Friday, December 13, 2019

Friday 12/13/19 Farmington River Report: Trout are still being caught

Once again it's almost the weekend and Mother Nature is throwing some screwy stuff at us with substantial rain overnight (Friday night), and a little more trailing into Saturday. Highs will touch 50 Saturday, and Sunday will see sun & clouds with a high of 41- it will be windy though. Flow Friday morning is a moderately high but fishable in the upper 500cfs range & dropping- the rain Friday night will obviously bump this up. The lowest weekend flows will be up in Riverton in the upper 2 miles below the dam, which keeps you above the Still River- the Still is normally what blows the flow up after a big rain. Higher flows typically means Junk Flies (Eggs, Mops, Worms) & streamers. Target the softer water closer to the banks, out of the heavier/faster main flow- that's where most of the trout will be. Many anglers make the mistake of walking out knee to mid-thigh deep, often blowing the catchable trout

Check this 20" fatty brown trout at the top of this report by customer David Wooley from last Sunday, not bad! Zach St. Amand cannot stop catching trout, no matter the time of year or flows. Despite higher water this week from rain & snowmelt, he caught a pile of rainbows, and check out the big brown (3rd pic down) he caught last week. He's been doing most of his damage subsurface with assorted nymphs (a mix of Junk Flies and more imitative stuff like Midges, depending upon the time of day & water conditions).

Current hatches are Winter/Summer Caddis in the early/mid mornings, and Midges in the afternoons. Subsurface with various nymphs has been the most consistent, and streamers are pulling less but sometimes bigger fish. Higher flows like we will have this weekend will minimize dry fly action, lower flows maximize it.
 
Subsurface is the mainstay, just make sure to fish slow & deep, target the softer/moderate water, and expect strikes to be subtle/gentle. For dries it's mostly either Winter Caddis in early/mid mornings (the big exception to fishiing late morning to late afternoon this time of year), or Midges in the afternoons. Blue Wing Olives are pretty much done, they were light this fall. Nymphwise, Midges, egg flies, small Mayfly nymphs, big Stoneflies, and Caddis Larva have all had their moments. Junk Flies like eggs/Mops/worms have been good in the mornings, and more imitative bugs like Midges, Stones, and Mayflies have generally been better in the afternoons- makes sense because as the water temps rise the bugs get more active. Streamers are another good choice in the mornings before the bugs get moving, and also great again at the day's end when light levels drop and the bigger brown trout come out to play.

Guide & fly tyer Mark Swenson is doing a beginner fly tying class in January 2020, a two day class on 1/5 & 1/12, click the link below to go to that page, it's full now but you can get on the wait list, we may do a 2nd class if there is enough demand for it:
http://www.farmingtonriver.com/classes-news-reviews/

Generally afternoons have provided the better fishing lately (higher water temps = more active trout & bugs). The most consistent action for bigger fish has been subsurface with nymphs & streamers. Makes sense, as that's when most of the real insects are active. With streamers, experiment with colors & retrieves, and make sure to get them deep. Colder water normally means slower retrieves/swinging presentations will generally outfish a faster strip when it comes to streamers- but there will still be occasional moments the trout want a faster strip, so make sure to experiment.

I've been advising people to focus on later morning to late afternoon when water temps are higher and there is more bug activity, and most of you have been doing just that. The one big exception would be the Winter/Summer Caddis, they typically hatch in early/mid mornings.

Look down several paragraphs for a brief write-up about the new T&T rods that just debuted this month: the new Contact 10' #3, the Zone mid-priced 10' #4, and the Paradigm dry fly series. All are in stock except the new Zone.

Less hatches this time of year and dropping water temps means the trout won't normally be in the faster water, so start targeting deeper runs, pools, and softer/deeper riffles. Trout may move into the heads of runs/pools/riffles as water temps rise in the afternoon, so keep that in mind. In the mid afternoons look for rising trout in the softer pool water where the riffles slow down and below that- same in early/mid AM when the Winter/Summer Caddis are popping.

FYI we are well stocked with almost everything you need to tie flies and the proper gear to fish for Great Lakes Steelhead, just ask and we are happy to help.

