This report’s fish pics include a nice net filler by Rich Foster up top, 2nddown is Mike Andrews with a handful of gold, and 3rdpic is Derrick’s client with a very respectable brown. Average size of the holdover & wild fish lately has been 15-17”, with an occasional much bigger fish.
Lots of new stuff arrived this week: tons of books (a mix of restocks, books we haven’t had in a while, and some new titles). Flies, beads, new boxes, hooks & Squirmy material from Fulling Mill- includes their Jig Force jig hooks in both the newer Short (short shanks/wide gap) & Long versions. Fulling Mill has some cool new foam fly boxes in red that I think you will like, very well designed & executed. More product is arriving on a near daily basis.
We received big Wapsi & Hareline fly tying material orders recently, and will be getting one from Nature’s Spirit in the near future too. It’s been near impossible to stay stocked in tying materials since COVID hit, between increased demand and in some cases reduced availability due to interruptions in the supply chain. I’ll be doing orders with Umqua/Tiemco and Whiting in the near future too. FYI Whiting products have been in very short supply, hence that is why you don’t see much of them on the wall. CDL (Coq de Leon) has been very hard to get recently too, and real Wood Duck is currently impossible to find.
Sunny days are frequently the best in the Winter, because sunshine, much more than the air temps, drives water temp increases during the day(peaking in mid to late afternoons). It’s even more true now that the morning through the late afternoon is the peak time to be out (morning Winter Caddis hatch excepted). Higher water temps = more active trout, plus it is by far the more comfortable time of day to be outside fishing. FYI in colder water trout often pod up in the pools & deeper/slower runs during the Winter, so if you get one and it’s prime deeper area, fish it throughly as there likely are quite a few more in close proximity. Search the water until you find the groups of trout. Fish more thoroughly & slowly in the Winter, as trout won’t normally move far for your nymphs, and strikes will tend to be very subtle. You need to put your flies right on their nose, and sometimes that takes quite a few drifts to make it happen. Be patient and wait for bite windows when the trout suddenly get more active and decide to feed. The methodical, persistent angler will have the best results this time of year.
FYI ideally look for days with less wind, wind is a killer in the Winter, both in terms of comfort/wind chill and also line management. If you are out on a windy day and are planning to nymph, consider using an indicator instead of a Euro rig. The indicator will anchor your rig to the water so the wind cannot mess with your drift. Wind blowing on a Euro leader will either put you out of touch with your flies (upstream wind), or pull them up higher in the water column and create drag (downstream wind). If you want to be stubborn and Euro nymph on windy days, try to get closer, use heavier anchor flies, keep your rod tip closer to the water, and consider using thinner butt sections that are less affected by the wind.
Cold WeatherAttire:
A major key to Winter fishing is dressing for the cold so you stay comfortable- once you get cold it turns into a miserable experience. But if you dress correctly, you can stay warm and have a good time. Layer up with synthetics (no cotton!!!- it’s holds moisture, “cotton kills”)- mid to heavy weight thermals next to your skin, with a layer of fleece over that (depending upon how cold it is), and a warm winter jacket to top it off. Make sure to either have a windproof jacket or throw a raincoat on top to break the wind. Fingerless gloves for your hands, a warm hat for your head (very important, you can lose up to 50-75% of your body heat through your head), and a thin poly liner sock with a heavy wool sock for your feet and your outfit is complete. Make sure your wading boots fit loosely enough to squeeze heavy socks in without constricting your feet, otherwise cramped boots will make your feet colder due to reduced circulation. Some people buy a Winter pair of boots 1 size up to allow for this, others buy bootfoot waders (they have more air space and are frequently insulated with Thinsulate in the boots. In either case, don’t tighten your boots up as much as normal, a little wiggle room will keep your feet less constricted & warmer. It’s also not a bad idea to throw some chemical hand warmers in your pocket(s) for extra warmth when your fingers get cold. FYI the Simms fingerless gloves are unavailable until sometime in March. FYI many people swear by a Nitrile glove under their fingerless gloves: it keeps your hands dry and warmer, and you still have the dexterity to tie on your flies & fish with them on.
