Greetings Compleat Anglers! Same story as last week folks, not much of a change at all to our report. Some areas are fishing well and others are the opposite. In general, the trout fishing has been extremely tough. Low water, warming temperatures, waning hatches, limited locations to fish, and increased angling pressure in those places means that you can expect to really have to work for them. Most experienced fly anglers are only getting a few fish on a good day. There are certainly exceptions, however the fish are so educated from angling pressure and skittish due to low water that most anglers have been taking a break and dusting off the 9 or 10wts. The saltwater fly fishing out East has been spectacular. With the Full Moon tides we have, the action has been hot this past week. Stripers blitzing on huge schools of tiny bait has provided almost constant action. The big fish are still around as well making them a viable option during low-light hours. That, coupled with prevalent Gator Blues willing to seemingly eat any fly thrown at them, have been keeping those rods bent. Read on for more… 

Rhode Island

No change to the Rhode Island report. It is still the place to be at the moment. Most of our Stripers have holed up off of Rhody making it one of the epicenters of Striper game. There are big fish all over the place right now. Lower light hours are absolutely critical as we get deeper into Summer. The fish are starting to become tougher to locate during mid-day and high sun. For that reason, falling tides in the early morning or evening are best (unless it is overcast then fish whenever the tides are good). The night-time bite has been the hottest with big fish willing to hammer large poppers or bigger streamers. While certain areas tend to be hot-spots, make no mistake, the fish are peppered all over the place. The newest development has been huge Striper blitzes and rafts feeding on tiny bait. The main forage has been young-of-the-year bunker. These baitfish are small. By that I mean an inch or less so smaller albie-style flies are key. They will not hit anything larger. However, these flotillas of Bass have been very prevalent and any concerted effort to locate them should pay off. The salt ponds such as Ninigrit are still producing good numbers of Stripers. While the majority are smaller, schoolie sized fish some bigger fish have been sneaking in at night to feed on the smaller forage. The other option is the Gator Blues which are all over the place. They have been found mostly in deeper water making them a more viable target for the boat anglers. However, off the jetties and beaches you could run into fish at any given time so be prepared with wire leader and sacrificial flies. They have been so prevalent that it has been tough to get through them for a decent shot at the Stripers. However, they are big with fish at or above 16lbs almost a guarantee. So, if a big Blue on the fly is what you are after, give Rhody a shot. The beaches and back bays have also been producing well, again, during low light hours. The night-time bite is by far the best with fish in the 30-inch range a common occurrence on the fly. There are a ton of options off Rhody at the moment. Whether from shore or boat, the fly fishing is great right now.

Connecticut

Farmington River

The Farmington is still low. So low in fact, that thermal refuges have been established to protect the fish as the water warms. Compounding that problem is the fact that it is the only game in town at this point and anglers know it. With all of the small streams burning up, low, and poached out, tailwaters are the only viable option if you want consistent trout fishing. That said, flow out of the dam is around 95cfs. The Still is putting in another measly 7cfs. Yes, seven cubic feet per-second. That is very low and far from ideal. We desperately need some water. Water temps are fluctuating depending on the air temperatures but this weekend should be around 56 degrees during the afternoon. The farther away from the dam you get, the warmer the water will be so consider staying higher up. The fish are very educated and spooky due to pressure and low water. We are hearing that the fishing has been extremely difficult. As such you will need to switch flies often, move around a lot, and get unorthodox with your approach. For dry fly anglers, the Isos have been trickling out in the C&R section and popping in the late afternoon. You can expect fish to be rising in the mornings on BWOs, Attenuatta, small caddis, and midges provided the water isn’t super low. The Tricos should be popping around now as well. Terrestrials are also becoming a factor. Ants and Beetles will start to take fish so definitely have those in the box at this point. Wet flies are also starting to be very effective for trout spey anglers. There is no shortage of options as far as techniques are concerned. The only hindrance is the water levels and angling pressure which have been making it quite challenging. We are hearing that the crowds have picked back up and that finding a decent spot to fish can be a challenge. I would recommend getting to a favorite spot early in the morning to find good water. 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. Remember that many anglers may be dry fly fishing and could be fishing 50 feet up and down from where they are standing. So, when in doubt ask them what their game plan is and see if it is ok to slide in above or below. I can’t believe I need to put this in our reports but two of our employees have been low-holed in the past weeks and numerous customers have been telling us how inconsiderate other fly anglers have been. You know who you are if you have been doing this. Let’s keep it clean out there. Good luck! Keep in mind: Please report any suspicious activity and poaching to DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

