Friday 12/7/18 Farmington River Report- dropping flows and some very nice trout

Mike Andrews looking good with a pretty brown

Check out this blog post with 10 of my favorite books in it: http://www.farmingtonriver.com/classes-news-reviews/

Conditions are improving boys & girls. Flow came down 400cfs, from 1,300cfs down to a little over 900cfs & still dropping. Nice to have a week with no big rain in it! This makes the river high but fishable from about where our shop is, straight up to the dam, and includes the permanent Catch & Release (C&R)/TMA. Just make sure to target the softer water along the stream edges, that's where the trout are. Mike Andrews know where the big trout are, check out this beauty covering up his handsome mug :) It's only one of several better fish he landed recently. Zach called me Thursday morning and reported hundreds of rising trout to an early morning Winter Caddis hatch, said it was the best he's seen in 4-5 years. FYI they hatch best after cold nights in the teens/20s. He landed about 30 trout, and then nymphed up a few more after the hatch. Check out the donkey he landed a few days ago on a streamer, that's 20+ inches of hook-jawed brown trout. Steve Hogan landed the pretty rainbow in the landing net, one of many trout he caught this week.

Normal December weather is here, 15 Day

Zach in Stealth Mode with Simms River Camo & a 20" plus male brown

Forecast looks like a typical day will be in the 30s, with nights averaging in the 20s. Even see several days into the low/mid 40s. Normal weather should lead to more stable and better fishing conditions. Look for total flow to steadily decline (due to Still River dropping) but remain above average. 900cfs is a much easier level to fish at than 1,300+ cfs is. Water temps are in the 30s now, so look for fish in winter water: that equates to slower/deeper water like pools, deeper runs, and slower/deeper riffles. You may see some trout slide up into riffles to feed in the afternoons. Until the water comes down a few hundred cfs more, most trout will hold on the edges, closer to the banks. FYI in cold water, trout often pod up. Find one, and you may find a pod of 30-100.

Steve Hogan caught this sweet 'Bow

Although flow is above normal, the water is clear and trout will have no problem finding your fly, even small Blue Winged Olive (BWOs) & Midge nymphs/larva/pupa. If you are nymphing, I'd probably pair a bigger fly with a smaller, more imitative #16-20 pattern (BWO nymph, Caddis Larva, Zebra Midge, Pheasant Tail, etc.). Eggs will remain a fly of choice straight through the winter and into early spring. Streamers in colors like olive, white, and brown are all working at moments. Overcast weather typically sees a better streamer bite, early & late will also give you the low light conditions you want. There have been trout rising in the mornings to Winter Caddis in Church & Beaver Pools. This is typically an early to mid morning deal, but can sometimes run later than that. Make sure to have both pupa & winged adult patterns. Small #22-28 Blue Wing Olives are hatching in the afternoon (Midges too), but with elevated flows the fish are feeding mostly underwater on the nymphs/pupa, less so on the surface. However if it's not too windy, you may find a few fish eating Olives or Midges in Church Pool some afternoons. Other than Church & Beaver Pools, there has been very little dry fly action elsewhere. This will change if flows ever get back to normal.

View out back looking upstream on Friday 12/7

FYI higher flows don't bother the trout one bit, in fact I'm quite certain they prefer and thrive in them. More water equals more habitat, and more food getting knocked loose and into the drift and delivered faster is higher flows. In the White River in Arkansas, one of the most fertile trout streams in the world, the trout can grow 1 inch plus per month as long as flows are medium to high. If you get a low water year, they may only grow1-2" in an entire year.
to them at a faster rate. It also keeps fishermen from walking all over the river and disturbing the trout, as well as keeping most fishermen from fishing. Trout actually grow

Pretty much the same flies and tactics we've been using for most of this fall still apply: subsurface with streamers & nymphs (egg flies can be deadly), and with dropping water temps, make sure to fish them all slow and deep. "Junk Flies" (eggs, worms, Mops, Weenies) remain top producers in the

nymph category, and don't forget about bigger #6-10 Stonefly nymphs. Start fishing along the river edges, don't just wade out and immediately jump in mid-thigh or waist deep, otherwise you will likely scare all the Sacatchable trout away before you make a single cast to them. Many trout will start to seek out slower/deeper winter water, so focus your efforts on pools, deeper runs, and slower/deeper riffles. During warmer days when water temps slide upward, trout may slide up into the riffles in the afternoons to feed on nymphs, larva & pupa.