Successful Winter trout fishing requires attention to detail. Both bugs & trout are less active, and this makes the when and how very important. During periods of colder water and less insect activity, fish subsurface but make sure you are fishing deep & slow, and think about using small to medium size streamers, and nymphs that imitate things that are not dependent upon insect hatches- “Junk Flies (Mops, worms, eggs, Weenies) & attractor nymphs (with flash and/or hot spots). As things warm up, the trout and bugs both get a bit more active and you may do better on more imitative bugs like Caddis Larva, small Mayfly nymphs (Pheasant Tails, Hare’s Ears, Blue Winged Olive nymphs, etc.), Midge pupa/larva, medium to large Stoneflies, etc. Whether you are doing nymphs or streamers, make sure to fish them slowly and near the bottom. For nymphs do a double fly rig with different flies (big w/ small, flashy w/ drab, Mayfly w/ Caddis, hot spot w/ plain, etc.), this gives the trout a choice. If they are keying hard on one particular style of fly, clip the other off and use 2 of whatever style is hot at that moment.
Most bugs that are currently hatching remain small, but not all: Early Black Stones #12-16, Winter/Summer Caddis #20-24, Midges #20-28, and Tiny Winter Black Stoneflies (Capnia) #18-24. Overall subsurface has been more consistent than dry flies- this will be especially true when flows are up due to rainfall or snowmelt. Dry fly fishing is better when flows are lower, but you can usually find a few risers in Church Pool almost no matter what. Streamer action has varied considerably from day to day, with nymphs tending to be the most consistent. Depending upon water conditions, fly patterns have varied quite a bit. Typically when the water rises and/or discolors Junk Flies (eggs, worms, Mops), bigger Stoneflies & Streamers are the go-to patterns. Sometimes I’ll double up on Junk Flies under those conditions (e.g. Mop & Squirmy Worm), but typically I’ll do one Junk Fly and pair it with a drabber/more imitative nymph. Flow bumps often dislodge Cased Caddis Larva too hint hint. As flows drop/clear, you may find more imitative and/or smaller nymphs more effective. Most late Fall & Winter natural nymphs/larva are small to very small (#18-24), with a few exceptions (larger Stoneflies, Caddis Larva)- typically a #18-20 is small enough (especially if tied on shorter shank hooks like Scud hooks), even though the naturals can be much smaller.
Streamers fished traditionally (stripped/swung) are often at their best during low light, upward flow bumps, and also dropping/clearing water- especially if you are looking for bigger fish. Try colors like olive, white, brown, yellow, tan.Trout are now post-spawn, hungry, and looking for a mouthful of protein. Bigger streamers (4-6”) will give you a shot at the biggest fish, but expect to make a lot of casts for each strike on an average day. If you want more action but still a good shot at a trophy, drop the size down to 3-4”. Even smaller (1.5-2”) jigged streamers tight-lined on a Euro rig will often catch the most trout of all (and some big ones too), because you are putting the fly right in the trout’s face and making it easy for them to eat it. Colder Water temps in the 30s also make trout more lethargic so slow & deep is usually the way to go with streamers- as always experiment with colors, size, and retrieve.
Fishing Advice:
Many days the best bite window is late morning through late afternoon and often into dusk (peak water temps combined with low light brings often gets the bigger browns out of hiding and on the feed). Try a double nymph rig, with 2 totally different pattern types (bug & small, drab & flashy/gaudy, dark & light, etc.). Don’t neglect Caddis Larva (both cased & regular). A bigger streamer at the day’s end can also put a big trout in the net, I especially like a bulky black streamer in low light conditions during the last hour of daylight. While the red hot egg bite is past, eggs are still effective and will work well straight through the Winter and into even the early Spring. Some days eggs will work quite well, and other days be a dud, so experiment. Trout are genetically programmed to eat eggs: real ones have lots of calories/protein, and they cannot escape. This hold true on all trout species whether they are stocked, holdover or wild. Make sure to pair them up with a more natural looking nymph, this gives the trout an option, and sometimes the egg functions as an attractor to pull the trout to your nymph.
