resistance and strength in smaller diameters. We recommend using 9’ leaders in 1-3X, and having a barrel swivel connecting your leader to tippet will help for faster rerigging during break-offs, as well as offer a point where your splitshot can’t slide down to your fly. Popular Egg colors include Chartreuse, Orange, Pink, Cheese, and Blue. Estaz Eggs, Glo-Bugs, Sucker Spawn, Stoneflies, and Squirmy Worms are all flies to consider bringing. Where allowed, pegging beads offer a realistic egg imitation in a variety of colors from mottled Tangerine to Chartreuse.  Anglers swinging flies can opt for Woolly Buggers in a variety of colors, Egg Sucking Leeches, or PNW style Intruder Flies. These can be swung with a single hand or spey rods in conjunction with a sink tip. During these low flows both Skagit and Scandi techniques are applicable. Some anglers are finding some nice Brown Trout and Steelhead in the tributaries as well as they push further up into the systems with the small increase in flows.

New York Saltwater

Striper fishing has been holding strong with great topwater action from Montauk Point to the South Shore along Fire Island. Overall, the South shore has been great with large migratory fish being caught by surf and boat anglers. There are also False Albacore working along the beach fronts. Anglers are finding good Striper action patrolling the beaches by foot and are finding birds giving up the location of Stripers blitzing on Sand Eels. The predominant bait consists of Bunker from 4-6”, Sand Eels, and Bay Anchovies. The inlets and coves are also seeing activity with Stripers blitzing on smaller bait, with fish still patrolling the harbors and salt ponds. Good flies to use in these scenarios include Clousers and Deceivers. The best bet for any topwater action is the morning hours, however blitzes have been lasting well into the afternoon with plenty of action to be had. A big surprise was the late arrival of False Albacore in larger numbers, especially in Montauk around the rips. Anglers are still catching a few this week. Stripers are also mixed in with the action. The North Shore has been slower, with anglers finding some Schoolies moving through the area, however the action has been spotty. Jamaica Bay is seeing some great blitzes with fish keying in on Peanut Bunker. The toughest part of the equation this Fall has been the weather window to fish, and anglers that are able to go out on nice days are being rewarded. Keep an eye on the weather this weekend as higher winds are instore.

Rhode Island Saltwater

This week the quantity of Stripers has slowed; however, anglers are finding good quality fish when they’re hooking up amongst schoolies. There is great topwater action near Providence and Narragansett, with larger fishing actively chasing schools of Bunker. Other areas that are fishing well include the bays, coves, in the mouths of rivers, and the salt ponds. Stripers are dropping out of these areas so the entrances of the salt ponds are fishing well. In addition to Bunker, the prevalent bait is Sand Eels and Bay Anchovies. Now is a good time to be checking and patrolling the beachfronts, and while short lived there have been fish blitzing in the surf. Overall, the Stripers are on the move and starting to migrate, so we should expect good fishing for the next of weeks before numbers of fish really start to drop off. Bonito have now moved out of the area. If fishing by boat covering ground along the beaches, coves, and the mouths of rivers will be your best bet.