Hello Compleat Angler friends! We’ve seen some good improvements in our freshwater fishing this week. The state of Connecticut has started stocking some select lakes, ponds, and rivers in anticipation for Spring. Areas that are stocked will be more forgiving in terms of fly selection, everything from streamers to Mops, Squirmies, and more imitative bugs will work until the trout become more educated. On other rivers that haven’t been stocked, fish are looking up and more regularly keying in on small Black Stoneflies in sizes #16-#18. One detail to note is that rivers are still high from this past week’s rain, but they are dropping quickly toward average levels. Some of our anglers are taking some early trips to the Delaware River and are catching fish on streamers and nymphs. Further north, Great Lakes Anglers are finding good numbers of Steelhead that are staged near the upper reaches of the Salmon River, and all the tributaries are fishing well. Read on for more…

Connecticut

Local Rivers

This week we have both good and not-so-good news. The good news is that some select lakes, ponds, and rivers were recently stocked with trout so many anglers will see an improvement in their fishing. The not-so-good news is that the flows are high after our rainstorm Tuesday night. For instance, the Saugatuck River is currently 336 CFS but flows are starting to drop. That said, anglers will still have luck in high and slightly off-color water with streamers and nymphs. Once flows drop look for improved dry fly fishing, especially small Black Stoneflies in sizes 16-18. Fish are rising with more frequency even in areas that haven’t been hit by the stocking truck yet. Other considerations are Winter Caddis in similar sizes and Midges in sizes 18-14. In the meantime, a variety of subsurface patterns will work. In areas that were stocked consider bringing some Squirmy Worms, Mop Flies, as well as your standard assortment of nymphs in sizes 12-18: Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Caddis Larvae, and Perdigones. For smaller flies, mix in some size 18-24 Zebra Midges. Stocked fish will aggressively chase streamers from Wooly Bugger in 4-10 to larger articulated flies. Both can be paired with a floating line or sinking/sink tip option.When nymphing and dry fly fishing in our smaller rivers and streams we like having a shorter leader, such as the Rio Powerflex in 7.5ft. Both 5x and 6x will have you covered for most dry fly and nymphing scenarios. In addition, at the end of your dead-drift let your nymphs swing to the bank as this will imitate an emerging insect. Where you catch one fish you will catch more as stocked trout tend to pod up before moving into different water types. Areas to consider are the Saugatuck, Hammonasset River, Mill River in Hamden, and the Mianus for holdover fish.

Naugatuck River

Atlantic Salmon fishing has proven tough, this is most likely due to the fluctuation in flows since they’ve been stocked, as they tend to travel downriver during high water events. However, there is still the possibility of hooking into one because they were stocked earlier in February. Since trout have not been stocked yet for Spring, any fish you catch will be a holdover. Due to high flows, 1560 CFS at Beacon Falls, use caution when wading. In addition, subsurface will be the most effective, and use similar patterns and sizes in our local rivers report. Larger Stoneflies, Mops, and Squirmies will stand out in dirty and high water. Once flows normalize, look to fish Caddis, small Black Stoneflies, and Midges. With respect to other insects, having a range of sizes from 12-24 in nymphs/dries will have you covered. The Naugatuck is a good alternative for areas with more crowds/pressure. When targeting Salmon, 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 and flashy streamers 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

The most recent news on the Farmington River is that the state has stocked the West Branch in Riverton up to the dam, as well as Route 219 to Lower Collinsville. For recently stocked trout a wider variety of flies will work, from smaller nymphs to larger gaudy flies (Mops, Squirmies, Streamers). Holdover trout will be more keyed in on the natural hatches, Midges in sizes 20-24, Winter Caddis in sizes 18-20, and small Black Stoneflies in sizes 18-20. Flows are average on the West Branch in Riverton, reading 189 CFS, while the Still is adding 453 CFS from rain. Conditions should improve quickly downriver of the Still as flows are on the drop. Water temperatures will start reaching into the low 40s on some days in Riverton, so Trout should start to actively rise with more regularity. Flows will be good for clarity and wading upriver of the Still. For nymphing, you will want to bring 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 12-20, Caddis Larva 14-18, Perdigones 12-20, Hare’s Ears 14-18, and Zebra Midges in 18-24. In terms of rigging, look to use 5x-6x Fluorocarbon when nymphing. Streamer fishing will start to pick up, and you’ll want to bring some Wooly Buggers and jig style streamers in sizes 8-10 in a variety of colors: Olive, Black, White, and Brown. Fishing articulated flies on a sinking/sink tip line can be another useful tool to include in your arsenal. Now is a good time for our Trout Spey anglers to break out the Skagit Heads and T Tips which will turn over larger intruders and streamers. Fishing a wet fly swung on a less aggressive sinking tip can pull additional fish during the afternoon when insects will be emerging. Strikes will still be subtle as average water temperatures are still cold. 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

