Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We’ve had some windy conditions this past week, however the good news is that temperatures have been consistently warmer which is helping warm water temperatures and improving hatch activity. Nymphing and Streamer fishing continue to produce, especially during the morning hours. Many options in Connecticut are fishing well now that most areas are stocked, and some good options relatively close to our shop include the Mainus, Saugatuck, Norwalk, and Mill Rivers. In addition, the Housatonic River was stocked, and anglers on the Farmington are finding a mix of stocked and holdover trout. For the main hatches, expect Blue Winged Olives, some small Black Stoneflies, Caddis, and Midges, with Hendricksons expected soon. On the Delaware River, flows are still below average but have seen an increase into the weekend. You can expect similar hatches with the addition of Blue Quills and Quill Gordons. Striper fishing has remained slow throughout Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York for migratory fish. We expect that to change as water temperatures increase in the coming weeks. As for holdovers, anglers are steadily finding a few as we wait for things to improve.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! We have had a setback in our Spring fishing with colder weather, however anglers that are fishing subsurface are finding fish. Look for the warmer afternoons in the coming weeks when dry fly activity will improve. The Farmington River was stocked in multiple sections with some receiving their second round of stockings, so there is a mixed bag of stocked and some larger holdover fish being caught. On our local rivers and streams, flows are still below average with good clarity and easy wading. Meanwhile, the Housatonic River is still running a bit above 1000 CFS which makes some sections tricky for wading, and the state has yet to stock. The Naugatuck received rounds of stocking so fish will be taking a variety of flies. On the Delaware River, nymphing and streamer fishing are the most productive methods due to cold weather, however, look for an improvement in Small Black Stonefly Hatches and Blue Winged Olives as temperatures improve. On the Saltwater front, we are still early for the migratory Stripers, however anglers are finding some a few holdover fish.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! Compared to last week, we are coming into the weekend with similar flows at below average levels. This means that clarity will be good and easy wading, however the consensus is that we could use more rain. Anglers are finding some good numbers of fish now that many rivers are stocked, especially when trout are keying in on Small Black Stoneflies. If there is no hatch activity, then using subsurface nymphing and streamer techniques will work well since stocked fish will be taking a variety of offerings. On the Farmington River, anglers are finding a good variety of holdovers and stocked fish. We’re seeing the same Black Stonefly hatch with the Blue Winged Olive hatches upcoming as Spring progresses. The Housatonic is gradually making improvements, and we’re almost at safe levels for wading. While both the Housatonic and Naugatuck Rivers have yet to be stocked, they will have holdover trout from the last Fall stocking. Our saltwater season is not yet in full swing for Striper fishing, as the bulk of fish are still staged upriver. Look for improvements into mid-April. Flows on the Delaware River are lower compared to last week, but the streamer fishing will still be working well. Anglers are also finding fish on nymphs until the sunnier afternoons when you may find a Black Stonefly Hatch. On the Salmon River in New York, flows are still above average but have dropped to safe levels to fish the lower river. We can expect some Steelhead to be dropping back with the above average flows.

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