Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We’ve seen a modest improvement in conditions compared to the last two weeks. Flows are still high locally, but they are on the drop. Water clarity should be improved, and if you decide to head out focusing on the slower seams should prove successful. Anglers are still finding fish that are holding over, and this time of year is predominantly nymphing, as colder temperatures will diminish hatches. That said you may find some Midges during the afternoons when flows are average. You will also want to bring streamers as they fish well in the high water. Egg patterns are still relevant this time of year despite Brown Trout being finished with their spawn. On the Farmington water was released causing high flows, so use caution or wait until flows subside. Raised flows on the Salmon River in upstate NY means that more fish will be pushing into the system, so fishing the lower part of the river could result in some nice chrome. Read on for more…

Connecticut

Local Rivers

Flows have been slowly dropping on our local rivers and streams, but are still high (the Saugatuck, for instance, is flowing at 397 CFS). Water clarity will be good but use caution if wading. Anglers that have been able to get out have reported good fishing. If you can’t wait to fish, stick to the inside seams as trout will be pushed towards the slower flows, and try using flashier and larger nymphs, such as Mop Flies, Squirmies, or Flashback variations. Larger streamer patterns will also stand out among the high water, and some colors to consider are Black, Yellow, White, or any fly that incorporates a lot of flash. When flows approach more average levels, some patterns to consider are conehead Woolly Buggers fished on a floating line and larger articulated patterns paired with a sinking or sink tip line. One of our favorite streamer lines for this technique is theAirflo Streamer Max Short,as well as theScientific Anglers Sonar Trout. The short head loads rods well for our smaller rivers especially when targeting the opposite bank and sinking the fly quickly into the strike zone. The most productive technique is going to be nymphing. Patterns to have with you this time of year include Zebra Midges, Pheasant Tails, Prince Nymphs, Caddis Larvae, Hare’s Ears, and Perdigones in sizes 14-24. A double nymph rig is a good way to cover multiple columns of the water or offer multiple options. Fishing a larger fly as your point fly will help get your dropper down to an appropriate depth without the use of split shot. During these flows it helps to use nymphs with a tungsten bead as they will plummet faster getting you to the strike zone quicker.When nymphing and dry fly fishing in our smaller river and streams we like having a shorter leader, such as theRio Powerflex in 7.5ft. Both 5x and 6x will have you covered for most dry fly and nymphing scenarios. In addition, at the end of your dead-drift let your nymphs swing to the bank as this will imitate an emerging insect. Trout will be spread out during these flows, so covering different water types and holding lies will improve your success. Areas to consider include the Saugatuck, Mianus, Mill, and Aspetuck Rivers. There are still fish to be had from Spring holdovers and Fall stockings. And our anglers are reporting that the Saugatuck is still fishing very well.

Naugatuck River

It’s the same story on the Naugatuck, where flows are high at 1050 CFS but dropping and the clarity will be ok to fish. Bringing some junk flies will catch trout in high water, and look to fish similar offerings we are using on our local streams: Caddis, Blue Winged Olives, and Midges. With respect to other insects, having a range of sizes from 12-24 in nymphs/dries will have you covered, and egg patterns are still working. Overall, fishing will be most productive with streamers and nymphs. Fishing drab colored Woolly Buggers and streamers 3-5” should work for more aggressive fish. The Naugatuck is a good alternative for areas with more crowds/pressure. When targeting Salmon, your traditional Atlantic Flies and hairwing streamers will work: Grey Ghosts, Blue Charms and Mickey Finns. Don’t be afraid to throw some larger intruders and flashy streamers in Pink, Black, Blue, and Purple, especially after they’ve just finished stocking. Try swinging these streamers slowly as you first fish the pool, and if you don’t get any takes, switch to a faster retrieve/swing. The fish will let you know what they prefer.

