Out store hours have moved to closing at 6pm on weekdays, but staying at 5pm on weekends. We are also closed on Wednesdays, at least for a while.
Store
hours currently are 8am-6pm Monday & Tuesday, closed on
Wednesdays, 8am-6pm Thursday & Friday, and 8am-5pm on
Saturday & Sunday.
Pictured up top is customer &
friend John Antolini with the kind of fat Farmington River brown trout we
all want to catch, he landed it over the weekend.
We have
a lot of used reels at the moment. As such, we have a 20% off sale
on the used reels in that specific case. Get ‘em while they
last! This is an in-store promotion only, no mail order on these.
We
received a small batch of the new Diamondback Gen IV Nymph Rods with
carbon grips- the first batch prior to this was all with
traditional cork grips. Carbon grips are very sensitive, more than
cork, as well as quite durable (they won’t chip like cork can).
There is a $25 upcharge for the carbon handle. We got them in the
popular 10’ 7” #2 & #3 rods, and the 10’ #2. We can order
the carbon grip in any size rod you want though. We have very limited
quantities on this first batch, so don’t wait if you want one.
The
store is stocked with tons of books at the moment, both
used & new books. Also, more used
rods & reels came in, we have a LARGE inventory of
used stuff.
We are once again carrying the very popular
Frabill Landing Nets. They are
very reasonably priced ($35-45), lightweight, and capable of netting
large trout. Rubber coated mesh nets with flat bottoms make it easy
to handle the trout once you net them. Hard to beat for the money.
This first batch sold out, but we have another big batch of them on
the way any day now.
Diamondback
Generation IV Euro nymphing rods are available. I know
many of you have been eagerly anticipating them, and we have the full
line-up, minus the 10' 7" #4 (not available yet, probably in
early/mid fall). The models we have include 10' and 10' 7"
lengths in #1, #2, #3, and 10' 7" in #6 & #7. These rods are
very nice with crisp, responsive tips that recover fast with minimal
wobble. The 10’ 7” #1 is a very interesting option for Micro
Leaders, lighter tippet, and lighter flies.
After walking
through the woods, check yourself for ticks-
they are extremely active. I’m picking 1 or more off the dog on a
near daily basis, and also finding them on me regularly when I walk
in the woods or through tall grass.
Monday
morning 6/16/25 Report:
Last Friday’s
flow cut combined with cooler, cloudy weekend weather lead to some
top notch fishing for some of our customers, with good reports on
nymphs, dries & streamers. Warmer weather (80’s) moves in
starting Wednesday, and when that happens it will likely push the
hatching activity more toward early & late in the day, so don't leave too early. Current
conditions are beautiful with a total flow in the Permanent TMA/Catch
& Release of 436cfs. The USGS gauge in Riverton is reading 358cfs
between the dam and the Rt 20 bridge (Hitchcock/Riverton Self
Storage), and the Still River is adding in 78cfs a little below the
bridge. Riverton morning water temp today is 53 degrees at the Rt 20
bridge, and it peaked out there at 54 degrees Sunday afternoon.
Downstream water temps will be higher than this, and have been
averaging mid/upper 50’s to low 60’s. Unionville USGS is reading
755cfs, a nice level for down there. Most of the water is coming from
the dam, which runs nice & cold, and then mixes with a much
smaller amount of warmer water from the Still River. This means you
can fish way downstream and still be in trout friendly water temps.
You will likely see water levels stay similar for a few weeks,
barring anything crazy from Mother Nature. With water levels back to
normal, some good things happen. It’s much easier to wade and
access most of the river now. And when you get a hatch, you are more
likely to find rising trout. The lower the flow, the more trout will
rise (if you have bugs on the water).
#16 Invaria Sulfurs have been the glamour hatch,
but smaller #18 Dorothea Sulfurs are beginning to mix in to. Not in
big numbers yet, but there are some some so be prepared with more
than one size of Sulfur. Pheasant Tails/Frenchies do a good job
imitating Sulfur nymphs, fish them in #16-18. Caddis #14-20 (tan,
olive\green, black) are also very common, and there are other bugs
too (see a few paragraphs down for detailed hatch info). Hatches last
week were overall light to moderate. If trout aren't rising (not uncommon), be ready to fish underneath with nymphs or wet flies.
