Fishing Reports

Northeast Fishing Report: 5/5/23

May 05, 2023 10 min read

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! It’s no secret that this past week's rain has most of our rivers running high. Now is the time to throw larger streamers, and many anglers have still been catching fish. Clarity should improve this weekend and into next week, and most of the flows are dropping. Things have been improving every week for saltwater fishing, and anglers are finding holdover as well as migratory fish now. The most noticeable improvement has been for our boat anglers, who are finding fish around Fairfield, Stamford, and Norwalk. In addition, the Housatonic River continues to fish well. Bring your standard assortment of flies: Clousers, Deceivers, and Peanut Bunker, as well as larger Herring patterns if targeting rivers and estuaries. Before the rain, there has been a ton of bug activity on the Delaware River, namely Hendrickson and Apple Caddis, with Blue and Red Quills in the mix. High flows should prove useful for streamer fishing but look for surface activity to improve as the flows drop to more normal levels. The Steelhead season is starting to wind down, however the Smallmouth action remains strong on the Salmon River. Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 4/28/23

April 28, 2023 10 min read

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! The most significant change this week is happening on the freshwater side of things, as bug activity is starting to ramp up. This is especially true on the Delaware River, which is seeing a lot of Hendricksons, Apple Caddis, and Blue Quills. Striper fishing continues to be consistent, a lot of schoolies, but there are some larger fish over 30” in the mix as well. They are hanging around Norwalk, Westport, Stamford, as well as the Housatonic which gives our boat and wade anglers a lot of options for targeting them. If looking for some dry fly options on our local streams, it is important to choose sunnier afternoons, otherwise nymphs and streamers continue to catch fish. The Farmington, although clear, is seeing some high water which will keep the dry fly action subdued. This is a good time to focus on your streamer and nymphing techniques. As an overall trend, because water temperatures are warming, you will find Trout in a variety of water types, so it pays to be methodical with your approach and spend more time fishing the faster runs. Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 4/21/23

April 21, 2023 9 min read

Hello Compleat Angler friends! We have more good news for our freshwater anglers, which is this week the Hendrickson hatches have started up on some Connecticut rivers and the Delaware. While they’re not prolific, they are definitely hatching on warmer days. Consistency in our local fishing has everyone catching trout on different rivers, and in a variety of water types. Trout are starting to spread out into the faster runs, so it pays off to fish these areas in addition to the typical deeper holding lies. Flows have dropped since last week, opening a lot of rivers so there are more wading options. Stripers are getting better by the day, mostly schoolies with a few larger fish in the mix. Our boat anglers are finding fish around Stamford and Norwalk, as well as the Housatonic. The Housatonic River was also stocked with trout. There are certainly plenty of options available for our local anglers, and the talk around the shop is that things have gotten an early start this Spring! Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 4/14/2023

April 14, 2023 8 min read

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! This week saltwater fishing has improved on multiple fronts. The holdover action has picked up as more fish head downriver out to the sound. In addition, there is plenty of bait in coves and off reefs to start up some Striper feeding frenzies. Peanut Bunker and Silversides are on the menu! This means that both boat and wade anglers can have successful days moving forward. While stocking up on Clousers is a must, other considerations are larger Herring Flies and Peanut Bunker, due to large numbers of early baitfish. The majority of the bait is stacked in and around harbors and coves. Our night fishing is also improving, and there is some opportunity to catch a lot of fish during these hours. Our freshwater fishing continues to be good as well, and we are at a transition time where the Stonefly hatches will start to decrease in frequency and numbers, therefore variety in offerings will be important moving forward. All our local rivers are clear, wadable, and stocked with fish so there are plenty of options! Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 4/7/2023

April 07, 2023 9 min read

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…

Northeast Fishing Report: 3/31/2023

March 31, 2023 9 min read

Hello Compleat Angler friends! We’ve had a lot of smiling anglers entering the shop this past week as additional stockings have meant that a lot of trout are being brought to hand in our local rivers. Warming water temperatures also have more trout looking up, especially at increased Stonefly activity during the afternoon. We are excited to hear that Saltwater Striper activity has also been improving, and these fish are being brought to hand more frequently as well. The nighttime bite is also on angler’s radars, and we expect the Striper activity to continue to increase each week. If you are planning a day on the Farmington, water levels are high from the dam release, however fish are keying in on Blue Winged Olives. Streamers and nymphs should also be considered, and look for fish pushing closer to the banks and inside seams during these kinds of high water conditions. On the Salmon River, Steelhead are still concentrated upriver, with some dropback fish starting their journey as well as the occasional fish pushing into the system. We have a lot of new Huk fishing clothing in the shop this week, as well as the new Simms Freestone Waders and Boots (which are now made in the USA!). Hatch has also come out with a new Limited Edition Nipper called The Mangrove. Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 3/24/2023

