We are once again open 7 days a week, current hours are:
8am-5pm Monday & Tuesday, Wednesday 10am-4pm, 8am-5pm Thursday & Friday, and 8am-5pm on Saturday & Sunday.
Pictured up top is a stunning 22”+ male brown caught by guide Zach St. Amand this past weekend while giving his son a streamer lesson.
Tom Ames new & updated "Pocketguide to Eastern Hatches" book is back in stock. Definitely the BEST hatch guide for our area, nothing else comes close. This version has some new info, new pictures, and new fly patterns. We will do our best to try to keep this in stock, it’s been flying off the shelves.
Fall
Nymphing Tip:
Small
nymphs are often the key to subsurface success this time of year when
flows are normal to low,
and by small I mean #18 and smaller, all the way down to #22-24.
Exceptions would be Isonychia #12-14, and Stoneflies #8-10. Most
nymphs are small to very small this time of year, especially the Fall
batch of Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s). Overall, small nymphs &
larva are by far more numerous than bigger ones. Some days this makes
a huge difference. Dry/Dropper nymph rigs can be effective,
especially in softer and shallower currents. I know a guy from
central PA that catches an average of 6,000-8,000 trout every year.
Yes, he is retired and fishes a LOT (about 300 days a year), but
usually only part of each day. And yes, he’s a highly skilled
nympher with excellent water reading skills, and he lives near the
best streams in central PA (2,000 - 4,000+ fish per mile for some of
his streams). If he has a secret, it’s that he mostly fishes nymphs
averaging #18-24 on a Euro Mono rig (FYI he also does dry flies &
dry/dropper). He typically uses a 30’ 4x micro leader and 6x tippet
with 2 flies. He reasons that immature nymphs are small and grossly
outnumber bigger adult nymphs, and it’s hard to argue with his
results.
As
of 9/1/25, the entire upper 21 miles of the Farmington River from the
dam in Riverton downstream to the Rt 177 bridge in Unionville went
Catch & Release
until 6am on the second Saturday in April 2026. If you see anyone
illegally keeping trout, call the 24/7 turn in poachers DEEP hotline
at 860-424-3333.
Even if they cannot send somebody in time, they still log the call
and it helps us get more future enforcement.
We
have some of
the new Diamondback Gen IV Nymph Rods with carbon grips-
the previous batches were all with traditional cork grips. Carbon
grips are more sensitive 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.
Diamondback
Generation IV Euro nymphing rods are available. 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 and excellent option for Micro Leaders,
lighter tippets, and lighter flies - the rod has more backbone in the
lower half than you would expect, while having a very soft tip. The
10' 7" #2 & #3 have been the big sellers for us, perfect for
the Farmington River. The #3 is the all around and will do everything
including jigged streamers, but the #2 is great if you fish mostly 6x
or lighter tippet, it throws lighter flies a bit easier, and is
slightly better with Micro Leaders. The 7 weight is a new addition to
the Diamondback lineup, for those targeting larger Steelhead, as well
as King Salmon and other larger fish where you need a stiffer rod
with some serious backbone. Could also be a good choice for hot fresh
Fall Steelhead in heavy water & rapids on heavy tippets. The 6
weight is probably overall the better choice for Salmon River
Steelhead in NY, where you are often down lighter 3x & 4x tippets
and still need a rod that has some backbone to land 10# plus fish,
but has a softer tip so you don't break fish off.
Monday
afternoon 11/3 3:30pm Flow Update:
As
expected, the dam release was increased, but a bit less than the 80+
cfs I was guessing. The Total Flow below the Still River in the
Permanent TMA/C&R is now a perfect 301cfs. Riverton just below
the dam is 171cfs, and below that the Still River is adding an
additional 130cfs. Great conditions!!!
Monday
morning 11/3/25
River Report:
A
big
Wapsi
fly
tying materials order arrived
Friday, I’m still putting it up on the walls.
Joey
has been on vacation, he spent two days Musky fishing last week and
landed his first Musky on a fly rod, and he’s been Steelhead
fishing since Saturday morning. He’ll be back in the store
Wednesday and we’ll hear about his Steelhead fishing in upstate NY.
