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 the best of 3 browns landed by Jim DeCesare during a one hour evening session, jig streamer for the win.
We will have some great in-store sales on Black Friday weekend.
Tom Ames new & updated "Pocketguide to Eastern Hatches" book is 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, and
by small I mean #18’s all the way down to #22-24. Exception would
be Stoneflies #8-10 & Mops. 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. 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.
Saturday
11/29/25 Afternoon
River Report:
Total
flow below the Still River and in the Permanent TMA/Catch &
Release (C&R) is 308cfs
(a medium/nice water level), with Riverton right below the dam at
244cfs
(they
increased the release by about 90cfs on Monday 11/10),
and just below that the Still River is adding in 64cfs.
Riverton water temp was
49.5
degrees
this morning, it peaked yesterday afternoon at 51
degrees.
Downstream water temps are currently lower than that, running from
low
to high
40’s,
depending upon time of day & weather.
This
morning at 7:30am water temp
was
43
degrees
behind UpCountry.
Water
temperatures will continue to slowly decline with long range highs
averaging in
the 40’s, and nights mostly
in the
30’s.
They recently began to lower Otis Reservoir in
MA, and that water has to be added to the dam release in CT. Also,
the Still River flow 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 a while now. Seems
like we are also back to weekly rain. Still need a good amount of
water to boost Colebrook River Lake water level.
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), there
are still some spawning brown trout, and will be for the rest
of
November. Read several paragraphs
below
for advice for fishing during the spawn. Foliage
is almost all gone now, just a few splashes of color here &
there, and rain and wind in the forecast will take the rest of it
down ASAP.
The
Glamour Hatch in November is small Blue Winged Olives #22-28, they
will hatch well into December in the afternoons. Afternoon hatches of
small to very small Midges are also a possibility.
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. Also try Caddis Larva & bigger Stoneflies.
Egg
flies get hot from mid/late October through the early Spring. 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, and then after they spawn they are depleted, very
hungry, and on the hunt for bigger food items. 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. When
water temps get truly chilly, then you may need to slow your retrieve
down and make sure to get your streamers down deep.
Some
brown
trout
are
still spawning, 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, this hatch is
ramping up as
the weather gets chillier. 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!
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.
****************************************************************
Dries:
***Blue
Winged Olives (BWO’s/Olives) #22-28: This is the November Glamour
Hatch, afternoons & eves, especially during cloudy weather.
Goes
in to December. Rusty spinners also in the same sizes in the late
afternoons.
-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. This hatch ramps up in the
Winter
when the weather gets truly cold.
-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
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-22: imitates a wide range of
Mayflies including Sulfurs, Isonychia, Vitreus, Blue Winged Olives,
small Stoneflies, and more.
-”Junk Flies” (Eggs, Mops,
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
-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