Fishing Reports

Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week our Connecticut freestones have seen an increase in flows but are still below average, a slight improvement from last week. Anglers are still finding trout from Fall stockings. Now that water temperatures have dropped lower, winter techniques will start becoming more effective. This means methodically searching the deeper pools, using a low and slow approach drifting nymphs. Egg flies will also be working now that Brown Trout are completing their spawning. On the Farmington and Housatonic Rivers, which all have fishable flows for this weekend, will also be seeing some small Blue Winged Olives emerging towards the late afternoon. On the Salmon River in New York, Steelhead fishing is alive and well with fish being spread throughout the entire river. Flows have dropped, and now most sections will have easier wading, but the river is still high. As a result, search a variety of water types, as there will be Steelhead both holding and traveling, and you may find some nice Brown Trout as a bonus. On the saltwater, the Long Island Sound has winded down, with schoolies still blitzing on occasion. Areas to focus on include the mouth of river, coves, and harbors. Late morning can result in finding some Stripers hitting Peanut Bunker on the surface. Holdover Stripers are now staging and moving upriver into their respective winter spots. Rhode Island is experiencing similar circumstances, meanwhile the South Shore of Long Island and New Jersey still has good numbers of migratory fish.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week we have no significant changes to our Connecticut trout fishing, and all of our freestones have been holding below average flows. Hatches have been slowing down, but the main insects you will see include Tan Caddis, Midges, and Blue Winged Olives during the afternoon. Subsurface has been the best option, both nymphing and streamer fishing. On the Farmington River, you will want to bring your smaller nymphs as well as some egg patterns now that Brown Trout are spawning. The Housatonic River will be similar, and flows will be ideal for fishing and wading this weekend. Anglers are finding trout on all techniques, including dry flies when there are hatches of small Blue Winged Olives. On the Salmon River in New York, Steelhead have moved throughout the entire river now, and they’re still entering the estuary. Flows are high so we should see a nice push of fish into the river as a result. On the saltwater, there are some schoolies on some Peanut Bunker near the coves and harbors, and one will find them blitzing during the later morning with tide movement. The best action is still along the Southshore down to the Jersey Coastline, which is holding larger migratory Stripers. The most prevalent bait is Bunker and Sand Eels.

