We are open 7 days a week, current hours are:
8am-5pm
Monday & Tuesday, Wednesday
10am-4pm,
8am-5pm Thursday & Friday, and 8am-5pm on Saturday &
Sunday.
*****We
are looking for a part-time employee, someone who knows the river
well and and is knowledgeable about flyfishing*****
Pictured
is the
river out back, and as you can see we are all clear of shelf ice now.
If
you are planning on attending the
FRAA
Banquet this Saturday 3/7, purchase your tickets ASAP as they
are cutting off ticket sales after this Friday 3/6 at noon (the
banquet facility needs some lead time to know how much food to
purchase).
Tickets
available for purchase in the store via cash or check, but not
credit/debit cards. Date is Saturday March 7th, cost is $60 per
ticket. We also have the
100
Ticket Raffles for sale. FRAA puts on some of the best banquets we’ve
ever seen, and they do an amazing
raffle.
We
have the brand spanking new Simms
Flyweight Waders
in
stock now, check ‘em out. Super lightweight and fold into their own
pouch for easy carrying.
Current
Sale Items:
-Thomas
& Thomas Contact II Euro rods $499 (were $895): all sizes are now
completely sold out. The all new Contact III+ is debuting sometime
very
soon
in March
-Scott G Series fly rods $660 (30% off, were
$945)
-Thomas & Thomas Lotic fiberglass rods $450 (were
$695)
-Sage Sonic fly rods 25% off
-Scott G Series fly rods
25% off
-Simms G3 Waders 20% off
-Simms Confluence Waders
35% off
-Scientific Angler Amplitude Smooth Trout fly lines 20%
off
-All
Airflo fly lines are 40% off
***Sales
apply only to
in-stock merchandise and can be bought in-store, or on the website &
shipped to your door - call with any questions***
Gift
Certificates are available and can be sent by mail or bought on our
website.
We
will match most
advertised deals
from other stores local or on the internet if we have the item in
stock. We want your business, and as your friends and local fly shop
please come to us first if we can help. Our business only survives
because of your support.
We
are now accepting pre-orders for the first batch of Thomas &
Thomas Contact III+ Euro rods that will be available starting
sometime very soon
in March.
We are also happy to accept various trade ins toward the III+ to make
them more affordable, and you can also trade in your Contact II.
UpCountry will be one of the first stores in the country to receive
these rods limited to an initial run of 500 nationwide, so get in
line by giving us a call now, a $100 deposit will reserve a rod for
you- we expect this first batch to sell out fast. T&T brought
these rods to us recently, and we were blown away. They have two
different tips, including a solid one that enables you to more easily
cast lighter flies, cushion lighter tippet, fish thin Micro Leaders,
and it also makes it harder for smaller fish to throw the hook. The
Contact III+ is made of a new material that’s twice as strong and
recovers noticeably faster/crisper. This will translate into more
casting distance, more accuracy, and greater sensitivity. With the
included second tip, it's like getting two rods in one. Lengths
remain the same at 10' & 10'9" with the exception of the new
11’ 5“ 3wt (3" longer). If you break a rod tip on these, T&T
has an expedited repair program that should have you back on the
water with a new tip inside of a week or so.
Friday
Morning 3/6/26
River
Report:
*****We
are looking for a part-time employee, someone who knows the river
well and and is knowledgeable about flyfishing*****
Don’t
forget to get a 2026 CT fishing license, you will need a new one as
of January 1st. You
can get a license here at UpCountry, on the CT DEEP website, or you
can get one in person at most town halls. Don’t forget to also
purchase the $5 Trout Stamp, you need it to fish the Farmington River
and any other river that is a TMA (Trout Management Area).
If
you are planning on attending the
FRAA
Banquet this Saturday 3/7, purchase your tickets ASAP as they
are cutting off ticket sales after this Friday
3/6
at noon
(the banquet facility needs some lead time to know how much food to
purchase). Tickets are available for purchase in the store via cash
or check, but not credit/debit cards. Date is Saturday March 7th,
cost is $60 per ticket. We also have the 100 Ticket Raffles for sale.
FRAA puts on some of the best banquets we’ve ever seen, and they do
an amazing raffle.
We
received a nice shot of rain yesterday afternoon & overnight, the
3 day local total is 1.44”, with .79” in the past 24 hours. River
flows are noticeably elevated, the Still River cfs gauge is
still frozen, and based
upon the height gauge I’d estimate the total flow in the Permanent
TMA/Catch & Release at about 450cfs. Riverton is 126cfs, and I’d
guesstimate
the Still River to be adding in an additional 300+ cfs, and
the water is stained.
Despite temps in the 30’s
today (Friday), Saturday
will be mid 40’s, Sunday mid 50’s, Monday mid 60’s, and Tuesday
will get
close to 70 degrees!!! This will thaw out the Still River gauge and
take the remaining snow mostly out- there is still a lot of snow on
the ground. Fog on Saturday & Sunday mornings will really eat the
snow up (the process that
produces fog also creates heat).