Flows:
As of Friday morning 12/7 the flow receded about 400cfs since Monday and is high but fishable in both in the permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) and Riverton. Riverton is 646cfs at the USGS Rt 20 bridge gauge, and the total flow in the permanent Catch & Release (C&R)/TMA is 936cfs and dropping (Still River is 290cfs & receding). Conditions can change as a result of rainfall and varying MDC dam releases. MDC email this morning indicates they will maintain the same water release at least through the weekend, if not longer. They have to get Colebrook Reservoir down to acceptable flood control levels, as stipulated by the Army Corps of Engineers, and the level is still too high. I drove by Colebrook on Thurday, and it's full to the brim and only about 5 vertical feet below the treeline on the reservoir edges. The Still River joins the Farmington River about 1/4 mile below Riverton Rt 20 bridge, roughly 2 miles below the dam. East Branch release is being reduced from 300cfs to 200cfs today, it joins the West Branch about 3/8 mile below UpCountry, making it higher below that.

In December look for some hungry post-spawn fish that are trying to put some weight back on. A streamer represents a big chunk of calories to them- if you are fishing an unweighted one use a sinking line/sink-tip/sinking leader, or you can do a weighted streamer (or split shot) with a floating line. It pays to experiment until you find the hot color- it can vary from day to day, and even during the day (especially if light conditions change). Remember that a heavily weighted streamer on a floating line will behave quite differently than an unweighted one on a sinking line, and on any given day trout may prefer one presentation over the other- experiment! Cooler water temps usually mean the trout will hold in slower water, not fast water.

Steelhead fishing & and fly tying are a great option this time of year, and I will continue to make regular trips for them this fall/winter. I (Torrey) have been fishing Great Lakes Steelhead for well over 30 years now, so if you need some advice I'm happy to help. We are stocked with many of the better materials for tying the specific flies you need for that fishing (Estaz, Glo-Bug Yarn, McFly Foam, Eggstasy Yarn, Angora Yarn, Diamond Braid, Holographic Tinsel, Ice Dub, specialized hooks from Tiemco/Gamakatsu/Mustad/Daiichi/Umpqua, etc.), as well as the proper rods (check out the new T&T Contact 10' 8" #6, it's sweet!), reels & lines, at a variety of price points for all budgets. The Cortland "Top Secret" Ultra Premium fluorocarbon tippet is amazing for Steelhead, it's insanely strong for it's diameter and very abrasion resistant. We also have plenty of warm Simms clothing to keep you going in cold air & cold water.

Light colored oval area is a trout Redd- don't step on it!!

Most browns have spawned, please watch out for redds- they will appear as a light colored oval in gravelly riffles areas such as pool tailouts and side channels. Please leave any actively spawning trout sitting on the redds alone- they are stressed out already, and we want them to successfully spawn and create more wild trout. Also, don't walk on or just below the redds or you will crush the eggs the trout buried under the gravel. The eggs won't hatch out for about 3 months or so, give or take, so avoid walking on them until after then. In my book it's okay to target the deeper, darker water downstream of the redds- there you will find non-spawning trout feeding on the loose eggs. But again, please leave the spawners alone and don't walk on or just below the redds. The eggs won't hatch out until mid/late winter, so continue to watch where you walk for a while.

Fall/Winter Hours:
We will be open 8am-5pm, 7 days a week.

New T&T Contact Steelhead/Lake-Run Brown Trout/Landlocked Salmon Rod:

31" of Steelhead on my T&T Contact 10' 8" #6 & Hatch Finatic 5 Plus

You asked for a "Euro" Steelhead rod, and now you finally have it: T&T released their latest entry 10' 8" #6 T&T Contact rod designed for larger fish such as Great Lakes Steelhead, Lake Run Browns, and Landlocked Salmon into their extremely successful "Contact" series of tight-line/Euro rods. I (Torrey) have one, and I love it! FYI it balances perfectly with a mid arbor Hatch 5 Plus. It will handle tippets in the 1x-5x (4# to 12#) range no problem, and has the power to subdue 10-15# plus fish, while still protecting your tippet. Rod designer Joe Goodspeed designed it to have increased durability, while still having a light, flexible and very sensitive tip that will detect light bites and help keep the hook from popping out when you put the wood to them. Not only can you tight-line with this rod, but it throws a #6 line like a champ (I like the Royal Wulff Triangle Taper) for indicator nymphing & swinging, it roll casts easily, it will execute a nice one handed double Spey, and the extra length lets you mend your line better. However my favorite was a mono rig that substituted OPST 25# (.016"/.405mm) green Lazar Line for fly line, and allowed me to tight line at distance with minimal sag and maximum sensitivity. They also beefed up the cork handle & fighting butt.  Nearly unbreakable RECoil titanium guides can be flicked to snap ice off them during colder weather, they flex and then pop right back into position. Homerun!

