Fishing Reports

Hello Compleat Angler friends! Was that a nice taste of spring orwhat? It hit 70º here at the shop, and I even ate lunch outside on Monday and Tuesday. With the nicer weather and the sunshine, people have been hitting the shop in droves to pick up materials and flies for the river, and we have heard some whispers about the usual hot spots—the Farmington, the Mianus, etc. 

While we are going to temporarily slide back into the cold and gloomy weather, the increase in water levels and air temperature will have fish putting on the feedbag, especially as hatches start to pop-off

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Welcome to March. As the old adage says, “In like a lion, out like a lamb” and that couldn’t be more true with the upcoming forecast. Today and tomorrow are supposed to be cold and wet, but Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday are calling for temperatures in the high 60’s. We are also getting an additional hour of sunlight back on Sunday with Daylight Savings, which means more time to get on the water after work. Hatches should really start to pick up speed in the next few days, and holdover trout will respond accordingly, especially with the warmer weather. 

We haven’t heard much from our regulars vis a vis local fishing, but from what we have heard, smaller rivers are starting to produce on warm days. Think the Mianus, the Swift, the Housatonic, the Hammonnasset and others. Keep an eye on the DEEP Trout Stocking website, as stocking should start any day now.

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Let me begin this report with an apology. Last week, I might've underplayed Sunday's forecast. In fact, I believe the exact words I chose were "we might get a snow shower or two". Mea Culpa. In my defense, it was calling for 3-5 inches on Friday afternoon when I wrote that report, so if anything, blame the stuffed shirts at Weather.com.

Anyway, onward and upward! The weather this weekend looks downright stunning, with warm winds, sunshine, and limited chances for a freak blizzard. We know people have been scoring locally in the Mianus, Swift River in MA, and other CT freestones. Hatches are starting to heat up as the temperature rises, so keep those dry flies handy come dusk and dawn. 

If you can't wait for the rivers to be stocked, ponds and lakes across the state have been getting their first round of trout. These fish will often cling close to shore in their first few weeks, so now is the time to target them from iced-out beaches. 

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Break out the sunblock, your sunglasses, and some swimtrunks because we haveofficially hit 40 degrees! Saturday is looking warm and bright, while Sunday might succumb to a snow shower or two, so take advantage of the nice weather while you have the chance. This uptick in temperature should kick off a few local hatches, so stocking up on dry flies, nymphs, and even a hopper or two wouldn’t be a bad idea. A few regulars swung by this week and mentioned that the bite is still slow, but not nearly as slow as it has been.DEEP’s Trout Stocking Program should start up relatively soon, so remember to keep an eye out for information on stockers as they hit local rivers and ponds. 

As always, remember to send us any photos of you on the river, fish or no fish. We love to see our customers enjoying the outdoors!

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Do you feel that? It’skind ofwarm out! We’ve finally slipped out from under winter’s icy grip, and our local rivers are slowly, but surely, thawing out. Now is the time to head into the shop and pick out your favorite spring flies or any tying materials you need, as longer, warmer days are just around the corner. As always, we are hungry for any intel or photos from your time on the water, so if you head out this weekend, remember to send proof to @compleat_angler_ct. 

A regular who came into the shop yesterday said the Farmington River has been producing well, as has the Swift River in MA, so there are definitely opportunities available to nail a trout if you are willing to brave the chilly conditions. Drifting nymphs with or without indicators have been the ticket.

Hello Compleat Angler friends! We hope you enjoyed a slight respite from the bone chilling conditions this week. Enjoy it while it lasts, because we are diving right back into the cold this weekend. While reports from our regulars have been slow, we do know that most Connecticut freestones have briefly thawed in sunny areas and near faster moving water. Thawed enough to wet a line? That’s for you to discover and to let us know! We are always hungry for customer photos of your time on the river, skunk or no skunk, so DM any fishing related content to our Instagram, @compleat_angler_ct. 

Hello Compleat Angler friends! We hope you’ve been able to stay warm this week. Temperatures have been brutal, but thankfully the cold weather hasn’t slowed down our intrepid presenters. The gents from African Waters and Alphonse Fishing Company put on a fantastic event this past Monday, and on Saturday, we have a tying event with Rhody on the Fly (Brandon Gomez) who will be walking through some jaw-dropping hollow and tube fly demonstrations. Check out our calendar for more info!

With the thermometer where it is, the fishing has been hard to come by. Matt and Pat from the shop hit the water in Easton yesterday in search of native brookies and struck out, but besides their willingness to brave the cold, we haven’t heard much from our regulars. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. Low and slow is the name of the game. We are looking down the barrel of some upsettingly low temperatures, so if getting in the river doesn’t sound appealing, maybe now is the time to focus on tying some flies for spring.  

