Greeting Compleat Anglers! Despite the heatwave and influx of dirty water in the Sound from our heavy rains, the Striper and Bluefish bite has held up. It continues to be a great season especially for this time of year. Most of the large 40” and over Stripers are going to be holding in deeper water structure given the heat, however they can be seen crashing bait on top during first light. Your Bunker imitations are going to be the best bet this time of year, and there are Bluefish hanging around and eager to take topwater flies. Rocky structures have been holding Stripers around the Norwalk Islands, and some of the Westport beaches have been seeing schoolie Blues and Stripers blitzing on bait towards the evenings. While flows and clarity have improved on most of our local streams, hot water temperatures are making the small stream options unfishable for the time being. However, now is a good time to think of Carp or Smallmouth fishing on the Housatonic. The water temperatures above New Hartford on the Farmington are still fishable, and they should improve now that water overflow has stopped spilling at the dam. The dry fly action has seen a lull but will hopefully improve with the normalized flows. Sulphur hatches on the Delaware remain decent with some Isonychia, Cahill, Caddis, and Ants in the mix. Read on for more…

Connecticut

Local Rivers

Flows have dropped to more normal levels on our local rivers, with the Saugatuck reading 19cfs, slightly below average. Keep an eye on your water temperatures though, as the hot weather can make the afternoons pretty tough on trout. Our mornings have been cooler recently so planning to go during the early mornings or evenings will be your best shot for fishable conditions. We advise refraining from fishing once the water temps pass the 70F threshold. The most consistent bug the trout are keying in on seem to be small Caddis around size 20. Try fishing the adult form or pupae if trout are rising. Nymphing and throwing dry/dropper rigs has been the most productive technique. We recommend using fluorocarbon between your nymph and dry fly. More imitative and smaller nymphs in sizes 14-24 are going to cover most of the natural forage for our trout. Streamer fishing can potentially pull additional fish in the morning that are more aggressive so don’t overlook running a streamer through a pool after you’ve used other techniques. For hatches, some of the main bugs you will encounter are Sulphurs, Caddis, Cahills, and more recently you will encounter some Isonychia with the most common sizes being 12-18. Other considerations are Ant patterns, Beetles, and Green Inchworms when fishing under overhanging trees or after a steady rain. For your rig, sticking to your 5x and 6x leaders will cover most dry fly/nymphing scenarios. Fish are going to be in a variety of water types, so don’t overlook the faster, more oxygenated water (under normal flows). When nymphing, let your rig swing in the current at the end of your dead drift, as this will emulate an emerging insect that the trout will sometimes key in on. Areas to consider are the Mianus, Saugatuck, Mill, and Norwalk Rivers. All local options have been stocked at this time and are holding plenty of fish. Trout Parks and ponds are also a great option to take the kids fishing as they have been stocked more recently. There are still plenty of fish to be had in our local rivers.

Naugatuck River

The Naugatuck river has subsided to slightly above average flows at 301 cfs. Focusing on the same techniques I outlined above for our local rivers should provide success as most of the insect activity will be similar. Check your stream temperatures before fishing as they will approach 70 degrees by the afternoon. All sections of the Naugatuck around the TMAs will be fishing well and look to fish similar offerings we are using on our local streams: Sulphurs, Cahills, Caddis, Midges, Blue Winged Olives, and Terrestrials. A range of sizes from 12-24 in nymphs/dries will have you covered. The Naugatuck is a good alternative for areas with more crowds/pressure.

