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Hello Compleat Angler friends! We have had a setback in our Spring fishing with colder weather, however anglers that are fishing subsurface are finding fish. Look for the warmer afternoons in the coming weeks when dry fly activity will improve. The Farmington River was stocked in multiple sections with some receiving their second round of stockings, so there is a mixed bag of stocked and some larger holdover fish being caught. On our local rivers and streams, flows are still below average with good clarity and easy wading. Meanwhile, the Housatonic River is still running a bit above 1000 CFS which makes some sections tricky for wading, and the state has yet to stock. The Naugatuck received rounds of stocking so fish will be taking a variety of flies. On the Delaware River, nymphing and streamer fishing are the most productive methods due to cold weather, however, look for an improvement in Small Black Stonefly Hatches and Blue Winged Olives as temperatures improve. On the Saltwater front, we are still early for the migratory Stripers, however anglers are finding some a few holdover fish.
Read on for more…
Connecticut
This past week’s weather has made things tough for dry fly activity, but we should see improvements as the weather warms. Anglers are finding trout mainly nymphing and streamer fishing. There are decent numbers of fish since rivers were stocked, and areas to focus on include the Mill, Saugatuck, Mianus, Aspetuck, and Norwalk Rivers. Flows are currently below average, clear, and easy for wading; for example, the Saugatuck River is flowing at 92.3 CFS. We recommend a 5x leader for both nymphing and dry flies, and a 2x leader for streamers.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Small Black Stoneflies 14-18
Blue Winged Olives (sparse Hatch) 18-24
Nymphs:
General Mayfly Attractor 14-18
Streamers:
Krystal Bugger (Black, Brown, Olive, White, Burnt Orange) 6-12
Most sections of the Naugatuck River have been stocked this Spring, so the fishing should be good for a variety of techniques. Flows are well below average with good clarity and easy wading, the Beacon Falls gauge is currently 502 CFS. You can expect hatches similar to our local rivers: Midges, Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, and the most prolific will be Small Black Stoneflies. Also consider bringing Zebra Midges in sizes 18-24, Mop Flies, Egg Flies, and Squirmies. Nymphing will be the most productive method, especially in the morning with trout being more lethargic due to cold water temperatures. Stocked fish will be forgiving in terms of fly selection, so bringing some streamers can be an exciting way to take advantage of their aggressive nature. Currently flows will provide streamer fishing as a viable option. The Naugatuck and Shetucket are good alternatives for areas with more crowds/pressure.
Flows on the West Branch at Riverton are currently below average at 165 CFS while the Still is adding 144 CFS. Water temperatures at the West Branch gauge are fluctuating in the low to mid 40s. Many areas of the Farmington River are stocked with additional stockings occurring more recently. Overall, water clarity and flows are good for fishing this weekend. While hatches haven’t been stellar due to our colder and windier weather, you may see Small Black Stoneflies, Blue Winged Olives, Tan Caddis, and Midges. The mornings have been better for nymphing and streamer fishing, with a variety of patterns working on stocked fish. For the holdover fish, you will want to use smaller and more natural-colored nymphs. For dry fly leaders we prefer a 9-12’ 5x-6x, and for nymphing a 9’ 5x-6x. Streamer fishing depends on the line; for sinking lines a short 5’ section of 10-15lb will work well while floating lines will require a longer 7.5-9’ leader in 10lb.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Small Black Stoneflies 14-18 (sunny afternoons)
Blue Winged Olives (overcast days) 18-24
Blue Winged Olive Emerger 18-20
Nymphs:
General Mayfly Attractor 14-18
Streamers:
Krystal Bugger (Black, Brown, Olive, White, Burnt Orange) 6-12
Larger Articulated Streamers on a sinking/sink tip line
Flows on the Housatonic River are below average but a bit too high to wade in some sections comfortably. Currently the Falls Village gauge is reading 1460. During the upcoming warmer afternoons, you may find some Small Black Stoneflies hatching, and on the overcast days Blue Winged Olives with some Tan Caddis and Midges mixed in. Overall hatches have been spotty with colder temperatures but will continue to improve. Nymphing and Streamer fishing are both producing fish, especially during the morning. The Housatonic has yet to be stocked, however there are a fair amount of holdover fish to keep one satisfied.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Small Black Stoneflies 14-18 (sunny afternoons)
Blue Winged Olives (overcast days) 18-24
Blue Winged Olive Emerger 18-20
Nymphs:
General Mayfly Attractor 14-18
Streamers:
Krystal Bugger (Black, Brown, Olive, White, Burnt Orange) 6-12
Larger Articulated Streamers on a sinking/sink tip line
Migratory Stripers are still in the process of moving up the coast, so it is still relatively early for Striper fishing until water temperatures improve. On the Housatonic River, some anglers have been finding drop back Stripers fishing the mouth, however most of the fish are still staged upriver.
Hot Flies for Spring:
Custom Tied Baby Bunker (Super Realistic!)
Bob’s Banger (Stripers and Bluefish)
Good Fly Lines for Spring:
Rio Outbound Short (Good for big flies and big winds)
Rio Striper (Good all-rounder)
Leaders:
Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.
Flows have dropped back down to below average, and the flows at the Pineville Gauge are currently 1140 CFS which means the lower section is re-open to fishing. In the lower section of the river anglers are finding a fish each day on average and activity will continue to heat up as Steelhead drop back to the lake. Fishing should also improve as we have more stability in flows. Fish are still spread throughout the river with some traveling and others holding, so we recommend fishing both the deeper slower pools and faster tailouts and the head of the run. Both Swinging flies with a single or two-handed rod and nymphing are working. For nymphing we recommend using 9’ leaders in 1-3X, and having a barrel swivel connecting your leader to tippet will help for faster rerigging during breakoffs, as well as offer a point where your split shot can’t slide down to your fly.
Nymphs:
Glo Bugs in various colors/sizes
Streamers:
Intruders/Tube Flies in various colors (Pink, Black, Purple, Blue, Olive, Brown)
Woolly Buggers 6-10 (Brown, Olive, White)
On the Delaware River the flow on the Mainstem at Lordville is currently 1650 CFS which is below average. The East Branch at Fishes Eddy is 826 CFS and the West Branch at Hale Eddy is 503 CFS. Weather is still cold so we have had a setback in terms of hatch activity, however you may see some Small Black Stoneflies and Blue Winged Olives hatching; typically, you will find Blue Winged Olives during the overcast afternoons. With flows below average you can opt to streamer fish during the morning with floating lines and weighted flies, and nymphing has been the most effective when there is no surface activity. Rain is to be expected for the weekend and into next week with highs reaching into the 50s. Water temperatures are still cold, fluctuating into the high 30 to low 40s.
Dry Fly Hatches:
Small Black Stoneflies 14-18 (sunny afternoons)
Blue Winged Olives (overcast days) 18-24
Blue Winged Olive Emerger 18-20
Nymphs:
General Mayfly Attractor 14-18
Streamers:
Krystal Bugger (Black, Brown, Olive, White, Burnt Orange) 6-12
Larger Articulated Streamers on a sinking/sink tip line
Things are still relatively early for migratory fish; however, anglers are finding some schoolie action around the bays and salt ponds on the North Shore, and on occasion they are blitzing on small bait. Things should continue to improve as the weather warms up in the coming weeks.
Rhode Island has a similar tune to New York, and many of the back bays and salt ponds that hold Stripers over the winter are fishing well. Smaller flies will be working, namely Clousers in White, Olive, Chartreuse, and Tan.
