Fishing Report, April 10th

Greetings Compleat Anglers!  Here is your fishing report for April 10th!

Here in Connecticut, winter is finally making way to some actual Spring temperatures. Days have been cold and water temperatures even colder which has kept most of the action in our trout streams underwater with nymphs and streamers fished low and slow. But air temperatures for this coming weekend are projected to be in the 70s!  So get your gear ready and find a stretch of water that lifts your spirit and soul - and be sure to include some dry flies in your box as there are still some small black stoneflies, midges and winter caddis around and also the first reports of BWO's on the Farmington!

The Mianus River was stocked again yesterday with reports of lots and lots of fish being taken on both wets and dries. Pat Fowler reports lots of fish on top that were into small (#18) black stoneflies, and #20 brown and black midges. Anglers using nymphs such as Pheasant Tails, Princes, Frenchie and also some egg patterns, Mops, and San Juan Worms also took lots of fish. Here's a couple of photos from Pat's last outing:

Captain Roger Gendron from Connecticut Island Outfitters took a break from the salt water to fish the Mill River which was stocked yesterday. He took some nice fish - all on Wooly Buggers. Roger said he is launching his boat in the Sound this weekend and expects to be taking clients back out within two weeks. Give him a call and treat yourself to some great time in Long Island Sound! You can find him in the "Guide" section of our Compleat Anglers website.

With Opening Day this coming Saturday, the Mianus Chapter of TU is sponsoring an Opening Day Angler's Breakfast on Saturday, April 14th from 9:00-11:00AM at Merwin Meadows Park in Wilton. Come get a bite to eat and then hit the Norwalk River in one of the stretches right along the park. The river is freshly stocked and there should be plenty of fish for all!

The Farmington River has great flows and is clear and nicely wadeable. Flows in Riverton are 174cfs. Below the Still River in Robertsville (which is adding 183cfs) the Farmington flow is 357cfs through the TMA. Water temperatures are in the high 30's and low 40's later in the day. There have been some beautiful fish taken in the Farmington over the past week. At present, most are being taken on nymphs and streamers. There have been first reports of BWO's. In the afternoons, look for fish to be looking up a bit at BWO's, midges, Early Black Stoneflies, and Winter Caddis (Winter Caddis mostly in the morning.) Nymphs to have in your box include olive mayfly nymphs (BWO imitations), Pheasant Tails (#14-#18), Mops (#14-#18), Caddis Larva, and egg patterns. Streamers in assorted colors along with Wooly Buggers, Muddlers and Zonkers are also a good bet. Fish the TMA for big, quality fish! Or, fish the other sections for more quantity of newly stocked and holdover fish.

The Housatonic River is running 1870cfs at Falls Village and is lowering. Water temperatures are still in the high 30s (and the low 40s in the afternoons.) Pick your wading spots carefully - the river is still at risky wading levels in many places. There have been some decent fish caught by those hardy anglers putting in the time and effort, but overall the river is still slow. Most fish are being caught on big Golden Stonefly nymphs, egg patterns, Mops, Hendrickson nymphs, Scuds, San Juan Worms and Pheasant Tails, as well as various streamer patterns. Not much yet on the surface, but a few early black stoneflies and midges might catch the eye of a fish or two in the afternoons.

The Saugatuck River at Ford Road in Westport (along the Doc Skerlock TMA area) is running 82cfs and is nicely wadeable. The Norwalk River is running 62cfs in Wilton, is freshly stocked, and will open for the season this coming Saturday.

In New York State, here's a reminder;  New York State has 22 water supply reservoirs and lakes (covering 36,000 acres) open for fishing from shore or approved row boats. Remember to have a free DEP Access Permit and/or valid boat tag. There is some world-class fishing on NYC upstate reservoirs, their headwaters and tailwaters and the creeks and streams that flow through roughly 130,000 acres of publicly accessible watershed lands. Just a heads-up - there are some humongous browns cruising in those reservoirs - quality fish that could be your trophy of a lifetime. Do some exploring (both online and in person) and check it out!

In the Catskills, there was a light dusting of snow yesterday, but the outlook for the weekend looks great! On the Delaware West Branch, the Cannonsville Reservoir is spilling 497cfs, and overall is running 2400cfs at 38 degrees. There have been a few really nice Browns taken on various streamer patters - with the reservoir spilling, pretty much anything that looks like an Alwive will be effective. The Delaware East Branch is running 1480cfs at Fishs Eddy at 39 degrees. And the Delaware Main Stem is running 4380cfs at 39 degrees. All three branches are reasonably clear-to-stained. Most effective flies at the moments are streamers of all colors and sizes. If you're in a boat, bang them against the bank with four or five strips and re-cast. Work as much water as you can. If you are going to fish nymphs, try stoneflies, Pheasant Tails, Zebras, Frenchies, Caddis Larva, Mops, and San Juan Worm patterns. Fish them slowly in the deeper pools and glides.

Legendary Catskill guide Ben Rinker of East Branch Outfitters reports that the river heights are healthy, reservoir capacity for both Cannonsville and Pepacton are in the mid-90%range, and it should be a great spring and early summer this year. Ben reports that they will be doing a tributary survey this coming weekend for redd counts to check for spawning areas for the system's early spawning Rainbow Trout. Ben says that the fish are just becoming active and with a few degrees rise in water temperatures, when throwing streamers the takes have been more aggressive. Check out Ben's listing in the "Guide" section of our Compleat Angler website. You can contact him at 267-221-4383.

Sal Renzuela from Riverkeeper Guide Services reported that he'll be heading up to the Delaware this coming weekend. Sal guides on the Housatonic, the Delaware, and up in Pulaski, NY on the Salmon River. Check out his listing in our "Guides" section of the Compleat Angler website.

The Beaverkill is running 740cfs at Cooks Falls in the high 30s. The water is clear and wadeable. Pretty much the same formula of patterns used in the Delaware system will work presently in the Beaverkill. 

In the Salt, Captain Ian Devlin reports that he has been monitoring Alwife runs from Bridgeport to Greenwich and thus far there has been no activity regarding these important bait fish. Ian says, "Osprey, Herons, Egrets and Cormorants are eagerly awaiting food to arrive."  Ian says we are easily two weeks behind schedule due to the extended cold weather. Water temps are still around 41 degrees. There have been just a few schoolie Stripers caught towards Greenwich to Larchmont from a couple of shore anglers.  Ian said that he will begin fishing more often beginning this weekend and going forward. If you're interested in chartering with Captain Ian he can be reached at 203-451-9400.

That's it for now. As always, remember to stop by the shop to check out all the new rods, reels, accessories, clothing, fly-tying equipment and so much more. We have all the major brands (and the minor ones as well) including Loomis, Sage, Scott, Echo, TFO, Hatch, Abel, Nautilus, Hardy, Lamson, Ross, Simms, Reddington, Patagonia, Sci-Anglers, Rio, Airflow, Cortland, and so many more. Come in and try out a new rod, or hone up your casting with Scott Loecher (the Fish Doctor). And check out our huge inventory of fly-tying equipment, hooks and accessories for both fresh and salt water. (Not to mention our vast inventory of flies - many hand-tied right here in the USA!) We have flies for every major hatch on every major Northeastern river, as well as a complete assortment of Saltwater flies for Stripers, Blues, Albies, Bones, Permit, GTs, and so many more!

Have a great week and catch some fish!