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| Vinny Badaracco with a recent hook-jawed brown |
MDC cut the dam release back this week, flows are still above average but much more fishable and in more spots. We are at the total flow in the permannt Catch & Release (C&R)/TMA of about 700cfs this morning, and Riverton is about 450cfs right below the dam. This gives you plenty of options on where to fish. The only downside is 1/2" of rain predicted for Saturday, but I don't think that will have a big effect on things, probably push the Still River up little. Subsurface with nymphs & streamers remains the best way to catch trout, but some trout are rising to Winter Caddis in the early/mid mornings at Church Pool. Other than that, the best fishing is often later in the day after the water temps have risen.
Trout are seeing a lot of Junk Flies, so make sure to pair your Mops/Worms/Eggs with some more "nymph-like" patterns to up your odds (Pheasant Tail, Hare's Ear, Zebra Midges, Caddis Larva, etc.). This is true more so in heavily pressured spots like Church & Beaver Pools. If you are the first one there in the morning, or if you are fishing more out of the way spots, Junk Flies will likely be a top
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| Steve Hogan with a pretty brown from 1/3/19 |
The Skinny:
Water temps are averaging mid/upper 30s on the entire river, and most of the trout are now mainly in winter-type lies of softer/deeper water in pools, deep runs, and the lower section of gentle riffles. They may still be very close to where you were catching them during the regular season, but they will slide off 5-10 feet toward the softer current edge or a little further down the riffle to find water that has less current. Nymphing is the #1 producer in these type of conditions, but big post spawn browns are hungry and they love streamers. Church Pool is still offering up some limited morning dry fly fishing in the slower water on many days- look for mornings that are not windy, preferably following a night down into the teens/20s.
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| Cy Coons with his first trout of 2019 on 1/1/19 |
While I often continue to tight-line/Euro nymph through the winter, it can make sense to switch to an Indicator rig. And Indy allows you to more easily fish slower water, you can fish farther away from you, and you can suspend your flies a little above the bottom when necessary. You can also run really long drifts straight down a current seam (which is where trout typically hold). Some days the trout will be on very small flies, and you can just use split shot to sink them under your Indy (FYI there is no reason you cannot add split shot to a Euro rig when necessary, the best way to do this is with a Drop Shot rig that has the weight on the bottom with your flies on droppers right above it) without having to put on a heavy "Sacrifice Fly" to sink you small fly/flies. Indicators are also a godsend on windy days that make Euro nymphing a nightmare.
Flows as of 8am Friday 1/4/19:
Riverton is medium high at 456cfs, downstream of the Still River the total flow is high than average but very fishable at 702cfs (the Still is adding in 246cfs). Conditions can change as a result of rainfall and varying MDC dam releases. MDC has been running an above average release for the past several months as they attempt to get Colebrook Reservoir down to acceptable flood control levels, as stipulated by the Army Corps of Engineers. Constant high rainfall amounts have made this a difficult task for them. 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 was reduced to 200cfs, it joins the West Branch about 3/8 mile below UpCountry, making it a little higher from there and downstream.
Dressing for fishing in cold weather/cold water:
Make sure to dress extra warm, otherwise you will be miserable and won't be able to concentrate & enjoy the experience. I'm rarely cold while fishing, even at 15 degrees, because I've learned how to dress for fishing in cold weather and I've acquired the proper clothes. While some people switch to 5mm neoprene bootfoot waders with Thinsulate in the boots for the winter, I continue to wear my breathable Simms G3 stockingfoot waders, and I'm comfortable. Here's why: I have loose fitting boots that accomodate extra heavy wool socks & thin poly liner socks without fighting tightly and constricting blood flow (tight boots will give you cold feet 100% of the time). I have heavy insulated pants that I wear light or heavy synthetic thermals under. Up top I have a super warm winter jacket that I under layer with various weight thermal tops (get them with zippers to regulate heat), and if it's really cold I add a relatively thin insulated vest to keep my core warm without bulking me up too much. Top it off with anything from a ball cap, to a moderately warm hat, to a super warm hat, depending upon the temps and your activity level. Make sure to get warm 1/2 finger gloves that promote blood flow to your fingers while still allowing dexterity- Simms makes several great options for fishing gloves. If it's going to be windy or wet, top it off with a quality Gore-Tex raincoat to break the wind and keep you dry (mandatory gear for you Great Lakes Steelheaders). I love to have a warm hood attached to at least one clothing item, to pop up over my head if it gets windy or I start cooling off too much. And that's my system.
