Greetings Compleat Anglers! On behalf of our entire team here in the shop, best wishes for a wonderful and safe holiday! With many travel plans having been changed by COVID, we know many anglers are planning to sneak out for a little fishing this upcoming week, so you can find the latest below. The short version is that trout fisherman should expect typical winter conditions and behavior, while those making the trip to the great lakes should be in luck thanks to some excellent water flows. Read on for more...

Connecticut

Local Streams

Same story as last week. You can expect this report for at least the next 3 months. Some rivers are fishing “better” than others but it has been a bit on the tougher side as a whole. Winter has certainly set in. As a result, the water temperatures will continue to drop. At this point, you will need to cover water while deploying stealthy trout tactics. Smaller flies, light tippet, and perfect presentations are all critical to keep you hooked up. Zebra Midges, smaller soft hackles, and other assorted nymphs in a size 18 or below should get the job done. 6x tippet is mandatory for these smaller flies and 7x would not be a bad idea either depending on the size of the fly. Remember, sneaky set ups. You will also want to cover water. The days of high concentrations of fish in a few holes are behind us and the fish have most certainly spread out, so a more “traditional” approach to locating trout must be used. Remember that the TMAs are all catch-and-release until mid-April. Please report any poaching. The Atlantic Salmon fishing on the Naugatuck and Shetucket has begun to decline as anglers are now killing fish. Unfortunately, we will only have another few weeks of decent fishing before the fish are all but plucked out of the water by the kill anglers. That is not to say that there won’t be a few good days left in the near future. We highly recommend going sooner rather than later. We recommend using 7 or 8wts for these fish to beat them in a reasonable amount of time. No bait is allowed and snagging can be a problem from the desperate spin and fly anglers so report any misconduct to the DEEP. Calling 800-842-4357 can make all the difference. The water will be on the higher side so hopefully that will spread the fish out and push them into areas that are less frequented by the meat fishermen.

Farmington River

No change to the Farmington report as well. The fishing is about as tough as it gets. We are now firmly into the wintering behavior pattern for trout. The fish are becoming much more lethargic and as such, fishing has been tough. We are seeing most anglers put their trout gear away for the winter and as such, few reports are coming off the water. The water flows are 280ish out of the dam and another 250 or so out of the Still. We do have some rain on the way so expect those flows to bump up a bit. Water temperatures are getting colder by the day. We are seeing a low of 41 degrees (depending on where you are on the river) and a high of 42 for water temps. As such, the best time to be on the water is when the water temperatures are the highest. No need to get up early. The few anglers we have talked to have said that it’s a few-fish-a-day type of situation. You will really need to work for them, that is for sure. The hatches are a non-factor at this point. Maybe on a warmer day, there may be a few fish rising but it will be a longshot to get a fish to come up for a dry fly. Nymphs will most likely be the best option. Smaller patterns that closely mimic natural forage are the best bets. Eggs will still take some fish as well for next few weeks. Streamers are a low percentage option at this point. The fish are transitioning into long, deep, and slow runs to winter over. They will rarely move more than a foot to grab a food item and that means hitting them in the face with a slow-drifting nymph is the best option. The report will be essentially exactly the same for the next few months at least. Small flies, slow drifts, cold water, tough fishing. While we will obviously update you on any significant changes, expect the fishing to stay relatively unchanged for the entirety of the winter. Low and slow is the name of the game if you decide to get out. On the flip side, it is not a horrible idea to give the trout a break during the tougher winter months.

Keep in mind: Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

Housatonic River

The Housey is still around 1400 CFS. With more rain forecasted this weekend and into next week I would say it is best to stay off the river. Especially with the cold weather and water we have, better to be safe than sorry. Remember that the TMA is catch-and-release only. Water temperatures are getting a bit cold. They are in the mid 40s at this point and we will see the fish begin to hunker down for the winter. The season is pretty long in the tooth and, while the fishing may pick up on the warmer days, the fishing will be tough for the rest of the winter. We got pretty unlucky with flows this Fall and had few opportunities to wade. We are well past that sweet spot of the Fall weather window when fishing can be spectacular. If you do decide to give it a shot, later in the day when the water is warmest will be the most productive. However, with water getting colder by the day, I would recommend putting those streamers away and going with nymphs. Smaller and more natural patterns will become the most productive as things cool down. Really any reasonable nymph has decent odds of success. As long as you stay sub-surface and have a decent presentation, you have a shot at a fish or 2. Not much to report with Pike or Smallies. These fisheries are essentially shut down for the winter. While an abnormally warm day could see a good uptick in fish activity, I would say it is best to pack that gear away until the Spring.

Keep in mind: Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

New York

The Salmon River

Finally! A drop in the water on the Salmon. The dam has been cut way back and we have a CFS of 578 in Pineville. That is great news for Steelhead anglers. Even more good news is that Steelhead will be in the entire system at this point. From what we are hearing the middle and even upper sections of the river have been the hot spots. The fishing has been very good the past few days. There are lots of relatively unpressured fish in the system and any half decent effort up there should result in hook-ups. The fish will be more consolidated with the lower water and open up more areas to fish as well. Now is a great time to get up there.

While I know it's Christmas, the week following should be darn good fishing for this time of year. Egg patterns will still work and are a must have up there. Purples, blues, pinks, chartreuses, oranges and peaches are the colors widely regarded as the go-tos. However, as we move into January the fish will begin to transition to Stoneflies and other assorted patterns. You will certainly want to have stones in your box at this point. Worm style flies will work as well. Changing flies constantly will be the best way to get on some fish. Some of the fresher fish will eat a wide variety of flies, while fish that have been in the river a while will be far more selective. For that reason, keep a large selection of flies on you. As the precipitation transitions to snow. We will see less fluctuation in water levels and more predictable fishing. Now is a great time to get up there. There are plenty of fish in the system with more entering every day.