8am-5pm Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm on Saturday & Sunday. These will be the store hours through March.
Pictured up top is Joey with nice post-brown on a streamer, caught from shore with no waders!
As of 9/1/24, the entire upper 21 miles of river from the dam in Riverton to the Rt 20 bridge in Unionville is Catch & Release until the second Saturday in April 2025.
We recently received some inexpensive used older Orvis rods/reels in immaculate condition, Silver Label Rods & Madison Reels, check ‘em out in the store. They are true classics.
Friday 12/13/24 morning Report:
Not sure on the rain total this week, but it was substantial (over 2”) and needed. This should ensure good flows for the rest of the month, as well as help fill Colebrook River Lake up. This also means we will likely have good flows through the rest of December. They cut the dam back to 50cfs Tuesday in anticipation of heavy rain, and they put the release back up on Thursday. This morning the total flow below the Still River and in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) is 390cfs & dropping- I’d call that medium-high and a nice water level, and almost exactly normal for today’s date (USGS total historic median flow would be 379cfs). Riverton is 175cfs from the dam to the Rt 20 bridge (Hitchcock/Riverton Self Storage), and the Still River is adding in 215cfs & dropping. Water temp in Riverton this morning at 8am was 41 degrees, it reached 42.5 degrees yesterday afternoon. Downriver water temps will be mostly in the 30’s due to the colder Still River. The water coming out of the bottom of the dam in Riverton actually moderates water temps- cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter. Temps will vary depending how far below the dam you are, they will typically be lower as you move downstream away from the dam, and the further downstream you are, the more pronounced this is. Highest water temps are normally about mid afternoon, and sunny days see the biggest temperature increases.
Local guide Mark Swenson already did a Beginner Fly Tying class in November, and will do a 2nd one on Sunday, January 12, 2025. Contact him directly at 203-586-8007 to sign up. Cost is $150 person, with a maximum class size of 6 people. I would expect this class to fill up quickly like the first one did.
With some additional water in the river currently, this can be a good time to try streamers, Junk Flies (Mops, Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Eggs, Green Weenies), and bigger nymphs (like stoneflies). Colder weather through Sunday (30’s with lows in the teens), and then Monday through Thursday will be in the 40s and even 50’s. On the up side, no wind this weekend, and Saturday will be nice & sunny. Just dress warmly and get out there. Cold nights are dropping water temps, which will push most of the trout into wintering lies: slower, deeper water. As water temps rise during sunny afternoons, some trout may push up into the riffles to feed. If you are nymphing slow/deep water (typical in the winter), fishing far away, or fishing in the wind, using a strike indicator is generally better than Euro nymphing. Make sure to play with the depth you have the indy set at, it can make a big difference. Generally just above bottom, but sometimes a bit higher if fish suspend in slower water. Trout like to feed at their level or a bit above, but not so much ON the bottom or below them.
As we move into winter mode, there is no need to start early unless you want to hit the early to mid morning Winter Caddis hatch. Other than that I’d focus on late morning through late afternoon when water temps rise and both the bugs and the trout get more active. Afternoon Blue Winged Olives hatches have shut down with the recent colder temps, but you may see a few on milder afternoons next week. Look for afternoon Midge hatches though, which can bring fish to the surface in slower, wider pools (Church, Greenwoods, Pipeline, Beaver, etc.). Overall, expect to mainly fish subsurface with nymphs and streamers. Egg flies & small nymphs (#18-22) remain consistent producers, and there have been windows of a good streamer bite. Post spawn trout are hungry! Make sure to cover lots of water and play with color & retrieves when streamer fishing. In general with dropping/cold water temps, that means you want to fish your streamers slower & deeper. A jigged streamer fished on a Euro rig can be quite effective.
95% of the browns have spawned by now. Spawned out fish will typically have loose bellies, especially the females. Spawning is tough/stressful for trout, it really beats them up, and a small percentage of them actually die as a result of it. Play fish quickly, minimize handling, and keep their head & gills in the water as much as possible- "Keep 'Em Wet". As they finish spawning, they focus more on eating and trying to pack some weight back on. As such, to a post-spawn brown trout streamers look like a nice big meal with lots of calories. Eggs also represent a big chunk of calories and an easy meal. Unlike insects, eggs cannot swim away, and are calorie dense.
Generally the best fishing is late morning through late afternoon when water temps are highest and there is increased bug activity (exception: early to mid morning Winter Caddis hatch). This is especially true after colder nights. If you do start early in the morning, use flies that are independent of hatching: egg flies, streamers, and Junk Flies (Mops/Micro Mops, Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies). Streamers are normally at their best early and late in the day during low light conditions, and after flow bumps or discolored water conditions. Jig streamers, fished slow & deep on a Euro rig, can be very effective in cold water, often outfishing standard streamer presentations. Egg flies are a great choice, and if you are nymphing, other than egg patterns think mostly small, as in #18-22. Try also olive Caddis larva/Walt’s Worms in #14-16. Otter Eggs work well on extra picky fish that have seen too many egg flies. Lighter tippet (6x) & longer leaders (12’ plus) match up well with smaller flies when nymphing.
