Fishing Reports

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! With Halloween in our rear view, we are truly approaching the end of the season, but just because its ending doesn't mean there aren't fish around! 

In our local rivers, trout are still eating throughout stocked and wild rivers, taking primarily streamers and nymphs, with the occasional BWO or small midge hatch keep the dry fly bite alive. 

Saltwater fishing is still going, and should stay consistent for the next few weeks before things really taper off. Peanut Bunker and Silversides are the primary forage, so make sure you can get on a pod of bait to find the bass. 

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This week we have a special report from a close friend of the shop, Capt. Pat Huban of Albatross Fly Fishing. Pat has been up and down the Sound over the last few weeks in pursuit of fall run striped bass, blues, and hardtails. While some days have been productive, other have been tough, and he has penned a great summation of where the salt water fishing is headed as we close out the season. 

Hello Compleat Angler Friends! This non-stop northeast breeze has made the bite in the sound a bit tough. Striped bass are still around and willing to eat, but a weather pattern change would help shake things up for the better. We still have a solid 4/5 weeks of fall fishing in the Western Sound before things begin to taper off, so get out and make something happen! 

Trout fishing across the state has been great. Local rivers have been stocked, BWO hatches are keeping them up top on days with little wind, and larger trout are taking streamers and nymphs in rivers like the Housatonic and the Farmington. 

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! We are in for a blustery weekend that might make the Sound hard to hit, especially from a boat, but trout fishing has been great throughout the state as rivers continue to be stocked. Stripers can be found from New London to Greenwich, and the key to success has been finding bait (surprise surprise). The primary bait right now seems to be a mix of silver sides, peanut bunker, and adult bunker, so carrying the necessary patterns to match the hatch will help. I have heard that bait and switch has been very effective, as stripers this time of year are always looking up. Popper flies are in business! 

As for trout, the bite has been good in rivers such as the Housy and Farmington for wild and holdover fish, especially with the cooler temperatures and sustained flows. Stocking will continue for another week or two, so there is no shortage of opportunity to hook up. 

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! Things are seeming to finally pick up in the Sound, with Bonito and Striper being found in the Western Sound. Conditions for today and tomorrow look great, with a fat glug of rain projected for Sunday. If you do get out, remember to keep moving, these bass are staying active and looking for bait. Also practice your cast! The wind has been pretty gnarly and most times you only get one shot at shallow fish before they bolt, so being prepared makes all the difference. 

Trout are still feeding heavily in the Housatonic and the Farmington, with BWOs, Caddis, Dry Droppers, and Streamers all being effective. Hopefully the rain on Sunday keeps levels up, which should help sustain the bite as the temperatures continue to drop. 

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! The nor'easter that blew through last week shook things up across fresh and saltwater fishing, but thankfully, its effects are starting to calm. Water levels in our local rivers are back down to fishable levels, however, the storm severely disrupted things in the Sound, and bass have been difficult to locate. Hard tails, which were abundant out East and starting to move into the Western Sound, are seemingly gone for the moment. There is a chance that albies and bonito have a resurgence in a week or two depending on the weather, but for now, I would wait for the saltwater bite to pick back up for striper and blues. 

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Hello Compleat Angler Friends! I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that we have a major nor'easter set to clobber much of the Sound this weekend. We are looking at sustained 25-35mph winds, with higher gusts possible, and more than a combined 3 inches of rain from Saturday into Sunday. Safe to say, it might be better to hunker down this weekend and tie some flies or prep for another trip. The good news is we believe this system should blow the fall fishing wide open. There is so much bait holding in our local waters that once this system moves through, striped bass will be fired up and will come in close to gorge themselves before making the long trip home.

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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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