Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Despite our inconsistencies in weather this month, we’ve been seeing an improvement in the fishing, especially this week. A couple local rivers were stocked recently in addition to the early Spring stocking, so it is worth staying close to home if you’re fishing the freshwater in anticipation for the Stonefly hatch. On the Farmington River we are starting to see more dry fly action, especially in the Blue Winged Olive department. Saltwater fishing is also improving, and we’re starting to see more numbers of holdover Stripers dropping back into Long Island Sound. If you’re traveling up to the Salmon River, most of the action continues to be upriver as fish concentrate for spawning. There are plenty of options whether you’re fishing the Salt or Freshwater, and they will only continue to improve in upcoming weeks. Keeping an eye on the weather will prove useful, as we have a mix of snow and rain scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, while the other days are sunny and reaching into the 50s. Read on for more…

Connecticut

Local Rivers

Stoneflies, Midges, and Blue Winged Olives are the most prevalent, and the bug activity will be at its peak during the warmer afternoons. Bringing a variety of these dries and emergers in smaller sizes should cover your bases. During the mornings fish will be rising on small emergers, but most of the action remains subsurface on nymphs and streamers. When nymphing, your drift is crucial, so make sure your rig is getting down close to the bottom. The Saugatuck flows have leveled off at 153cfs, which is an improvement compared to the high flows this past week. Occasional rain showers are expected this week with temperatures reaching into the mid-50s. The state has stocked most of our local rivers, as well as the Farmington. In addition, lakes and ponds were recently stocked again so that is a viable option with the lack of ice. A lot of our anglers have reported good fishing, and on some days are catching into the double digits! Areas to focus on include the Aspetuck, Mianus, Saugatuck, and Mill River TMAs. Stonefly season has started, and it’s not uncommon to see them hatching by the hundreds on warm afternoons, sometimes in larger sizes (#12). Having the correct size is key, as well as presentation. Bringing sizes 12-18 will have you covered, as well as midges down to size 24. Try dead drifting the adult forms, and if your offer is being refused, skating the fly across the surface could result in additional fish. For nymphs a variety of sizes and patterns are working from junk flies to size 28 Zebra Midges. Olive and Black Woolly Buggers have been the streamers of choice.

Naugatuck River

The last Atlantic Salmon stockings occurred on January 11th and the 3rd. Try focusing on the TMAs and swinging streamers for these fish in combination with a polyleader. Getting the fly into the strike zone is essential, especially during the cold mornings. Try a variety of gaudy and drab colored streamers, as well as traditional Atlantic Salmon flies. Areas to focus on include the deepest section of slow pools and the tailouts of runs. Trout fishing is also good in the Naugatuck from a recent stocking and is a good alternative for areas with more crowds/pressure. Flows are up, reading 883cfs at Beacon Falls, but are steadily dropping. With warmer days ahead, this will increase water temperatures, and as a result Trout/Salmon metabolisms. Fishing junk flies in combination with a smaller more imitative selection subsurface will yield some fish. There are a lot of techniques and flies that will work from streamers to nymphs.

Farmington River

The state has stocked trout in the following sections: Lower Collinsville to RT177, RT219 to Lower Collinsville, and Hogsback to the West Branch TMA. Attractor nymphs and streamers should work well until the fish become more educated. The stocked fish spread out in the river now that they have acclimated. The prevalent hatch this time of year is Blue Winged Olives, Winter Caddis and occasional Midges. Small Black Stoneflies have also been prevalent, so bringing some dries as well as nymphs (pheasant tails, prince nymphs) is a must. With colder average night/daytime temperatures, most of the action will occur in the afternoons on sunny days. Current water temperatures are 38F in Riverton, suggesting temperatures into the low 40s downriver. Temperatures are increasing which will make the trout more active in April. If focused on dry fly fishing, pick your warmest afternoons this week. We are likely to see windy conditions this weekend, with a mix of rain/snow. This trend will continue into next week, with lighter winds forecasted, and air temperatures in the low to high 40s. The West Branch Riverton gauge is at 237cfs from dam release with the Still adding 563cfs from rain. In terms of the fishing, anglers that have been successful have been really working for larger fish, while some are racking up numbers from stocked fish. If focused on holdovers, smaller nymphs (sizes 16-20) have been working best. For the dry fly anglers, trout are continuing to rise, and most hatches are occurring late morning into the afternoon. Look to fish Winter Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, and Midges as the most prevalent hatches, and fish should be starting to look up at Stoneflies. Winter Caddis will hatch in the early to late morning. However, most of the bug activity will be in the afternoon during the warmest part of the day. With small flies hatching, this means presentation is key, longer leaders and stepping down tippet size to 6x, while also being mindful to have a drag-free drift. Church pool can be a consistent option this time of year if you are hunting for rising fish. Small nymphs will also continue to produce. Methodically covering likely holding water will be the key to success with cold water temperatures. For our Trout Spey anglers, swinging wet flies can be productive, but don’t be afraid to throw larger intruder style patterns. Using sink tips will slow down your swing and sink flies into the feeding zone. There is no shortage of options as far as techniques go. With the colder mornings, try fishing streamers and nymphs until most of the hatches start up in the afternoon. For nymphs, bring a variety of small stuff, like a zebra midge, olive hare’s ear, perdigon style, caddis larvae, waltz worm, etc. Bringing some junk flies such as Squirmies and Mop Flies will result in some Stockie action. Black stonefly nymphs will also fish well and are more active now suggesting hatches on the warmer days in sizes 18-24. Try a larger fly (mop, stonefly in 6-12) for your dropper followed by a smaller offering (size 18-24), this will get your rig down to the trout’s depth as they are more lethargic during the morning and colder days. Switching up streamer techniques and trying the low-and-slow approach may be the key to success, and sinking lines will help get the fly into the strike zone. Spend time fishing the deeper and slower runs, especially the slower pools for dry flies. 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

