Monday 6/22/26 Farmington River Report: Finally some rain

Store Hours:

We are open 7 days a week, current hours are:

8am-6pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Wednesday 10am-3pm, Saturday & Sunday 8am-5pm

We are still looking for one more part-time employee, someone who knows the river well, is experienced and knowledgeable about flyfishing, and has a flexible schedule.

Pictured up top is customer Aiden Adams with a brown he caught 2x in one evening!

Current Sale Items:
-Sage Sonic fly rods 25% off
-Scott G Series fly rods 25% off
-Simms G3 Waders 20% 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.

The new Thomas & Thomas Contact III+ Euro rods are now available. We are happy to accept various trade ins toward the III+ to make them more affordable, and you can also trade in your Contact II. 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 greater accuracy. 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 for the Contact III+ series that should have you back on the water with a new tip in a week, instead of the usual 6-8 weeks. Between the improved damping/recovery, new low profile single foot guides, and one snake guide (right next to the tip top), you also get dramatically less tip wrapping with micro leaders. 

We are now a Guideline dealer, They are a Scandanavian company that makes some great rods & reels and more. Zach & Derrrick are both BIG fans of their products. We have Euro, dry fly, and streamers rods from them. We also have Guideline Euro leader butt material in 3x to 5x for making micro leaders, plus a cool mini chest pack that you can attach 5 different ways. 

Monday Morning 6/22/26 River Report:

Hours: Wednesday 10am-3pm. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday 8am-6pm. Weekends remain at 8am-5pm. We will stay on this schedule through the end of the summer. 

A customer recently turned in a wooden landing net, we have it at the shop.

After an extremely dry June (less than ½” total so far this month!), looks like legit rain is coming, with around 1.25” predicted for today (Monday) through the overnight. About ¾” predicted for Thursday through Saturday. We could sure use all of this and more. Fortunately the reservoir is very close to full, and the water released from the dam is still in the mid 40’s and then slowly rises in temperature as you go downstream. Temps in Riverton above the Still River have ranged from mid 40’s to low 50’s, and in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) temps have been running from the mid 50’s up to the low/mid 60’s. This is the time of year you want to carry a thermometer- as long as water temps are 68 or less, you are fine. If it’s over that, move upstream until you find colder water, with 50 to 65 degrees being optimal. A good strategy is to start in the morning at the furthest downstream point you intend to fish, and then move upriver as the day progresses to stay in ideal water temps. Currently you are fine all day as far downstream as New Hartford & Canton, but in Collinsville & Unionville you need to keep your eye on the water temps, with morning after a cooler night being the best time to fish down there. Afternoons & evenings in the lower river can see water temps to high to fish, especially on warm, sunny days.

Hatches remain similar to what they were, but remember they work their way upstream, with any particular hatch happening last in Riverton due to the icy cold water coming out of the dam (mid 40’s). Sulfurs are a mix of #16 Invaria, and #18 Dorothea- make sure you have BOTH sizes, trout can be picky on that. More of an evening hatch, but the further upriver you are the more the chances you may see an early to mid afternoon hatch of them. Assorted Caddis going from #16-24 (tan, olive/green, black, gray) are a major player. Typically most hatching occurs from about mid morning to early afternoon, and then the adult Caddis come out in the evening to egg-lay in riffly water. Isonychia are picking up steam, with some good reports in New Hartford, and work their way upriver. Not sure of the upstream boundary for that bug, but they are likely well above New Hartford and into the Permanent TMA/C&R now. Iso’s are a big #8-12 fast water bug that typically emerge between late afternoon and dark. You can even blind fish them over likely looking fast water. July is the big month for this bug, one of my absolute favorite hatches. Iso’s will continue to hatch righ into the mid fall time period, but they get smaller as the season progressed. #10 is about average for them currently, but some are bigger, some are smaller. Other bugs in the mix include #14 Light Cahills in the evenings, and #20-22 and smaller Blue Winged Olives (evenings, cloudy afternoons). #12-14 Vitreus are probably almost done, but there should still be some up in Riverton near the dam.


