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Greetings Compleat Anglers! Here's the fishing report for July 6th.
CATSKILLS
The Catskill tailwaters are now fishing classic summer conditions. The primary hatch is Sulfurs and Light Cahills starting late in the afternoon with a good push of bugs and rising fish during the last hour of light. The hatch at dusk could include Sulfur Spinners and Rusty Spinners. During the day, Isonychia are scattered about and can be a good choice with a #18 Pheasant Tail dropper in riffs and broken water. The East Branch is 170 cfs at Harvard and wadeable, but you will encounter tubers and kayakers. The West Branch is 627 cfs and may be more dependable, but also more crowded. The upper Main Stem is cool enough to fish down to Buckingham.
The Beaverkill and Willowemoc are at summer levels and temperatures and are best fished in the morning before they warm up. Hatches include Sulfurs, Caddis and Blue Wing Olives and Pheasant Tail and Caddis nymphs (larva, pupa and emerger). Again, broken water with high dissolved oxygen will usually hold fish. The Neversink is at normal seasonal flow with water temps creeping into the 70s at Bridgeville. This means the gorge will be too warm to fish on many days. Check the USGS Bridgeville readings before trying the gorge.
CONNECTICUT
The Farmington is your best bet in Connecticut, with cold tailwater temps and easy wading at @250 cfs in the no kill area. Sulfurs and Cahills (18) in the evening are the primary hatch and expect an hour of good activity at dusk. Isos, 10-12, are starting to appear as well and caddis can be found from time to time. If fish are rising to caddis and you can't get a take on the standard elk hair, experiment with emergers with unopened wing case on the surface. During the day, Iso, stonefly, caddis and PT nymphs work well in the riffs and broken water. If the river is crowded in the main pools, there are several productive side channels both up and downstream from the iron bridge in Barkhamstead.
The Housatonic is at a good wading level and, at 68 degrees in the morning, providing better smallmouth fishing. Streamers (woolly buggers and assorted imitations) will be effective as will large yellow stoneflies, princes and other attractor nymphs. If interested in fishing for giant pike in the Housy, come see Scott for the latest.
LONG ISLAND SOUND
We are at the tail end of sand eels on the beaches so waders should focus on structure, like rocks, dropoffs, estuary outflows and tidal rips, for stripers. Early morning and dusk will be the most productive times. Chartreuse Clousers on sunny days and Olive Clousers on cloudy days work well. Poppers and Crease flies may not catch as many fish, but seeing fish blow up on a surface fly is worth it. Boaters can look for schools of small bunker in open water as well as the usual structure holding fish, with a chance for larger fish in deeper channels.
Cape Cod is fishing well with fish feeding on the flats and in deeper channels. Good up to date reports can be found at saltycape.com.
Remember to check our local Fishing Reports for more detail on your favorite river.
Jeff (reporting for Len who's off on vacation!)
