Another weekend with plenty of anglers on the water, and quite a few large trout landed. Reports & info remain similar lately, with nymphers catching the most, streamer fishing remains good, and some fish here & there on dries. Best nymphs are typically in the #12-16 range and include brown and also black patterns that can imitate the Early Stones (both black & brown) & immature Hendrickson nymphs, as well as Caddis (both the olive/green net spinners & Cased Caddis too), as well as smaller #16-20 patterns that could imitate Midges, immature Baetis/Olives, and immature Paraleps/Blue Quills. Black or olive continue to be top streamer colors, experiment to see what works best any given day, and other colors such as brown or white can be very good also. Dries remain a mix of Winter Caddis, Early Stones & Midges. The adult Stonelfy & Caddis dries can be quite active, so try twitching them, it often works much better than a dead-drift. Water temps yesterday got up to just over 42 degrees in Riverton, and hit mid 40s further downriver in the afternoon. Mild nights with warm, sunny days can push afternoon water temps even into the upper 40s (below Riverton). Total flow in the permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) is medium in the low 300cfs range and very wadeable. Long range weather has highs mostly in the mid 40s to low 50s, with Friday coming in at 71 degrees! Nights will range from mid 20s to low 40s. Overall it's been an exceptionally nice & mild March.
Guide Mark Swenson's "Fly Fishing 101" classes resume next month, the first one will be held on Sunday April 5th, running from 9am-4pm, cost is $150- call the store at 860-379-1952 to sign up. Click this link to be taken to that page for more details:
http://www.farmingtonriver.com/classes-news-reviews/fly-fishing-101-with-mark-swenson-sunday-april-5th-2020-9am4pm/
A you can see in the photos, some customers successfully practiced Social Distancing on the Coronavirus-free Farmington River, and with impressive results. Top double pic is a stunning 22" brown and a Farmington PB for customer Paul Battpaglia, as well as another big brown he also caught this weekend. 2nd fish pic is guide Dave Machowski with a tank of a broodstock rainbow that the CT DEEP stocked in February, I think they put in 60-80 big trout in February, with a lot more to come in the next few weeks. 3rd pic is John Holt, aka "Mr Consistent", with yet another really nice holdover brown. Derrick Kirkpatrick of CT Fish Guides with a quality wild brown in the 4th pic, and the 5th image is Chris Kornatz with a beautiful holdover brown. FYI all pics are from this past weekend.
March fishing per usual remains more quality over quantity, with
many better fish moving into water with some current to feed now that
water temps are rising and the subsurface bug activity is increasing.
Dry fly guys are finding some risers in the flat water in Church/Greenwoods/Beaver pools- look for big, flat, wide pools if you want to throw dry flies. Rising water temps also has bigger trout looking for
bigger bites, so try some streamers. Make sure to get them
deep using weighted flies, split shot, or sinking leader/lines.
Generally you want to fish them on the slower side due to water temps in the
40s, but experiment to find the best retrieve for any given day.
Don't be afraid to get away from the crowds and explore new water,
there
are trout throughout the 21 miles of currently open water. You'd be
hard pressed to find a section that doesn't hold some nice holdover
& wild trout. Doesn't mean they will be easy to catch, but they are
there and CAN be caught if you show the trout what they want (typically a
dead-drifted nymph, or a dead-drifted/stripped/swung streamer). If you
are stubborn and only want to fish one method or fly, you may be in for a
loooong, fishless day. Or you can be flexible, work hard, and catch
some trout- the choice is yours.
Move around, cover water, and look for some less fished
sections for your best result. Some of the better holdover & wild
trout are transitioning into somewhat faster water now,
afternoon water temps have ranged from lower to upper 40s in the permanent TMA/Catch
& Release (C&R) and this is putting trout on the feed and increasing bug
activity subsurface. Especially as water temps rise during the day, look
for better fish in the pool heads, deeper riffles, heads of runs, and
even in the slower/deeper lies in pocket water. The water doesn't have
to be very deep either, many of the fish in the pics are getting caught
in knee to mid-thigh deep water. The recently stocked trout will tend more
to pod up in softer slow to moderate speed water in pools, slower runs,
and gentle riffles with some depth (2-4').
Nymphs
from Early Black & Early Brown Stones are definitely in the drift,
as are plenty of immature Hendrickson nymphs, and the trout are taking notice. Smaller #16-20 nymphs imitating immature Baetis/Blue Wing Olives & immature Paraleps are also available subsurface.
Caddis Larva too (both the regular olive/green larva, and also Cased). If you are over recently stocked trout, continue to
play with Junk Flies (Eggs, Worms, Mops, Green Weenies) paired up with a
2nd drabber/more imitative pattern (Pheasant Tail, Hare's Ear, etc.).
Stockers usually love small to medium sized Woolly Buggers, especially
in black or olive.