Don't show up here at first light and quit at noon (unless you are fishing the Winter Caddis hatch), but rather focus on the late morning to late afternoon time slot when water temps are rising, trout metabolism peaks, and you have your best shot at finding feeding trout. It's also a hell of a lot more pleasant to fish during the milder part of the day. Sunshine can be a good thing this time of year, as sunny days see noticeably higher water temp spikes. Fish smarter and maximize your results.
 
Junk Flies (Eggs, Mops, Squirmies) are still top producers almost anytime of day, and are a top choice in the mornings or any time of day when nothing is going on (they are independent of hatching insects). Midges #22-28 have been the main afternoon hatch. Before & during the afternoon hatches, the nymphs/pupa that imitate them can be very effective- usually something in #18-22 will get the job done, even though the adults can be quite a bit smaller than that. The entire river from Riverton to Unionville continues to fish well, so don't limit yourself to just one section or pool, it's literally all good.

Streamers can work anytime of day right now, but especially during low light. Trout, especially browns, get extra aggressive toward streamers this time of year- most are post spawn & hungry, looking to pack in some calories and put weight back on. Go with bigger streamers for less but bigger trout, or small to medium for better numbers but smaller trout- 3" long (give or take) would be the in-between size choice for the best of both worlds. 

Fall/Winter Store Hours:
8am-5pm 7 days a week

We've received a veritable pile of used rods & reels as trade-ins recently. Some are listed on our website, but many of the least expensive used rods & reels are for in store purchase only and are not listed up and can only be found by looking on our racks. Stop in the store and check it out for yourself, there are some really good deals!

Thomas & Thomas has debuted their Paradigm series of moderate action, dry fly type rods, along with a new Contact 10' #3, and a Zone 10' #4. We have most of those rods in stock now, except for the Zone 10' #4. Zach St. Amand has been beating up the new 10' #3 Contact and loves it. Grady & I were impressed with the Paradigms, they are on the moderate action/somewhat softer side, but they cast beautifully from up close to far out and will protect lighter tippet. FYI the Paradigm series won "Best New Dry Fly Rod" in the 2020 Fly Fisherman magazine Gear Guide!  The Contact 10' #3 feels awesome in the hand, and it's a more portable length than it's longer brothers. Due to it being shorter than the 10' 8" & 11' 3" models, it has a crisper action that would make it a very good choice for someone who likes to tight-line/Euro nymph, but also likes to throw fly line with dries, wets, and small/medium streamers.

Flows:
Total 8am flow today (Friday) in the permanent Catch & Release is moderately high but fishable at 581cfs (282cfs from the dam, and 299cfs from the Still River)- those of you looking for lower flows should stay up in Riverton above the Still River where the flow is 282cfs (approximately the 2 miles or so from the dam to the Rt 20 bridge at Riverton Self Storage/Hitchcock). Rain tonight (Friday night) is predicted at 1-2", plus an additional 1/2" on Saturday, so keep an eye on flows- you will probably want to stay above the Still River, up in Riverton.  8am water temp in Riverton was 37 degrees- snowmelt from the rain will likely drop water temps on Saturday.

Lowest water temps are normally at first light, highest in the mid/late afternoon. Currently trout are most active when water temps are at their highest and/or moving upward, the early to mid morning period has typically been slow, fishing picks up as the day progresses and water temps rise. Afternoon water temps usually increase anywhere from one to several degrees, and sometimes all it takes is a 1 degree increase to get the trout feeding.

While most trout are now post spawn, a few trout are still spawning (FYI it can go as late as early/mid January for our brown trout), so watch out for redds (light colored patches of gravel in riffly areas where the female browns dig a depression in the gravel to lay their eggs). Several points: 1) please leave the spawning trout alone so they can make more wild trout, 2) spawning is very stressful, so don't add to their stress by catching them, and 3) don't walk on the redds or you will crush the eggs and kill them- some eggs end up in the light colored redd, but many end up slightly below them, maybe 3-10 feet or so. You need to avoid stepping on the redds straight through March or you can crush the eggs that have not yet hatched. Fish in the darker/deeper water downstream of the redds and there will likely be hungry, egg-eating non-spawning trout there . An egg fly can be absolutely lethal as they are a calorie-dense high-value food item for trout, they cannot escape/swim away, and bigger trout love them. Please do not target fish on redds, or fish that are actively spawning. Let them do their thing and hopefully make more wild trout, it's not sporting to pull them off a redd. Spawning is stressful, so don't add to their stress. There are lots of non-spawning fish behind them that are happy to eat your flies.

