Lots of inquiries of "are you fishable?", and the answer is yes. Flow only came up about 200cfs in the C&R/TMA section on Sunday (all from the Still River), peaked yesterday afternoon, and is steadily dropping. Upstream in Riverton, from the dam down to the junction of the Still River the flow is the same as it's been- clear & medium at 321cfs, and downstream in the Catch & Release/TMA area the total flow is 533cfs and going down. Clarity in TMA/C&R section is at least 3.5-4 feet and increasing as of 3:30pm Monday, fishable for sure. Good #16-18 Sulfurs again last
night (best hatching activity in TMA was in last hour of daylight) along with lots of Blue Wing Olives (sz 20-24). Mornings are still
bringing plenty of Winter Caddis, and the Mid-day is bringing Sulphurs on
our colder upper stretches of the river. If you like tossing streamers, today would also be a good one to do that before the water goes totally clear.Another big brown, this one at 20.5", deceived by my friend Dave Surowiecki. This was caught yesterday afternoon on a Sulfur dry. Look at the giant tail on that trout, I bet that was a great fight with a big motor like that. The clipped adipose fine and red dye mark behind the left eye show it to be a Two Year Old brown stocked in 2012, making it a 5 year old fish that held over for 3 seasons. Another Farmington River Survivor Strain success story- thanks CT DEEP fisheries!
Check out the cool new Green Weenies Don tied for us on Umpqua Competition jig hooks with tungsten beads- look deadly!
Isonychia are starting to appear downriver in the Canton through Unionville stretch (a few, not a lot yet), and even a few (not many yet) popping in the TMA/C&R section. It's not really a full-blown hatch yet, but soon. In the C&R section, Winter/Summer Caddis #18-22 have been hatching well early morning to 11am, with adults on the water in the late afternoon and evening. Sulfurs #16-18 are on the water from late afternoon until dark. Blue Wing Olives #18-24 have also been out in good numbers at moments, especially when it's cloudy. Caddis #14-18 in both tan & olive/green body body colors have been strong- the tan ones seem to be the dominant color now, but check body color because it can be the difference between a great day and a slow one. And FYI, they ALL look tan in the air until you catch one and turn it upside down. Lt Cahills & March Browns #10-14 are showing up from mid afternoon and on. March Brown Spinners (sz 10-12), Rusty Spinners (18-20), and Sulpher Spinners (sz 16-18) are on the water toward dark.
Subsurface, Caddis Pupa & Larva in both tan & olive/green #14-18, Hare's Ear soft hackles #12-16, Golden Stoneflies #6-12, Pheasant Tails #14-20, March Brown Nymphs #10-14, Fox Squirrel Nymph #10-14, Prince Nymph #12-18. We are seeing Golden Stonefly nymph husks on the rocks in fast water, so they are active & hatching, and are an especially good nymph choice in the mornings (they crawl out to hatch/emerge at night and in the early to mid mornings) FYI big trout LOVE them, use matching nymphs in #6-10 right now, and focus on the faster, rocky water where they live & emerge from. Streamers are working well in the early morning and again toward dark- look for either low light or murky water for best results during this time of the year on the Farmington. Mice, Rats and giant Streamers are working after dusk.
-Torrey
UpCountry has just received a huge closeout of Hardy Zenith and Hardy Proaxis X fly rods- these are literally flying out the door, so don't wait or they will all be gone. As anyone who has been in earshot of me over the last few years knows, these are my absolutely favorite fly rods. These rods use Sintrix, a technology licensed from 3M which makes them stronger and nearly unbreakable under normal fishing conditions. You can find them in our flyshop or in our online store at a great discount. - Grady