The entire river above & below the permanent TMA/Catch & Release
has now been stocked 2x, along with about 60-80 large broodstock
trout (Whittemore Pool to the dam, and below RT 219 bridge down to the
RT 177 bridge in Unionville, about 15 miles of river). Be aware that as
of now you cannot fish below the Rt 177 bridge in Unionville until
Opening Day. We are seeing the bigger #14-16 Early Black Stones
now, some Early Brown Stones too, and subsurface the holdovers & wilds are eating them, along
with flies that resemble immature Hendrickson
nymphs & Caddis Larva too. "Junk Flies (Eggs, Mops, Worms & Green
Weenies) continue to have their moments, along with Attractor-type
nymphs (anything gaudy, flashy or with flourorescent hot spots).
Streamer fishing is picking up, and lately
black or olive have been top colors, but I'm also a fan of brown this time
of year (anytime for that matter!), and white can be good too-
experiment! Try also the following hybrid rig: a weight streamer such as
a conehead Bugger, Zuddler, Slumpbuster, etc. with a #14-16 soft-hackle
or nymph trailed 14-18" of the hook bend- the streamer often functions
as the attractor, and then the trout eat the trailing smaller fly. This
helps turn some of those chases, rolls & flashed into a solid
hook-up. With flows back to normal now (300+ cfs range), you may
find some fish looking up and eating Winter Caddis and maybe Stones & Midges.
Hope for risers, but expect to fish subsurface.
The Permanent
Catch & Release/TMA is almost all holdover & wild trout
currently, with a few
stocked trout filtering in now from above and
below. If you are in the 15 miles of river that was recently
stocked
2x outside of permanent TMA/C&R, be aware that
they often pod up so you have to locate the fish first before you can
catch them- and of course there are holdover & wild trout spread
throughout the entire river, not just in the permanent TMA/C&R. Some
quality trout, especially the holdover & wild ones, and sliding
into faster water to feed in the afternoons
Flows:
Total
8am flow today
(Monday) in the permanent Catch & Release is medium at 324cfs
(198cfs from the dam, plus 126cfs from
the Still
River), normal historical flow for today is
418cfs. Riverton water temps
have been starting in the upper 30s and bumping into the low 40s most afternoons. Further downstream on sunny/mild days you may see an
even
bigger
increase (mid to even upper 40s on mild/sunny day), and sometimes all it takes
is a 1-2 degree increase to
get the trout feeding.
Look down in paragraphs below for advice targetting the freshly stocked
trout, they are often a sucker for gaudy flies & Woolly Buggers (I
like black or olive). It
seems as though the holdover & wild trout have been chowing on
Early Black and Brown Stoneflies that are ending up in the drift, as
well as immature
Hendrickson nymphs & assorted Caddis Larva. Think black or brown
nymphs in #12-16 to imitate
the the Stones & Henny's- it doesn't necessarily have to be a
specific imitation, a
Pheasant Tail/Frenchy/Quasimodo often works well for this, as do other
flies such as a
Prince Nymphs, black or brown Perdigons, and other flies like that. For
Caddis think either olive/green larva in #14-16, or Cased Caddis in
#12-14.
If you are fishing
the recently stocked sections (outside the permanent TMA/Catch &
Release area
and fishing nymphs (never a bad choice), try a 2 fly rig
with one "Junk Fly" (Egg, Mop, or Squirmy/San Juan Worm) paired with a
more natural/drabber fly such as a Pheasant Tail, Zebra Midge, Hare's
Ear, Caddis Larva, etc. The holdover & wild fish will still eat Junk
Flies, but most days are more susceptible to stuff that looks more like
what they eat on a daily basis. Egg flies are the exception to this,
they often work well from about mid Fall into early Spring on virtually
ALL trout (and anytime of year on recently stocked fish). If
you are targetting holdover & wild trout, also think about
including #12-16 black or brown nymphs in your rig (you can
use a Pheasant Tail/Quaismodo/Frenchy or Prince Nymph to imitate Early
Stones, as well as Perdigons in that size range in black or brown
also-with or without a hot spot)- Caddis Larva too. In terms of nymph choice, generally size/shape/color (in that order) are more important than the exact fly pattern. And most important of all is fishing it exactly where the trout are, in a true dead-drift, and then you have to also detect the often very light cold water fly eats.
Streamers will
also work on the fresh fish (and holdovers/wilds), try a small to medium
sized
streamer in black, olive, white or brown (I've often found a #6-12 black Woolly Bugger to be super effective on fresh
stockers, and frequently on holdover & wild fish too- black is just
a color that can be good under ALL light & water conditions, and
rainbow trout often show a particular fondness for flies in black).