Total flow is flat as I write this. 450cfs
is a medium flow, and only about 80cfs above the normal flow for
today’s date. As flows
come up, and especially if the water gets off-color, you should think
about Junk Flies (Worms, Mops, Eggs, Green Weenies), bigger nymphs
(Stoneflies, Princes, etc.), and streamers of course. The higher the
flow gets, the more trout will move to the banks to get out of
heavier current.
Riverton
water temp this morning is 35.5
degrees, it peaked Thursday
afternoon at 37+
degrees. Behind UpCountry (11 miles below the dam) the water temp is
32.7
degrees this morning, it peaked yesterday afternoon at 34.6.
Unionville USGS streamflow gauge remains frozen.
Expect to
likely see
the bigger #14-16
Early Black Stoneflies next
week, March is the big
month for that bug and the
super mild weather coming next week should really kickstart them.
We continue to see
the smaller #18-24 Capnia (Tiny Black Winter Stonefly) on mild/sunny
afternoons, but that is
probably getting near the end.
Fishing has mostly been
a grind, but the trout are high quality and a large average size (mid
to upper teens, with some in the 20” plus range). Be patient, as
hours of slow fishing can suddenly turn on when a bite window opens
up. Most major parking lots are clear of snow, but most of the pull
offs are snowed in. The river is fishable from the dam down well
past New Hartford and even
some spots downstream of that. I’d expect it to melt out
and be fishable for most of the river this weekend.
Pick likely looking water and fish it thoroughly,
slow & deep with nymphs and streamers. Trout won’t move far to
eat in cold
water, so make lots of casts in the higher percentage spots, and set
the hook on ANYTHING suspicious. Strikes are usually very subtle this
time of year. Winter Caddis hatches are ramping up lately, and some
fish have been surface feeding on them in the mornings. Hope for
rising trout, but expect to fish subsurface.
For you fly
tyers, big Hareline
& Wapsi fly tying material orders arrived recently.
I’d
recommend focusing on mid morning through mid afternoon when water
temps bump up a bit. Fish slow & deep, as trout are lethargic
when water temps are in the 30’s. Expect most eats to be subtle, so
set the hook on anything. Cycle between small nymphs #16-22 (Midges &
Mayflies), Junk Flies (Eggs, Mops, Worms, Green Weenies), streamers,
and fish them all slow & deep. In the mornings (roughly 7am to
10am’ish) you may find some trout rising to Winter Caddis, and
during sunny afternoons, if you are lucky there may be a few trout
rising to Stoneflies or Midges. Cold water strikes can be VERY
subtle, so set the hook on anything. Remember, “hook sets are
free”.
If you catch a bite window when the trout decide
to actively feed, double digit catches are sometimes possible for
skilled anglers who know the river well and are good nymphers. Lately
though, anglers are working very hard for each and every bite. You
have to be in the right spot (the “spot within the spot”), at the
right time, with the correct flies, rigging & technque. Currently
the best time overall seems to be mid/late morning to mid/late
afternoon, when water temps rise and are at their highest. It’s
also the most pleasant time of day to be outside. Some days it can be
earlier than this though, especially if you have milder
night/morning. Jigged streamers fished slow & deep are also a
good choice when nymphs aren’t producing, and white has been an
above average streamer color this Winter. Water temps are cold
(30’s), so focus on presenting your nymphs & streamers slow and
deep.
Nymphing
is typically the ticket in the Winter, with fish coming to flies
like Egg patterns #14-18, and #14-22 nymphs such as Pheasant
Tails/Frenchies and Walt’s Worms. Other good Winter nymphs include
Midges #18-22 (black, olive, red), small flashy Perdigons, Rainbow
Warrior #16-18, Prince #10-14, Caddis Larva, Mops, and nymphs with
pink beads (PT’s, Walt’s, Hare’s Ears, etc.).
Some
days there can be a good decent streamer bite. Cold water temps means
you typically need to slow down your streamer presentations and get
them deep. The easier you make it for the trout to eat, the more
strikes you will get on streamers. Steamers fished under an
Indicator can sometimes get you a big Winter brown trout, and jig
streamers tight-lined on a Euro rig can be very effective. Dead-drift
them, but also occasionally twitch/pop your indicator to give your
streamer a little movement. Top colors this
time of year are white,
olive, and tan.
When water temps are in the 30’s (now),
look for most of the trout in deeper, slower water like pools, softer
runs, and deeper moderate riffles. Be aware that during afternoons
when the water temps bump up a little, trout will commonly move into
the riffles and into the current to feed at the pool heads. There are
often bite windows in the Winter, when all of a sudden after slow
fishing, the trout feed actively subsurface for 1-3 hours, so be
patient & persistent. Colder water means less bug activity and
less feeding by the trout, so expect to work for trout this time of
year. Trout normally will only move inches for your fly in icy cold
water. Having said that, I’ve had some surprisingly productive days
in the Winter. Fish will pod up in groups, and if you can locate the
pod and catch a bite window, you can do well some days. Keep your
expectations reasonable though. Work the high percentage water more
thoroughly with extra casts, because in the Winter trout normally
won’t move far at all for your fly. Slow & deep for your nymphs
and streamers, and set the hook on anything, even just gut instinct.