Farmington River

Flows are also slightly above average on the Farmington River, reading 320 cfs on the West Branch at Riverton. The Still River is creating an additional 64.8 cfs so flows are comfortable for wading and water clarity is good. Water temperatures on the West Branch are starting off around 64 degrees in the morning and reaching a high of 67 degrees by the afternoon. Keep an eye on temperatures if deciding to fish downriver near New Hartford, as temperatures can approach 70 degrees by the afternoon. Now that flows have reached normal levels, downsizing and using more drab/imitative flies again will work best. The most active bugs in the system are going to be Caddis (Tan and Olive) in sizes 16-20, Sulphurs in sizes 16-18, Isonychia in sizes 10-12, and Midges size 20 and smaller. Other considerations are Blue Winged Olives (16-24) during overcast/rainy weather, and Terrestrials (Ants, Beetles, Inchworms, Hoppers). Hatches have been relatively light during July, especially with the high water, so we’re hoping for an improvement now that flows are average. Some anglers are finding some larger Kamloop Rainbow Trout that were stocked by the FRAA in New Hartford. In terms of fishing techniques, look to fish nymphs/streamer fish in the morning before most of the hatches start. Generally, 5-6x leaders and tippet will improve your odds for success for nymphing. If dry fly fishing, using a 5x-6x 12ft nylon leader, such as the Trout Hunter Finesse Leaders, will aid in a stealthy presentation and a more drag-free drift. Staying into the evening can result in some good spinner falls. With the variety of bug activity, swinging wet flies can be a productive option as well. For our Trout Spey Anglers, look to fish larger streamers or intruders paired with a faster sinking tip in the morning. Once the afternoon hatches hit, fishing a wet fly swung on a less aggressive sinking tip can pull additional fish. The same can be said for those nymphing with single handers: swinging nymphs at the end of your drift can simulate an emerging insect. Other considerations should be larger Stoneflies (can be paired with a smaller offering to help get your rig down) as well as Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tails, Perdigones, Caddis Larvae, Hare’s Ears, and Waltz Worms. Sulphur nymphs have been active subsurface. Twitching jigged streamers through a run can also be a deadly technique, and good colors to try include olive, black, tan, and white. Your odds will be better with streamers during the morning hours. Vary retrieves, starting fast and slowing down to see what the trout prefer. 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 have dropped considerably on the Housatonic, reading 944 cfs at Falls Village. Flows are improving for wading but are still high. During this time focus on the slower seams closer to the banks using streamers and nymphs, and a good option during these flows is to fish via raft. Water temperatures have been too high to target trout, but there is some excellent Smallmouth fishing with anglers easily catching double digits a day. Using weighted streamers or poppers on a floating line will work well or consider neutrally buoyant streamers on a full sinking/sink tip line. Woolly Buggers in Black and Olive are always a good choice, along with Crayfish patterns. Leader length can vary depending on whether you’re fishing a floating or sinking line. For floating lines consider 7-9ft of a 8-10lb leader, and when fishing sinking lines shortening your leader to 4-5ft will reduce any hinge between your line and the fly. Trout will be starting to enter thermal refuges now that water temperatures are high, and these areas are off limits to fishing to help trout survive until main temperatures drop to more comfortable levels.
Pike and Carp are also a great consideration for this time of year, and both can be found in slower sections of the river as well as back bays/coves. For sight fishing Carp, consider an 8lb fluorocarbon leader in 9ft as they can become weary, and using egg flies, small nymphs, crayfish patterns or hoppers can work depending on their feeding behavior. Leading the fish is a must to avoid spooking them. For Carp, we recommend 6-8wt rods with a weight-forward floating line (a Bonefish Taper line works well).

Saltwater

Every day has been different for the local salt game, while many of our Stripers have continued to migrate East, there are still schools of fish hanging around. Some anglers are having great mornings catching Stripers and Blues that are chasing bunker pods. Many of these pods have moved in close to the harbors with Stripers and Blues crashing them. This tends to be an early morning/evening low light game, especially this past week. Stripers are starting to become active during the night, so planning around an ideal evening tide could result in some great fishing, especially as we approach conditions suitable for Cinder Worm hatches in the bays and coves. Water temperatures are currently warm in the sound and are registering in the mid 70s, so any surface action that’s happening will tend to slow down once the sun comes up as the Stripers stay closer to the bottom. The most productive technique this time of year will be fishing with different colored Clousers, or larger bunker imitations (Deceivers, for instance) paired with an intermediate sinking line (1.2-2ips sink rate). Switching up your retrieving speed and pausing between strips should result in fish once you find the pace the fish prefer. For the open water boat game, anglers are having success with bigger flies/poppers in the 6-8” range. Poppers that work/cast well will include Gurglers and Bob’s Bangers. For this fishery we prefer 20-30lb fluorocarbon leaders around 7’ in length. Having a shorter leader will help sink your fly when fishing sinking lines, because it will reduce leader hinge, especially with unweighted flies. This rig will also be easier to cast in windier conditions. A lot of schoolies are being brought to hand by our shore anglers, with some fish 30” and over in the mix. Westport beaches have seen an increase in Striper activity near shore, as have Cove Harbor, and the outflow of Holly Pond. Resident fish have been pushing bait in coves and salt ponds, and New London is seeing schools of baitfish with Stripers underneath them. In addition, Penfield Reef is fishing well for this time of year. The mouth of the Connecticut River has also seen an improvement in Stripers recently. Bluefish have been spotted from Old Saybrook to Greenwich, with some days being tougher to locate them. Look for nervous schools of Bunker moving quickly, and you should find fish beneath them. Bringing wire leader in at least 20lb will help avoid break-offs. If fishing by boat, you will see them finning during the mornings. Fishing poppers for Bluefish can be a blast, and while a fair number of Stripers have moved East, there are some bigger fish still hanging around deep water structure on the reefs towards the bottom. Stripers have started holding around the rocky points on the Norwalk Islands as well. The issue is trying to get through the large number of Bluefish at the moment. Anglers that are marking fish on sonar and using the most aggressive sinking lines have been catching trophy fish in 20-40ft on 6-8” flies. If fishing the coves by boat, bring some EP Peanut Butters, Deceivers, Clousers, and Half and Halfs in the 4” range will be the most effective. Bring a variety of colors in Chartreuse, White, Olive, Blue, and Black/Purple for the evenings. Rocky points will hold Stripers especially well and look for gulls to give away the location of the bait. Fish will also be pushed on the flats during either side of the high tide. For our boat anglers the beaches and coves around Southport are fishing well. With a lot of options still available for this time of year, it is still worth getting out there! Please report any poaching to the DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