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Our local freestones have been holding steadily below average over the past few weeks throughout Connecticut. With stocked fish acclimated, it will be worth bringing some smaller nymphs, and you may find trout rising infrequently to Blue Winged Olives, Midges, and Tan Caddis. The Farmington River has increased flows on the West Branch, and clarity and wading will be ideal for the weekend with flows just shy of average. Cooler water temperature will result in better subsurface fishing during the morning and into the afternoon. Later during the day you may find some fish rising on small Blue Winged Olives, unless you’re lucky enough to encounter an October Caddis hatch, which are still occurring infrequently. The Housatonic River also has ideal flows leading into the weekend, and Blue Winged Olives are the primary hatch. When there are no hatches, streamer fishing and nymphing will be the most productive. On the Salmon River, Steelhead are now the primary fish entering the river, along with a few nice Brown Trout. There are still a few late Kings and Cohos running; however, most are staged upriver and into the tributaries. The primary nymphs this time of year will be egg flies, as salmon are spawning. Swinging flies will also work as fresher fish tend to be most aggressive. Fishing in the Long Island Sound has been spotty, but there are occasional Striper blitzes on Peanut Bunker. Areas to focus on include the Norwalk Islands, and along the Westport shoreline and into Bridgeport. On the right tides it will also be worth fishing the structures along the Northshore. The best Striper action continue along the Southshore, from Jamaica Bay and into New Jersey.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week flows are back down on our freestone options across Connecticut, and most of the fish will be hunkered in the deeper pools. There is still action to be had thanks to stocking, and most anglers are finding the subsurface fishing to be most effective with small nymphs and streamers. On the Farmington, Housatonic, and Delaware Rivers the primary hatches are Blue Winged Olives during the afternoons and evenings. All these options will have clear and fishable flows for the weekend, with the Housatonic having great flows for wading. Anglers are finding a mix of stocked and larger holdover fish. Nymphing with small flies has been the most effective option on the Farmington, but it is also worth bringing some larger stonefly patterns. All options will have improved streamer fishing as well, since Brown Trout are pre-spawn. You may come across paired up fish that are already spawning, so avoid stepping on their spawning beds (Redds). On the Salmon River in New York, Steelhead are starting to dominate the lower sections of the river as the salmon runs taper off, there are also some nice Brown Trout, which have also pushed into the smaller tributaries. On the saltwater, the best action for Stripers is along the Southshore from Long Island into New Jersey. Meanwhile, the Long Island Sound has been spotty with some areas holding bait and fish on top briefly. Areas to consider are deep structure along the Northshore, and the mouth of rivers and harbor along the Connecticut Shoreline. Albies have moved out with a few scattered Bonito remaining.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! This weekend will be tough for fishing opportunities with high winds from the storm. The good news is anglers have been finding trout on our local freestones throughout Connecticut thanks to Fall stocking. Trout will be aggressive on a variety of streamers and nymphs. On the Housatonic River subsurface fishing is also working well, however it will be worth bringing some Blue Winged Olive for hatches towards dusk. The Delaware River has also had some great Blue Winged Olive hatches this past week, and streamer fishing is starting to improve as Brown Trout get ready to spawn throughout the Northeast. On the Salmon River, the notable improvement is the arrival of more Steelhead in the lower river, and there are still some Salmon entering to keep anglers busy. The saltwater fishing will prove challenging due to weather, but before the winds anglers were finding Stripers centralized in harbors, coves, and the mouths of rivers. The better Stripers are in the mid 30” range. Further East anglers are finding great migratory Striper fishing along the Southshore of Long Island and into New Jersey. The overall trend is that Albie and Bonito fishing has been tapering off in most areas.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week we have had a small improvement in flows from the past week’s rain, as well as additional stocking on our local freestones. As a result, trout fishing will be improved on these rivers, and fly selection is temporarily forgiving. We recommend bringing some attractor nymphs and streamers. The Housatonic River, while below average, has also increased and anglers are finding fish keyed in on Blue Winged Olives, as well as some Smallmouth Bass still. Blue Winged Olive hatches are the primary for the Delaware River, which has near average flows. On the saltwater, Stripers have become more active in the Long Island Sound, and they can be found during the mornings blitzing on Peanut Bunker. The same can be said further east, with pods of Albies and Bonito still scattered in, however, Stripers are starting to take over as the primary species. The South Shore of Long Island is seeing good numbers of larger migratory fish pushing along the shoreline. There are plenty of options whether you’re fishing fresh or saltwater this Fall!

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! Our freshwater fishing throughout Connecticut is still seeing below average flows, and some rivers and streams being stocked for Fall. Despite low flows, the Housatonic River is seeing some great trout fishing from stocking, and there is a mix of holdover and newly introduced fish. The stocked fish will be taking a variety of streamers and nymphs, and dry fly anglers are having success on Blue Winged Olives and Isonychia. The fishing remains steady on the Farmington River, and nymphing has been the most effective method. However, October Caddis have started to make a showing allowing for some decent dry fly opportunities. Streamer fishing will also improve in the coming weeks with temperatures being cooler as trout will start to look for higher calories before spawning and winter. Most of the hatches on the Delaware have consisted of small Blue Winged Olives, with late afternoons being best for dry fly opportunities. On the Salmon River in New York Steelhead are just starting to enter the lower river, while Kings and Cohos are being found in all sections of the river. Runs are trickling in slowly due to low water. Saltwater fishing has proven more difficult for Albies this past week, as the storm has the larger schools broken up. You may come across them blitzing on small Bay Anchovies in the Eastern portion of the sound and along the North and South Shore of Long Island. Bass fishing in New York and Rhode Island has held up and is improving as migratory fish push down the coast. The Western portion of the sound has been more hit-or-miss, with some days providing Striper blitzes on Peanut Bunker. There are still some good saltwater options as things settle post storm.