Hello Compleat Angler friends! Are you prepared for SNOWMAGEDDON? Things are shaping up to be quite nasty on Sunday, with some snowfall totals topping out at 16 inches in areas across the tristate. To add insult to injury, it is going to be bitterly cold, so if you are hitting the river on Saturday, pack an extra pair of long johns. Above all else, be safe! We are hosting an event that is sure to warm the blood on Monday, 1/26, at 7pm with some great folks at Alphonse Fishing Company and African Waters, so feel free to swing by once you’ve dug out the car. 

On the fishing front, there hasn’t been much change since last week’s report. As we love to say this time of year, low and slow is the name of the game. Some anglers are still finding stocked Tiger Trout in the Mianus, which are taking nymphs and streamers bounced along the bottom. Again, on a warmer day you may see some Caddis and Midges hatching from late morning into the afternoon, but don’t hold your breath with the upcoming forecast. Both the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers are still at clear and wadable levels for the time being, but that could change with the weather on Sunday.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! Unfortunately, the weather for this weekend looks cold and wet, with a high of 38 degrees on Saturday and a high chance for precipitation (snow, rain, sleet) across most of the state. That doesn’t mean you won’t find trout, but you might be a bit soggy if you try! Per usual, low and slow is the name of the game. Some anglers are still finding stocked Tiger Trout in the Mianus, which are taking nymphs and streamers bounced along the bottom. Again, on a warmer day you may see some Caddis and Midges hatching from late morning into the afternoon. Both the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers are at clear and wadable levels for this weekend. For the short-term, slush and shelf ice aren’t an issue thanks to the recent increase in air temperatures. On the Salmon River in New York, flows have increased, but they are looking down the barrel of a potential winter storm. You will find Steelhead spread throughout the system, especially holding in the deeper and slower pools.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! The good news for our winter anglers this weekend is warmer air temperatures will continue into the latter part of next week. On our freestones that were stocked during Fall, anglers are still finding a few trout each day, with some Tiger Trout mixed in. The fishing has been primarily sub-surface with small nymphs with jig streamers also working. During these warmer days, however, you may see some Caddis and Midges hatching from the late morning into the afternoon. Both the Housatonic and Farmington Rivers are at clear and wadable levels for this weekend. For the short-term, slush and shelf ice isn’t an issue thanks to the increase in air temperatures. On the Salmon River in New York, flows have increased from snow melting but are still fishable on all sections of the river. You will find Steelhead spread throughout the system, especially holding in the deeper and slower pools.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! Our weekend weather forecast in Connecticut is expected to be cold, so if oy decide to venture out we recommend bringing a good layering system. Our smaller freestones have remained low and clear, and there are still some trout from Fall stocking. Catch rates will be diminished as well as hatches, so we recommend fishing with an assortment of small nymphs in the deeper slower pools. Flows increased on the Farmington River, and levels are now close to average. There are also flow improvements on the Housatonic River, and most sections will still have easy wading. Streamer fishing can also be a good option since Brown Trout have finished spawning and looking to regain weight. Both streamers stripped slowly, swung, or jigged through a run will entice fish with their slower action. On the Salmon River in New York, temperatures are cold with quite a bit of snow received. Flows have increased to above average levels. Slush will be an issue in the morning on lower sections of the river, however there are still a few Steelhead entering the system. Further upriver fish will concentrate in the slower and deeper pools, and it will be worth fishing these areas methodically. Winter fishing will have diminished catch rates; however, there will be a small bite window which is usually when water temperatures are at their peak for the day. As a result, trout activity will be at its peak during this time.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week we have few changes to our local freestones; flows are still low and are unaffected by snowmelt. Snowmelt will drop water temperatures a bit as that cold water enters the rivers. You may see some small Blue Winged Olives and Midges hatching during the afternoon; however, hatches will be diminished with these colder water temperatures. Nymphing will be the most effective technique followed by streamer fishing. For nymphs, consider bringing small imitative selections (sizes 18-24). In addition, egg patterns will still be working now that the majority of Brown Trout have finished spawning. For streamers, you will want to try swinging flies on a floating or sink tip line. Jigging streamers can also be effective because they present a slower and more enticing action to lethargic fish. Trout fishing during colder temperatures will result in finding a narrow bite window during the day, usually when water temperatures are at their highest. During this time bug and trout activity will be at its peak. Overall, fish deeper pools methodically, and don’t be discouraged as catch rates can generally be lower during Winter. On the Salmon River in New York, Steelhead and Brown Trout are spread throughout the system, and anglers are finding single digit numbers of Steelhead each day on average. Nymphing with egg patterns and stoneflies will be most effective, however aggressive fish will still willingly take a swung fly.

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