Now that we are
coming into warmer weather, don’t neglect terrestrials such as Ants
& Beetles, both can be VERY effective, especially when there
isn’t a good hatch but you have sporadic risers. Air temps in the
upper 60’s and above get terrestrial insects active, so they will
be in play from now through October. You can also blind fish them
over likely water. The books say Sulfurs are a late afternoon to
evening hatch, and they often are, but with the icy cold water coming
out of the dam they can also come off in the mid/late morning and
early/mid afternoon. Tailwaters like the Farmington and Delaware
system often have hatches at times of day and times of the year that
deviate quite a bit from standard hatch charts.
We are in
“Crazy Time”, when all sorts of bugs are hatching, June is a
killer month on Farmington with #16 Invaria Sulfurs being a major
hatch, and now #18 Dorothea Sulfurs are starting to mix in. Look also
for #12-14 Vitreus (looks sorta like a bigger/paler Sulfur, hatch is
mostly upriver now), March Browns #10-12 (more upriver), assorted
Caddis #14-20 (tan, olive/green, black, etc.), Light Cahills #12-14.
Caddis typically hatch best on milder days, so with the warming trend
here now expect to see more Caddis (especially in the faster water)-
they typically hatch sometime between mid morning and mid afternoon,
and come back to egg-lay in the eves. Cooler, cloudy days normally
see some small #20-24 Blue Winged Olives. We are starting to see a
few big Isonychia #10-12, mainly from Canton and downstream
(Collinsville, Unionville). They hatch from about late afternoon
through dusk, always in faster water. July is normally the peak month
for big Iso’s in the Permanent TMA/C&R. The nymphs can swim
like a tiny minnow, so play around with dead drifting, swinging,
twitching, and even 6-12” strips like a mini streamer. The trout
will tell you what they want. You can use a #12 BMAR Iso nymph, Prince Nymph, or a big Pheasant Tail to imitate this bug.
Hatch intensity has varied
from day to day, with light to moderate being typical most of the
time, but there has been some heavy hatching when you are in the
right place at the right time and the weather cooperates. FYI, in
general, most of the hatches get heavier as you go further downriver
as the river picks up increased fertility from the tributaries. It
has also varied a lot depending upon location, with some pools seeing
better bug activity than others, and it’s not 100% predictable
either. Caddis pupa patterns #14-18 nymphed in the fast water work
very well when Caddis are active, and there can be some good dry fly
action during milder eves when they come back to egg-lay in low
light. #12-14 Vitreus hatch in fast water between late afternoon &
dusk, albeit it’s been on the lighter side this year and this hatch
has mostly moved upstream now. #10-12 March Browns are a sporadic one
here/one there kind of bug that hatch in fast water in the afternoons
& evenings, also more upriver now. If they rise to these bugs,
match with dries- you can also blind fish big March Brown dries. Also
fish nymphs that suggest them (#10-12 Fox Squirrel, Hare’s Ear, or
a specific MB nymph). #14 Pheasant Tails/Frenchies work well for the
Vitreus. Evenings are also seeing a few #12-14 Light Cahills.
Streamers can be a good option when you don’t have bugs
hatching (early AM, cold days, in between hatches, etc.), if you want
to cover a lot of water quickly, or when you have high and/or dirty
water. Make sure to get them down, experiment with different
retrieves, change colors, and play with different fly sizes &
designs (length, bulk/sparseness, shape, etc.). I usually start with
a fast strip his time of year with water temps mostly in the 50’s
to mid 60’s. But if that doesn’t work, slow it down, change your
presentation angle, swing them, twitch them, fish them on the dangle-
experiment based upon the trout’s reaction (or lack thereof lol).
Go smaller if you cannot get eats on bigger patterns. Also try
trailing a nymph or wet fly/soft hackle about 18” behind a weighted
streamer, very effective for converting follows to eats, and a great
way to “nymph” if you aren’t proficient at nymphing.
Caddis
remain a major hatch and will be present daily straight through mid
fall. They are most active in the faster water: pool heads, riffles,
runs, rapids & pocket water. Trout will gorge on the pupa
surface, hint hint. Vitreus hatch and are active between late
afternoon and dark, and they hatch best when it’s cooler and
cloudy- look for this hatch in the upper river mainly now. They also
require high quality water, which we are fortunate to have on the
Farmington River. Various other nymphs from #10-20 are catching fish.
Caddis pupa are working great subsurface in #14-18 (olive/green,
tan). You can use specific pupa patterns, Walt’s Worms, and Sexy
Waltz (has flashy rib & hotspot). For Caddis dries think tan
#14-18, olive-green #16-18, and black #20. Seeing clouds of tiny
cream Midges at moments. On crappy, cooler overcast afternoons, we’ve
been seeing #20-24 Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s/Olives).