Flows are currently high and rising at 2440cfs on the Housatonic at Falls Village. High water will make for difficult wading but will open the river for drift boats (If wading, I recommend waiting for safer flows). Bring a variety of small nymphs: Caddis larvae and Pupae, Stoneflies, Zebra Midges, etc. Lately, the Stoneflies have started hatching in full force. Bringing a variety of Black Stonefly patterns in sizes 12-20 will have you covered for the warmer afternoons, which is when you can expect the hatches. For nymphs, having different sizes of Pheasant tails and Prince Nymphs (#12-18) will imitate Stoneflies well. Focusing on areas by the park, especially if you’re looking for rising trout, and TMAs should result in some fish during the warmer afternoons. Other considerations will be Blue Winged Olives, Midges, and Winter Caddis, I would bring a variety of sizes in the adults and emergers, as trout have been sipping on emerging BWOs frequently. Focusing on your small sizes 18-24 should result in some success. Presentation is key, with longer leaders, stepping down to 6x tippet, and getting a drag free drift all paramount. Likely water to find rising fish will be areas with medium to slow flows. Focusing on nymphing and streamer fishing during the colder mornings is a good strategy and look for rising fish in the afternoon and into the evening. For streamer fishing, having a sinking line or sink tip is the key to success. Focus your efforts on the deeper pools as trout are still pushed into the slower and deeper winter lies during the colder days and mornings. No stockings have happened on the Housatonic yet, however there are plenty of holdover fish from the last stocking during Fall.

Saltwater

The Housatonic River is continuing to produce holdover Stripers. And these fish are getting ready to drop back into Long Island Sound. While the majority of fish have not yet started their migration, anglers that are fishing towards the mouth are being rewarded with fish on the warmer days and in the evenings. The most productive technique this time of year will be fishing different colored Clousers paired with an intermediate sinking line (1.2-2ips sink rate). You’ll want to bring brighter and flashier offerings, and also switch up your retrieve speed and pause between strips until you find the pace the fish prefer. Bringing some unweighted patterns, such as Deceivers and Sand Eel imitations will be helpful if snagging the bottom is common with your weighted fly. For this fishery we prefer 20-30lb fluorocarbon leaders around 7’ in length. Having a shorter leader will help sink your fly when fishing an intermediate line, because it will reduce leader hinge, especially with unweighted flies. This rig will also be easier to cast in windier conditions. Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

New York

Salmon River

A scheduled dam release in anticipation for the most recent rain has the flows up to 1650cfs at Pineville. The river has a slight color to it, however the clarity is still good for fishing. While there are still a few fish pushing into the lower system, the majority of the action is concentrated in Altmar as the spawning fish push into the raceway at the hatchery. The common consensus is that Chartreuse is the hot color, so fishing egg flies, beads, streamers and intruders in that color will be productive. Other considerations are cheese, white or black streamers, pink worms, and stoneflies. On warmer afternoons there is a ton of stonefly action, with most flies being sizes 12-14. During high flows the traveling fish will push further towards the bank, so it will pay off to fish the slower seams and ledges as those fish take a break. The occasional Brown Trout is being caught in the lower section in the deeper pools. The tributaries will be running high and stained, so look to fish them once the flows drop. In a couple weeks, fish should start to drop back in a heavier concentration and the higher flows should expedite that process. Being adaptable and switching up techniques/flies often results in the most success. Generally, when fishing egg flies in clear low water it helps to bring some smaller flies in more natural dead colors, such as Cheese. For our Spey anglers a variety of colors: Black, Purple, Blue, Brown, Olive, White, and Pink work well. More aggressive sink tips paired with a Skagit shooting head can help this time of year (water temperatures are in the mid-30s). This will give you the option of getting your fly deeper and at a slower swing. The morning hours have resulted in the most activity before the sun brightens everything. With the colder morning temperatures, make sure you have a good layering system and gloves to stay warm!

Catskills

Overall, river conditions are high. On the Delaware, the mainstem at Lordville is reading 4290cfs. The East Branch at Fish’s Eddy is 1810cfs, while the West Branch at Hale Eddy is flowing at 1430cfs. Cold weather and snowy conditions will make the Delaware a subsurface game, so nymphing and streamers will be most productive. Warmer temperatures will bring the Early Black Stoneflies and Blue Winged Olives to the surface, however it is currently too early to think of dry fly fishing. Therefore, having a variety of stonefly nymphs, zebra midges, and mayfly nymphs in size 14-24 will be a majority of the menu. Streamer fishing is another consideration for this time of year on the higher flows.

Rhode Island

While things are relatively quiet around the Rhode Island Coast, the most noticeable change is an increase in holdover Striper action. Fishing the tidal estuaries and salt ponds will still be the most productive option, and smaller baitfish imitations until the Herring run arrives. Using clousers and flies that imitate Alewives are considerations when heading out there.