8am-6pm Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm on Saturday & Sunday.
Pictured up top is customer Brent coming up with another solid brown trout. He paid his dues with time on the river, and now he is reaping the results. There is no substitute for time on the water!
We scored 4 boxes of unusually good used books recently. Definitely some classics, collectibles, and autographed copies too. Everything has been processed, fairly priced, and is up on the shelves & walls. Come check it out, if you’re into books on fly fishing for trout, you should be able to find at least a book or two you like before they sell out.
Friday 9/6 morning Report:
Flow was cut very low this week to accommodate the state’s electroshocking 9/4 through 9/6, which should wrap up this morning (Friday 9/6). They dropped the dam release from 250cfs down to 56cfs, you will see it go back to normal later today at some point after they complete the shocking, giving us nice water levels for the weekend. Lower humidity and cooler nights have felt great this week, and it looks like the cooler nights are here to stay, which is good news for keeping the river cooler. The USGS temperature gauge at the Rt 20 bridge in Riverton only tells part of the story. Water temps coming out of the dam creep into the low/mid 60’s at the end of the summer, and depending upon the weather they can rise or fall as you move downstream. At some point, the Still River, which is normally a warming influence in the peak of summer, drops down in temps and becomes a cooling influence. So as things cool off in September & October, the farther downstream you get from the dam, the cooler the water gets due to chilling at night and colder tributaries- the exact opposite of how things work in July/August, when the coldest water is up by the dam. Bear in mind that a hot, sunny day will still drive water temps up to some degree, but with shorter days and the sun at a lower angle it has less effect than it did in the summer.
We are already seeing hints of fall color here and there, and even a few trout engaging in pre-spawn behavior (FYI spawning won’t start until the second half of October). Fishing typically gets tougher in September due to increased water temps from the dam, which both slows down the hatches to some degree and also reduces the trout’s metabolism. Lowest water temps will be in the mornings after a cooler night (50’s now and even down into the 40’s some nights), and mornings will also give you the longest window of better water temps. Your best bets to catch fish here in September are mornings & evenings. Mornings typically means Trico spinner falls (air temps 65-70 for that), Summer/Winter Caddis, or nymphing the fast water with big Stonefly nymphs, smaller Caddis pupa, and small Mayfly-type nymphs. Afternoons can be tougher, but if Flying Ants hit the water (they have been out most days), it can get the trout surface feeding actively. The best evening bet is dry fly fishing (peaks at dusk), with the likely bugs being Isonychia #10-12, Caddis #18-22, Light Cahills/Summer Stenos #12-18, and Blue Winged Olives #22-24. FYI Riverton has overall been slow for hatching in the eves, I’d go downstream of that for the best evening fishing. If you’re nymphing in the afternoons, think mostly small flies size 18 or smaller- an exception is Isonychia in #10-12 from about mid afternoon through dusk. Nymph the fast water, that’s where the Isonychia and many other bugs live.
The state will be electroshocking the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release this week, finishing this Friday 9/6. They reduced the dam release from 250cfs to a very low 56cfs starting Tuesday 9/3, and electrocked on Wednesday 9/4 through Friday 9/6, and they will put the flow back up when they are done on Friday (probably in the afternoon). The East Branch was bumped up from a zero flow to 25cfs. Things will be back to normal for the weekend in terms of flows & fishing.
The Farmington River was stocked Thursday 9/29 from below Rt 219 (the Wall) in New Hartford, downstream all the way to Rt. 4 in Avon/Farmington. Freshly stocked trout will be pushovers at first for Woolly Buggers, Junk Flies (Mops, Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Egg flies, and Green Weenies), and nymphs with hot spots (Frenchies, Sexy Waltz, etc.). Various swung wet flies & soft hackles should work well too.
As of 9/1, the entire Farmington River from the dam in Riverton, downstream 21 miles to the Rt 177 bridge in Unionville became Catch & Release (C&R) until the second Saturday in April. Below the 177 bridge it remains 5 trout, 9” or bigger through February.
Riverton is 71cfs at 8am, with the Still River adding in 19cfs, giving us a total very low flow in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) of 90cfs. This low flow was for the electroshocking this week, sometime later today (Friday 9/6) you will see it go back to normal, probably somewhere between 200-250cfs. Riverton water temp was just under 62 degrees this morning at 8am, it peaked at just over 69 yesterday afternoon. Water temps from the dam creep up slowly in the late summer as the bottom layer of the coldest water in the reservoir gets depleted. Mornings will see your lowest water temps, and they rise & peak in mid to late afternoons, with warm sunny days seeing the biggest temperature increases. Use a thermometer if you are unsure about water temps, especially in the second half of the day. Very soon, as we move into consistent fall weather and daytime highs move into the 60’s and nights drop into the 40’s & 50’s, water temps will actually get cooler as you move downstream of the dam. Then at some point in October the reservoirs flip and the water temps coming out of the dam get colder again.
