Greetings Compleat Anglers! The fishing this weekend should be darn good provided you pick your spots correctly. Both fresh and saltwater fisheries are in their prime with one exception. The smaller stockie streams are on their last leg. Months of pressure and spin anglers killing fish has resulted in very tough fishing of late. Some areas have been completely cleaned out while others have only a few, well-educated fish left. But aside from these smaller rivers, everything else is fishing extremely well. On the saltwater side, boat anglers are getting into some very large Stripers and Bluefish from New York up to Rhode Island. From shore the options are endless. Back bays, river mouths, beaches, and open water are all fishing very well. Whether wading or fishing from a boat, anglers are reporting lots of fish around and plenty of opportunities to hook up. The Striper bite has really developed on Long Island which seems to be the epicenter of the action right now. Mid-long island is seeing some large migratory fish being taken by fly anglers who know how to target these fish effectively. The Gator Blues have shown up as well. These fish are both in deep water as well on the flats/back bays of Long Island. A very cool fishery, these fish will smoke poppers and flashy flies in shallow water. Our freshwater fly fishing is also probably at its peak right now. The next month will see the best fly fishing all year for larger tailwaters. From the Catskills to the Farmington, hatching bugs are providing some awesome dry fly action. The Croton system is also fishing well. Flows and water temps are great so provided it is not too windy this weekend, the fishing should be lights-out. A little reminder: crowds will be substantial so, if you plan on fly fishing this weekend, get there extra early. Read on for more!

Rhode Island

No change to our Rhode Island report and it continues to fish well. The salt ponds, rock piles, and back bays have been consistent with plenty of fish in that 20-30 inch range. The falling tide has been the top producer (no surprise there) however, as long as the water is moving, there is a good chance of finding fish. Around Watch Hill, the bite has been more consistent than say Point Judith. However, the fish are pushing East so don’t expect that to be the case for long. Deceivers and Clousers will get the job done on any given day. You don’t need to get crazy with your fly selection. Anything reasonable should get bit. We are seeing lower light hours becoming more critical. The fish are starting to become tougher to locate during mid-day under high sun. For that reason, falling tides in the morning or afternoon are best (unless it is overcast then go whenever the tides are good). There have been some very large migraters moving into the area and as such, it is always a good idea to have some 10wts with larger flies ready to go. The Cinder Worm hatch is also in full swing. We are hearing that popular spots such as Ninigrit Pond have been producing lots of worms with hungry Stripers in tow. Larger Bluefish have also begun to filter in. There are a ton of options off Rhody at the moment. Whether from shore or boat, the fly fishing is great right now.

Connecticut

Local Streams

The local streams have been much more difficult this past week. Many of the rivers have been cleaned out by spin anglers and poachers. Those left behind are also facing rapidly warming water temperatures and are more lethargic as a result. This is nothing new. It is always like this late in the Spring. As such, it will be best to get out sooner rather than later. The next week will be the last gasp for most of these rivers. A few will hold on a bit longer if you are willing to explore, however expect to cover a lot of water to find less-pressured areas. For you dry fly anglers, it has been a small caddis, midge, and BWO game lately. These are smaller bugs that can be challenging to fish but if you have a good drift and the right size, you should be able to get some fish to take a dry. There is a silver lining however. The forecast looks great for the weekend so this will be a great opportunity to get some of your last trips in on the smaller local streams. Remember to not high or low hole anyone. We have been seeing a lot of anglers being disrespectful and crowding anglers who are already fishing in a spot. There is plenty of water to fish. If someone is fishing a hole, just move on and find other open water. If there are no holes open, get there earlier next time or wait until one opens up. Please report any suspicious activity to DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

Farmington River

No change to the Farmington report. This river is at its peak right now. This month will be the best fishing the river has to offer. With lots of freshly stocked fish as well as active wild fish, there will be some great fishing in the weeks ahead. During the past few weeks you have had to pick your days but when the conditions have been good, the fishing has been awesome. This is the time of year when fishing tends to get really hot. The trout are moving into feeding lies and a wide variety of techniques will take fish. The flow out of the dam is around 180cfs. The Still is coming in at 130ish and falling hard. That is just about perfect and a great flow for dries or nymphs. We could still use some water up there though so, hopefully we get some rain soon. It looks like we could get precipitation later in the week so fingers crossed. Water temps are fluctuating depending on the air temperatures but this weekend should be just shy of 53 degrees during the afternoon. The farther away from the dam you get, the warmer the water will be. So, starting down low in the morning and moving up in the afternoons can be very effective. Nymphs will most likely be the best option. No surprise there. The fish are beginning to become very educated so smaller, more natural flies have been producing the best. For dry fly anglers there are lots of options at the moment. Sulphurs and Cahills have shown up. The majority of the hatches will be these smaller bugs. Mixed in will be assorted Caddis, Midges and certainly BWOs. There could also be some March Browns and Grey Foxes depending on where you are on the river. Some Isos are popping as well. You can expect fish to be rising in the mornings provided the water doesn’t blow out and the wind isn’t ripping. So, bring those dries just in case. Make no mistake, the fishing can be nothing short of spectacular this time of year. Not surprisingly, we are hearing it has been very crowded on the river of late. This weekend will be no exception so if you have a favorite spot in mind I would recommend trying to get there at or before sun-up. It is time to start playing those games to try and beat other anglers. Good luck! Keep in mind: Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

