Antoine Bissieux's client Peter with a recent Farmington 18" beauty. And Zach St. Amand's client Pat with a bruiser rainbow below! Plenty of holdover, stocked & wild fish like this in the river, but they don't always come easy. You have to be flexible in both your approach and where you fish (and a little luck never hurts...). Be a stick-in-the-mud and only fish a few spots or only one method, and you will struggle. Adapt to the conditions and you can find success here 365 days a year.
Despite the rain/T-storms forecasted this past weekend, there were a lot of anglers out and we were very busy in the shop. Got a lot of good fishing reports back, with trout coming to nymphs, dries, streamers & wets. A large variety of different bugs are hatching up & down the river, varying depending upon the weather, time of day, and section of the river- every day is different! Make sure to have a wide selection of flies right now, as it's the "time of plenty" when it comes to hatches. All the cloudy weather made for both above average hatches & a good streamer bite. Beautiful weather in the 70s with cool nights through Thursday, and then 5 consecutive days at 90 degrees and above starting Saturday. We will still have plenty of cold water due to the bottom-release dam in Riverton, so fishing should be remain great. And it will feel nice to stand waist-deep in cold water on a hot day.
Tip of the week from local guide Antoine Bissieux:
If the fish are being picky on the "correct" hatch-matching dries, throw
a big black ant or a Mini
Chrenobyl over them. Sometimes
bait-and-switch works when the "proper" dry flies fail. Summer is typically a great time to throw terrestrials in general, with beetles & ants being consistent producers.
Tip from Torrey:
By customer request, a tip for those of you doing tight-line/Euro/high-stick nymphing:
Make sure to "lead" your drift when you are tight-lining nymphs. It's important to be in touch with your flies so you can detect the strike and set the hook quickly before the trout spits your fly (FYI on average, I've read fish will hold a fly for 2 seconds before rejecting it, and heavy catch & release fishing pressure can make them spit even faster). By "leading your drift", I don't mean pulling your fly, but rather keeping your rod tip downcurrent/downstream of where your leader enters the water. All you are trying to do is keep pace with your drift so you get as drag-free a presentation as possible, while minimizing the slack by keeping light tension so you can detect subtle hits. Keeping your rod tip slightly ahead of the drift does this, and also puts you in a great hook set position (FYI set the hook downstream and to the side- I'll do a future tip about that). If you keep your rod tip exactly even with where you leader enters the water (as many people do and as many outdoor writers mistakenly say you should do), you will not be in as good contact with your flies.
Bugs:
#16 Sulfurs (Invaria) are currently a major hatch everywhere
except Riverton (anytime now), and downriver (think Collinsville/Unionville) we are starting to see the smaller/brighter #18-20 Sulfurs (Dorothea) too. Assorted Caddis averaging #16-18 in olive-green
& tan are all up and down the river, typically popping in the late morning to early/mid afternoon. #10-14 March Browns/Gray Fox are still hatching on most of the river, and depending where you are, you may see #12-14 Light Cahills,
big 8-12 Isonychia (Iso's), #18-20 Attenuata (a bright green sort of Blue Winged Olive, hatch is still downriver), #8-10 Varia (Yellow Drake),
#20-24 Blue Wing Olives (early/late, especially on cloudy days). And small Midges are always present, especially in the icy cold water up near the dam in Riverton.
Conditions:
Water level is medium at a total flow of 327cfs at
8am in permanent Catch & Release/C&R/TMA (268cfs in Riverton
plus 59cfs from the Still River). A good slug of rain Sunday shot the Still River from 20cfs up to 180cfs, and it's already down to under 60cfs & dropping. Water
temps have been averaging in the 50s in the afternoons lately. Riverton
above the Still River remains icy cold in the low/mid 40s. FYI find water temps in the 50s and you will find trout that are more active and better hatches.
We are getting into that time of year (summer) where in order to catch
the best evening dry fly fishing you need to stay LATE. Leave too early
and you may completely miss it. And remember that spinner falls occur
over riffles. Having said this, it also depends upon the section of
river and
the weather that day. Riverton with it's colder water often sees
"evening" bug activity begin & end earlier in the day, and morning
activity begins later upriver due to colder water. In the rest of the river,
cloudy/cooler weather will often see the "evening bugs" start up earlier. Super hot
days might see the evening hatch begin right at the edge of darkness.