We now have Fasna F-415 Jig hooks in stock in sizes #14-20. They are high quality, stronger than average, come 30 to a pack,  priced at $7.25, and similar in shape/design to the ever popular Hanak 450 (which is wide gap/short shank/curled in point). They run about a size smaller than marked compared to the Hanak 450 (i.e. the #16 is more like a #18, and so on)- compared to a standard jig hook they are a full two sizes smaller. Check 'em out if you are looking for a smaller jig hook with a wide gap, shorter shank with a turned in barbless point. These hooks won't bend out when you are playing a bigger trout- many comp style hooks are medium wire, and when you combine that with a wide hook gap (especially on the smaller hook sizes) and a big trout, the result can be a lost fish when the hook bends. I will be carrying this hook all the way up to a #10 in the future.

As of September 1st, the entire Farmington River from the dam in Riverton for 21 miles downstream to the Rt 179 bridge in Unionville is now Catch & Release until Opening Day in April 2020. If you see anybody keeping fish in this section, please call the CT DEEP at 1-800-824-HELP and report the violation. Even if they are not able to respond to it on time, the info goes into their database and helps to create better/more policing of the area in the future.
 
Zach St. Amand, one of the top local guides and frequent flyer in our big fish pictures, is leading a trip with Andes Drifters to Patagonia for big wild trout, February 8-15th 2019. He still has some availability, call him at 646-641-5618 to find out more or to get onboard.
 
Hours:
8am-5pm, 7 days a week through March.

Hatches/Dries: 
-Midges #20-32:(late morn thru afternoon)  
-Summer/Winter Caddis #18-24: pupa & adults (early/mid AM)

Nymphs
-"Junk Flies" #8-16 (Eggs, Mops, Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies)
-Pheasant Tail/Quasimodos/Frenchies #14-22
-Zebra Midge #18-22 (black, olive, red)
-Olive Nymphs #16-20 (various patterns)  
-Large Stoneflies/Pat's Rubber Legs #8-12 (gold/yellow, brown, black)
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16 
-Cased Caddis #12-14       
-Antoine's Perdigons (various colors) #14-20
-Attractor Nymphs #14-20 (Haast Haze, Rainbow Warrior, Blue Lightning Bug, Miller's Victim, 
   Triple Threat, etc.) -anything flashy, gaudy, or with a hot spot

Soft-Hackles/Wet Flies:
-Make sure to fish them deep (near the bottom) this time of year (water is cold, trout won't move far to eat your fly: use a sinking leader, sink-tip, sinking line, or a heavier tungsten bead pattern as your point (end) fly. You can also fish them in a nymph rig paired up with split shot or a tungsten bead weighted nymph to get them down to the trout's level.
-Assorted Patterns #10-16: Hare's Ear, Partridge & Orange, Partridge & Flash, Pheasant Tail, Starling & Herl, Leadwing Coachman, etc. 
   -most effective fished 2-3 at a time on tag-end droppers

Streamers
-BMAR Yellow Matuka #6
-Complex Twist Bugger #2- assorted colors
-Sculp Snack #8 (George Daniel pattern)
-Home Invader #2-6- tan, black, white, yellow 
-Foxeee Red Clouser Minnow #6
-Dude Friendly #8 (white, yellow, natural)
-Woolly Buggers #2-14 (olive, black, white, brown, tan)
-Rio's Precious Metal #4 (Kreelex copper, olive)
-JJ Special/Autumn Splendor/Tequeely #4-8
-Matuka #4-8 (olive, brown, yellow)

Click this Thomas & Thomas blog link for a review I wrote about their awesome Contact 10' 8" #6 rod for Steelhead & Lake Run Trout/Landlocks:
https://thomasandthomas.com/blogs/news/torrey-collins-contact-1086

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/