No surprise that the Housatonic River is back up with this past week’s rain. Currently flows are too high for wading, reading 1900 CFS at Falls Village. We recommend waiting until flows drop below 1000 CFS. When flows return to normal, you may encounter some Midges in sizes 18-24 and Small Black Stoneflies in sizes 14-18, however the dry fly action will be slow this time of year with water temperatures still low. Streamer fishing and nymphing are going to be the most productive technique. Anglers that have been streamer fishing are swinging flies on a floating or sink tip line with either single handers or trout spey rods. If you are fishing articulated neutrally buoyant streamers (Mini Dungeons, Drunk and Disorderly, Circus Peanuts, etc), you will want to pair these with a sinking line and a short 5’ leader tapered from 20lb 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 soft hackles in the mornings and evenings. Trout Spey is a good way to cover and search water, especially in the wider stretches. During the mornings nymphing still remains the most effective method. For nymphing with an indicator (we’ve had great feedback on the Oros Stike Indicators), a 9ft tapered fluorocarbon leader in 5x-6x is recommended. Nymphs to consider bringing include Pheasant Tails, Caddis Larvae, Prince Nymphs, Hare’s Ears, Waltz Worms, Perdigones, and Yellow/Golden Stoneflies in sizes 12-18. For smaller nymphs, Zebra Midges in 18-24 will fool fish all throughout Winter.

New York

Salmon River

Winter conditions are still holding strong in upstate New York on the Salmon River. Air temperatures will be in the mid-30s to low 40s over the weekend but look for an improvement later this week with temperatures reaching into the low 60s. Flows were increased and are currently reading 1860 CFS in Pineville. There will still be some fish traveling up the estuary and into the lower part of the river, however the fishing is still best from Pineville to Altmar where there is a higher density of fish. As temperatures get warmer fish will begin to spawn and drop back down to the lake. In the meantime, all the tributaries are also holding Steelhead and Brown Trout. Anglers fishing lower in the system have found a fish or two each day. While swinging flies will still attract the most aggressive fish, the most productive method in cold weather will be nymphing. Low and slow is the name of the game, as fish will be less willing to expend energy, and often the strikes will be subtle. Focusing on the deeper and slower pools will be a good start as these sections are typical Steelhead Winter holding areas. However, during high water events don’t overlook the faster water as Steelhead will feel more comfortable in travel lanes and moving upriver. Estaz Eggs, Glo Bugs, Squirmy Worms, Stoneflies, Steelhead Slammers, and Sucker Spawn will all take fish. Having a variety of colors and sizes, as well as switching flies often, will help you determine what they are keying in on. It will be worth bringing some smaller trout sized Stonefly patterns too. Beads in different colors will also work well (such as Chartreuse and Mottled Tangerine), so switching up flies/colors and techniques will be the key to success. As a bonus, these flies will also work on Brown Trout. Having a micro barrel swivel incorporated into your leader will help avoid splitshot sliding down your leader, as well as aid in quicker rerigging during breakoffs and snags. For our two handed anglers, Skagit has been the most productive method, and we like Rio’s Skagit Max Power head combined with either a mono or coated running line. Having a variety of MOW Tips so you can fine tune the depth of your fly based on flows and current speed, will aid in your success. For tippet, we like using Maxima Ultragreen in 10lb when swinging flies. Having a variety of colors to rotate between is the name of the game: Brown, Olive, Black, Blue, Purple, and Pink are all good considerations. Now that the weather is cold, it will be beneficial to bring a good layering system as well as a pair of warm fingerless gloves.

The Catskills

Now is the time to start thinking about booking your trips for the 2024 Spring and Summer season! Anglers that have been making early trips have been catching fish on streamers and nymphs. While you may see some Midges (#20-24) and small Black Stoneflies (#16-18) this time of year, the fish haven’t been rising with frequency yet. Flows are above average reading 4330 CFS on the Mainstem at Lordville, while the West is slightly below average at 911 CFS. Flows are also above average on the East, reading 2090 at Fish’s Eddy. Water temperatures on the mainstem are fluctuating in the mid-30s to low 40s depending on the afternoon air temperatures, and during the warmer afternoons you may have luck swinging soft hackles. For nymphing, consider Prince Nymphs, Pheasant Tails, Caddis Larvae, Perdigones, Waltz Worms, etc., all in sizes #14-#20. Streamer Colors to try include Chartreuse, White, Olive, Yellow, Black, and Olive. Using articulated Streamers with a sinking/sink tip line will get the attention of more active fish.