2017 Anglers Den River Reports (NY & CT)

23 Apr '16

4/23/2016 Fishing Report

Posted by Matthias Hackett in 3tand, Amenia NY, anglers, anglers den, brown trout, browntroutcrotonriver, bullsbridge, Croton NY, Croton Watershed, Daiichi Hooks, delaware, Dover NY, dry flies, Dry Fly, east branch, eastbranchcrotonriver, ebcrotonriver, English Angling Trappings, Fly, Fly Fishing, hatch, hendrickson, housatonic, lowertma, scottrods, stonefly, trout, troutmanagementarea

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Local fishing has begun to pick back up. We had some great days a week back when the warm weather rolled in. We then saw a stretch of cold nights that offset the water temps. The Tenmile and Lower TMA start going good at 53 degrees. A week back the lower TMA touched 50 which produced fish but water temps dropped back with the cold nights. FRI into SAT will be warm and with 80’s on Friday and a low of 55 at night...Saturday should produce fish local fish.

The Catskills have been very good to us this week. Some of the “old guys” fished to midweek fish on the Beaverkill and Willow while others got fish via dry on the East and West of the Delaware.

The flows are low across the board which has provided great wading access. See local flows here: http://www.anglersden.net/pages/usgs-river-flow-charts

Bens Big "hog johnson" on Thursday

Friday Afternoon Tenmile

4/17/16 GUIDE FRANK D REPORT: Locally on the watershed things have quieted down. The Hendricksons are fading fast, look for spinners in the evenings. The caddis are hatching so that should motivate the fish. Water temps are creeping into the lower 50's, but the flows are dropping. Hopefully we get some rain soon. Hare and coppers, black and tan czechs all took fish this weekend. We didn't see any risers even with the amount of bugs on the water. I always like when the caddis start, its gets the fish feeding opportunistically throughout the day. Look to use cased caddis, X caddis, and caddis larve patterns along with czech nymphs. Stay untill dark if you are fishing the spinners.

The Housy should be at a nice fishable level this week, and hopefully the bugs will kick into gear when the water drops to under 1000 cfs.

Good Luck!

Tight Lines!

24 Mar '16

Preseason is over! 3/24/2016

Posted by Matthias Hackett in 3tand, anglers, anglers den, brown trout, bullsbridge, caddis, Croton NY, Croton Watershed, Daiichi Hooks, delaware, ebcrotonriver, English Angling Trappings, February Fishing, Fishing Tours, Fly, Fly Fishing, hatch, hendrickson, housatonic, lowertma, scottrods, stonefly, trout, troutmanagementarea

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Franks Report: In a weeks time it will be Opening Day Eve, and the conditions haven't been this good since 2013. There is a great buzz around the shop and cliets are booking trips! The water temps are almost 10 degrees higher than they were last year, and we have already had fish rising to a number of bugs. The flows are at a good level, and with some rain in the forecast they will only improve. The rest of the stocking will continue next week and the fish will have plenty of time to spread out and get acclimated. I haven't see such quality and healthy fish in a long time. The DEC hit a home run with the quality of fish that they sent us this year. The number of holdover fish in the East Branch is solid, and I hope the other rivers have some as well. The bug situation, and quality of the water is excellent. The river beds are loaded with caddis, and mayfly nymphs, just waiting to hatch. I think we will see Hendricksons by the second week of April. The crew at The Anglers Den has been working tirelessly to prepare for opening day. We are stocked to the gills in materials, equipment and flies! Our Pro Staff has been out all over area scouting and helping gather the most up to date reports. Fish have been taken this week in the East Branch of the Croton, 10 Mile TMA (CT), and the Lower and Upper TMA of the Housy. Check out www.anglersden.net and click on 2016 Reports.

As many of you know, there has been a lot of illegal activity in the Croton Watershed the last few years. There has been a change in leadership in our local DEP Police, and Capt. Gallagher has really stepped up to the plate, and tackled the issues head on. To date, there have been arrests, the dismantling of four illegal camping/living sites, numerous clean ups, and a renewed enforcement of the watershed rules in out area. Expect to see more of a DEP police presence, so make sure you are carrying all of your permits! Please pay attention for illegal activity, and please report accordingly. The Croton Watershed TU, led by Conservation Chair Chris Auletta has been very influential in helping bring about this new partnership and the positive changes. The areas look great, and I am very hopeful that the watershed is headed in the right direction.

23 Mar '16

Housatonic Lower TMA - 3/23/2016

Posted by Matthias Hackett in bullsbridge, caddis, hatch, hendrickson, housatonic, lowertma, scottrods, stonefly, trout, troutmanagementarea

1 Comment

Franks Report: I was able to hit the Lower Housy TMA with one of my good friends. We managed a bunch of fish and some dropped ones as well, but action definitely picked up after 11 am when we started seeing stoneflies. We nymphed mostly and one one fish came on a streamer, but golden stones and brown stone imitations brought fish to the net. I was able to land a beautiful brown, that took me for a little bit of a ride. The water temps were a little on the cold side starting out at 41, but rose to almost 43 before we left at 2.

