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.
Pictured is customer Brent M. with a 2026 Farmington River brown trout from this past weekend, it has a really cool sparse spotting pattern.
Current Sale Items:
-Thomas & Thomas Contact II Euro rods $535 (were $895): 10 #2, 10’9” #4, and 11’ 2” #3 are still available, other sizes are sold out
-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 instore, 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 out
website
Between
the 40% off sale and our trade-in program,
those of you who have lusted after a T&T Contact II Euro rod but
are on a tight budget should be able to finally afford one. Next
year's Contact III+ (arriving mid to late February 2026) will bring a
new gold standard to the industry, but the Contact II is the
current best and will elevate your game. Bring the rods & reels
that are gathering dust in your closet and trade them for something
that will make your Christmas special.
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 around mid to late February.
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. 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, and 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. 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.
Tuesday morning 1/6/26 Flow Update:
As expected, the MDC did make a modest flow cut on Monday. They reduced the dam release by about 45cfs. Total flow today is about 260-280cfs. It's 180cfs in Riverton, plus an estimated 80-100cfs from the Still River (Still River USGS is not reading due to ice, but it should thaw out later this week). Still a medium and very nice water level.
Monday 1/5/26
River
Report:
Beginner
fly tying class at UpCountry with local Guide Mark Swenson on Sunday
January 11th at 9:30am- contact Mark directly at 203-586-8007 to sign
up, 2 spots are still open. Learn how to tie flies that catch trout
on the Farmington River and elsewhere.
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.
Looks like
Winter is going to loosen it’s grip for a while starting Tuesday
and going right through the 10 Day Forecast. High of 37 Tuesday, and
then into the low/mid 40’s from Wednesday straight through the
weekend, with nights
averaging in the 30’s. A
good week to get out there and get some trout on the boards for 2026.
Slush will be a non-issue with the milder temps. Fishermen
were out over the past weekend, and more than a few anglers caught
their
first trout of 2026. Slow & deep in the pools is normally the
name of the game in January. Strikes can be VERY subtle, so set the
hook on anything. Remember,
“hook sets are free”.
Riverton
USGS gauge (at the Rt 20 bridge/Riverton Self Storage) is 230cfs
this morning. The Still River gauge appears to be reading high due to
recent
cold nights, I’d guess it at about
100cfs (it’s reading
307cfs which is definitely
at least three times higher than it really is).
This puts the total flow in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release
(C&R) at approximately
330cfs,
I’d call this medium/normal
level, the historical median flow for today is 347cfs.
Today is Monday, so you
may see a modest flow change. It may get reduced, but if so I doubt
it would be more than a 30-40cfs cut, if that. I'll update the flow again later this afternoon if needed. Riverton water temp this morning is 35.5 degrees, it peaked yesterday
afternoon at 36.5.
Behind UpCountry the water temp is about 32.5
degrees this morning, it peaked at 34
degrees Sunday
afternoon. Unionville USGS streamflow is 431cfs
(medium to medium-low).
Overall, fishing was good the majority of December, which is historically typical. If you catch a bite window when the trout decide to actively feed, double digit catches were not uncommon for better anglers. Trout are done spawning and they are hungry. Lately the best time overall seems to be about 11am to 3pm, 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. Nymphing has been the most consistent method lately, with various nymphs #16-20 getting it done, as well as Junk Flies (Squirmies, Eggs, Mops). We often pair a Junk Fly with a more imitative smaller nymph, it’s a good Winter combo. Jigged streamers fished slow & deep are also a good choice, white was an above average streamer color in December. Water temps are still cold (30’s) because it is Winter, so focus on presenting your nymphs & streamers slow and deep.
Small
nymphs are sometimes the key to subsurface success in the Winter, and
by small I mean #18’s all the way down to #22-24. Exception could
be Stoneflies #8-10 & Mops. Most nymphs are small to very
small right now. Both Midges and Winter Caddis are small, and
most other nymphs/larva are immature and still small in early
Winter. Some days fly size can make a big difference. 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, Princes #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 streamer bite. Trout are done spawning now, and they lose weight during the process. They are looking to bulk up afterwards, which can make streamers a tempting choice for them. 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.
When
water temps are in the 30’s (now), look for most of the trout in
Winter lies. That means 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. Keep your
expectations reasonable though. Work the 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 in
the Winter, 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). Other than that, I
wouldn’t venture out before 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 are
the afternoon hatch now. 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.
Nymphs:
-Small
Nymphs #18-24: various patterns, most 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.
-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): Often work when standard nymphs fail,
especially in the Fall & Winter when there are not many
hatches.
-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.
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16: tons of these in
the river, good all year
-Attractor Nymphs #10-20: such as Sexy
Waltz, Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies, Prince, Triple Threat, Walt’s
Worm.
-Winter/Summer Caddis Larva #18 (yellow)- also imitates
Black Caddis larva & some Midge larva, works all year long
Streamers:
This
time of year, brown trout are hungry after the spawn and looking to
put weight back on. 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, and yellow. 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.
-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 fall 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