The
fast water is currently full of trout, they are literally everywhere.
FYI after the CT fisheries sampled the trout population last
September, they estimated the trout per mile in the Permanent TMA/C&R
at 2,800+ fish- that’s a lot! Tight-line nymphing with one or two
weighted nymphs is your best option to probe faster riffles, runs,
rapids & pocket water, but Indicator nymphing is effective also.
Make sure one of your flies is a pupa-type pattern. Junk Flies such
as Mops (also Eggs & Worms) are still very effective at moments,
especially on the stocked fish that aren’t totally dialed in on
real bugs yet. Also hard to go wrong with a #14-20 Pheasant Tail or
Frenchy (just a hot-spot PT). FYI, small PT’s work 12 months a year
and are a great dropper fly when you are not sure what to put on.
From May through October, if I’m nymphing, at some point there will
definitely be a Caddis pupa pattern #14-18 on my rig at some point.
In case you missed it up top, we have gone to a 6pm
closing time on weekdays. Also, we are now CLOSED on
Wednesdays at least for a while, so please plan
accordingly.
Caddis &
General Fishing Tips:
We are seeing multiple
different Caddis hatching. FYI, all Caddis look tan while flying in
the air, you have to get one in hand and flip them over to determine
the true body color. And they are not easy to catch by hand, as they
will actively try to avoid your hand, unlike a mayfly. You can look
for them in spiderwebs. Pupa color should match the adult BODY color.
Tan and olive/green are the two most common body colors, and small
black Caddis are very common now and hatch all year long on the
Farmington River. Tan Caddis can be as big as #14, but also commonly
are #16-18. At the moment the subsurface nymphing with Caddis pupa
and other nymphs is the most consistent & predictable method. I’m
still catching trout on Junk Flies at moments, so make sure to have
some Mops, Eggs, Worms & Weenies. Junk typically either works
great, or not at all. Pair them up with a more natural, imitative
nymph. Caddis are a great bug to imitate with wet flies/soft-hackles
too, and that’s a fun method. You will find the best Caddis action
where the water is broken and has some current. If you have fish
breaking on the surface during a Caddis emergence, a Dry-Dropper rig
works well. Run a pupa or soft hackle wet 12-18” under a buoyant
Caddis dry. Streamers are also a good choice, a great way to cover a
lot of water in a hurry, and also be able to fish the water that you
cannot nymph. They are at their best early & late in the day, on
cloudy days, and during higher flows. Make sure to cover lots of
water, play with streamer color/patterns, and vary your retrieves.
Try tan, olive, white, yellow, black, or combinations thereof.
Kudos
to CT DEEP for their wise management of the water in Colebrook
Reservoir since they took that over around June of 2024. They
were dealt a crappy hand in terms of weather (and by that I mean an
incredibly dry 9-10 months in a row), but they did the right thing
and ran the dam release low so they could fill the reservoir back up,
instead of running the flow according to historical norms that are no
longer relevant due to changing weather/climate. After the April &
May rains we are finally full, and a little over 100%. This means we
don’t have to worry about running out of water in July &
August. They will need to get the lake down to 708’ of elevation by
July 1st, the beginning of hurricane season.
The
first Sulfur we see is the Invaria, they average a #16
and have a yellow body. They hatch in a variety of water types,
mostly in the medium-slow to medium-fast range. While I think of them
as an evening hatch, on the cold tailwater Farmington River it’s
common to see them in the mornings & afternoons too. You can
imitate the nymph with a Pheasant Tail, or tie up a specific nymph
with a yellow/brown body. Sulfur spinners fall at dusk. The second
Sulfur is the #18 Dorothea, they are just starting up and now
mixing in with the slightly bigger Invaria. Very similar to the
Invaria, the main difference is size. And they often hatch later, as
in at dusk. Vitreus often get labeled as a bigger Sulfur
(#12-16, averaging a 14), but they are close cousins to the Quill
Gordon (same Epeorus family of bugs). They have 2 tails, hatch in
faster water (usually between 4pm & dusk), and the winged dun
emerges from the nymph on the stream bottom and then swims/rises to
the surface- most mayflies emerge in the surface film. The eggs
inside the females give a distinctly pinkish-orange cast to their
abdomen, and some people call them a Pink Lady or Pink Cahill. Pale
Evening Dun is another common name for them. March Browns average
#10-12 (can even be a #8 on the lower river) and are another bug that
lives & hatches in fast water. They are a sporadic, one here, one
there type of bug, hatching sporadically in the afternoons &
eves. They are starting up, and we are seeing a few as far upstream
as about Church Pool. FYI 1-2 weeks before they hatch, they nymphs
migrate to the edges of fast water, and many end up in the drift,
creating some good nymph fishing. You can use a specific March Brown
nymph, and also bigger Hare’s Ears & Fox Squirrels. Unlike the
light and sporadic daytime emergence, spinners fall all at once at
dusk over fast water.
