Hello Compleat Angler friends! We’ve had a lot of smiling anglers entering the shop this past week as additional stockings have meant that a lot of trout are being brought to hand in our local rivers. Warming water temperatures also have more trout looking up, especially at increased Stonefly activity during the afternoon. We are excited to hear that Saltwater Striper activity has also been improving, and these fish are being brought to hand more frequently as well. The nighttime bite is also on angler’s radars, and we expect the Striper activity to continue to increase each week. If you are planning a day on the Farmington, water levels are high from the dam release, however fish are keying in on Blue Winged Olives. Streamers and nymphs should also be considered, and look for fish pushing closer to the banks and inside seams during these kinds of high water conditions. On the Salmon River, Steelhead are still concentrated upriver, with some dropback fish starting their journey as well as the occasional fish pushing into the system. We have a lot of new Huk fishing clothing in the shop this week, as well as the new Simms Freestone Waders and Boots (which are now made in the USA!). Hatch has also come out with a new Limited Edition Nipper called The Mangrove. Read on for more…

Connecticut

Local Rivers

It's unfortunate that I have to include this statement, but as a reminder it is illegal to keep fish until the second weekend in April in designated sections (until 4/8/23). Those that are keeping fish before then are ruining fishing opportunities for everyone, both new and seasoned anglers. If you witness anyone illegally keeping fish before the 8th, please call the DEEP hotline at 800-842-4357 to report any poaching incidents. It’s all about Stoneflies on our local rivers, and on warmer afternoons they can be seen hatching by the hundreds. The fish are starting to become more active and are looking up to the surface for them, which is good news for our dry fly anglers. The other considerations you should have in your box this time of year are Midges and Blue Winged Olives. A good plan of attack is to get to the river and look for bug activity on the surface - if you don’t see any at the moment, start off with streamers and nymphs. A variety of nymphs will work including Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, and Zebra Midges, and you can always pair these as a dry-dropper rig. The most common size Stoneflies can be anywhere from size 12-18, while Blue Winged Olives and Midges average from 18-24. The Saugatuck flows peaked at 187cfs and have now dropped to 136cfs, suggesting comfortable and clear conditions for trout. When water temperatures reach their peak during the afternoon and Stoneflies are hatching, try dead drifting the adult forms, and, if your offer is being refused, skating the fly across the surface which can result in additional fish. A lot of our anglers have reported good fishing, and on some days are catching double digits! The areas to focus on include the Aspetuck, Mianus, Saugatuck, Mill, and more recently the Norwalk River TMAs. Lakes were also stocked, and the state has stocked large Seeforellan Brown Trout, a past stocking program that was discontinued, but which has now been reinstated. With additional stockings occurring, combined with holdover Fall stocked fish, there are a lot of great options so now is the time to get out there!

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 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 recent stockings and is a good alternative for areas with more crowds/pressure. The TMAs will be fishing well. Flows are down from the high of 995cfs, currently reading 639cfs at Beacon Falls, and steadily dropping. Warmer Spring days will increase water temperatures along with 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. More recently Route 4 to Tarrifville was also stocked. Attractor nymphs and streamers should work well until the fish become more educated. The stocked fish have spread out in the river now that they have acclimated. The most 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. The most noticeable change has been the increase in Blue Winged Olive activity on the surface, and fish are keyed in on the adults. Most of the action will occur in the afternoon on sunny days. Current water temperatures are 39.50F in Riverton, suggesting temperatures into the low 40s downriver. Temperatures are slowly increasing which will make the trout more active this month. If focused on dry fly fishing, pick your warmest afternoons. The West Branch Riverton gauge is up to 884cfs from the most recent scheduled dam release with the Still adding 361cfs from rain. With water this high, the fish will be pushed closer to the bank so make sure to target those slower inside seams. In terms of the fishing, anglers that have been successful have been really working for the larger fish, while some are racking up numbers from stocked fish. If you are focused on holdovers, smaller nymphs (sizes 16-20) have been working best. For dry fly anglers, trout are continuing to rise, and most hatches are occurring late in the morning and into the afternoon. Look to fish Winter Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, Stoneflies, and Midges as the most prevalent hatches. 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 that presentation is key, with longer leaders, stepping down tippet size to 6x, and being mindful to have a drag-free drift. As a general saying, the elephants will eat peanuts on this river. Church pool can be a consistent option 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 in the morning hours. For 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. 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 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), as 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. Trout aggression will ramp up along with water temps. Spend time fishing the deeper and slower runs, especially the slower pools. 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 2850cfs 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. We are starting to see the Stoneflies hatching in full force. Bringing a variety of Black Stonefly patterns in sizes 12-20 will have you covered on 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 ensuring a drag free drift all critical right now. The likeliest water to find rising fish will be areas with medium to slow flows. Focusing on nymphing and streamer fishing during the colder mornings and look for rising fish in the afternoon and into the evening. For streamers fishing, having a sinking line or sink tip can be helpful. 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 the 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 warmer days and evenings. Stripers are also starting to become active during the night, so planning around an ideal evening tide could result in some great fishing. 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). Bringing brighter and flashier offerings, switching up your retrieve speed and pausing between strips should result in fish once 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

During this time of year most Steelhead are concentrated upriver as they approach the raceway for spawning. Bank anglers that are having the most success are nymphing up towards Altmar. Down lower there is not a heavy concentration of fish in any particular area, however anglers fishing from drift boats are finding fish due to their ability to cover water. The fact that backtrolling plugs are working means that swinging flies should become more effective, which is good news for our Spey anglers. Fishing a Skagit head will still be the best setup as water temperatures are still near the mid-30s. Dam flows were cut this past Sunday, and flows are currently 1050cfs at Pineville, and dropping slowly. If swinging flies, Chartreuse is the hot color, with other considerations being Brown, Olive, White, and Black. Some anglers are finding fish in the lower system with the occasional Brown Trout in the mix. If you’re nymphing, dead egg colors such as Cheese and Chartreuse should be in your box, as well as Pink Squirmies and Black Kaufman’s Stoneflies in various sizes. Adding a red hotspot to these stones should be considered if you’re tying your own. Stoneflies are hatching all over the system on warmer afternoons in sizes 12-14. Fishing the morning hours has resulted in the most activity, but make sure to bring some gloves and a good layering system. The tributaries should still be fishing well as fish are still holding high upriver. Snow is expected Friday night turning to rain the following morning, giving way to warmer temperatures during the week with scattered showers, with a high of 67 on Wednesday! Morning temperatures remain in the high 30s.

Catskills

Overall, river conditions are high. On the Delaware, the mainstem at Lordville is reading 5420cfs. The East Branch at Fish’s Eddy is 2530cfs, while the West Branch at Hale Eddy is flowing at 1930cfs. During the Springtime high water, streamers will be most productive paired with a sinking line. Warmer temperatures will bring the Early Black Stoneflies in sizes 18 and small Caddis in 16-18 to the surface, however fish are still relatively lethargic due to water temperatures. So having a variety of Stonefly Nymphs, Caddis Larva, Zebra Midges, and Mayfly Nymphs in size 14-24 will be the majority of the menu.

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.