Water temps and best time of day to fish:
Winter weather with cold nights and morning water temps in the 30s means you generally don’t need to start at the crack of dawn unless you are trying to hit the early to mid morning Winter/Summer Caddis hatch. Having said that, there often is a first light bite in the first 30-60 minutes of daylight, even on a cold morning (maybe due to behavioral drift, or maybe due to not being harassed by fishermen all night?).Other than that, the late morning to late afternoon time slot will typically be more productive, as it puts you into rising water temps and more active trout (the exception would be after milder night, sometimes it can fish well very early/mid mornings then). It’s not so much the absolute water temp as it is the relative temperature change. As long as temps are moving toward optimal, it tends to get the trout feeding. Temps moving away from optimal tend to shut them down. For the sake of argument lets say optimal is about 60 degrees (give or take, and it varies according to trout species & river), and water temps of late have averaged mid/upper 30s, so any upward movement of water temps will tend to get the trout going. After a cold night (lets say in the teens or 20s), in the morning the water further downriver will be colder than the water coming out of the dam, because the dam water comes out the same temp all day long regardless of the air temps. As water flows downstream, it will warm or cool depending on ambient air temps and sunlight (or lack thereof). As the day progresses, if it’s mild & sunny the downstream sections can sometimes see warmer water temps than the section up near the dam. You can obviously use these temperature differentials to your advantage, so it’s a particularly good idea to carry a thermometer this time of year.
Hot New Rods:
The new T&T Contact II series (10' #2, 10' #3, 10' 9" #3, 11' 2" #3, 10' 9" #4 & 10' 8" #6) are now available. New improved materials, new guide spacing , downlocking reel seats are standard now (to better balance the rod length), and a new fighting butt design that is more comfortable. Recovery is noticeably better/crisper, and 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. These rods are easy to cast, will give you more distance, and they deliver with improved accuracy. Retail is $825.
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Flow:
The Farmington is currently at a medium total flow of 287cfs through the permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) area (historical normal total flow for today is 347cfs), and has averaged in the mid/upper 30s for water temps- depending upon the weather, river section, and time of day. Riverton is medium/medium-low at 184cfs from the dam on the West Branch, and the Still River is 103cfs below it's junction with the West Branch. AM Riverton water temp was 35 degrees this morning, water temps usually rise a little in the afternoons- it hit 38 yesterday afternoon. Downstream water temps can be higher or lower than this depending upon lows, highs, sunshine, and time of day. East Branch is currently releasing no water into the river.
Hatches/Dries:
*Early Black Stoneflies #12-16: afternoons
*Summer/Winter Caddis #18-24: pupa & winged adults, typically early/mid AM
*Midges #20-32: anytime (365 days a year)
-Tiny Winter Black Stoneflies (Capnia) #18-24: afternoons
-Parachute Adams #12-24: different sizes imitate many different bugs including Midges & BWOs
Nymphs:
*Darker Nymphs in brown or black #12-16
*Egg Flies #10-18: assorted colors (yellow, pinks, oranges or mixed colors)
*Junk Flies (Mops, Eggs, Squirmies/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies)
*Early Stones #14 (black, brown)- matching fly patterns arriving this weekend
*Midges/Zebra Midges #16-22: black, olive, red
*Caddis Larva (olive to green) #12-18
*Cased Caddis #10-14
-Blue Wing Olive #16-20: various patterns with & without hot spots/flash
-BigStoneflies #8-12: golden/yellow, brown, black- oftenworks when smaller stuff doesn’t
*Frenchies & Pheasant Tails #14-20: various sizes imitate Mayfly nymphs like Blue Wing Olives, Hendricksons, Cahills, Isonychia, also smaller Stoneflies and many others
-Antoine's Perdigons #14-20: black, brown, olive
-Attractor Nymphs #14-20: anything flashy, gaudy, or with a hot spot. Try the Haast Haze, Rainbow Warrior, Blue Lightning Bug, Miller's Victim, Triple Threat, Princes, etc.
Soft-Hackles/Wet Flies:
-Assorted Patterns #10-18: Hare's Ear, Partridge & Orange/Green/Yellow, Partridge & Flash, Starling & Herl, Leadwing Coachman, March Brown, Partridge & Pheasant Tail
-in cold water fish them deep & slow using weighted point flies, sinking leaders, and/or
sink tips/sinking line
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)
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. We carry both the standard 30 yard spools and the 100 yard guide spools (guide spools are stored behind the counter so just ask for them). 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/
Report by Torrey Collins
Current Store Hours:
8am-5pm Monday through Friday, and 8am-5pm on weekends. We will go to 6pm on weekdays when we get into April.