Last week’s rain really helped things out, and flows
dropped
quickly and it is now clear
and down to a good level. Total flow below the Still River and in the
Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) is 262cfs, with Riverton
right below the dam at 124cfs, and just below that the Still River is
adding in 138cfs. Monday is the day they normally make flow
adjustments to the dam release if necessary, and we should see it
bump due to both to the rainfall, and also because they started doing
a steady release last Tuesday
night to lower Otis reservoir. The water from Otis has to be added to
the planned water release from Goodwin/Hogback dam in Riverton. I
am guessing they will add at least 80cfs to the dam release, and
quite possibly up
to 150+ cfs more.
I’ll update the dam release on here as soon as I find out, should
be around lunchtime today. We shouldn’t have to worry about low
water for a while. Let’s hope for regular rainfall in November &
December to help fill Colebrook River Lake back up. So
far the long range forecast looks good.
Riverton
water temp is 52
degrees this morning, it peaked yesterday afternoon at 55+
degrees. Downstream water temps are currently lower than that,
running from mid
40’s to mid 50’s, depending upon time of day & weather.
This
morning at 7:30am it was 45.4 degrees behind UpCountry.
Water temperatures will continue to slowly decline with long range
highs mostly in the 50’s, and nights averaging in the 30’s.
The
Still River is being augmented by water released from Highland Lake
to lower the lake level there (they do that every Fall, just like at
Otis Reservoir). We should be in good shape in terms of water for
quite a while now. Seems like we are back to weekly rain also. This
last rain put us at about 37.5” of total rainfall for 2025 in New
Hartford, which is right about normal. Historically the total annual
rainfall for here is about 44”, and now we are back on pace to be
right about there.
Grady recently acquired some
reasonably
priced trout-weight bamboo rods,
most are in the $300 range.
They are in the rod rack all the way to the right, in between the
Sage and T & T rods. There are some real values & bargains
here.
Some nice fish are getting caught by anglers who
are flexible in their approach. Be
ready to fish nymphs, streamers, Junk Flies, wets/soft-hackles, or
dry flies.
Watch out for redds (where trout deposit their eggs in the gravel),
spawning is in full effect how, and will be for the rest
of
November. Read several paragraph below for advice for fishing during
the spawn. Still some pretty leaves on the trees, but we’ve lost
the
majority
of leaves due to wind and rain lately. The
Norway Maples & Oak trees always peak late, along with the
Burning Bushes, so there are still quite a few patches of pretty
foliage.
While hatches are overall light this year, at moments
there have
been
good numbers of tan/brown Caddis #16-18 (getting
near the end though),
small Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s) #22-26 (especially
on
cloudy afternoons),
and a few #12-14 Isonychia (Iso’s) are still around but getting
near the end. When they are not rising, which is the majority of the
time, fish streamers, Junk Flies (Mops, Eggs, Worms, Green Weenies),
and small nymphs #18-22. Egg flies get hot once trout begin spawning
in good numbers, which is
now.
Trout move around a lot in the
Fall due to spawning,
so
they can be in one spot today, and a totally different spot tomorrow.
This
is
prime time for streamer fishing, browns get extra
aggressive
due to the spawn. Early & late in the day are the peak streamer
times, and also on overcast days and anytime the water rises and/or
gets off-color. Play with retrieves and fly color. In general, more
aggressive retrieves tend to produce better this time of year,
getting those quick reaction bites.
Brown
trout
are
spawning now, keep your eyes out for redds, the light colored oval
areas in shallow gravelly riffles where trout drop their eggs.
Avoid
walking through them, and the first 15 feet or so below them as the
eggs will often wash 5-15 feet below the redd.
Favored spawning areas typically include side channels and pool
tailouts, but riffles at pool heads can also have spawners if there
is pea gravel present. The bulk of the spawning on the Farmington
River is typically from about mid October through late November, and
the eggs/fry hatch out in February through early March. Walking on
the eggs in this time period will crush and destroy them and future
wild trout. Please also refrain from fishing to spawning trout on
redds, it’s unsporting & unethical. They are stressed enough
already, just let them do their thing and make more wild brown trout.
There are always lots of non-spawning trout to catch, as well as
trout that are still pre-spawn, and soon there will be plenty of
trout that have completed spawning. Some trout will position in the
first deeper water downstream of spawning fish
to
eat loose eggs in the drift.
Don’t
forget about the early to mid morning Summer/Winter Caddis #18-24
that hatch 12 months a year. There are a few Giant October Caddis
around later in the day, typically they are light in numbers. Long
leaders 12’+ paired with long/light tippets (3-6’ and even
longer) of 6x-7x (depending upon fly size) will help present small
dry flies properly to our picky trout in flat water. Be stealthy in
your wading, and it doesn’t hurt to dress in drab clothing. 5x-6x
tippet is appropriate for nymphs. Streamer fishing requires 0x-3x
tippet depending upon fly size and the size of the trout your are
targeting. Jigged streamers on a Euro rig typically match up nicely
with 4x-5x.