At moments quite a few trout are holding in only 1-2 feet of choppy
water (especially during hatches and/or low light conditions) and sometimes even skinnier water than that, so don't
focus only on the deep stuff. Typically when trout are in shallower
water, they are there
specifically to feed. Plus many bugs like March Browns/Gray Fox,
Vitreus, Isonychia
and many Caddis species hatch in fast, often shallow water. Spinner
falls typically occur over/in riffles and pocket water. Plus fast water
is more oxegenated. All reasons you should should not ignore faster
water. Personally I've been targetting fast water almost exclusively
since early/mid May, and there have been plenty of trout in residence
there.
In water that's not too deep, dry/dropper with 1-2 weighted nymphs about
2-3 feet under a buoyant, visible dry fly can be very effective, not to
mention fun. It also enables you stay back a bit, and gives you the
opportunity to catch fish on both nymphs/pupa & dries. Most days
they'll take the nymphs, but you will get plenty of bonus trout on the
dry.
Word to the wise:
Even when fishing is really good, I still get some people complaining
about the fishing being poor. When I ask they about the how/when/where, I
usually find they only fished one very small area with only one method.
If you are nymphing, fishing wets or tossing streamers, ya gotta cover
some water! If you want to fish dries and they aren't rising, you
probably need to fish subsurface, or maybe blind fish attractor dries in
riffly water (or do dry/dropper). Or maybe they went out for the
"evening hatch" and left at 7:30pm because nothing was happening. Don't
knock off early to eat a late dinner, instead eat an early dinner and
stay until dark! If nothing is happening in the flat water, go fish some
faster sections. Or they fished at 2pm on a hot, sunny day and
complained there were no bugs. As you move into summer, expect morns
& eves to yield the best fishing/hatches (with some exeptions). If
it's crowded on the weekends and there are people everywhere you want to
be, stay out of the permanent Catch & Release, skip the named pools
and known hot-spots and fish the in-between spots, the "B" water. The
entire river is loaded with trout, even where guys can keep fish. Never
be afraid to explore new water on the Farmington, the trout are
everywhere. Also, use a thermometer to find optimum water temps (50s to
low 60s) and active trout. By moving up & downriver, you can find
ideal temps (in August that might be up in Riverton, in late April that
might be downriver...). Don't be a stick in the mud, be adaptable and
you should find success.
Overall, hatches seem to get gradually heavier as you move downriver.
Water temps have been a bit cooler than normal for mid/late June, and water
temps increase the further you go downstream from the dam. Hatches also
seem to occur later in the day downstream, while the colder water
upstream can make bugs hatch quite a bit earlier in the day. The good
nymphers are literally catching trout all day long right now.
Local guide Mark Swenson is doing another session of his "Fly Fishing 101" beginner classes for us on Saturday, July 7th from 9am until 4pm- click the link to find out more- only one spot left as of this morning, we will also take names for a wait list/next class once it fills.
Water temps improve as you move downriver (still low/mid 40s up
in Riverton, but in the 50s as you go downstream), so I'd recommend
staying from below
the Still River and down to find the most active trout and better bug
activity. Be flexible in your approach and also where
you fish. The entire river is currently loaded with trout- stocked,
holdover & wild, so don't be afraid to explore new water, the trout
are literally everywhere. Seriously. Those finding the most success
adapt to the
conditions and move around until they find good fishing. A thermometer
will help you find optimum water temps (50s/low 60s). Often you need
to fish subsurface with streamers, wet flies/soft hackles, or nymphs.
The nymphing & wet fly fishing is good to excellent right now if you
know how to do it, and will produce fish whether or not they rise.
Streamers will give you a shot at some of the biggest fish in the
stream, especially if you fish them in the low light of early morning
& evenings.
Subsurface, Caddis Pupa, Pheasant Tails/Frenchies, Sulfur & March Brown nymphs, and small Blue Wing
Olive nymphs are taking trout, and big Stonefly nymphs are working in
early to
mid morning. A variety of attractor/hot-spot nymphs have been very
effective also, including Antoine's Perdigon series. Catching trout is
not always about exactly matching the hatch (sometimes it
is though,
especially during a hatch when trout are surface feeding), it's about
getting a trout's attention and enticing them to eat your fly. The best
nymphing has been in medium to fast water with some chop to it- just
look for current breaks, seams between fast & slow water, drop-offs
and structure. Wet flies & Soft-Hackles have been catching plenty of
trout too, we have a good selection of them if you need us to pick you
out a couple of winners. Wets are both fun to fish & good fish
catchers. They also enable you to efficiently cover a lot of water and
search for fish.