March 24, 2023 9 min read

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Despite our inconsistencies in weather this month, we’ve been seeing an improvement in the fishing, especially this week. A couple local rivers were stocked recently in addition to the early Spring stocking, so it is worth staying close to home if you’re fishing the freshwater in anticipation for the Stonefly hatch. On the Farmington River we are starting to see more dry fly action, especially in the Blue Winged Olive department. Saltwater fishing is also improving, and we’re starting to see more numbers of holdover Stripers dropping back into Long Island Sound. If you’re traveling up to the Salmon River, most of the action continues to be upriver as fish concentrate for spawning. There are plenty of options whether you’re fishing the Salt or Freshwater, and they will only continue to improve in upcoming weeks. Keeping an eye on the weather will prove useful, as we have a mix of snow and rain scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, while the other days are sunny and reaching into the 50s. Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 3/17/2023

March 17, 2023 9 min read

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Rain and snowmelt have many of our local rivers high and stained, however most are dropping quickly and will clear up in time for this week. The good news for the upcoming week is that we should see an increase in air temperatures pushing into the low 50s which will help bring more bug activity to the surface. Some anglers are starting to fish lower on the Housatonic river for Stripers as they drop back into the sound, and the majority are reporting single digit numbers of fish. For trout fishing, the Housatonic is also high for wading, however the Farmington River is at a good flow, and there is an increase of Stonefly activity during the warmer afternoons. While nymphing and streamer fishing continue to be the most productive methods, especially in the morning, bringing dry fly setups should prove useful this week. In upstate New York, the Salmon river continues to see low flows, however we are approaching drop back Steelhead season, so fish will start to move lower into the system once flows increase. In the meantime, upriver continues to be most productive. Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 3/10/2023

March 10, 2023 8 min read

Hello Compleat Angler friends! The most significant change for this upcoming week is the drop in temperatures. Our Spring start has been slowed a little bit, and we are hoping for more consistent temperatures moving forward. That will especially help get things started in the Catskills. Nonetheless, the fishing has been consistently good, and a lot of anglers are enjoying some early state stocking for this Spring. On our local rivers the morning has still produced our best nymph and streamer fishing. Most of the hatches have been Black Stoneflies, which can be predicted during the warmer afternoons. The combination of holdover and stocked fish has a few anglers catching double digit numbers on some days. In the saltwater, there has been an increase in Striper activit, and some anglers are starting to fish lower on the Housatonic in anticipation of Stripers dropping back into the Sound. Upstate New York still has Winter temperatures, but our anglers who have been fishing upriver are getting into fish, which is where they’re most concentrated at the moment. Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 3/2/2023

March 03, 2023 8 min read

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We are glad to see a lot of our anglers on the water, and those that have been getting out there have been justly rewarded. Our anglers have reported improved fishing since the recent stockings, and holdover fish from the Fall are still being brought to hand (namely Tiger Trout). The most notable local change for this week includes an additional stocking of Seeforellen Brown trout in select lakes and ponds. Stonefly season is upon us, and there are some great hatches if you plan to fish the warmer afternoons. There are plenty of options and locations that are fishing well now. For those venturing up to the Salmon River, the fishing has remained steady, with many anglers catching single digit numbers of fish, the highest concentration of fish being in the upper river. Lower than average flows are suggesting most of the action will occur in the deeper pools and larger runs as the fish are in their holding lies. While it is still early for saltwater fishing, warmer than average temperatures in Long Island sound should hopefully signal an early run for holdover Stripers pushing back into the Sound. We’ve been busy at the shop checking in new Simms clothing, mostly Solarflex Hoodies, Shirts, and Lightweight Pants, to get ready for warmer temperatures ahead. Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 2/24/2023

February 24, 2023 7 min read

Hello Compleat Angler friends! We are happy to report that the Spring trout season has started! Our anglers have reported good local fishing with holdovers and newly stocked fish. Stonefly hatches have started to pick up, with most of the bugs being larger in size (12-16) depending on the afternoon temperatures. We have a good supply of our custom in-house tied Stonefly patterns in anticipation for this time of year. If there are no fish rising now is a good time to try streamers and attractor nymphs, at least until the newly stocked trout become educated. More local rain is expected which will bump flows higher. Now is the time to get out there, so make sure you have a good supply of flies and fresh leaders to last! Areas to focus on include the Mianus, Saugatuck, Mill, and the Farmington. Anglers that have been fishing the Croton Watershed are finding some quality fish too. Colder temperatures are expected this weekend, but they will return into the mid-40s next week. Speaking of colder temperatures, expect snow flurries on the Salmon River this week. Fishing has been average up there, with many anglers reporting single digit numbers of Steelhead brought to hand. Read on for more…

Northeast Fishing Report: 2/17/2023

February 17, 2023 6 min read

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We hope everyone has been enjoying the warm weather this past week. Thanks to the warmer afternoons we have had an increase in bug activity on our local rivers, and the stonefly hatches have started early. Our anglers are doing well on rivers that were stocked in the fall, suggesting that there has been good holdover retention this winter. The overall trend is that river levels are average, and water clarity has been good. Technically we are still in Winter mode, so methodically fishing the deeper pools will pay off. On the Salmon River in NY, water levels are high, so look for an improvement in the fishing as those levels drop (the fishing on the lower river has been relatively slow). Anglers have also been catching Broodstock Atlantic Salmon on the Naugatuck and Shetucket Rivers, so that is still a viable option, especially with the milder temperatures. Read on for more…

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