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 Rich
Foster with one of several very nice browns he landed Saturday.
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.
Monday morning
3/3/25 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. A big Lamson order came in last week, we are
well stocked on both their reels & rods. FYI their rods are very
good, and moderately priced. Also received some new Sage rods (R8
Classic) and new Rio line (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 any day
now). Currently we are down to the 10’ #3 and 10’ 10” #4, they
are going fast now. Should see the Gen IV rods any day 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. Check
‘em out. We also have some new Fulling Mill nymph & streamer
patterns in the bins, as well as new nymphs and streamers from local
tyer Keegan Nelson.
After this very brief cold snap, it’s
back to spring weather (mostly) again starting Tuesday and onward. 48
Tuesday, and then into the 50’s for Wednesday & Thursday. The
vast majority of the snow & river shelf ice melted last week, and
with the return of 50+ degree weather and 1” plus of rain
Wednesday, this should take the last of the snow and ice out and put
more water back in the rivers. The state started up their 2025 trout
stocking in earnest, and I imagine you will see the first Farmington
River trout stocking soon. Even without that, we have tons of
holdover & wild trout in the river already. In the permanent
TMA/Catch & Release, the state’s electroshocking survey last
September came up with a density of trout per mile in the high 2,000
per mile range (I think about 2,800 if I remember correctly)- that’s
a lot.
Quite a few anglers ventured out Saturday to take
advantage of the 50+ degree weather, and we received some good
reports back. While it’s still a quality over quantity situation,
the fishing is noticeably picking up. Partly due to increasing water
temps (into the 40’s on sunny afternoons), improved flows (more
water, it was low before), and also due to more bug activity- in
particular the small black winter Stoneflies (averaging #16-18
lately). At some point later this month, we will see the afternoon hatch of 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 98cfs this morning, normal would
be 204cfs. The Still River is adding in 129cfs below Riverton, giving
us a total flow downstream of that of 227cfs- I’d call this a
medium level, but about 150cfs below the normal median flow for
today’s date. 1.13” of rain is predicted for Wednesday day/night,
this is a good thing. This will boost the flow, as well as increase
water temps. Also help to refill Colebrook reservoir.
Guys
(and girls) are still working to catch fish, but when you get one,
the average size has been big. The overall much milder weather and
increase in flow is picking things up. Riverton has remained 100%
fishable all winter, but lower than normal. Small Black Stoneflies
are out now, these have been averaging about #16-18, and can go all
the way down to a #24. Pretty sure the ones currently hatching are
Capnia (Tiny Winter Black Stoneflies), there are something like 120
subspecies, and when they are out it helps get the fish feeding.
Stoneflies are active in the afternoons, and hatch best on milder,
sunny days. These bugs are skinny & black, so if you are
imitating them make sure to use slim bodied patterns. Joey put a new
small black Stonefly in the bin to imitate these, tied on a nice
Fulling Mill wide gap hook to increase your hook-ups and landing
ratio.
Water temp at the USGS Riverton gauge was 33.5
degrees at 8am this morning, it reached 37.5 degrees yesterday
afternoon. Sunny afternoons see the highest water temps, which also
gives you an idea of when you should be on the water. The
slightly warmer water coming out of the dam in Riverton keeps the
section above the Still River, (about 2 miles) kept it 100% fishable
all winter, even during the coldest weather.
18” has
been a pretty common size lately, 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.
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.
Small
nymphs #16-20, olive/green Caddis Larva #14-16, Pheasant
Tails/Frenchies #14-18, Junk Flies (Mops, Eggs, Worms) and jigged
streamers (white, tan, olive) are your 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. 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.
****************************************************************
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
-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.
-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
-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 #18-22, good all year, a common
item in the drift
-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.
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.
-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