Also
try a combo rig where you fish a weighted Bugger with a
nymph/soft hackle/wet fly about 14-18" trailing behind it (tied off the
hook bend so everything is in a straight line)- this rig will convert
many streamer looks & follows into a sold hook-up on the trailing
fly. You can also use this same rigging to fish two different streamers
at once, something most people don't do. As I've mentioned before, when
the water is cold (below 45 degrees), typically you want to fish your streamers slow &
deep, but always experiment with your retrieves and let the trout tell you what they want.
Currently you have the option of targeting holdover & wild trout in
the permanent TMA/Catch & Release section, or going outside of it
and targetting freshly stocked trout (and of course there are also
holdover & wild trout throughout the river also). The recently
stocked fish are starting to get dialed into natural food sources and learn about
avoiding artificial flies- on
average it takes about 3 weeks for trout to get in tune with feeding
naturally.
The Fasna F-415 jig hooks from #10-20 are back in stock (a wide gap/short shank/curled in point hook similar to Hanak 450s, but heavier wire, go smaller, and are less expensive),
and I also added in their standard jig hook, the F-420 from #8-20
(standard length/gap, 1x heavy wire, curled in point). The Fasna hooks
come 30 to a pack, and are only $7.25- the quality of the hook wire,
finish & point is EXCELLENT.
Be aware the Fasna sizing is about a
size SMALLER compared to most other hooks, so you prob want to purchase
one hook size bigger than you might think (eg #14 Fansa = #16 in other
jig hooks). The #20 Fasna jigs are probably the smallest you can buy in
terms of actual true hook shank length. We also have matching slotted tungsten
beads in 5/64"/2mm and 3/32"/2.5mm that will fit these small hooks.
While nymphing is rarely a bad choice, it tends to a the go-to March
technique in terms of catching trout consistently, and it can
produce some large trout too. Streamers can be productive too, just
expect to
get less hits on a typical day, but you are upping your chances of
connecting with a top-end fish. Days without much wind can produce a
few rising trout also to Winter Caddis & Stoneflies.
They started stocking the Farmington River in early February,
due to the nice weather and lack of snow allowing them to easily access
the river in their stocking trucks. The DEEP stocked
the river two times now from the dam in Riverton down to the Rt 177
Bridge in
Unionville, EXCEPT FOR the permanent TMA/Catch & Release (Bridge
abutment from tail of Whittemore downstream 6.2 miles to the 219 bridge
in New Hartford, that gets stocked once a year in April, and as of the
September 2019 electroshocking had an estimated population at just under
2,000 trout per mile in that section!!!). Remember that the entire
river
from the dam in Riverton down to the Rt 177 bridge in Unionville is 100%
catch & release.
Don't neglect exploring and fishing brand new water, there are literally
fish spread all over the river. Look for them more in slower/deeper
water in pools, deeper runs, and
softer/deeper riffles. Mild weather here now mean you may see them slide
into the faster
heads of pools/runs/riffles in the afternoon when water temps rise and
the trout & nymphs/larva get more active, and even into the
pocketwater now (just look for current breaks where trout get refuge
from fast water). If you are fairly certain
you are in a prime spot, fish it THOROUGHLY. Typically they won't
move as far for you fly in colder water, so try to spoon feed them by
saturation bombing good spots with lots of casts. Play with your
weights, casting angle, rigging, fly patterns/sizes, etc. The most
successful anglers move around, cover water, and experiment a lot until
they find the location & winning flies/rigging.
As always, those who
are better nymphers, know how to read water & work hard at it are
doing the best and having the most consistent results. It's still Winter (at least officially haha) and
the water temps have been ranging from the mid 30s to mid 40s, so keep your
expectations reasonable. Also there is no substitute for time spent on
the water if you wanna get dialed in to Winter fishing on the Farmington
River. If you are fishing a high pressure/popular spot, try to show the
trout some flies they have not seen before.
Don't forget about Cortland's new improved Euro rods,
see further down in this report for info, they are a STEAL at $299.99,
cannot beat them at that price point. Available in 10 1/2' lengths in
#2-4 line weights.
Don't forget to get a new 2020 CT fishing license & Trout/Salmon stamp so you are legal! We sell them here at UpCountry, or you can purchase online by clicking here.
The hot
flies vary
from day to day, and can even change as the day progresses, so make sure
to experiment. While many fish are in the classic cold water lies of
slower/deeper water, many are now moving into the faster riffles at the heads of pools &
deeper runs, and often it is the bigger fish
that move there. When you catch a fish, especially when targetting the
deeper/softer lies, fish the area throughly as trout commonly pod
up in the good holding water. It's not unusual in the pools & runs
to have dozens of trout group up in a very small area. If you catch a
good bite window, sometimes you can even rack up some really good
numbers when you locate a pod. Other days you will have to dig the trout out one by one by
fishing hard and covering the likely water.
