A very healthy smorgasbord of Farmington trout by guide Mike Carl, everything from little wild browns & brooks, to stocked rainbows and big holdover browns. UpCountry will be holding a tent sale out front of the store both Saturday Oct 21and Sunday Oct 22 from 8:30am to 4pm. The shop will be open regular hours from 6am-5pm. Included in the sale will be closeout Simms & Korkers Wading Boots 40% off, Simms closeout Wading Jackets 40% off, Simms men's and womens closeout Shirts & Pants 40% 0ff. Simms Vests 40% off. Simms Tee Shirts $10, take an extra 10% off our entire rack of used and already sale priced rods & reels, plus random closeout from around the store. Select Fishpond packs will be 40% off.
Getting some good fishing reports of late, with some anglers targeting the recently stocked trout in Riverton, and others chasing holdover and wild trout in the permanent Catch & Release/TMA and downriver. With water temps averaging mid to upper 50s throughout the entire river, you can fish as far downstream as you like, and the further you go down, the less anglers.
Total Flow in the permanent Catch & Release is stable at 80.5 cfs. The lower water of Fall will change the places that you fish but bring easy wading, and plenty of rising trout and good dry fly fishing when bugs are hatching. It's more efficient for trout to feed on the surface during a hatch when the water is shallower/slower. The easiest spots to fish will be where you find a combination of riffled water and depth (anything over knee deep is optimal).
The FRAA (Farmington River Angler's Association) stocked the upper river (Riverton) on 10/10 with about 1,200 Brook & Rainbow Trout averaging 12-14", including a few trophy Brookies!
Don Butler's Beginner Fly Tying course is this November over 2 days (11/11 & 18)- click on "Classes, News & Reviews" in top website toolbar to see detailed info on it. Call store at 860-379-1952 to sign up.
During the lower flows that Fall brings, it's easy to read the water and figure out where the trout are, and it congregates the fish. Use a more stealthy approach, stay a bit further away from the trout and wade with more care. A longer/lighter tippet (3-5' of 6x-7x) will greatly assist in getting a drag-free float with your #16 and smaller dry flies (5x is fine for bigger bugs like Isonychia). Dry/Dropper with a buoyant dry trailed by a small beadhead nymph 1-3' below it is tailor-made for low water. It keeps you further away so you don't spook the trout, and offers them a choice of feeding on the surface or eating a nymph below it. During hatches keep dropper nymph 8-18" below your dry, and during non-hatch times 1.5-3 feet away (distance depends upon water depth).
Hatches:
Tan Caddis #14-18 are the bug we're seeing the most of. Isonychia are averaging a #14 or so. Still seeing a few Lt Cahills/Summer Stenos #12-16, and some Blue Wing Olives #22-26 are hatching in the evening, plus some October Caddis #8-12. If you look on the rocks in fast water, you will still see big Stonefly nymph shucks, as well as #14-20 Yellow Sally Nymph shucks. Much of the best dry fly activity has been in the riffles and the upper end of pools including Pipeline, Roberts, Whittemore, People's Forest, Church Pool, Greenwoods and the Boneyard.
Nymphing:
5x-6x flurocarbon tippet should be about right, depending upon fly size. If you haven't yet tried it, the Cortland Ultra Premium Fuorocarbon tippet is amazing, by far the strongest out there with the most abrasion resistance, stretch, flexibility & clarity. Total game-changer, and an extra-good choice if you like to nymph with lighter tippets. Use patterns like Tan Caddis Pupa #14-18, big Stoneflies #6-12 & Pat's Rubber Legs #6-10 (especially in the mornings), Antoine's Perdigons #16 (various colors), Egg Flies #10-18 (yellow/pink/orange), Yellow Sally Nymph #14-18, Attractor nymphs #14-20 (Frenchies #14-18, Egan's Red Dart #14-16, Rainbow Warrior #16-18, etc.), Quasimodo Pheasant Tails #12-22, BWO nymphs #16-22, Isonychia #12-14 (mid afternoon thru eves), Fox Squirrel Nymphs #12-16, and Zebra Midges #16-24.
November 15th, local guide Antoine Bissieux, "the French Fly Fisherman", will be the presenter at the monthly FRAA meeting- he will be talking about French "secrets" to improve your trout fishing. The French are some of the most skilled river trout fishermen in the world, as evidenced by the winning record of the French team in the World Flyfishing Championships. Both presentations are FREE and will up your fishing knowledge, all are welcome to attend. Location is Unionville Senior Center, meet & great begins at 6:30, with the meeting starting at 7pm.