Tuesday 4/27/21 Tuesday Farmington River Report

Our store hours through March: Monday through Friday, 8am-6pm, Saturday & Sunday 8am-5pm. We are now open until 6pm on weekdays (not weekends) and will be on that schedule through October. When entering the store please try to maintain a 6ft distance from other customers if possible, and as per the governor's decree you must wear a mask/face covering of some sort inside the store. We are happy to deliver curbside if you are uncomfortable shopping inside. Just give us a call. 

Top pic is a beauty by Lane Finley, second down is a real quality fish by Grant Magee. Third pic is yours truly with a handful of recently stocked fat 2 Year Old Survivor Strain brown from after work on Sunday, it ate a small streamer.

Flowis unusually angler-friendly for late April a t274cfs (historical USGS normal flow is 503fs for today's date). Hendrickson hatch has been best from New Hartford & downstream (Canton, Collinsville, Unionville), but look for it to keep moving upstream this week and get heavier where it’s been lighter- highs averaging in the 60s (80 degree high on Wednesday!)should really get things cranking and push the hatch upstream. It’s already up to at least Church Pool, but it will get heavier now in that section. The colder days we had recently kind of stalled the hatch out a bit. Look for the hatch in mid afternoon typically, although the exact time can vary from day to day depending upon the weather. Keep your eyes out for spinner falls, the books say evenings, but I’ve seen them fall here anywhere from mid mornings to dusk so be attentive. They fall over riffles when it’s mild- cold temps, wind, or rain will make the spinner fall not happen. I often see spinner falls concurrent with the afternoon hatch on this river. Make sure you carry some spinner patterns! Don ties a cool Parachute Egg Sack Spinner for UpCountry, and don’t forget to grab some Dick Sablitz Hendrickson/ Red Quill Soft Hackles, and some of Bruces BMAR Hendrickson nymphs.

Subsurface with nymphs, wets/soft hackles & streamers has been very consistent. It’s been a windy Spring, but that eases up for the next few days.I’d expect more good fishing, we’ve had tons of happy anglers walking through the doors lately. All methods are having their moments, and anglers are catching a mix of fresh stockers, holdovers, and some wild fish too. Lots of nice sized fish, including some occasional whoppers. You shoulda been here NOW :)

Stocking Update: The entire river has been heavily stocked several times includingrecently, the permanent Catch & Release (C&R)/TMA was stocked a week and a half ago. Hard to go wrong with Woolly Buggers (black, olive) & Junk Flies (Mops, Eggs, Squirmies, Green Weenies) it you are fishing for fresh stockers. #14-18 Hare's Ears typically work well too. 

We received a batch of the new Hardy Ultralite & Ultralite LL (Euro) rods. While I have not yet personally fished them, they feel amazing in hand, and I’m predicting they will be big sellers in 2021. Euro specific rods received: Ultralite LL series10’ 2” #2, 11’ 2” #2, 10’ 8” #0/2. 9’ 9” #3, and 10’ 8” #3. In the standard Ultralite the 9’ #4, 9’ #5, 9’ #6, 9’ #7, 10’ #4, and 10’ #5. 

The new T&T Contact II series (10' #2, 10' #3, 10' 9" #3, 11' 2" #3, 10' 9" #4 & 10' 8" #6) is a home run, the best Euro rods currently on the market according to most serious Euro nymphers. New improved materials, new guide spacing, down-locking reel seats are standard now, plus a new fighting butt design that is more comfortable. Recovery is noticeably better/crisper, the actions "tweaked" for more big fish playing power, plus the newer materials they use to make the rods inherently store more energy and give the rod more power for casting and playing big trout. The blanks are incredibly strong and much much harder to break, even when you do something stupid. These rods are easier to cast, will give you more distance, and they deliver with improved accuracy. Retail is $825. FYI demand is often exceeding supply with these rods, so if we don’t have what you want in stock get your name on a waiting list.

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Flow:
The Farmington is currently medium at a total flow of 274cfs this morning through the permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) area (historical normal total flow for today is 503cfs), and has averaged in the low to high 40s for water temps lately at the USGS temperature gauge in Riverton- depending upon the weather, river section, and time of day, look now for downriver temps to hit the upper 40s and up to the low/mid 50s or so on warmer, sunny afternoons. Riverton is medium/low at 159cfs from the dam on the West Branch, and the Still River is adding in another 115cfs below it’s junction and it’s dropping fast. AM Riverton water temp was 43 degrees this morning, water temps usually rise on sunny or mild afternoons- it hit 49 yesterday afternoon there. Downstream water temps can be higher than this in the afternoons, especially on mild sunny days. East Branch isreleasing 75cfs about 3/8 mile below UpCountry. 

Hatches/Dries:
-Hendrickson #12-14- afternoon hatch, heavier downriver, light hatch in lower/midpart of TMA/C&R. 
-Blue Winged Olives (BWO/Baetis/Olives) #16-20 (afternoons, esp. cloudy/crappy days)
-Early Stoneflies #14-16: afternoons (especially sunny/mild days)
-Summer/Winter Caddis #18-24: pupa & winged adults, typically early/mid AM
-Midges #20-32: anytime (365 days a year)
-Parachute Adams #12-24: different sizes imitate many bugs including Hendricksons,Midges & BWOs

Nymphs:
-BMAR Hendrickson Nymph #12
-Olive Nymphs #16-18
-Frenchies & Pheasant Tails #12-20: various sizes imitate Mayfly nymphs like Blue Wing Olives, Hendricksons, Paraleps, etc.
-Darker Nymphs in brown, black, peacock#12-18 (such as Prince Nymph)
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #12-18
-Cased Caddis #10-14
-Early Stoneflies #14: brown, black- most active in afternoons
-Egg Flies #10-18: assorted colors (yellow, pinks, oranges or mixed colors)
-Junk Flies (Mops, Eggs, Squirmies/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies)
-Midges/Zebra Midges#16-22: black, olive, red
-Bigger Stoneflies #6-12: golden/yellow, brown, black- often works when smaller stuff doesn’t
-Antoine's Perdigons #14-20: black, brown, olive
-Attractor Nymphs #14-20: anything flashy, gaudy, or with a hot spot such as Rainbow Warriors, Blue Lightning, Miller's Victim, Triple Threats, etc.

Soft-Hackles/Wet Flies:
-Hendrickson Soft Hackles #12-14- Dark Hendrickson & Red Quill (tied by Dick Sablitz- deadly)
-Assorted Patterns #10-18: Hare's Ear, Partridge & Orange/Green/Yellow, Partridge & Flash, Starling & Herl, Leadwing Coachman, March Brown, Partridge & Pheasant Tail
-best fished 2-3 at a time, on tag end droppers

Streamers:
-BMAR Yellow Matuka #6
-Zuddler #4-8: olive, yellow, white, brown, black
-Complex Twist Bugger & Mini version #2-6: assorted colors 
-Sculp Snack #8 (George Daniel pattern) 
-Home Invader #2-6- tan, black, white, yellow 
-Woolly Buggers #2-14 (black, olive, white, brown, tan)
-Rio's Precious Metal #4 (Kreelex copper, olive)
-JJ Special/Autumn Splendor/Tequeely #4-8
-Matuka #4-8 (yellow, olive, brown)

Report by Torrey Collins