Had a productive half-day outing Thursday, picking up a bunch of pretty trout, the best was this 19" brown with no dye marks or fin clips. It was so nice to see a medium water level (mid 300cfs) in the river after all the low flows this fall. Afternoon water temp was 54 degrees. I hit fish in multiple spots both in & out of the Catch & Release/TMA. Bugs I saw were Caddis & Blue Wing Olives. Should be a great weekend to hit the river, highs will be about 55-60, flows should remain excellent.
Saturday & Sunday most of our already marked down Used and Sale Fly Reels will be an Extra 10% Off. Brands include, Lamson, Sage, Orvis, Abel, and others. In store purchases only.
Hatches remain primarily a mix of Caddis (mostly tan), Blue Wing Olives (BWOs), and a few Isonychia. Caddis are still the heaviest
hatch, but look for BWOs to get heavier in November when colder weather finally rolls in. Don't be afraid to
blind fish Caddis dries in the riffles, it can work quite well at
moments, and it is a fun option if you don't want to nymph. Egg flies
are in the mix now, especially in early/mid morning before the bugs get
active, but can be good anytime of day. Small nymphs & Caddis pupa are working underneath. Don't be
afraid to toss some streamers now, especially early and late in the day,
as trout get more aggressive in the fall due to spawning.
Once again we are stocked up on #16 & #18 Hanak jig hooks, and Solarez resin too (it's by far the best resin on the market- cures fast with zero tack, and it's hard & durable). We now carry Adams Built landing nets. Eggstasy yarn
is in stock, and I've used it quite successfully on trout &
steelhead now. We also have the new Hardy Zephrus Ultralite 9' 9" series
of rods, from a #2 up to #5. Think of them as a crossover
tight-line/Euro nymph rod that will also do a very nice job with dry
flies. Although our tent sale is over, we still have many select closeout items on sale from Simms, Korkers and FishPond.
With
water temps in the 50s throughout the entire river, you
can fish as far downstream as you like- the further you go down, the
less anglers. Some
anglers are targeting the
recently stocked trout in Riverton, while others are chasing holdover
and wild
trout in the permanent Catch & Release/TMA and below it, even way
downriver (Canton/Collinsville/Unionville). The easiest fishing though is probably upriver in Riverton, where the FRAA
stocked 1,200 trout on 10/10 (mostly 12-14" Brooks & Bows, with
about 20 large Brookies in the mix).
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. Still some open spots, but starting to fill up now.
Hatches:
Tan Caddis #14-18 remain the bug we're seeing the most of, and we are also seeing small Blue Wing Olives #22-26 (especially eves & cloudy days, but look for them to hatch in the afternoons as we move into November). Isonychia are winding down and averaging a #14 or so. Still
seeing a few Lt Cahills/Summer Stenos #12-16 (eves), plus a few Giant October Caddis
#8-12 (dusk). Much of the best dry fly
activity has been in the riffles and the
upper end of pools such as Pipeline,
Roberts, Whittemore, People's Forest, Church Pool,
Greenwoods and the Boneyard.
Nymphing:
5x flurocarbon tippet should be about right, depending upon fly size, with 6x for the smallest nymphs.
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.