Housatonic River

The Housatonic is extremely low. The flows are around 140cfs and falling. That is a safe flow for wading but the warm water means one thing. It’s time to give the trout a break. Thermal refuges have been in effect since June and with water temps getting over 68 degrees by the afternoon, it is unethical to trout fish at this point. That said, flows are great for wading. Smallie fishing down low has been good too. While we could use another 300cfs, the fish are looking up and willing to take poppers in the mornings and afternoons. Transitioning to streamers fished on sink tips will be far more productive for the rest of the day. We are in the prime month for Smallies. Water temps are perfect and the fish will take any reasonable streamer. This is a great option when conditions are less than ideal or other rivers are just too crowded. A 6 to 8wt rod with an intermediate sink or sink tip line will get the job done. With the water being as low as it is, focus on the deepest holes you can find. The fish will almost certainly be concentrated in the deepest sections of the river at this point. This is a great time to target these fish with double digit days not uncommon.

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

Saltwater

Nothing exciting to report locally. The fishing seems to be waning with few positive reports. Sure, there are schoolies around but it is difficult to find any larger fish that will eat a fly. As the water continues to warm, the fish will head for deeper water or push East to Rhode Island or Montauk. The tides are not great either, compounding the issue. If you do decide to roll the dice, the falling tide has been the most productive (no surprise there) but the rising will still produce as well, especially from a boat. We are occasionally seeing good surface activity early in the mornings with smaller 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. Just remember that it may take considerable effort to locate them. Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

New York

The Catskills

The Catskills are not looking great. The water is getting low and they did not get the rain we had last week. It’s a shame as that whole area really needs it. However, if you put the time in you could pick away at some fish. Angling pressure and warming temperatures is creating a feast-or-famine type situation out there. Some rivers are fishing reasonably well, whereas others are quite a challenge. The key to success seems to be locating colder water, fishing at the opportune times, picking the right days to go, and targeting the prime locations. It is certainly a bit of a guessing game as conditions change daily but if you hit it right, the fly fishing can be spectacular. For hatches, the larger bug will be the Isos. There could still be a few Sulphurs up higher on the East and West but that hatch has passed for the most part. There will be varying degrees of hatching depending on what system you are on. After that comes the BWOs and assorted caddis. Terrestrials are coming into their own as well. Ants and Beetles are on the menu and can often take fish when nothing else will. As such, you will want to bring a good variety of flies and be prepared to switch often. The Willowemoc and Beaverkill are getting very warm and really starting to slow down. I would stay away from these rivers at this point. The Catskills are still a great option right now on the right day. Another positive is that crowds seem to be dwindling. There have not been mobs of anglers up there making it a great weekend spot.

Saltwater 

Montauk is playing second fiddle to Rhode Island but is still a great option right now. The further East you go the better the fly fishing will be at this point. Big Bass are becoming scarcer. In the low-light hours, fly-rodders are still getting a few but it has been tougher getting the larger fish dialed in. The Long Island side of the Sound seems to be slowing quite a bit. While there are plenty of fish scattered all over the New York coast, the epicenter of the action will be out toward the Hamptons and Montauk where the water is colder. The Stripers are moving inshore and offshore to feed on the numerous baitfish species abundant in the area right now. There are large fish pushing in daily and if you want a larger Striper, Montauk and the surrounding area is the place to be. The key is to fish during low light hours. These fish are far more active at night. You can get schoolies throughout the day but those fish over 30” really begin to shut down when the sun gets high. When it comes to flies, use black and purple for low light conditions and white or white-and-olive for brighter conditions. The beaches are seeing good action in the mornings and afternoons. The salt ponds and inlets are also a very good option as well. Most of the larger fish seem to be taken by boat anglers as these fish are hanging around deeper structure. Teasing fish up with a popper and then throwing the fly has been the most productive way to get these fish. There are also plenty of Gator Blues around. An awesome target on the fly, the tease-and-switch method with a popper is a great way to connect with Blues over 10lbs. The forecast looks great for the weekend so this will be a great time to capitalize on the Full Moon tides. The most dramatic change has been the arrival of the smaller bait that is now very prevalent off of Montauk. The Bass have been on them and throwing a fly that is very close to a natural baitfish has been absolutely critical. A fly 1 inch in length or less is an absolute must.