Farmington River

Flows were increased at the dam bringing the West Branch up to 1510 CFS. The Still River is currently around 300 CFS and dropping. I would recommend waiting until flows are cut, which should happen in the next couple of days. Currently the flows are too high to comfortably fish. Temperatures near the Riverton gauge are fluctuating in the mid to high 30s with colder temperatures downriver of the Still.  Once flows are cut and near average, the main hatches for this time of year will be Winter Caddis in sizes 18-20 during the morning hours, and Midges in sizes 18-24 during the afternoons. Again, subsurface will be the most effective technique. For streamer fishing try using jigged streamers under a tight line system, weighted flies (cone head Woolly Buggers, Sculpin Helmets) under a floating line, or neutrally buoyant articulated streamers with a sinking line or sink tip. Trout will be looking for a large meal to stock up on calories for the long winter. Now is a good time for our Trout Spey anglers to break out theSkagit Heads andT Tips which will turn over larger intruders and streamers. Fishing a wet fly swung on aless aggressive sinking tip can pull additional fish during the afternoon when insects will be emerging. For nymphing, junk flies will catch recently stocked Trout (Mops and Squirmies) as will Stoneflies in sizes 8-12. These flies will also work well downriver of the Still while flows are high but dropping. One technique is to use these larger flies as your point nymph paired with a smaller dropper nymph: Pheasant Tails in sizes 12-20, Caddis Larvae 14-18, Perdigones 12-20, Hare’s Ears 14-18, and Zebra Midges in 18-24. These nymphs are all safe bets from Fall and well into Winter, and nymphing will be the most productive method. Currently eggs will still be working (namely Cheese, Yellow, and Pink). Most of your smaller nymphs will be more productive this time of year, especially with these average flows. In terms of rigging, look to use 5x-6xFluorocarbon when nymphing. As water temperatures continue to become colder, strikes will be more subtle to detect. Remember to not high or low hole anyone. Let’s be respectful to other anglers. Good luck! Keep in mind:Please report any suspicious activity and poaching to DEEP by calling 800-842-4357.

Housatonic River

Flows are improving on the Housatonic and we’re almost at comfortable levels to fish, with Falls Village currently at 1680 CFS and dropping. When flows hit 1000 CFS or below it will be safe to wade in most areas. Once the river is fishable, you may encounter Midges in sizes 18-24, however the dry fly action will be slow this time of year. Streamer fishing and nymphing are going to be the most productive technique. Anglers that have been streamer fishing are swinging flies on a floating or sink tip line with either single handers or trout spey rods. If you are fishing articulated neutrally buoyant streamers (Mini Dungeons, Drunk and Disorderly, Circus Peanuts, etc), you will want to pair these with asinking line and a short 5’ leader tapered from20lb to 10lb. For our floating line Streamer Anglers, consider drab colored Conehead Woolly Buggers paired with a 9ft 2x leader. Now is also a good time for our Trout Spey anglers to consider throwing larger patterns during the afternoon in combination with swinging soft hackles in the mornings and evenings. During the mornings nymphing still remains the most effective method. For nymphing with an indicator (we’ve had great feedback on theOros Stike Indicators), a 9ft taperedfluorocarbon leader in 5x-6x is recommended. Nymphs to consider bringing include Caddis Larvae, Prince Nymphs, Hare’s Ears, Waltz Worms, Perdigones, and Yellow/Golden Stoneflies in sizes 12-18. For smaller nymphs, Zebra Midges in 18-24 will fool fish throughout Winter. While the spawning season is over, egg flies are continuing to produce, and consider more washed-out colors like Tan, Light Pink, and Cheese. 

New York

Salmon River

Slush is just starting to show up on the lower end of the river during the early mornings. Air temperatures are dipping into the single digits over the weekend with an improvement into the high 40s towards the latter part of next week. Keep an eye on the weather if you’re making the trek up there, as there will be scattered snowstorms. Flows were increased and are currently reading 1030 CFS at Pineville. Since water temperatures are lowering, look for fish holding in the typical Winter lies (softer water in the larger and deeper pools). All sections of the river will be holding Steelhead, and there are still fresh fish pushing into the lower sections daily. While swinging flies will still attract the most aggressive fish, the most productive method in the cold weather will be nymphing. Low and slow is the name of the game, as fish will be less willing to expend energy, and often the strikes will be subtle. Estaz Eggs, Glo Bugs, Squirmy Worms, Stoneflies, Steelhead Slammers, and Sucker Spawn will all take fish. Having a variety of colors and sizes, as well as switching flies often, will help you determine what they are keying in on. The surrounding tributaries will also hold Brown Trout and Steelhead.Beads in different colors will also work well (such as Chartreuse and Mottled Tangerine), so switching up flies/colors and techniques will be the key to success. As a bonus, these flies will also work on Brown Trout. Having amicro barrel swivel incorporated into your leader will help avoid splitshot sliding down your leader, as well as aid in quicker rerigging during breakoffs and snags. For our two handed anglers, Skagit has been the most productive method, and we like Rio’sSkagit Max Power head combined with either amono orcoated running line. Having a variety ofMOW Tips so you can fine tune the depth of your fly based on flows, depth, and current, will improve your success. For tippet, we like usingMaxima Ultragreen in 10lb when swinging flies. Having a variety of colors to rotate between is the name of the game: Brown, Olive, Black, Blue, Purple, and Pink are all good considerations. Now that the weather is getting colder and into the low 30s, it will be beneficial to bring a goodlayering system as well as a pair of warmfingerless gloves.