New England including the states of Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine have some of best streams for fly fishing and they are not unreasonably out of reach for those living in metropolitan New York City. For example Connecticut has two fine trout streams in the Farmington and the Housatonic Rivers.
The West Branch of the Farmington River located in north central Connecticut, is stocked with brook, brown and rainbow trout that will average 12 to 15 inches. The water in the Farmington comes from the Colebrook and the West Branch Reservoirs so it remains a fairly constant temperature through the entire year. Cool in summer and warm in winter, providing habitat for some excellent holdovers in addition to the stocked trout. These feisty holdovers often reach 20 inches in length.
Housatonic Rivers also in Connecticut is a fly fisher’s dream stream. It offers trout in the 10 to 14 inch range with some holdovers reaching 18 inches or more. The Housatonic has some excellent aquatic insect hatches that include the Blue Winged Olives, Tricos, and Drakes. The Housatonic River can be accessed easily at West Cornwall and there are some very famous pools such as the “Doctor’s Hole” that can be accessed while there.
From the big Apple, the drive to the Farmington River at Farmington Connecticut is about 2 ½ hours and the drive to the Housatonic River at West Cornwall, Connecticut is even a little less depending on traffic. The bonus for the trip is the scenery which will be spectacular in just a few weeks. In addition to the fall foliage, you may get to see some of those old scenic covered bridges that New England is famous for.
Go to New England at TroutU for more information about these rivers including maps. You will also find several more New England trout streams as well as streams across the entire Eastern USA.