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! This week flows remain low despite receiving some rain this week, and while some options throughout Connecticut were stocked, Fairfield County freestones have yet to be stocked. As a result, rivers without stocking will be slow. The Farmington River has good numbers of fish with October Caddis starting to hatch. While hatches have been slow, you may encounter some Blue Winged Olives, Isonychia, and Light Cahill as well. On the Delaware River, the sunnier days will have insects hatches later towards the evening, while overcast days will yield better hatches of Blue Winged Olives. Anglers are finding King Salmon and Coho on all sections of the Salmon River in New York; however, flows are low which has slowed fish from entering the river. Saltwater fishing has been great towards the Eastern portion of the Long Island Sound, with Stripers, larger Bluefish, Bonito, and some Albies near Niantic, Fisher’s, Stratford Shoals, and along the Northshore of Long Island. Further West anglers are mainly finding schoolie Stripers and small Bluefish during the morning hours. The primary bait is Bay Anchovies and Peanut Bunker.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week we have low water, but the most significant improvement is that the Housatonic River was stocked with trout, while the Naugatuck River received a round of Atlantic Salmon stocking. These fish will readily take a variety of flies, and for the Atlantic Salmon we recommend either a 7 or 8wt rod for swinging streamers. Fly choice will vary from Woolly Buggers to more traditional Atlantic Salmon patterns, such as a Grey Ghost. Flows are below average on the Farmington River; however, anglers are finding trout in a variety of water types on small nymphs when there is no hatch activity. On the local freestones, we will need some rain to help raise river levels which will signal more trout stocking. Despite low flows on the Salmon River in New York, Kings and Cohos are now spread throughout the river, with more pods of salmon entering the system each day. Focusing on the deeper pools, where they are staging, and during the morning hours before bright sunlight will result in the most action. This past week on the saltwater Anglers are finding more pods of Albies and Bonito off Niantic and into Middleground, with the best action for Albies being further East in Watch Hill and Long Island. In the Western portion of the Long Island Sound there are schools of smaller Bluefish and Stripers along the beaches, coves, and islands. Things should continue to improve as Sound temperatures cool down.

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This week we have no momentous changes to report, which is good news for our saltwater anglers, but tough news for our local freshwater fishing. Stocking has yet to occur on our freestones across Connecticut, but some lakes and ponds were recently stocked with Atlantic Salmon. Trout fishing will remain difficult until stocking occurs. The best option is currently the Farmington River, which will have good clarity and easy wading leading into this weekend. Subsurface has been working well with smaller nymphs, due to the lack of hatch activity. If you do encounter hatches, they will most likely be Blue Winged Olives, small Caddis, Light Cahill, or Isonychia. It will also be worth bringing some Flying Ant and Beetle patterns. If fishing on the Delaware River, which still has below average flows, you will encounter similar hatches with good numbers of Blue Winged Olives recently. Saltwater fishing has been holding steady with anglers finding Stripers blitzing on Peanut Bunker during the morning hours along the Western shoreline of Connecticut, with some small Bluefish. Further East, there are more Bonito and a few scattered small pods of Albies, along with Stripers and larger Bluefish. Albies have been more consistent along the Rhode Island and New York coastline.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week the Farmington remains the most consistent river, with stocking yet to occur on the Freestones. Flows are below average with good clarity and easy wading for the weekend. Hatches haven’t been great, so nymphing with small flies is getting the job done; however, you will want to bring some flying ant patterns for the weekend. On the Housatonic, flows are well below average but water temperatures have cooled enough to trout fish, and anglers are finding both Trout and Smallmouth Bass. The Salmon River in New York is now seeing Kings and Cohos spread throughout the entire river, with the most consistent action being in the lower sections. Fish will be more active before high sunlight, when they will hunker down in the deeper pools and holding lies. Saltwater fishing has seen improvements, especially in the Sound and along the Rhode Island Coastline. Anglers are finding great numbers of Albies from Watch Hill to Point Judith, and near Fisher’s Island and Plum Gut. They have also pushed into the Sound, and you may find some pods towards Middleground. Stripers are being found in these areas as well, and the Connecticut River is starting to improve.

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Hello Compleat Angler friends! This week we have below average flows on our freestones across Connecticut; however, water temperatures are improving so we should expect Fall Stocking soon. The Farmington River was stocked towards the end of August, and a variety of techniques will be working for these trout. You will also want to bring an assortment of small nymphs for the more educated fish. There are still some Tricos hatching, however hatches haven’t been phenomenal. Flows are below average, with good clarity and easy wading for this weekend. Low flows are also prevalent on the Delaware River, with the best dry fly action being Flying Ants. On the Salmon River in New York, Kings and Cohos are entering the lower river slowly due to low flows, however anglers are finding action during the morning hours. On the saltwater, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New York have been seeing great improvements, with the most prevalent bait being Peanut Bunker, Silversides, and Bay Anchovies. Further East, anglers are finding some great Bonito and Albie action. To the West, Stripers and Bluefish have been more prevalent nearshore with topwater action happening during low light hours.

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