8am-5pm Monday through Friday, 8am-5pm on Saturday & Sunday. These will be the store hours through March.
Don’t forget to get a 2025 CT fishing license! They are available online, in our store, and at some town halls.
Pictured up top is one of 8 sizeable brown trout nymphed up by Zach St. Amand on Tuesday afternoon during a really good bite window.
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.
Friday morning 3/7/25 River Report:
New product has been arriving every week, we are stocking up. Two fly tying materials orders have been placed and the first one (Nature’s Spirit) arrived already, Hareline is scheduled to arrive Monday 3/10. A big Lamson order came in last week, we are well stocked on both their reels & rods. FYI their rods are excellent, and moderately priced. Also received some new Sage rods (R8 Classic) and new Rio lines (Rio Gold XP & Rio Gold Max). The XP replaces the Perception (1/2 size heavy all purpose line), and the Max replaces the Grand (1 full size heavy, and the new version is rear loaded). Perception & Grand lines in stock are now on sale until we run out of them.
Extra deep discount: Diamondback Ideal Nymph rods in stock are on now on sale for $330 (normally $525-550) until we run out of stock, they are re-doing this series of rods with the latest technology & new tapers (Generation IV will be available next week). Currently we are down to the 10’ #3 and 10’ 10” #4, they are going fast now.
Some more nice used reels in the case, including a couple of Hatch 3 Plus, check ‘em out.
Further down in this report I’ve mentioned the new almost indestructible MT Fly Company Trina’s Squirmy Material, and Joey put flies in the bins tied out of this in both pink & red colors, and he is doing 2 slightly different versions of each. Worm patterns are good during flow bumps, especially if the water goes off-color, and also on recently stocked trout.
Two Pieces of Good News:
The state stocked the river on Wednesday & Thursday. This includes Riverton from the dam down to Whittemore, and also New Hartford/Canton from the 219 Bridge and downstream for a few miles. Remember that all trout streams in CT are catch & release until 6am on the second Saturday in April. The Permanent TMA/C&R doesn't get stocked until April. The second good thing is we received quite a bit of rain, which we need to refill Colebrook Reservoir. They forecasted just over 1”, but we got a lot more than that, plus snowmelt from upstream on Sandy Brook. It shot the river way up on Friday due to the Still River/Sandy Brook, and we are dropping fast now. Water level for the weekend should be nice, the Still River drops & clears fast. We are already down from about 1,800cfs total flow and in the mid 700cfs range (high but definitely fishable) and dropping at a good clip. Water has a tint to it, but isn’t dirty at all and has plenty of visibility. Probably be in the 500’s on Saturday, and maybe even 400’s by Sunday. Back into the 40’s for highs starting Sunday and a lot less windy, and then into the 50’s & 60’s after that. Spring has sprung. Riverton peaked yesterday at about 300cfs and is already down under 130cfs.
With increased water levels and some freshly stocked trout, think about fishing some bigger nymphs, Junk Flies (worms, mops, eggs), and small to medium streamers like Woolly Buggers/Euro Buggers (black, olive, white, tan). Nymphs with hotspots and/or flash should be good: Frenchies, Sexy Walt’s, Triple Threats, etc. Also bigger Stoneflies such as Rubber Legs, Golden Stones, etc. Elevated late winter/early spring flows also knocks a lot of Cased Caddis into the drift, hint hint. When flows are up, remembers that it will push trout out of the heavier main current and in closer to the bank, so fish the near water first before you wade out. Failure to do that will spook the catchable fish before you get a chance to present your fly to them.
Currently we are seeing some small black winter Stoneflies (averaging #16-18 lately). Soon we should see the bigger Early Black Stoneflies that average a #14, and can get as big as a #12. At some point later this month, we will see the early season Baetis/Blue Winged Olives that run #16-18. Baetis nymphs can end up in the Behavioral Drift in the mornings. The peak water temps & insects are in the afternoons, making late morning to mid/late afternoon a prime time to be out. Nymphs & jigged streamers remain the main players. Think slow & deep on your presentations. Trout are holding in medium-slow to slow water with some depth to it, but you will see wild browns move into riffles to feed in the afternoons, especially on sunny afternoons with bug activity.
Riverton USGS gauge is 129cfs this morning (Fri 3/7), normal would be 199cfs. The Still River is adding in 638cfs & dropping fast below Riverton, giving us a total flow downstream of that of 667cfs in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R)- I’d call this a high but 100% fishable level. We should drop another 200-300cfs lower over the weekend. Water temp at the USGS Riverton gauge was 33.5 degrees at 8am this morning, it peaked 35.5 degrees yesterday afternoon (dropped due to snowmelt). Sunny afternoons see the highest water temps, which also gives you an idea of when you should be on the water.
18” has been a pretty common size lately for the holdovers and wild trout, and some 20-22’” browns are occasionally getting landed by skilled/persistent anglers, along with some giant FRAA rainbows that can push 20-24”, with some are even bigger than that. The ‘bows went in April of 2024, and held over way beyond expectations. The recently stocked trout will typically run 12-16”, with rainbows being the most common catch.
Diamondback Ideal Nymph rods are now $330, normally $525-550. As I write this, we still have a few in stock, but very limited numbers.
When flows are normal, small nymphs #16-20, olive/green Caddis Larva #14-16, black Stoneflies #16-18, Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #14-18, Junk Flies (Mops, Eggs, Worms) and jigged streamers (white, tan, olive) have been the high percentage patterns. Try also a Micro Mop instead of a standard full size Mop. Bigger stonefly nymphs #8-10 are sometimes effective when trout are passing up the small stuff. Remember, in the cold water a trout’s metabolism is low and they don’t have to eat much. There is also a lot less to eat in the winter.