Total flow downstream of the Still River is currently low at 129cfs due to the 90cfs flow reduction at the dam last week and lack of rain in June. Riverton is 114cs, and the Still River is adding in 15cfs below that. Significant rain in the forecast for today/tonight (about 1.25”) will increase the total flow by putting water into the Still River. They are being conservative with water releases at the dam in Riverton (Hogback/Goodwin Dam) due to drought fears this Summer and a low inflow to Colebrook Reservoir. Currently the water coming out of the dam is ice cold and in the mid 40’s, gradually warming up as you travel downstream. Water temps are a non issue on most of the river, Riverton has been ranging from mid 40’s to low 50’s, and behind UpCountry in New Hartford the HOBO unit is reading 56.5 degrees this morning, it peaked yesterday at 63.9. Temps are trout friendly all the way downstream through Canton, but it’s still a good idea to take water temps in the summer.

Dry/Dropper with a Caddis dry and a trailing weighted pupa 1-2’ below can also be an effective combo during a Caddis emergence- they usually take the pupa, and the dry acts as a suspender/indicator, but sometimes they eat the dry. Frequently the better dry fly action for Caddis is when they come back later in the day to egg-lay, usually in the low light of evenings. And sometimes swinging wet flies/soft hackles is the way to got when Caddis are hatching and/or egg-laying. Caddis, on average, are much better/faster swimmers than Mayflies, which is why the takes to them are often violent and trout will sometimes jump out of the water. Caddis also tend to be most active in faster, broken water like riffles, pool heads, pocket water, etc. When fishing Caddis dries, sometimes the fish want them dead-drift, but frequently they won’t eat it unless you twitch/move it, the naturals are very active, not passive like a Mayfly.

 

Water level is low for only being mid-June, more like what you might see at the end of the summer or the early fall when we haven’t had much rain. On the up side, this means easier wading, access to all the spots, and more fish rising when there is a good hatch (easier/more efficient for them to surface feed when the water is shallower & slower). But, this also means you should be stealthy, dress in drab colors, use a longer/lighter leader with a long tippet (3-6+ feet), and use smaller flies. If you are nymphing use lighter flies/smaller split shot and smaller Indicators. Try not to send ripples when you wade in slower pool water.

Evenings are peak time for dry flies, although anytime there are bugs hatching surface action is a possibility. The closer you are to the dam, the earlier the evening bugs will start, and they will also end earlier. Sulfurs are still the June “Glamour Hatch”. 7pm to dark is prime time to find rising trout in June. Depending upon how far below the dam you are, the main players in the evenings are Sulfurs #16-18 (Invaria & Dorothea), assorted Caddis #16-22, #14 Cahills, and frequently #20-22 Blue Winged Olives & rusty spinners. Rusty spinners imitate the majority of Mayflies, and you should have Sulfur spinners too.

As you get closer to the dam and the water gets icy cold, hatches can happen at weird times of the day, often earlier in the day than the books say. Warmer water downstream means the hatches start there first and make their way upriver. Be prepared to also fish subsurface- just because there are hatches is no guarantee of dry fly fishing & rising trout. But…. we are into the peak dry fly time of year, with evenings being prime time for surface action. Cloudy afternoons have seen #20-22 Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s) hatching, trout gently sipping them off the surface in the flat water. They don’t hatch well on bright sunny days. We are getting toward that time of year where the best shot at good dry fly action tends to shift more toward the evenings, with some exceptions. Cooler/cloudy days can see the bugs hatch earlier, and hot/sunny days can push the bugs even closer to dusk.

Caddis are the main hatch in the mornings; they return in the low light of evenings to mate & egg-lay over the riffles. Vitreus are a fast water bug, normally hatching between 4pm and dusk (hatch is near the end and only upriver near the dam now). Sulfurs are typically between 7pm and dark, but closer to the dam they often hatch in early/mid afternoon. Cahills are an evening bug. And Isonychia normally are on the water between late afternoon through dusk, but I’ve sometimes seen them hatch as early as late morning. Most mayfly spinnner falls in June occur in the last hour of daylight, typically mating in the air and falling over the riffles and pocket water, with many floating down into the pools. Hatch times in Riverton in the 2 miles right below the dam can vary considerably from “normal” due to the abnormally cold water.