I hit the EB in the evening, and saw no surface activity. The Blue Quills are still going during the early and mid afternoon. Brown and Black Stones are fluttering around as well. I nymphed one nice little wild fish up on a hare and copper in some slower water after a pocket. Look for the midges to really get going soon, and it should get the fish feeding on a more consistent basis throughout the day.

The Upper Housy TMA was a bit warmer today starting out at 43, but no action till around 11 am. I got into two small fish on a golden stone imitation, and I did get one to rise to a brown simulator that I was skating along the surface. The stone fly activity was good, but the wind kept the fish down. The temp when I left @ 3pm, was almost 45. Fishing throughout the Housy right now is to all wild and holdover fish as it hasn't been stocked yet.

Fish are still holding in the medium depth, slower water right after riffles. If you can find a drop off just below the fast water hit the as well. Fish are definitely moving into much slower water to feed on the surface. Remember the magic number for temps is 50 in the early spring. Once we hit that, the early black caddis will start and the fish will begin to move in the faster water to feed during hatches and low light hours. Flies I would carry would be hare and coppers size 14-16, midge larve, small olive nymphs size 16-20, hendrickson nymphs in size 14, black czech nymphs size 16, black and golden stones in size 10-12, prince nymphs size 14-18, copper johns 16-18, and Blue Quill emergers and dries size 14-16.

Good Luck next week on Opening Day, take someone fishing and make it a memorable one!

15 Mar '16

Housatonic River - Lower TMA - 3/15/2016

Posted by Matthias Hackett in bullsbridge, caddis, hatch, hendrickson, housatonic, lowertma, scottrods, stonefly, trout, troutmanagementarea

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The lower trout management area (TMA - Below Bulls Bridge) on the Housatonic River has had the most early season bug activity in at least ten years. Shop regular "Lucky Chucky" reported fishing the Lower Housatonic this past weekend. He took a big brown in the fast water fishing a 4" articulated streamer. He said he was suprised to find trout in the fast water but after covering a few slow pools, locked on after moving to the faster runs.

About two weeks ago the ice on the Housatonic from Kent School to Bulls Bridge finally melted off. Up until then the sun wasn't able to warm up the water that eventually feeds the lower TMA. Since the melt off finished the lower TMA waters temps have been on the rise. We got a temperature of almost 46 degrees. This would explain the hatches of big stones, small caddis and even an early hendrickson. YES, a hendrickson has been spotted on the lower TMA!

As long as the storms hold and the flows remain wadable, the fishing should be on fire earlier than normal.

24 Feb '16

2/24/2016 - Tenmile & Lower Housatonic

Posted by Matthias Hackett in 3tand, anglers den, fly fishing, fly fishing report, fly tying, frank degrazio, hatch, hatch reels, hendrickson spinner, housatonic river, housatonic tma, matthias hackett, orvis, outcast boats, river report, scott, scott fly rods, tenmile river, tom zarecki, trout, whooley bugger, winter fly fishing

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This past weekend mother nature offered up some warm temps almost touching 50 degrees both Saturday and Sunday. With back to back warm days and a little extra juice in the river, we decided to freestone it. The past month or so has been focused on the Farmington/Croton alike however it was nice to float/stand in some different water this weekend.

Saturday - 2/20/2016

Tom Z took an early season float on the Tenmile this Saturday. Around 2pm they reported size 12 black stones on the boat and sputtering around. The water was about 40 degrees with a flow of 400cfs. Tom noted that the river looked good considering abnormal winter.

Sunday - 2/21/2016

On Sunday myself and guide Frank Degrazio brought out a group of guys new to the area. We fished the Lower TMA on the Housatonic River which is open year round catch and release.

Sundays weather was an overcast morning with the sun breaking around noon. As soon at the sun popped and the temperature climbed, we saw the 2pm stoneflies Tom reported the day before.

While walking into our location however, we noticed a handful of darters and a four inch smallmouth dead in a side braid. As the flows rise and fall and the days get cold and warm, smaller fish get stuck in side channels. The fish will occasionally get frozen into the ice.

We tied on white whooley buggers with some flash to imitate the dead pale darters. The action was slow overall however two anglers did hook up, with one providing a customer with a great fight.

Fun had by all, and the warm temps made for a great day on the Lower TMA.

Fly On,

Matt

ps. check out this weekends forecast at the bottom of the pictures!

Housatonic River TMA Winter Stonefly - Anglers Den

Tenmile Housatonic Fly Fishing - Anglers Den

10 DAY FORECAST - PAWLING NY