If you see a mayfly this time of year that looks like a #16-18 Sulfur, it’s likely a Hebe, also called a Yellow Quill. They are a late summer/early fall bug, typically active in the afternoons & eves, and a Sulfur imitation will work for them. Typically a light hatch on this river. Trico hatches (really it’s the spinner fall) are still good and are throughout the Permanent TMA/C&R in the mornings, and at least as far up as Lyman Rock and likely up into Riverton above that now. Air temps in the 65-70 degree range are what trigger the spinner to mate, lay eggs, and drop to the water. There have been tiny Flying Ants out most days, we should be seeing them sporadically through September. Size varies, and they tend to be on the smaller side more often than not. We carry them here from #18-24. These are mating swarms and they don’t happen every day. The best conditions for them is a warm, sunny, muggy day that follows a day with some rain. The other main bugs are Isonychia, Yellow Sally Stoneflies, assorted Caddis, small Blue Winged Olives, and Summer Stenos/Light Cahills. Iso’s are typically between late afternoon and darkness, Caddis normally hatch mid to late mornings and then come back to egg-lay in the evenings, and the Stenos/Cahills are are an evening deal. The majority of Caddis lately have been smaller, as in #18-22. You may see some bigger ones too though.
The fishing definitely is more technical this time of year, so bring your "A" game. Long leaders (12’ or longer) & long/light tippets (3-6’ of 5x-7x depending upon fly size/air resistance) help to get stealthy, drag-free presentations. Smaller nymphs fished in the fast water are catching trout too. Streamers are having their moments, especially early & late in the day, and after rain when the river gets off-color.
Tricos “hatches” are all about the morning spinner fall, and that normally happens when the air temp is about 68 degrees, give or take a few degrees. They mass in a ball up in the air above riffles, and then they fall to the water. Tricos are very small and average a #24. Long leaders with long/light tippets will go a long way toward tipping the odds in your favor with these tiny flies. And speaking of small bugs, you may see #20-24 Olives in the afternoons & eves, especially on cloudy days.
August & September will see Yellow Sallies, which are almost like a mini Golden Stonefly and run about #14-18. You will see dozens of them on the downstream side of rocks in fast water, they crawl out to . Typically, just like the big stoneflies, this is more of a nymphing thing than a dry fly game, but they do eat them on the surface sometimes. As I’ve mentioned before, with the exception of big stoneflies in the morning and big Iso nymphs later in the day, if you are nymphing it’s mostly #18 and smaller this time of year.
Fishing can get technical at times in the late summer/early fall- especially the flat/slow water, small dry fly game. Presentation is important, and sometimes the right fly can be critical, especially during a hatch. If you are fishing dry flies, longer leaders in the 12’ plus range (up to 18’) with long tippets (3-6’+) can be very helpful for stealth and getting a drag-free drift.
We are still in summer mode until things cool down a bit more, which means that mornings & evenings are the peak hatch and fishing times. If you are out after work, try to stay until full darkness if you can, or you may miss the best fishing of the evening. The hotter the day, the more the good rising activity will push closer to darkness. During the slower times of the day, a good strategy is to target the faster, broken water. If you can find shade, even better. Terrestrials like ants & beetles are good midday fly choices.
Farmington trout can be very particular when they are rising to a hatch, especially the bigger holdovers and wild browns, so match the bugs as closely as you can. If you are in between 2 fly sizes, the general rule is to err on the smaller side. If you are nymphing in the summer with a 2 fly rig, make sure one of your nymphs is small, as in #18 or smaller. The exceptions to small nymphs would be large Stoneflies in the early to mid mornings, and big Isonychia nymphs in the mid afternoons through evenings. Both those bugs live in fast water FYI, so that’s the water type you should target. Mousing at night is also an option, especially to catch larger browns- use a short (5-7.5’) leader with a heavy tippet (0x). Early & late in the day are generally the peak times to be out, but good fishing can be had any time of day right now if you are flexible in how you fish (like nymphing), and are willing to fish different sections of the river at different times of the day.
Large Golden Stoneflies are crawling out on the rocks to emerge between first light and mid mornings, they run from about a #4 down to a #12. Imitate them with #8-12 nymphs in the fast water, big trout key in on them. They will be active & emerging from June through October. Look for their empty shucks on protruding rocks in fast water, you’ll also see a bunch on concrete bridge abutments. Fishing these big nymphs will net you some bigger fish, especially if you fish the fast water from first light to mid-morning (until about 10am). You can beef your tippet up when fishing bigger bugs like this for bigger trout- 4x to 5x is not to heavy, and if you have a really big trout located, 3x may be more appropriate.
