Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Tuesday 6/30/15 Report: Hook-Jawed Brown on dry fly

I fished yesterday afternoon and saw some decent numbers of Sulphurs and Midges. There was some rise activity everywhere but I was concentrating on nymphs and was rewarded with a couple of large browns on tan caddis larva. The Farmington is currently about 330cfs from the dam in Riverton, downstream to the confluence of the Still River. Downstream of Riverton and through the Catch & Release area, the river is about 570cfs, clear and dropping. At this level, big pools are the best choice for dries and should provide some good action tonight.. During the day today, streamers and nymphs should be the main choice in the Catch & Release area and will produce some great trout as the fish pile up in when the water is up. Sulphurs #16-18 are the strongest hatch and are out throughout the afternoon and evening. Sulphur Spinners #16-18 are showing after 8pm. Terrestrals such as ants & beetles have been producing good catches in the late morning and afternoon. Blue Wing Olives #20-24, Rusty Spinners #20-24 and Lt Cahill #12-14 on the water also along with some remaining March Browns. Isonychia are out in decent numbers downriver in the Canton through Unionville stretch, and a few are popping up here on the upper river. 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.  -Grady

Pictured is a really big brown caught by Rich Strolis' brother in law Lee Janik Monday night on a #16 Sulfur emerger- team effort, Rich spotted it, and Lee caught it. Check out the kyped-up jaw on that fish. Clipped adipose shows it was a Survivor Strain brown stocked initally as a Two Year Old, and then held over and grew quite a bit bigger. 

Subsurface: Hot Spot Nymphs, Yellow Sparkle Prince #14-16, Caddis Pupa & Larva in both tan & olive/green #14-16, Pheasant Tails #14-20, Fox Squirrel Nymph #10-14, Prince Nymph #10-16 are all working well. 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. 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