Fishing Reports

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Fall is well under way, and with it, increased activity in the sound and in our local rivers. A huge rainstorm earlier this week blew out local rivers and muddied our bays and estuaries, but things have cleared up nicely for the weekend. Trout are being found primarily in the Farmington, with many reporting success on dries, and nymphs. The saltwater bite has started to pick up in the Western Sound, and there is certainly no shortage of bait. Next week looks nasty with wind and scattered rain, so get out and enjoy the weather while it's still nice! 

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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.  

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Flows across the state are perfect, the weather is comfortable, and water temps are starting to drop in our local rivers. If I didn't know any better, I would say that we are on fall's doorstep, and with September a few days away, fishing across the state should start to get a second wind. Rivers such as the Housatonic and the Farmington are producing well, with reports of nice smallies and even some larger browns on the Housy, and solid wild trout on the Farmington. 

The Sound is starting to break out of its summer slump, with more and more bait filling the bays and estuaries each day. Schoolies are starting to migrate into the backwater to gorge on silversides and peanut bunker, with some reporting bass in waters as far inland as Holly Pond. 

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! If it's not blistering hot, it's dumping two inches of rain. Last night we saw a major storm roll through, and most of our local rivers like the Saugatuck, the Mianus, and the Norwalk River are completely washed out. Thankfully, the Farmington and Housatonic seem relatively unaffected for flows, so you should still be able to target trout and smallies! 

In the Sound, its business as usual. More bait is arriving by the day in the Western Sound, with peanut bunker being the main forage, so small pop flies, clousers, snot bait will work in and around the river mouths and harbors. Deeper water will require an upgrade. 

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! The heat from the last two weeks seems to be winding down, and we've heard some solid reports out of the Farmington for trout and the Housatonic for smallmouth. The Sound is split between an East and a West bite, with the Eastern Sound producing considerably more bait, quality fish, and general life. The Western Sound is by no means dead, but the bite is limited primarily to reefs and deeper water. Temperature seems to be the demarcator for finding quality and quantity, with the Eastern Sound around Fishers Island, Block and Montauk hovering between 68-72 degrees. The Western sound is considerably warmer, between 71-75 degrees. While not astronomical, its clear that those few degrees are making a difference. Things should start to heat up in the Western Sound as fall approaches, but in the meantime, don't be afraid to take a drive. 

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! While the summer doldrums are definitely here to stay, fishing remains consistent for striped bass out East and on the reefs in the Sound. Smaller fish are being spotted between Montauk and Newport, which is a great sign given the state of the striper fishery. Trout fishing has slowed in most rivers with the exception of the Farmington, which, thanks to being fed by cold water, is producing a solid bite.

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! That midweek "nor'easter" wasn't as disruptive as originally forecasted, and in fact, lit up a pretty solid striper bite in addition to the full moon. While some rivers are certainly still blown out, flows should start to return to more manageable levels by the end of this weekend, and with cooler temperatures and drier air on the way, heat- and angler-pressured trout will get a well-deserved respite. A reminder: although trout may always be the goal, giving them a much-needed break is a good idea. Heat-tolerant species such as largemouth, smallmouth, and carp can be an amazingly fun substitution during summer months. So tie on a craw pattern, hit a creek or a local pond, and enjoy! 

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We hope you survived the deluge from earlier this week. Massive rainstorms across the state have blown out rivers and left basements flooded and spirits dashed. Thankfully, the inclement weather ushered in some cooler, bighter weather, so fishing should steadily improve throughout this weekend and into next week. Despite the rain, heat, and humidity, we've heard some great reports from our regulars about the Farmington River, which has stayed cool thanks to the dam. The Sound is still finicky, with out east being the reliable hotspot for stripers. Still, big bass can be found in the early evenings and at night, as they push up from the reefs to feed.

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Things have been hot, hazy, and quiet this week. With the freakishly poor air quality thanks to the fires up north, staying off the river might be wise. While trout are still being taken on local rivers, switching to species better equipped for the warm water conditions might be more ethical. Think smallmouth, largemouth, carp, and even panfish. Nothing fights harder than a solid bluegill on a butter stick! Striped bass are still playing hard to get in the Sound, not unusual for July, but hopefully the recent new moon cycle shook things up for the better. 

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We hope you had a fun and restful July 4th! Fishing in the western Sound has slipped into the summer doldrums, while the recent rainfall has helped improve the trout and smallmouth bite across our rivers to the north. The evening dry fly bite has been very productive on rivers such as the Farmington, and for stripers, the eastern sound is still reliably producing quality bass, although they are starting to push deep with the warmer temperatures. 

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Compleat Angler Friends, we have have a special edition of this week's fishing report, authored by our very own Pat Huban of Albatross Fly Fishing. Pat has been on the hunt for striped bass nonstop since April, and has some unique insights into how this season is shaping up. Enjoy.

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! The rain gods have answered our prayers, and flows are finally back up after a long dry spell. The increased water has kicked off some nice bites on the Farmington, the Delaware, and in local our rivers for trout, but striped bass in the Western Sound are harder to come by. Anglers are having success out East near Fishers Island and Watch Hill, where bass are feeding heavily on sand eels and squid.