Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Happy Labor Day Weekend. Even if the weather doesn't feel like it, we are technically in calendar fall, and hopefully the bite will improve. With the ample rain last night, flows on our local rivers have increased, leading to some dirty water and washed out conditions. Most rivers are still fishable, but trout and smallmouth might be a bit hesitant. Luckily, we are looking at some clean, cool, dry weather over the next few days. Sunday and Monday should be great if you can avoid the crowds.
Matt and Pat Huban (Albatross Fly Fishing) made it out this morning and nailed a few nice bass in close to shore. They were primarily feeding on small bait, but the good news is there was a hell of a lot of it.
Read on for more…
Connecticut
Local Rivers
Flows on the Saugatuck have shot up overnight to 242 CFS. While still fishable, the water might be dirty and rough until later this weekend. After a long, quiet summer, we've finally heard some reports of trout in the Saugatuck, mostly during the early mornings and late evenings. While water temps are improving, be conscious of targeting trout on warmer days. Hatches right now are Caddis and ISO's, as well as Sulfurs.
The Naugatuck is now at 241 CFS. No reports lately of trout, but smallmouth and other species are being found in deeper water and on top during the evenings and early mornings. As we move deeper into fall, stocking will recommence on certain sections of the river, so keep an eye on the DEEP website for more info.
Farmington River
Isonychia (Iso), Small Blue Winged Olives (BWO's) in about #22-24 are hatching in the river. Both bugs hatch best on cooler, cloudy days. Various Caddis are sporadically hatching as well, including small black ones that are easy to miss unless you examine the shoreline rocks.
Make sure you have Flying Ants, as there have been a mix of sizes from #16's to #24's. Typically a mid/late afternoon to evening deal. Make sure you match the size, or you may be highly frustrated. Trout love ants and will often key on them to exclusion of anything else. The ideal scenario for flying ants is a humid day with a little rain the day before to get them to do a mating swarm.
Don't forget that as of September 1st, the entire Farmington River from the dam in Riverton, downstream to the Rt 177 bridge in Unionville is Catch & Release until the second Saturday in April. This section encompasses 21 miles.
Water level is 264 CFS total flow this morning in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R). Riverton is 216 CFS at the Rt 20 Bridge, and a little below that the Still River is adding in 48 CFS. Riverton water temp is roughly 53 degrees.
Fishing has been great, with trout being caught on dries, nymphs, wet flies and soft hackles. The streamer bite has been decent, particularly in the early morning & better after the overnight rains we have been receiving. Isonychia #10-14, Tan Caddis #16-18, Assorted Dark Caddis pattern #16-20, Tricos #22-26, Yellow Sallies #14-18, Hebes/Yellow Quill #16-18 Flying Ants #16-24, Cahills #12-14, Summer/Winter Caddis #18-24 are all possibilities. Iso's (Isonychia) are great because they are a big Mayfly and they can be blind-fished in the fast water, even if nothing is rising.
September often means using smaller nymphs in the #18-22 range. A good strategy at current flows is to use a heavier #16-18 nymph at the bottom of your rig, and a smaller lighter pattern on a dropper 18in to 24in above. Two nymphs that break these rules are Isonychia #12-14 in the afternoon & evening, and Stoneflies(black, brown or yellow) #8-10 from daybreak to 9-10am. Use 5x for the large nymphs, and 6x for the others. Look for areas of faster current with rocks and structure plus places where the water is slowing into the heads of pools. A pool can be large or just a 15ft deep spot inside of larger runs. Look for water shaded by trees and hills keeping an eye on the angle of the sun on bright day. Euro nymphing excels with tiny nymphs, while traditional indicator & high stick methods can be limited unless you combine your little flies with a larger one for weight.
The Housatonic River at Falls Village is reading 478 CFS, which is a bit high. We have heard some great reports that the smallmouth fishing has been lights out, with streamers and poppers being effective during the early mornings and evenings. Some large brown trout are also starting to move throughout the river, and if the weather remains cool and the water continues to stay up, we should see more and more trout settle into their fall locations within the next few weeks. BWO's are hatching consistently, and the recent rain has made terrestrials a popular offering.
Anglers enjoyed a solid few days of fishing, with many kings brought to hand as well as seen moving up-river. The afternoons have been slower with fish being seen in most sections of the river, but becoming very line shy. King Salmon are the sole species that have been reported; still waiting for some Cohos to start moving into the river.
The flow from the dam is currently showing 185 CFS. The Pineville Gauge is currently at 240 CFS.
Catskills
The release from Cannonsville is 450 CFS. The river was hit by more storms overnight and all of the rivers are high and off color. The West Branch at Hale Eddy is 1,630 CFS and looks like it’s about to peak. It looks like it’s streamers from a boat kind of day today. the West should begin to drop and clear today but it will take some time to return to normal. Luckily there is no rain in the forecast for the next five days.
Matt and Pat Huban (Albatross Fly Fishing) made it out this morning and nailed a few nice bass in close to shore. They were primarily feeding on small bait, but the good news is there was a hell of a lot of it. They even saw a potential Bonita blitz close in. Cooler temperatures will be welcome, as the surface temp of the sound near shore at 74 degrees. Bait is prevalent throughout the rivers and estuaries, so a few good cold clear nights and strong moon tides will help kick the fall run into gear. Big bass are still being caught out East, and should start moving through the send in the next month.
