Local guide Zach St. Amand & son with an exceptional Farmington River male brown trout from this past November- now that's what I call some quality family time! 133cfs & dropping in the permanent Catch & Release/TMA in Pleasant Valley/New Hartford as of this morning (55cfs at USGS gauge at Riverton Rt 20/Hitchcock/Self Storage bridge, plus 78cfs from the Still River)- I would call this moderately low, but a big improvement over the 65cfs total flow we had a month or so ago. Winter Caddis sz 18-24 in the AM & Blue Winged Olives sz 24-28 in the afternoon remain the main hatches, with tiny Midges sz 24-32 in the afternoon mix also. Water temps will range from mid 30's to low 40's, depending upon weather, time of day, and distance from dam. This means trout will start dropping out of faster water, and moving into their slow to moderate current winter lies. Colder water = slower metabolism, which means they don't need to eat as much. As such, they look to conserve energy by holding in water with less current that also has some depth (for security), but they will often move into moderate riffles at the pool heads when sunshine raises the water temps at midday when their metabolism ramps up and the bugs get more active.
Streamers are still catching fish, especially during low-light conditions- experiment with colors & retrieves to find what's best at any given moment (it changes). I would also try to make your presentations slow & deep due to the cooler water temps, both swinging and slow retrieves are good choices. The hot streamer rig has been a weighted streamer with a soft-hackle or nymph trailed off the hook bend 18" behind . Typically the smaller trailing fly catches most of the trout, but some days the streamer does most of the business. This rig allows you to cover a lot of water and present your nymphs/wets in water that would normally be hard to nymph.
Colder water temps typically make nymphs the most consistently effective flies, good patterns include: smaller nymphs sz 16-22 (Midges, Baetis, Quasimodo Pheasant Tails, Hot Spot Attractors, Rainbow Warriors, etc.) and Caddis Pupa sz 16-18 (tan, brown) and Larva sz 14-16 (olive/green). Egg patterns are very effective, so make sure to have some egg flies (small Glo Bugs/Sucker Spawn/Otter Eggs) in your arsenal. Although smaller nymphs have been more consistent than bigger ones, don't rule out Stonefly Nymphs sz 8-14 (brown, golden/yellow, black), sometimes they will pull bigger fish.
The MDC did their fall trout stocking in early November. This batch was stocked in the upper river from the Goodwin/Hogback Dam in Riverton downstream to Whittemore Pool.
The Holidays are now upon us. This season please think of the small businesses that you frequent and support them. UpCountry values your business and has some holiday specials to share with you. Simms Headwater Waders are now $249.99.... $100 off. Hardy Lightweight series reels are now $120.00.....reg price was $249.99. Simms Tee Shirts size large are buy one get one free. We have a limited selection of Simms & Umpqua Packs and Vests 40% off. In addition to these items, UpCountry will price match just about any sale or deal you can find on the internet.... we appreciate your business and recognize that sometimes a deal will pop up online that you can't resist.... just bring it to our attention.
UpCountry has recently acquired a ton of Simms closeouts that are on sale. There is a large selection of Mens & Womens: Gore-tex jackets, packs, slings, shirts, pants, tee shirts, and a few shoes/wading boots/waders. Sizes are limited (the Men's is mostly in Large, and the Women's is all in Medium) and there are only a couple of each item so when they are gone they are gone.
We are always looking for good trade-in fly rods and reels to sell on our website. If you are looking for some new equipment we will gladly put the value of your used gear toward new items in our store. Give us a call to make an appointment.... our prices on trade ins are typically higher than found anywhere else.
If you like our fishing report, please consider buying your gear from us. We generally ship the same day, for free anywhere in the country on all but the smallest orders. Our shop can only exist with your patronage.