A few brown trout are still spawning, so keep your eyes out for redds (the light colored oval areas in shallow pea gravel where trout deposit eggs in pool tailouts, riffles, side braids, etc.). Please don’t fish to spawning trout, let them do their thing. Don’t walk on the redds or the first 10-15 feet below them or you will crush the eggs. Fish downstream of the redds in slightly deeper water where trout are feeding on the loose eggs. As you can imagine, “matching the hatch” will often involve egg flies now. Joey tied up some lighter weighted eggs to match lower fall flows, and we have plenty of unweighted egg patterns too.
Egg flies, particularly in small sizes, will be a steady producer for the remainder of the Fall/Winter. A 4-6mm size single egg fished at the end of the leader will often be effective. While all egg patterns work, the Otter Egg is particularly effective on picky trout as it features a realistic translucent rubber egg at its center with a milky veil over the top.
Many FRAA trophy rainbows are still around after the April 2024 stocking (120 went in). They run anywhere from 20-27”, and are all colored up now after being in the river for about 6 months. Also the FRAA put in 18 large Golden Rainbows, and some are still in the river. They are always a challenge to catch because they stick out like a sore thumb (they are a bright yellow/orange color) and everybody targets them, so they get educated quickly and never get a break from anglers.
Be prepared to go subsurface with egg flies, small Mayfly patterns, Caddis larva, Stoneflies, and streamers. Also try BWO nymphs #18-22, Pheasant Tails/Frenchies, and other assorted nymphs such as Zebra Midges. Small nymphs #18-22 are often the ticket this time of year, with the fly size being more important than the exact pattern. Mops (cream, chartreuse), Mini Mops & Squirmy Worms (pink, red, natural) are always worth a try, especially as a clean up fly after you nymph a run, or if trout are not responding to your usual more imitative patterns. They can also be good during non-hatch periods. Don’t neglect attractor nymphs that have flash, fluorescent colors, UV, or gaudy colors- metallic pink beaded nymphs can be very effective sometimes.
The Thomas & Thomas Avantt II fly rods arrived in March, and they have really impressed us. Slightly more flex in the tip, but still plenty of power in the mid & lower sections, with fantastic crisp recovery and a low swing weight.
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Hatches/Dries:
-Summer/Winter Caddis #18-24: picking up now, hatch is early to mid morning, all year long. Trout focus on the pupa first, and then as the morning progresses they normally switch to the winged, egg-laying adults.
-Midges #20-28: afternoons
-Blue Wing Olive #20-26: afternoons (esp. cloudy days). Later in the day fish small rusty spinners in the same sizes to gently sipping trout in flat water. Hatch is about done, but milder days in the forecast may see some fishable hatches.
Nymphs & Wet Flies/Soft Hackles:
-Small Nymphs #18-22: frequently size & profile is more important than the exact pattern, especially this time of year when most of the bugs are smaller. Generic bugs like Pheasant Tails/Frenchies, Hare’s Ears, Walt’s Worms, etc. all are good choices.
-Blue Winged Olive Nymphs #18-22, good all year, a common item in the drift
-Egg Flies #12-20: Otter Eggs, Eggstasy, Glo-Bugs, Slush Eggs, Sucker Spawn, etc. Fall/winter is prime time for eggs! Shades of yellow, orange, pink, or a mix of those. Try Otter Eggs on extra picky fish.
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16: lots of these in the river, imitates the common Hydrospyche
-Zebra Midge #18-22: black, olive, red
-Winter/Summer Caddis Larva #18 (yellow): can also imitate Midge larva & Black Caddis larva
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-20: imitates a wide range of Mayflies including Blue Winged Olives, Sulfurs, small Stoneflies, Isonychia, and more
-Stonefly #8-12: Worth fishing all year long, big stones are on a 2-3 year life cycle. Often produces bigger trout. In the winter sometimes trout will eat bigger stones when they won’t move for small flies.
-Junk Flies (Mops, Squirmy Worms, Eggs, Green Weenie): eggs are deadly in the fall/winter, and the others are good change-up flies when the usual imitative flies aren’t producing, during non-hatch times, or higher/off-color water.
-Attractor Nymphs #14-20: such as Sexy Waltz, Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies, Prince, Triple Threats, Pink Bead Walt’s Worm, Pink Bead Pheasant Tails, etc. Often work better than drabber, more imitative flies.
Streamers:
December is PRIME TIME for streamers! - Especially colors such as olive, white, yellow, brown, tan, and also yellow paired with other colors (brown/yellow, olive/yellow, tan/yellow, etc.).
-Jigged Streamers #8-12: various patterns/colors, deadly fished on a tight-line/Euro rig, often sorts out bigger fish. Great to use as a clean-up fly after you nymph a run.
-Ice Picks (tan, gray, white, yellow): tied by Rich Strolis, a very nice single hook baitfish pattern
-Wooly Bugger #4-12: assorted colors, try also Don's Peach Bugger
-Zonker #4-6: a classic fish catcher! In white, natural
-BMAR Yellow Matuka #6: deadly fall fly! Also standard Matuka in olive, brown
-Zuddler #4-8: one of our favorites, in olive, white, brown, black, yellow
-Complex & Mini Twist Bugger #2-6: assorted colors, very effective