Adapting to the Conditions:

What are the differences between successful anglers and unsuccessful ones lately? Generally the best catches have been made by those who are flexible in terms of how, where & what they fish, and  do what they need to do to get their flies in front of the fish, down near the river bottom. Higher flows typically dictate subsurface tactics, unless you spot rising trout (try Church & Beaver Pools). Egg Flies, "Junk Flies" & Streamers are the best flies in the mornings, before the water temps rise a bit and the bugs get active. Save the imitative bugs for the afternoons when the insects are active & available. If you are streamer fishing, finding success may mean covering a lot of water looking for aggressive fish, experimenting with fly colors/sizes/sizes, trying different retrieves (or just a slow swing sometimes), and making sure you are getting the flies down deep enough (weighted flies, split shot, sinking leaders, sink-tip lines, or full sink lines). Lately colors like olive, white, brown, and tan have been top colors, but also try black, yellow, and combinations of these colors. Don't be afraid to deviate from a #6-8 streamer now, sometimes it takes a fly at least 3-4", or bigger, to properly irritate a big brown into striking. This is a good time to throw the meat, the big articulated 4-6" patterns that just might land you a giant- use a heavy tippet (at least 0x for the really big flies). If you are nymphing, make sure you are getting your flies down near the bottom with weighted flies, split shot, or a combination of the two. Both Euro-style & Indicator techniques can catch fish. When flows are up, make sure you don't just jump in mid thigh deep without first fishing the edges, as higher flows push MANY trout near the banks, out of the heavier flows. Try different nymphs: they may want something imitative like a #18 Blue Wing Olive/Baetis nymph in the afternoons, but sometimes they want an egg fly, and sometimes it takes a "Junk Fly" (Mop, Squirmy/San Juan Worm, Green Weenie, etc.) or an attractor nymph (something flashy or with a fluorescent hot spot) to get it done. As a rule of thumb, higher flows call for bigger and/or gaudier nymphs. I strongly suspect that eggish color hot spots may also elicit an egg-eating response from fall trout.

Don Butler is doing his traditional two day beginner fly tying course on January 5th & 12th, 2019,
call the store at 860-379-1952 to sign up, cost is $150- it's now full but you can get on a wait list, and/or we might schedule another class for February if there is enough interest.

Water Temps: 
Look for water temps to average in the upper 30s. Highest temps will occur in mid/late afternoon, with sunny days seeing the biggest temperature increases- this often activates both the aquatic insects & trout. After colder nights, it may be wise to wait until late morning, thereby giving water temps a chance to rise a degree or two, which will get the trout (and bugs) more active- streamer fishing can be an exception to this, as it's not hatch-related, as can nymphing with egg patterns or other "Junk Flies" like worm patterns & Mop flies. The one hatch that often occurs in exception to this is the Winter Caddis, which typically come off in early/mid morning. The other strategy is to start your morning in the first 2 miles below the dam in Riverton, where water temps hardly vary at all during the day (due to being released from down deep), and then by late morning you can go back downriver as downstream temps rise.

Late Fall/early Winter Tactics & Advice:
Colder days and nights are here to stay, the water temps have dropped, and the days are getting shorter. All of this calls for some changes in tactics as the trout change their behavior due to spawning, slower metabolism, and less bugs hatching. Egg flies are very effective now- experiment with colors, typically yellows, oranges, and pinks. This remains a great time of year to toss streamers, and some good-sized ones at that, for what could potentially be some of the biggest trout you will catch all year. Hungry post-spawn browns seeking calories to replenish themselves will crush them in December. Nymphs are probably the most consistent flies and will typically rack up the bigger numbers, with a mix of "Junk Flies" & imitative patterns each having their moments. Other than the Winter Caddis in the early/mid AM, most bug activity has now shifted to the afternoons, but subsurface patterns continue to vastly outproduce dry flies due to the above average flows (normal for early December is a medium total flow of 350-400cfs, currently we are at 900+ cfs & dropping). The main afternoon hatch is small #22-26 Blue Winged Olives, might see some Midges too.

The river was stocked in October with 800+ 13-18" fat rainbows purchased by the FRAA and supplied by Harding Trout Hatchery in New Hartford/Pine Meadow, in spots between the New Hartford 219 bridge and the Satan's Kingdom/Rt 44 bridge. Some of the bigger ones were pushing 3.5-4 pounds. This higher water we've had has spread them out nicely above & below the stocking points.

New Stuff:
T&T's new award-winning Zone series is here, it's a mid-priced ($495) set of rods that perform at a high level, they feel great in the hand and cast beautifully- stop by and cast one in the backyard. They even do a nice 10' #7 for you Steelhead guys. We also got some cool tying materials in recently, including #20 Hanak 480 Jig Champion hooks, Jan Siman Fine Peacock Dubbing in all the best colors including some UV ones (one of the absolute best materials for nymph collars),  and are once again fully restocked on all the popular colors of Montana Fly Company Barred Sexi-Floss in both small & medium sizes (this makes awesome legs on a Pat's Rubber Leg Stonefly Nymph).