Housatonic River

The Housatonic is starting to get a little low. The flows are around 400cfs and falling. That, coupled with warming water, will see this river start to get challenging. That said, flows are great for wading. This weekend is another great window. The fly fishing only section on the TMA is where you should focus the majority of your attention. It is loaded with a lot of very nice sized fish. The recently stocked fish will take a wide variety of flies as well. All of the junk-style nymphs will certainly work as will more natural patterns. With the cloudy conditions this weekend you can expect to see BWOs hatching and fish rising on them. There will be a ton of caddis as well. There could also be some Vitreus. Definitely bring the dry fly box. As long as it is not too windy, the bugs should come off. That said, nymphs will most likely be the way to go for most of the day. The Smallie fishing down low has been great as well. The fish are starting to look up and are willing to take poppers in the mornings and afternoons. While that will certainly take a few fish, streamers fished on sink tips will be far more productive for the entirety of the day. The Pike have begun to spread out making fishing tough. If you cover enough water odds are good of a sub-25 inch fish taking your fly but larger fish have been tough to come by.

Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

Saltwater

Striper season in full swing. Fly anglers are getting into plenty of fish in a wide variety of locations. The river mouths are no longer a major factor as the fish are spreading out and keying in on any structure associated with warmer water. These areas also tend to have the larger fish as well so keep that in mind. We have seen an influx of those lager 35” plus size fish moving in this past week. The big migrators are pushing through and while they can be tough to pin down, they are certainly here. There is plenty of bait around as well so a multitude of flies should work. However, a Clouser Minnow or Deceiver is tough to beat right now. The fish are feeding very aggressively so don’t get too caught up on fly selection. As long as it’s close it will get bit. Falling tide has been the most productive (no surprise there) but the rising will still produce as well. Especially from a boat. We are seeing good surface activity early in the mornings with fish blitzing on silversides and other assorted small bait. The one major change is that the fish are becoming much more light-sensitive. Mid-day is seeing very little action while the low light hours are producing well. So get up early or stay out late. It makes a big difference. Tidal fluctuations are also becoming far more important. The strongest tides of the month are when you should really be focusing your attention for shots at larger fish. However, as long as the water is moving, you will have feeding Stripers (provided you are in the right area). Any decent effort to locate Stripers has a high probability of success. There have also been some very large Bluefish around as well. It can take some effort to find these fish but if you do, they will smoke almost any reasonable fly. These fish are big so be sure to use the 10wt. Pick your weather windows and the fishing should be lights out. Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

New York

The Catskills

No change to the Catskills report. This area has been fishing very well (on the right day). The East, West and upper Mainstem of the Delaware are well into the March Brown hatch and this weekend should have these bugs coming off. It is all weather dependent but the warmer days with no wind should kick that hatch off. Grey Foxes, Yellow Sallies, Isos, and Sulphurs are all present as well (depending on where you are fishing.) There have even been some Green Drakes flying around and the fish have been taking the emergers. Other assorted caddis and BWOs will round out your hatches. As such, you will want to bring a bit of everything and be prepared to switch flies often. The Willowemoc and Beaverkill are a bit warmer and fishing very well. There are similar hatches for these rivers and while the flows are low across the board, that will open things up for wading this weekend. The Catskills are a great option right now on the right day. This weekend it could be a bit of a zoo up there but there will certainly be some awesome fly fishing opportunities.

Saltwater 

No change to the Long Island report which is a good thing. The Stripers have been moving East after the spawn and Long Island is becoming a hotspot. All the way up to Montauk, there are large migrating Stripers that can be targeted from shore or by boat. Both the North and South side have been seeing some spectacular fishing on the right day. Some East wind recently had shut the fishing down but we should see things pick right back up this weekend. The forecast does not look great in terms of wind, however if you do go out, there should be plenty of fish to greet you. Smithtown Bay and Fire Island seem to be the epicenter of the larger fish action. While the bulk of the fish seem to be in this general area, the whole New York coastal area will be producing for the next few weeks so now is the time to get after it. Jamaica Bay has been another hot spot. Bait is piled up in there and Stripers are gorging on anything they can find. Especially on a falling tide, as the water rushes out the fish have been stacked up and feeding heavily. It will only get better in the next few weeks as the fish continue their push East. The Gator Blues have shown up as well. They can be found out in 50 feet of water or back in the bays on the flats of Long Island. They will readily take a large and flashy fly making them a great option this time of year. Teasing them up with poppers has been deadly. There is no shortage of options right now with big Stripers around and Gator Blues to keep it interesting. Go get em’.