Trout do not always rise to hatches, and this seems to surprise some experienced anglers, which amuses me because it’s always been the case on every river I’ve fished in my life. Be prepared to go subsurface with nymphs & pupa. I’ve caught many thousands of trout over the years nymphing Caddis pupa in the fast water from May to October, even November. Caddis pupa are like candy to big trout. Wet flies & soft hackles are also good options if you don’t want to nymph, I recommend fishing 2 or even 3 at a time, on tag end droppers. And don’t rule out streamers, especially early & late in the day, and on rainy days and/or during high or off-color water.
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There are miles of trout-filled water both above and below the 6.2 mile year round/permanent Catch & Release area. Don’t limit yourself to only fishing that section, that’s a mistake. There are 4 miles of TMA above that up to the dam, and another 10 miles of TMA below that down to the Rt 177 Unionville bridge, and it’s all great water with lots of trout: stocked, holdover & wild. There is a decent amount of trout water even below that. The lower river (Collinsville, Unionville, Farmington) is good until the water gets too warm, usually around late June/early July, and then it picks up again in mid/late September when things cool down.

Subsurface flies that are working include #14-20 Caddis patterns (pupa, larva),Sulfur Nymphs #16-18, Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-22, #8-10 Stonefly nymphs (mornings), Blue Winged Olive (BWO) nymphs #16-22, flashy Perdigons #16-22, Rainbow Warrior #16-18, Junk Flies (Mops, Squirmies, Eggs) can work when the trout aren’t responding to traditional or more imitative nymphs. Also, remember there are always lots of smaller bugs in the river, so things like #18-22 Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, and Walt’s Worms can be very productive. If you are nymphing and not catching fish, you are doing something wrong. Move and cover water, change your weight, change your depth, experiment with different flies, change sizes, etc. Going smaller often helps.

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Dries:

Smorgasbord time!

-Sulfur #16 (Invaria) and #18 (Dorothea): Typically hatch between 7pm and dark, but in the upper river as you get closer to the dam, they often hatch in early/mid afternoon/
-Assorted Caddis (tan, olive/green #16-18, black, gray #18-22): hatching about mid morning through early/mid afternoon, egg-laying in the low light of evenings, faster water.
-Isonychia #8-12: lower river (Collinsville/Unionville) and up at least as far as New Hartford and into the lower end of the Permanent TMA/C&R, moving upstream, very likely further upstream than that now. Fast water bug, usually about 4pm to dark.
-Vitreus #12-16: near the end, mainly up closer to the dam in Riverton now. Late afternoon through eves, faster water.
-Blue Winged Olives/BWO’s #20-22: afternoon hatch on cloudy days, also on the water in the last hour of daylight in flat pool water. Don’t sleep on small rusty spinners at dusk.
-Light Cahill #14: evenings
-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:

  

Nymphs:

-Caddis Pupa #14-18 (tan, olive/green)
-Sulfur Nymphs #16-18: you can use specific imitations, or go generic with Pheasant Tails/Frenchies
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-22: imitates a wide range of Mayflies including Sulfurs, Vitreus, Baetis/Blue Winged Olives, Isonychia, small Stoneflies, Hendricksons, and more
-Small Nymphs #18-22: try Pheasant Tail’s, Hare’s Ears, Walt’s Worms, etc. Size is often more important than the exact pattern, and the bugs get smaller (mostly) as we move toward Summer
-Baetis/BWO Nymphs #16-22
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16: tons of these in the river, good all year
-”Junk Flies” (Eggs, Mops, Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies): Often work when standard nymphs fail, especially when there are not many hatches. Also great in higher and/or off-color water, and on recently stocked fish.
-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. Good choice when flows are up. Some days when trout won’t move for a small nymph, it takes a bigger bite of food to get an eat. Often catches larger than average fish. Best in early to mid mornings.
-Midges #18-22 (black, olive, red): Zebra Midge, Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge, etc.
-Attractor Nymphs #14-20: such as Sexy Waltz, Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies, Prince, Triple Threat, flashy Perdigons, etc. Some days trout ignore natural/drab nymphs but will eat gaudy attractors. And some days they prefer drab flies.
-Winter/Summer Caddis Larva #18 (yellow)

Streamers:

Streamers are 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. Also, anytime flows are higher or off-color is a great time to use a streamer.

Top colors currently are 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. Can also be fished under an indicator, or stripped/swung like a regular streamer. Great to use as a clean-up fly after you nymph a run.

-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 good fly
-Muddler Minnow #6-10: an oldie but a goodie, still VERY effective