New York

Catskills

Flows have been steadily dropping, with the mainstem at Lordville running at 1530 cfs. West Branch flows at Hale Eddy are currently 676 cfs, while the East Branch at Fishes Eddy is 644 cfs. The main is slightly below average while the East and West are slightly above. Dry fly fishing has been hit-or-miss, with a variety of hatches going on depending on where you’re floating or wading. The fish will be up, and these flows will help avoid spooking trout when approaching them. This time of year, overcast coupled with cooler conditions and low wind are ideal recipes for bug activity. The main hatches are Sulphurs in sizes 16-20, Blue Winged Olives in 16-20, Caddis (Tan and Olive) in sizes 16-18, and Light Cahill in size 14. Isonychia are making an appearance in larger numbers, so it will be worth bringing those in size 12 to fish the faster water during the evenings. Look to fish Spinners in the evenings depending on what insect has been the most prevalent. Trout will be keyed into any of these bugs, so bringing a variety of patterns (especially Sulphurs) will help your odds of success. Swinging wet flies can also be a productive method to try when fish are rising and are picky. Boat anglers that are floating the upper and lower portions of the mainstem and west branch have been getting into fish and some decent hatches. The consensus is that the Sulphur hatches are not as strong as they were earlier in the summer. Water temperatures have been starting in the low-60s during the morning and reaching the high-60s by the afternoon, which is cooler than last week. During the afternoons and evenings is when you will encounter most of your hatches, and anglers that are nymphing and streamer fishing in the morning are having success. During the morning hours, nymphing has been the most productive with Stoneflies, Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, Caddis Pupa, Caddis Larvae, Waltz Worms, etc. Streamer fishing also continues to be good with sinking lines, and colors to consider are Chartreuse, Olive, Black and White. When dry fly fishing, presenting the fly downstream, so the trout will see your fly first as opposed to the leader, will improve your odds. Adding a reach cast in can also be an effective way to get a better and longer drift, coupled with a longer 10-14” 5x leader. The Willowemoc, Beaverkill, and Neversink flows are back down to good levels for wading, and you can expect Rusty Spinners, Caddis, Sulphurs, Isonychia, and Cahill.

Saltwater

Striper season has been steady so far. Stripers have inundated the South Shore, along with large schools of big Bluefish. Anglers are catching fish on topwater, and the most prevalent bait nearshore is Bunker, Silversides, and Sand Eels. When fishing by boat, focus on structure around the bays and look for birds/baitfish as Stripers will be blitzing. This tends to be a low light scenario. Bringing some poppers, like a Bob’s Banger, will result in some Blue and Striper action during dusk and dawn. Night fishing is also improving, and anglers fishing from shore are finding large Stripers as well. Looking for fish pushing bait to the surface in the rips will result in some fish 30lbs and over by boat. If there is no surface action, you can use an aggressive sinking line paired with a larger Clouser to get deeper. Fishers Island and around Gardiners have also seen Bass crushing Bunker on the surface. The back bays on the Northshore are still seeing plenty of Bluefish. There is also an abundance of Bluefish in the bays around Montauk, which can be seen hitting small sand eels on the surface.

Rhode Island

Nearshore Striper fishing has been consistent, and there are plenty of schoolies in the 20-30” range. Many fish are being caught by shore and boat anglers. Fishing topwater at dusk and dawn has resulted in nice fish up to 30lbs, and the most important part of the equation is locating the schools of bait. It will be worth fishing squid patterns and Sand Eels with sinking lines near structure and the rips, as there are plenty of adult Sand Eels nearshore. There has been some good fishing in Narragansett Bay. Some larger Stripers have started to show up with more frequency, and every day has been different. In Watch Hill, Stripers are inundating the beaches, breachways, and salt ponds and bigger Bluefish are cruising the beaches. Bringing larger EP Bunker patterns, topwater flies, Flatwings, and Deceivers should cover the variety of the baitfish you will encounter. The ledges off Block Island are still fishing well, with large Stripers and Bluefish on Sand Eels in the rips. Some of the flats are seeing slot size and over fish cruising in shallow, with the most effective patterns being crab flies.