Hello Compleat Angler friends! Things are still looking positive on the freshwater front and our anglers have reported great fishing thanks to additional stockings. Some larger Broodstock Trout have been stocked locally. Stoneflies are still the most prevalent hatch, and as we see warmer air temperatures their size will increase and they will show up in greater abundance. The Saltwater scene has been slowly getting better, and a large number of early juvenile peanut bunker in the harbor should make for a promising season. Holdover Striper activity has started to pick up, and we can expect things to heat up even more in the next few weeks. The most significant change on the Delaware is the large number of Alewives, so streamer fishing will be your best bet. With the flows high, drifting will be the safest and most effective way to fish. We have been getting a bunch of new products in for our move to our new location: new clothing from Simms, Patagonia, as well as Plan D Boxes, which are a great alternative to the C&F Design boxes. Read on for more…

Connecticut

Local Rivers

It’s all about the Stoneflies on our local rivers, and on warmer afternoons they can be seen hatching by the hundreds. Fish are starting to become more active and are looking up which is good news for our dry fly anglers. The other options 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, start off with streamers and nymphs. A variety of nymphs will work including Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Zebra Midges, and you can always pair these as a dry-dropper rig. The most common sizes in Stoneflies can be anywhere from size 12-18, while Blue Winged Olives and Midges average from 18-24. The Saugatuck flows are down to 92cfs and steadily holding. 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 could result in additional fish. A lot of our anglers have reported good fishing, and on some days are catching double digits! Areas to focus 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 is now reinstated. With additional stockings occurring, combined with holdover Fall stocked fish, there are a lot of 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 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 stockings and is a good alternative for areas with more crowds/pressure. The most recent stocking was on the upper section in Harwinton, Litchfield, and Torrington. The TMAs will be fishing well. Flows are currently reading 505cfs at Beacon Falls and slowly dropping, which suggest good wading. Warmer Spring days 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. 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 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. Current water temperatures are 41F in Riverton, and with temperatures breaking into the 40s, it’s only a matter of time until Hendricksons start hatching downriver. Hendrickson nymphs will be more active so consider keeping some in the box. If focused on dry fly fishing, pick your warmest afternoons this week. The West Branch Riverton gauge is 799cfs from scheduled dam release with the Still adding 254cfs from rain. With this high water, fish will be pushed closer to the bank so fish those slower inside seams. While the water is still high, the river is clear and fishable. In terms of the fishing, anglers that have been successful have been really working for larger fish, while some are racking up numbers of stocked fish. There have been some larger fish caught which suggest an increase in trout activity as they are taking in more calories. If 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 and stepping down tippet size to 6x, while also being mindful to get 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 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. Trout Aggression will ramp up in correlation to water temps. Streamer fishing can be better during these periods of higher flows. 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 2770cfs but dropping 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 including Caddis larvae and Pupae, Stoneflies, Zebra Midges, etc. Recently the Stoneflies and Blue Winged Olives have started hatching in full force. Bringing a variety of Black Stonefly patterns in sizes 12-20 and 26-24 BWOs will have you covered for warmer afternoons, which is when you can expect the hatches. With the increase in water temperatures Hendricksons will start to hatch soon. For nymphs, having different sizes of Pheasant tails and Prince Nymphs (#12-18) will imitate Stoneflies and Hedrickson Nymphs well. Focusing on areas by the park, especially if you’re looking for rising trout, and TMAs should result in some fish during warmer afternoons. Other considerations will be Midges and Winter Caddis, so I would bring a variety of sizes in the adults and emergers, as the 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 critical. 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 is a good strategy and then looking 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. During high water the fish will be pushed closer to the bank, which is a good opportunity to fish larger streamers. 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 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. The Norwalk Harbor is also seeing a large number of Juvenile Bunker, which are relatively early. There are some fish taking advantage of this opportunity but not many yet. If fishing in this area by boat, bring some small EP Peanut Butters, paired with a sinking line to cut below the large schools on the surface. Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

New York

Salmon River

One benefit of the high water this week is that dropback Steelhead are spreading throughout the river. 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 area, and some anglers are struggling with the higher water, however those fishing from drift boats are finding the fish due to their ability to cover water. The fact that backtrolling plugs are working means that swinging flies is starting to 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 increased Wednesday evening, and flows are currently 2730cfs at Pineville. 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 into 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. Air temperatures will be in the low-to-high 40s and sunny with no rain forecasted.

Catskills

Overall, river conditions are high. On the Delaware, the mainstem at Lordville is reading 5090cfs. The East Branch at Fish’s Eddy is 3010cfs, while the West Branch at Hale Eddy is flowing at 2120cfs. During the Springtime high water, articulated streamers will be most productive paired with a sinking line. White is the predominant color with the abundance of Alewives in the system. Switch up retrieves (fast to dead drifting) to see what the fish prefer. Warmer temperatures will bring the Early Black Stoneflies in sizes -18 and small Caddis in 16-18 to the surface, as well as Blue Winged Olives in 18-20. With low water temperatures, having a variety of Stonefly Nymphs, Caddis Larva, Zebra Midges, and Mayfly Nymphs in size 14-24 will be most of the menu. The Willowemoc is clear and fishable, while the Beaverkill is still high and unsafe for wading.

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 using smaller baitfish imitations until the Herring run arrives. Using clousers and flies that imitate Alewives are good options when heading out there.