Wet fly/soft hackle guys are putting fish in the net, and streamers are producing early & late in the day. Even had some good midday streamers reports, with the caveat that they were fishing them in fast water and/or near structure (rocks, fallen trees, undercut banks, etc.). Caddis typically come back later in the day to egg-lay in the riffles areas where they dump into the pools, and they typically hatch in the morning (can be afternoons up closer to the dam due to the colder water temps there). Trout normally feed on the pupa during the hatch, not so much the adults- this can mean anything from nymphing pupa near the bottom, to swinging pupa/wet flies/soft-hackles mid column, or dead-drifting pupa in the surface film. Dry/dropper with a Caddis dry and a pupa fished 6-12” below it can be effective during the hatch. You get more of the classic dry fly fishing with Caddis dries during the evening egg-laying events.
FRAA trophy rainbows are still getting caught & released (mostly). They have been averaging about 5-7 pounds, and some are even bigger. A good amount of trout are holding in faster water now: riffles, faster runs, and pocket water. Also the FRAA put in 18 large Golden Rainbows, and you will see them here & there, along with the leftover ones in the upper river from the Riverton Derby in early April. 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.
Be prepared to go subsurface with Caddis pupa, small Mayfly patterns, big Stoneflies, Isonychia nymphs, Yellow Sally Stoneflies #14-18, wet flies/soft hackles, and streamers. Also try BWO nymphs #16-22 (especially on overcast days), #12-20 Pheasant Tails/Frenchies and other assorted nymphs. 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) & Squirmy Worms (pink, red) 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 are very effective.
The new 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:
-Tricos #22-26: It’s all about the spinner fall, typically early to mid mornings when air temps hit 68 degrees, give or take a little. Use long leaders with long/light tippets.
-Flying Ants #18-24: on the water at some point most days in September, these are actually mating swarms
-Isonychia #10-12: typically a late afternoon through dusk hatch in fast water, starts later on hot, sunny days. This bug brings some large trout to the surface in fast water later in the day. You can also blind fish it in likely looking water or use it in a Dry/Dropper rig.
-Assorted Caddis #14-22: averaging smaller (#18-22), hatching mid/late mornings, and come back in the eves to egg-lay
-Light Cahill/Summer Stenos #12-18: evenings at dusk
-Yellow Sally #16
-Hebe/Yellow Quill #16-18: a few, typically afternoons to eves, look like Sulfurs and are imitated with standard Sulfur patterns
-Summer/Winter Caddis #18-24: hatching in early to mid morning, all year long
-Blue Wing Olive #22-24: cloudy afternoons, eves too
-Ants & Beetles #12-18: very effective, especially when you have sporadic risers without any major hatch occuring
Nymphs & Wet Flies/Soft Hackles:
-Small Nymphs #18-22: frequently size is more important than the exact pattern, especially this time of yearwhen most of the bugs are smaller. Generic bugs like Pheasant Tails/Frenchies, Hare’s Ears, Walt’s Worms, etc. all are good choices.
-Caddis Pupa #16-18 (tan, olive/green)
-Isonychia Nymph #10-12: fish in fast water, mid afternoon through dusk. Try dead-drifting, swinging, and even stripping them in.
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-20: imitates a wide range of Mayflies including Isonychia, Blue Winged Olives, Sulfurs, and more
-Stonefly #8-12: excellent in early to mid mornings when they crawl out in low light onto the rocks to emerge in fast water. They emerge from June through October on the Farmington River, and can produce some big fish.
-BMAR Isonychia Nymph #10-12: fish in fast water, mid afternoon through dusk
-Yellow Sally #14-18: active & hatching in August/September in fast water
-Wet Flies & Soft Hackles #12-16: assorted colors/patterns, try to imitate the main hatches, but also use flashy attractor patterns
-Junk Flies (Eggs, Mops, Squirmy Worms, Green Weenie)
-Blue Winged Olive Nymphs #16-22, good all year, common item in the drift
-Zebra Midge #18-22: black, olive, red
-Winter/Summer Caddis Larva #18 (yellow): can also imitate Midge larva
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16: lots of these in the river
-Cased Caddis #12-14: underfished pattern, abundant in the Farmington. Especially effective after flow bumps.
-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:
-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 fly! Also standard Matuka in olive, brown
-Zuddler #4-8: one of our favorites, in olive, white, brown, black
-Complex & Mini Twist Bugger #2-6: assorted colors, very effective