When trout aren't rising,
the nymphing has been good (if you do it properly! Haha). If
you don't know how to nymph effectively, you really should learn. There are many good books, articles & videos out there. Or better yet, book a day with one of the local guides and have them teach you- there is no faster way to learn. Caddis pupa #14-16
nymphed in the faster water have been lights out when they are active (generally mid-morning & onward).
Perfect water temps well into the 50s has pushed many trout into the
calf to waist
deep riffled water and good catches are being made- ideal
scenario for tight-line/Euro/short-line/contact nymphing with a pair of
weighted nymphs and/or some split shot to get your flies down.
The permanent catch & release (C&R/TMA) has been heavily
stocked
with the two year Survivor Strain brown trout and many thousands of
smaller
yearling/one year old browns. The rest of the river outside of the
permanent TMA/C&R has also been stocked MULTIPLE times. Suffice it
to say the river is loaded with
trout from Riverton down to Unionville and below- stocked, holdover
& wild. If you aren't catching them, it's not because the trout aren't there....
Dries:
-Permanent
Catch & Release:
-Sulfur #16-20 (Invaria & Dorothea species): emergers, Usuals, Comparaduns,
parachutes, spinners; -Caddis (olive/green, tan) #14-18: X-Caddis, Elk
Hair, CDC Caddis,
etc.;
-Vitreus #14-16: Usual, parachutes, Sulfurs;
-March Brown/Gray Fox #10-14:
Comparaduns, parachutes, emergers, spinners;
-Baetis/Blue Winged Olives: #20-24 emergers, parachutes, CDC, Sprouts,
rusty spinners; -Summer/Winter Caddis: #18-24 pupa & adults.
-Downriver
(Canton/Collinsville/Unionville), all the above plus:
-Isonychia #10-12: emerger, parachute, CDC, etc.;
-Light Cahill #12-14:
Usual, parachutes, etc.,
-Varia (Yellow Drake) #8-12 Comparadun, etc.;
-Attenuata #18-20: duns/parachutes (like a Blue Wing Olive, but bright
green, almost chartreuse)
Nymphs:
Tan & olive/green Caddis Pupa #14-18, Sulphur Nymph #16, March Brown/Gray Fox Nymphs #10-14, Olive Nymphs #16-20, Pheasant Tail/Quasimodo Pheasant Tails
#14-20, Isonychia Nymph #10-12, Midges / Zebra Midges #16-22, Caddis Larva
(olive to green) #14-16, Cased Caddis #8-16, Mop Flies (various colors, especially cream/tan)
#8-12, bigger Stoneflies #6-12, Pat's Rubber Legs #6-10, Antoine's Perdigons (various colors, especially olive, black) #12-18, and Attractor / Hot-Spot nymphs
#12-20 (Pineapple Express, Frenchy, Triple Threat, Pink Soft Spot Jigs, Carotene Jigs, Egan's Red
Dart, Rainbow Warrior, etc.).
Cortland's "Top Secret" Ultra Premium Fluorocarbon
tippet is 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 - here's a
link to purchase it off our site: http://www.farmingtonriver.com/cortland-top-secret-ultra-premium-fluorocarbon/
Streamers:
Try
#2-14
patterns, especially in colors like olive, white, black or brown- 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. During the day, target structure (undercut
banks, fallen trees, undercut banks, big boulders, etc.) and shady
areas. If you're
specifically targetting larger trout, go bigger, but expect to catch
less fish. Water temps are mostly in the 50s now (Riverton is mid 40s), which
means you
can speed up your retrieve. Play around with your
presentation & retrieve and see what works. If you
listen, the trout will tell you what they want. Think Zonkers, Woolly
Buggers, Bruce's
Yellow Matuka, Dude Friendly, Ice
Picks, Mini Picks, Mop Heads, Slump Busters, Sculpin Helmet patterns
(for a weighted sculpin imitation), etc.
If you have some equipment gathering dust in your closet, our shop is "hungry" for trade-ins. We
give fair market value toward new equipment in the store..... no
waiting for your item to sell, just bring your used fly rods, reels, and
fly tying equipment to us and we will turn it into something shiny and
new for the upcoming season. Please call ahead for an appointment.