If you are headed out fishing this time of year, in
general there is no need to get out there at the crack of dawn. Give
the water a few hours to warm up one or two degrees, that’s all it
takes to get the trout feeding. The exception would be the Winter
Caddis hatch, which goes on all Winter in the early to mid mornings
(7am to 10pm would be typical, but it can vary). Sometimes also, you
can get a mid-morning streamer bite before the nymph fishing turns
on. Other than that, I wouldn’t venture out before 9 or 10am, and
I’d expect the best fishing to be late morning through mid/late
afternoon, when water temps rise and are at their highest for the
day. Sunny days are best of all, they warm the water up more than
overcast weather. The general rule of thumb with trout is, fish at
the time of day when air temps are the most comfortable for you, and
it’s 90% accurate. The exception to warm days being best of all is
when there is a decent amount of snow on the ground. Warm sunny days
can melt the snow and send ice water into the river, dropping water
temps by lunchtime and totally shutting down the afternoon bite.
Sunny days with highs in the 30’s or less are better when we have
significant snow cover on the ground.
Midges and
Tiny
Winter Stoneflies (Capnia)
#18-24
are
the
afternoon hatches (Capnia
is near the end),
and
Early
Black Stoneflies
#14-16 will likely join the mix shortly. Early
to mid mornings, Winter
Caddis
#18-24 is the bug.
*******************************************************************************
Dries:
-Summer/Winter
Caddis #18-24: hatch is typically early to mid morning. Trout focus
on the pupa first, and then as the morning progresses they normally
switch to the winged adults when they return to egg-lay. Try both
twitching & dead-drifting your fly, trout often key on movement
with this bug.
-Midges #20-28: afternoon hatch, especially on
sunny/milder days. Sometimes brings trout to the surface. If not, go
subsurface with Midge pupa & larva.
-Tiny Winter Stoneflies
(Capnia) #18-24: sunny afternoons. Hatch is near the end
-Early
Black Stoneflies #14-16: not yet, but should start up in the next
week or so. Mild sunny afternoons are best.
Nymphs:
-Small
Nymphs #18-22: various patterns, many of the bugs are small to tiny
this time of year, with size of the fly often superseding the exact
fly pattern.
-Midges #18-22 (black, olive, red): Zebra Midge,
Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge, etc.
-BMAR Winter Stonefly
#18
-BMAR Early Black Stonefly #14 (should start hatching very
soon)
-Blue Winged Olive (Baetis/BWO) Nymphs #16-22: all year
long
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #14-22: imitates a wide range of
Mayflies including Sulfurs, Isonychia, Vitreus, Blue Winged Olives,
small Stoneflies, and more.
-”Junk Flies” (Eggs, Mops,
Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies): Can work when standard nymphs
fail, especially in the Winter when there are not many hatches. Also
great in higher and/or off-color water.
-Big Stonefly Nymphs
#8-10: golden/yellow, brown, black, Pat’s. Big Stones are a
mouthful that can be hard for trout to pass up, and there are a
surprising amount of them in the river. Some days in the Winter when
trout won’t move for a small nymph, it takes a bigger bite of food
to get an eat. Experiment!
-Caddis Larva (olive to green)
#14-16: tons of these in the river, good all year, especially in the
Winter.
-Attractor Nymphs #10-20: such as Sexy Waltz, Rainbow
Warriors, Frenchies, Prince, Triple Threat, etc. Some Winter days
trout ignore natural/drab nymphs but will eat gaudy attractors.
-Winter/Summer Caddis Larva #18 (yellow)- also imitates Black
Caddis larva & some Midge larva, works all year long, and one of
the only bugs that is active & hatching in the Winter.
Streamers:
The
low-light conditions of early & late in the day are prime time
for streamers, as are overcast days and periods of higher and/or
off-color water. Streamers are also a great “clean-up” fly to
fish after you have thoroughly nymphed a run, and often will produce
a bigger fish than the nymphs did.
Top
colors have been white, olive, tan. A little yellow paired with
another color (olive, tan, etc.) in a streamer can trigger brown
trout. Black can be good on recently stocked trout (especially
rainbows), during low light (dawn/dusk), and high and/or dirty
water.
-Jig Streamers #8-12: various patterns/colors,
deadly fished on a tight-line/Euro rig, often sorts out bigger fish.
Great to use as a clean-up fly after you nymph a run. White has been
a top color this Winter, and olive and tan are both good.
-Ice
Picks (tan, gray, white, yellow): tied by Rich Strolis, a very nice
single hook baitfish pattern
-Woolly Bugger #4-12: assorted
colors, try also Don's Peach Bugger
-Zonker #4-6: a classic fish
catcher! In white, natural
-BMAR Yellow Matuka #6: deadly fly!
Also standard Matuka in olive, brown
-Zuddler #4-8: one of our
favorites, in olive, white, brown, black, yellow
-Complex &
Mini Twist Bugger #2-6: assorted colors, very effective