A big Hareline
tying materials arrived recently and it’s up on the walls now. I’m
working on a Nature’s
Spirit fly tying order
at the moment. Time to tie some flies for the Fall!
Assorted
Caddis #16-22 will be present daily right into mid
November until the truly
frigid weather sets in, and anglers often overlook them because they
are so obsessed with Mayflies. Caddis are most active in the faster
water: pool heads, riffles, runs, rapids & pocket water. Trout
will gorge on the pupa surface, hint hint. Various nymphs from #8-24
are catching fish, skewing mostly toward the smaller sizes. Caddis
pupa are working subsurface in #16-22 (tan mostly). You can use
specific pupa patterns, Walt’s Worms, and Sexy Waltz (has flashy
rib & hotspot).
The fast water is currently holding
good numbers of trout. FYI after the CT fisheries sampled the trout
population last September (2024), they estimated the trout per mile
in the Permanent TMA/C&R at 2,800+ fish- that’s a lot! And when
they sampled the trout recently (early September 2025), they shocked
up a lot of trout and the fish were in good condition. 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. Also hard to go wrong with a #14-22
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. Bigger PT’s can imitate Iso nymphs. From May
through early/mid November, if I’m nymphing, at some point during
the day there will definitely be a Caddis pupa pattern #14-18 on my
rig.
****************************************************************
Dries:
*Blue
Winged Olives (BWO’s/Olives) #22-26: This is the November Glamour
Hatch, afternoons & eves, especially during cloudy weather. Rusty
spinners also in the same sizes in the late afternoons.
-Assorted
Caddis #16-22 (tan, gray, black): Various species. With cooler Fall
weather here, they are most active in the afternoons, sometimes going
into the evenings. Getting near the end of afternoon Caddis hatches
though.
-Isonychia #12-14: light hatch, afternoons/eves in
fast water, hatch is near the end
-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.
-Giant October/Pumpkin
Caddis #8-12: light hatch & near the end, late afernoons &
eves, use BMAR October Caddis in fast water
-Attractor Dries
#10-16: Mini Chubbies, Stimulators, Amazon Ants, etc.
-Midges
#20-28: afternoons/eves
Nymphs:
-Small
Nymphs #18-24: various patterns, most of the bugs are small to tiny
this time of year, with size of the fly often superceding the exact
fly pattern.
-Blue Winged (Baetis) Olive Nymphs #16-22: all
year long
-Assorted Caddis Pupa #16-22 in various colors (mostly
tan). Use specific pupa, plain Walt’s Worms, Sexy Waltz, Hare’s
Ear Blowtorch.
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-22: imitates a wide
range of Mayflies including Sulfurs, Isonychia, Vitreus, Blue Winged
Olives, small Stoneflies, and more.
-”Junk Flies” (Mops,
Eggs, Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies): Often work when
standard nymphs fail. Especially good on recently stocked trout, and
also during high or dirty water. Egg Flies are deadly from about
mid October through April. Mops are a great “clean-up” fly
after you already fished a run. And worm flies are very good in
higher, off-color water.
-Big Stonefly Nymphs #8-10:
golden/yellow, brown, black, Pat’s
-Isonychia Nymph #12-14:
afternoons through eves, fish in fast water. Use BMAR Iso nymph,
Keslar’s Iso, also Princes & Pheasant Tails. This hatch is near
the end now.
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16: lots of
these in the river (most other rivers too), imitates the common
Hydrospyche, good all year
-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, even in low/clear
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, works all year
long
-Midges #18-22 (black, olive): Zebra Midge, Flash Midge,
Red Iris Midge.
Streamers:
Trout
get aggressive on streamers in the fall due to spawning. The
low-light conditions of early & late in the day are prime time
for streamers, as are overcast days and periods of higher and/or
off-color water.
Top
colors have been olive, tan, white, and yellow. A little yellow in a
streamer can trigger brown trout in the fall. 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
-Muddler
Minnow #6-10: and oldie, but a goodie. Most anglers don’t fish this
classic pattern anymore, and that’s a mistake! Quite a versatile
fly that can be floated, skated, dead-drifted, swung, stripped, or
weighted down & nymphed