The areas stocked in September/October are yielding the highest catch rates, with Junk Flies & streamers doing much of the catching. Make sure to pair your Junk Flies with a "normal", drabber fly (with or without a hot spot). However, the highest quality, bigger holdover and wild trout have mostly been coming from the permanent Catch & Release area, as well as downstream (that is during periods when downstream water levels have been doable). Be advised that you will work harder for these fish and you won't catch as many as in the more recently stocked sections, but your compensation might be a BIG holdover or wild brown.

The CT DEEP Fisheries did their fall trout stocking for the Farmington River on September 11th, they stocked from below Satan's Kingdom downstream to the Rt 177 bridge in Unionville, and also in the town of Farmington by the Larry Kolp Garden Plot (downstream from seasonal TMA). Also the MDC stocked their 1,000+ trout in the upper river/Riverton (they usually do from below the dam down to Whittemore) on 9/14. The FRAA stocked 800+ 13-18" fat rainbows (some to 3.5-4#!) in New Hartford between the Rt 219 bridge and the Satan's Kingdom bridge the 2nd week of October. But even without these stockings, there was already a bunch of trout in the river, including the sections open to harvest from April through August. 

Hatches/Dries:
-Baetis/Blue Winged Olives #22-28 (cloudy days especially, gentle riffles/pool tails/slower water)
-Winter Caddis: #18-24 pupa & adults (early/mid AM in pools) 
-Midges #20-28 (late morns through afternoons in pools)

Nymphs: 
-Bigger Stoneflies/Pat's Rubber Legs #6-12- gold/yellow, brown, black
-Mop Flies #8-12 (various colors, especially cream/tan)  
-BWO/Olive Nymphs #16-20
-Egg Flies #10-18 (various colors: yellow, pink, orange, etc.)
-Blue Lightning Bugs/Copper Johns #14-16
-Pheasant Tail/Quasimodo Pheasant Tails #14-20
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16
-Cased Caddis #8-16 
-Antoine's Perdigons (various colors) #12-18
-Attractor/Hot-Spot nymphs #14-18 (Pineapple Express, Frenchy, Triple Threat, Pink Soft Spot Jigs,  
    Carotene Jigs, Egan's Red Dart, Rainbow Warrior, Prince, etc.).

"Junk Flies": nymphs for high/dirty water, freshly stocked trout, or when there is no hatch and standard nymphs aren't working:
-Squirmies/San Juan Worms/G-String Worms #10-14 (pink, red, worm brown)
-Egg Flies #10-18
-Mops #8-12
-Green Weenies #10-14

Cortland's "Top Secret" Ultra Premium Fluorocarbon tippet has a glass-smooth Plasma finish and is by far the best and strongest stuff out there: it has the most abrasion resistance, stretch, flexibility & clarity. Total game-changer, and an extra-good choice if you like to nymph with lighter tippets - here's a link to purchase it off our site: http://www.farmingtonriver.com/cortland-top-secret-ultra-premium-fluorocarbon/

Streamers: 
Fall/early winter is when brown trout get extra aggressive and often produces an above average streamer bite. Most of the browns have spawned now, and they are hungry and looking to put weight back on. With colder December water temps here now make sure to get your streamers deep, and you may want to slow your presentations down to make it easier for the trout to catch your fly. Try #2-14 patterns  (FYI bigger is often better in the fall, gotta appeal to their aggression & hunger), especially in colors like olive, white, black, brown, yellow, or combinations of colors (a little yellow or orange mixed in can be very effective in the fall)- other colors are good too, and it pays to experiment. Typically the low-light periods of early & late in the day are the optimum times to fish a streamer, as are cloudy days. The day or two after a rain, when flows are still elevated & off-color can produce some really good streamer fishing conditions for big trout. During the day, especially when it's bright &sunny, target structure (undercut banks, fallen trees, big boulders, etc.) and shady areas. If you're specifically targeting larger trout, go bigger on your fly, but expect to catch less fish. And FYI a 4-6" articulated fly is not too big if you are looking for top end fish. 3-4" is a good compromise if you want a shot at better fish, but still want to catch some average ones in between the occasional big dogs. Play around with your fly size/pattern/color, presentation & retrieve and see what works- it can make a BIG difference. If you listen, the trout will tell you what they want. Think Home Invaders, Zonkers, Zuddlers, Woolly Buggers, Bruce's Yellow Matuka, Don's Peach Bugger, Dude Friendly, Ice Picks, Mini Picks, Mop Heads, Slump Busters, Sculpin Helmet patterns (for a weighted sculpin imitation), etc.

     -Report by Torrey Collins