The Farmington is currently a very fishable 480cfs & dropping through the catch & release area in Barkhamsted (about 350cfs in Riverton above the Still River). Tan Wing Olive Bodied Caddis #16-18 have been good this week on the surface and the corresponding Caddis Larva and Pupa are working well on the bottom, and tan-bodied Caddis are mixing in too. Trout have been rising to the them mostly in the faster water above the pools and have been reacting well to anglers who skitter their high floating dries. Overcast skies for Monday through Wednesday should mean hatches of Blue Wing Olives #18-22, with some Rusty Spinners #18-22 falling in the evenings. You may still see a FEW Hendricksons up in Riverton, but that hatch is about done. Don't be surprised to continue to see some Hendrickson spinners (rusty) up there for another week or so though, they often go a good week beyond the hatch. Caddis, however, are the dominant bug right now up & down the river, catching trout both underneath and on the surface. I catch some of my biggest trout every year nymphing the fast water with Caddis pupa. Hearing rumors of a few Vitreus #14-16 (Pink Lady/Pink Cahill) hatching- it's not a fishable hatch yet, but soon. March Brown/Gray Fox #10-14 will also be starting very soon, they MIGHT have already started in the lower river (Collinsville/Unionville).
The long awaited book "Nymph Masters" has finally arrived, and it's really good! Author Jason Randall fished with a bunch of the top nymphers in the USA (guys like George Daniels, Pat Dorsey, Joe Humphreys, etc.), and then wrote this book about his experiences. He codified what he learned into a systematic approach covering all styles of nymphing.
We recently received a huge closeout of Hardy Jet and Shadow fly rods which can be found in store and on our website on our Used Gear and Specials page. If you are looking for a great fly rod at at a great price, the Hardy rods are hard to beat and are available in most sizes. We still have some closeout Sage ONE's left.
Current flies to have:
Caddis pupa (olive/green, tan) #14-18, Caddis dries #14-18 (olive/green, tan- X2 Caddis, Elk Hair, CDC Caddis, Crippled Emerger Caddis, etc.), Hendricksons & Hendrickson Spinners (Riverton only, hatch is about done) #12-14, Baetis/Blue Wing Olive dries & emergers #18-22, olive nymphs #16-20, Midges #20-26. Subsurface try Caddis pupa #14-18 (olive/green, tan), Hendrickson nymphs #12-14 (Riverton), Frenchies #14-18, Quasimodo Pheasant Tails #12-18, Caddis Larva #12-16 (olive, green), Baetis/Blue Wing Olive nymphs #16-20, and bigger #8-12 Stonefly nymphs. Make sure to also try Hot Spot Nymphs #14-18, and Mops #10. Streamers have been very effective on both the fresh stocked trout and also the big holdover and wild fish. Experiment with colors & retrieves to find what will attract the trout- olive, black, and white are good starting points, but also try brown, tan, and yellow or combinations thereof.