Don’t be afraid to explore and
fish new water to get away from the crowds, there are literally fish
EVERYWHERE, including all the water in between the pools. You are
also more apt to get into wild fish when you fish water that isn’t
as busy. Wild fish don’t like being constantly disturbed by
anglers. The further you go downstream, in general the less anglers
you will see- especially if you walk 5-10 minutes away from the easy
access points. Most anglers focus on the famous named pools that have
easy access, and skip the water in between. The water outside of the
Permanent Catch & Release/TMA gets less pressure for the most
part.
Fishing reports have varied widely, depending on
the angler, river section fished, time of day, and methods/flies
used. Overall we are getting a quite a few good reports from smiling
anglers. Dry fly fishermen have come into their time now, June &
July are peak dry fly months here normally. Expect to work for the
high quality bigger holdover & wild fish. It pays to move around
and cover water currently. It one section is not producing, don’t
beat it to death, move to a new area. The big wild browns are the
hardest to fool, you need to do everything correctly. They’ve seen
it all, and they spook easily. They are also very tuned into real
bugs & minnows.
The Permanent TMA/C&R was stocked
in mid April with a lot of brown trout of various sizes- that section
gets stocked once per season. Most sections outside that have been
stocked 3-4 times now, with more to come for July 4th and
Labor Day. FYI, 20% of the trout they stock throughout the state are
over one foot, with some much larger. The Permanent TMA/C&R gets
1,000 fat Two Year Old Browns that average 14-18”, and some are
bigger than
that.
****************************************************************
Dries:
-Sulfur
#16 (Invaria): entire river, especially mid to upper river, anytime
from mid/late morning through evening, varies from day to day and in
different river sections.
-Sulfur #18 (Dorothea): staring up,
light numbers so far, mixing in with the slightly bigger Invaria
Sulfurs.
-Assorted Caddis #14-20 (tan, green/olive, black):
major hatch on all of the river, very active mid mornings to mid
afternoons, nymphing with pupa is currently the most productive
tactic for them. They typically egg-lay later in the day in low
light, in the faster water.
-Vitreus #12-14: late afternoon &
eves, fast water, hatch is mainly upper river now
-March Brown
#10-12: light hatch, sporadic fast water bug, afternoons/eves.
Spinners fall over fast water at dusk. Mainly upriver now.
-Light
Cahill #12-14: eves
-Isonychia #10-12: a few, starting up,
Canton, Collinsville, Unionville. Late afternoons through evenings in
the faster water.
-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/eves
-Ants & Beetles #14-20
Nymphs:
-Assorted
Caddis Pupa #14-20 in various colors (olive/green, tan). Use specific
pupa, Walt’s Worms, and Sexy Waltz.
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies
#12-20: imitates a wide range of Mayflies including Sulfurs, Vitreus,
Blue Winged Olives, small Stoneflies, and more.
-Blue Winged
(Baetis) Olive Nymphs #16-20: all year long
-Caddis Larva (olive
to green) #14-16: lots of these in the river (most other rivers too),
imitates the common Hydrospyche, good all year
-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.
-Isonychia Nymph
#10-12: late afernoon through eves on the lower river, fish in fast
water
-Cased Caddis #10-16: all year, but especially after rain
or flow bumps (higher water knocks them into the
drift)
-Winter/Summer Caddis Larva #18 (yellow)- also imitates
Black Caddis larva & some Midge larva
-Midges #18-22 (black,
olive, red): Zebra Midge, Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge.
Streamers:
*We
have a lot of new streamer patterns from MT Fly Co in the bins,
including plenty of bigger articulated patterns.
***Don’t
neglect streamers! - top colors have been olive, tan, white, and
black. Black is good on recently stocked trout (especially rainbows),
during low light (first & last light), and high and/or 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