Click this Thomas & Thomas blog link for a very recent review I wrote about their awesome new Contact 10' 8" #6 rod for Steelhead & Lake Run Trout/Landlocks: https://thomasandthomas.com/blogs/news/torrey-collins-contact-1086
Matt Supinski's hot new "Nexus" book:
Myself (Torrey) & my girlfriend Mandy contributed to Matt Supinkski's brand new book "The Brown Trout-Atlantic Salmon Nexus" (generally abreviated to just "Nexus"). We just got in a bunch of copies of it last week. He used a handful of images from/of me & Mandy, and in the Euro/Tight-Line section he used some stuff I wrote for him. It's a big book full of beautiful images and piles of information about the two species. It looks like a $50 book, but it's only $29.95. Many of my friends are in it, including some big name peeps, as well as some less known but highly skilled anglers. I haven't been able to read it cover-to-cover yet, but I'm very impressed with the final product so far. Of course, I may be a little biased haha.
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| The new "Nexus" book Mandy & I are in :) |
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| A pic of Mandy from "Nexus" |
Check out this link to my blog post on 10 of my favorite books on a variety of subjects:
http://www.farmingtonriver.com/classes-news-reviews/10-of-torreys-favorite-books-december-2018/
I'll be doing more blog posts on recommended books in the future, there are many great books out there.
Flows as of 9am Monday 12/31:
Riverton is high at 636cfs, downstream of the Still River the total flow is also high but fishable in many spots at 856cfs (the Still is adding in 220cfs). Conditions can change as a result of rainfall and varying MDC dam releases- rain, possibly up to 1" plus, is forecasted for Monday afternoon/night, so keep an eye on the flow graphs. MDC has to get Colebrook Reservoir down to acceptable flood control levels, as stipulated by the Army Corps of Engineers, and the lake level there is still too high. 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 was 500cfs last I knew, it joins the West Branch about 3/8 mile below UpCountry, making it even higher below that.
Winter fishing conditions are here with water temps averaging mid/upper 30s, so look for fish in
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| A favorite image of mine Matt Supinski used in "Nexus" |
A tip for streamer fishermen:
December can be a great time to catch a hungry, post-spawn trophy brown on a streamer, but you have to tailor your tackle & presentation to the winter conditions. While you may find exceptions, in general trout want their streamers slow & deep in the winter. This means swinging them, or slowly stripping them in with longer pauses. The #1 mistake I see anglers making when streamer fishing in cold water is fishing them too fast. In May with 55 degree water temps, yes you can and often should "rip them in". But generally not when water temps are in the 30s, trout are too lethargic and normally won't aggressively chase at those temps (with occasional exceptions of course). There always are exceptions to this, so try a fast retrieve at some point too. The #2 mistake I see anglers make is either too much weight and/or fly lines that sink too fast. If you fish a 200-300 grain line, and doubly so if you pair it with a heavily weighted streamer, you will have to rip it in to keep it from hanging up, or you will have to fish it in fast water that doesn't hold trout this time of year. Winter trout will hold in slower water that does not require a lot of weight or fly lines that sink 6-8" per second to reach them. I typically have my best results this time of year targeting the softer water with either a 1) floating line and a weighted streamer and/or split shot to get it down, or 2) using a slower sinking line with an unweighted fly. If you can find some medium slow water with fairly even current, one of my favorite presentations is this: throw straight across and give a quick upstream mend to sink your fly. Once you think you are near (not on) the bottom, throw one or two downstream mends to make a big downstream line belly. This will let your fly swim broadside to the current & trout, straight across the current at just the right speed. Atlantic Salmon anglers call this the "Crossfield Draw". I use this presentation anytime the water is below 45 degrees and the current is fairly even so I can get a nice swing, and it's very effective.
Fly Advice:
Due to all the above normal flows this fall "Junk Flies" like Mops, Squirmey Worms, Mops & Green Weenies, etc. have been top producers. Eggs will remain a fly of choice straight through the winter and into early spring, Mops are great in higher water, and a hot pink Squirmy can be the ticket in off-color water. Streamers in colors like olive, white, and brown have been above average colors, but make sure to experiment, and with cold water temps fish your streamers s-l-o-w-l-y & deeply. Black or yellow streamers are good if the water is dirty. 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 Pool and sometimes Beaver Pool also. 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.
FYI elevated 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 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 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.
In early winter 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.
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| Light colored oval area is a trout Redd- don't step on it!! |
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:
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| 31" of Steelhead on my T&T Contact 10' 8" #6 & Hatch Finatic 5 Plus |
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, but can range from mid 30s to low 40s depending upon the weather, time of day, and specific location. 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.
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 about 675cfs & 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:
-Winter Caddis: #18-24 pupa & adults (early/mid AM, this is main/major December hatch)
-Midges #20-28 (late morns through afternoons, light hatch)
Nymphs:
-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 (Haast Haze, 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, winter fishing, 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:
Early winter can be 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, especially for bigger fish, gotta appeal to their aggression & hunger), especially in colors like olive, white, black, brown, yellow, or combinations of colors (a little yellow, orange or white mixed in can be very effective)- 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