Fishing Tip:
After you nymph a fishy section of water, before you leave make one more pass with either a “Junk Fly” (Mop, Egg, Squirmy Worm) or a jigged streamer. It will often result in one or more fish. My personal go to clean-up flies are cream mops & jigged streamers (olive, tan, white). Although most of a trout’s winter diet is small bugs, sometimes it takes a bigger piece of food to entice them to eat. Their metabolism is very slow when water temps are in the 30’s and low 40’s, and they don’t have to eat much, but a big meal can be too enticing to resist. Plus they will move further to eat a bigger fly. Sometimes you have to almost hit them on the nose with a small nymph to get them to eat in the winter, and those subtle eats can be very hard to detect. If you are playing with jig streamers, make sure to try different colors, some days it makes a BIG difference. Top 3 winter streamer colors are normally olive, tan, and white. Other colors can have their moments, but usually one of those three colors will get it done. Freshly stocked trout, especially rainbows, usually like black streamers. Also experiment with different presentations: dead-drift, occasional twitches, actively jigged, swung, and stripped in with different retrieves. Sometimes they will eat it on the dangle when it’s hanging straight downstream of you, wafting around enticingly in the current until the trout cannot stand it any longer.
Don’t forget to get a 2025 CT fishing license, they can be purchased online, in our store, or at some town halls.
There is a new squirmy worm material from MT Fly Co, it’s called “Trina’s Squirm Material”, and it’s the next evolution in San Juan/Squirmy worms. We just got in a second batch of this material, and this time I ordered a lot more and added some colors (the first batch sold out in one week). Unlike normal squirmy material, it’s almost indestructible. Doesn’t break, it won’t disintegrate if you leave it in your car on a hot/sunny day, your tying thread won’t cut it, the tail won’t get ripped off by small trout, and solvents like head cement & super glue won’t melt it. It has more movement than ultra chenille, but not as much as traditional squirmy material. I recommend tying it with all the material trailing behind the hook in a long “tail” (2.5-3”) for maximum movement. If you tie it with just a short length sticking out both ends it won’t have much wiggle to it.
There are definite bite windows when the fish decide to actively feed, and it can go from zero to 100 when the fish turn on, so be patient. Hours of very slow fishing can suddenly get good when they go on the bite. And conversely, it can just shut off and go dead suddenly. These windows typically last 1-3 hours. As water temps rise during the afternoons and bugs get active (especially on sunny days), some trout (especially wild browns) will push up into the riffles to feed. This can also happen in mid to late mornings when it’s sunny and you get some behavioral drift of nymphs. Sunny days will raise water temps more than mild air temps will on a cloudy day.
If you are nymphing slower/deeper water, fishing far away, fishing below you, or fishing in the wind, using a strike indicator is generally better than Euro nymphing. FYI you can fish an indy with either fly line or a mono rig. Mono rig lets you hold line off the water and also helps prevent your guides from icing up as fast, but fly line lets you fish further away and you can also roll cast it (unlike a Mono rig). Make sure to play with the depth you have the indy set at, it can make a big difference. Generally you want your flies 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.
Many FRAA trophy rainbows are still around after the April 2024 stocking (120 went in) and they are getting caught on a regular basis. They run anywhere from 20-27”, and are all colored up now after being in the river for about 10 months. Also the FRAA put in 18 large Golden Rainbows last April, and amazingly a few are still around. They are 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.
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:
-Small/Tiny
Black Winter Stoneflies #16-24: afternoons, averaging about #16-18
currently, can be smaller than that too
-Summer/Winter Caddis
#18-24: hatch is typically 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, sunny/milder days are best
Nymphs
& Wet Flies/Soft Hackles:
-Small Nymphs #16-20:
frequently size & profile are 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.
-Black Stonefly
#16-18: afternoons, imitates what is currently hatching
-Egg
Flies #12-20: Otter Eggs, Eggstasy, Glo-Bugs, Slush Eggs, Sucker
Spawn, etc. Mid fall through April is a great 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 (most others too), imitates the common Hydrospyche, good
winter/early spring fly
-Cased Caddis #10-14: good this time of
year, especially during & after flow bumps
-Winter/Summer
Caddis Larva #18 (yellow): can also imitate Midge larva & Black
Caddis larva, good winter nymph
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies
#12-20: imitates a wide range of Mayflies including Blue Winged
Olives, Sulfurs, small Stoneflies, Isonychia, and more
-Blue
Winged Olive Nymphs #16-18, good all year, a common item in the
drift, should start hatching soon
-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, some days trout will eat bigger
Stones when they won’t move for small flies or Junk Flies.
Golden/yellow, brown, black.
-Junk Flies (Mops/Micro Mops,
Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Eggs, Green Weenie): eggs are deadly in
the fall/winter/early spring, and the others are good change-up flies
when the usual imitative flies aren’t producing, during non-hatch
times, cold water, on recently stocked trout, or during
higher/off-color water.
-Attractor Nymphs #14-20: such as Sexy
Waltz, Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies, Prince, Triple Threats, Pink Bead
Walt’s Worm/Pheasant Tails/Hare’s Ear, etc. Often work better
than drabber, more imitative flies, especially in the winter.
-Midges
#18-22 (black, olive, red): Zebra Midge, Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge.
A staple winter bug, fish mainly in slower water in the afternoons
when the pupa are active & hatching. Larva can be fished in
mid/late mornings.
Streamers:
Don’t
neglect streamers! - top 3 winter colors are normally olive, tan,
and white. Try black during low light (first & last light) and
high/dirty water. Black is also deadly on recently stocked rainbow
trout.
-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
-Woolly 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