While dry flies
are not a given in March, there are more windows of rising trout
than you might think at the Farmington River, we are an above average
dry fly fishery year 'round. Ideally you want days
without too much wind, that can wipe out the dry fly action and make all
the fishing subsurface. Surprisingly the Winter Caddis #18-24 ignore
the Winter rule of the best fishing being more toward the afternoons,
instead they commonly hatch in early to mid morings, 7-10am would be
typical but not set in stone. It's not umncommon see them in the
afternoons, and especially if it's windy and then dies down late in the
day the egg laying adults will get active. Usually the early/mid AM
action is mostly on the pupa, and often gently twitching them is what it
takes to pull the trigger. Midges #22-28 are most active in the
afternoons, and especially on milder, not-too-windy days. Look also for
both the Early Black & Early Brown Stones #14-16 now,.
Typically don't create a lot of dry fly fishing (with some exceptions),
but nymphs in the subsurface drift tend to
get the trout feeding subsurface. Having said that, even when they are
hatching I typically do better on nymphs that DON'T imitate these tiny
bugs: Caddis Larva, Stoneflies (but in #8-16), Eggs, Attractor Nymphs,
etc.
Streamers fished slow & deep can move some better fish too for patient anglers- make sure to
experiment with colors as sometimes it can make a big difference in
getting solid strikes, and color preference can change during the day as
light conditions change. Cold 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 and see what gets you strikes.
Some days the streamer fishing is dead, and other days it will produce
some big fish. Be willing to switch methods when it makes sense. Olive,
black, and white are good streamer colors to start with right now,
but try other colors like brown, yellow or tan if those first 3 don't
excite the trout. Also flies with a primary color such as brown and a
secondary color like yellow can be the ticket.
Trade-in Info:
We do
a lot of trade-ins of used equipment, as many of you know.
Please call and schedule an appointment before you bring your gear in to trade-
you need to make sure Grady or I (Torrey) are here to do the trade, and
you also need to make sure it's stuff we will be interested in so you
don't drive here for nothing. If your trade-in is relatively
small/simple and you want
store credit (that's what 90% of people do it for), I (Torrey) can generally do it. However, if it's multiple items or you want us to
purchase it, Grady needs to be here. He can do big trades quickly, plus he's the
only one with check writing privileges (if we purchase your equipment we pay with a
check,
not cash).
We generally give you roughly full current market value if you opt for store
credit, and if you want us to purchase it we knock about 1/3 off what
we plan to sell it for.
Remember that when fishing subsurface,
slow & deep is the name of the game and strikes are often quite
subtle. You need to be on your "A" game when it comes to detecting
strikes when nymphing- set the hook on
anything. Remember,
hook-sets are FREE. "Bite Windows" are common- often
there will be a period during the day when suddenly the fish go on the
bite for a while, and then they turn off. Typically these windows are
1-3 hours long, sometimes longer. Some days will be a grind all day just
to get a few strikes, while others will see steady action much of the
day- that's fishing, and especially so in cold water. Persevere, cover water, fish hard and you will be
rewarded. Remember that it's still technically Winter- cold water, a slower metabolism & less bugs than
the spring/summer means that the trout are more concerned about being
safe & conserving energy than eating a lot. They
do eat in cold water, but far less than when water temps are in the 50s & 60s.
Cortland's brand spankin' new Nymph Series Rods for Euro Nymphing are in stock now. This series is all in a 10.5' length and three
line weights: #2, #3, and #4, and retails at $299.99. These replace the extremely popular Competition Nymph Series.
We have fished the new version in the 10.5' #3 model, and they are a
noticeable improvement with a crisper action, faster recovery, more
sensitivity, a downlocking reel seat for better rod/reel balance, and
improved guide spacing to minimize line sag between the reel and the
stripping (first) guide. The new construction also significantly
improves the durability, and they maintained the stealthy matte finish
to minimize rod flash on sunny days. You won't need a heavy reel to
balance these either. I'm sure the #3 will be the best seller, but the 2
weight is sweet with a soft tip that will protect 6x-7x tippet on big
fish, and the #4 has the power to handle heavier tippets with bigger
flies on bigger fish and can cross over as an Indy nymphing rod too. This series looks like a real winner to us, and
the best under $300 Euro rod on the market hands-down.
Streamers can work
anytime of
day currently, but especially during low
light. Trout, especially browns, are 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 a half inch) would
be the in-between size choice for the best of both worlds.
Winter Store Hours (through March):
8am-5pm 7 days a week
We've received a veritable pile of used rods & reels as trade-ins. 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 debuted their Paradigm series of moderate
action, dry fly type rods in late 2019, along with a new Contact 10' #3, and a Zone
10' #4. Zach St. Amand beat 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 cross over and throw
fly line with dries, wets, and small/medium streamers.
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.
Hours: 8am-5pm, 7 days a week through March.
Hatches/Dries:
