Store
Hours:
We
are 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 customer Rich
Foster with a helluva nice brown trout, landed on a subsurface Winter
Caddis pattern.
Current
Sale Items:
-Thomas
& Thomas Contact II Euro rods $535 (were $895)- 10’9” #3 &
#2 are
sold out
-Thomas & Thomas Lotic fiberglass rods $450 (were
$695)
-Sage Sonic fly rods 25% off
-Scott G Series fly rods
25% off
-Simms G3 Waders 20% off
-Simms Confluence Waders
35% off
-Scientific Angler Amplitude Smooth Trout fly line 20%
off
And
as of 12/12/25:
-All
Airflo fly line 40% off
***Sales
apply
only to in-stock
merchandise***
Between
the 40% off sale and our trade-in program,
those of you who have lusted after a T&T Contact II Euro rod but
are on a tight budget should be able to finally afford one. Next
year's Contact III+ (arriving mid to late February 2026) will bring a
new gold standard to the industry, but the Contact II is the
current best and will elevate your game. Bring the rods & reels
that are gathering dust in your closet and trade them for something
that will make your Christmas special.
We
will match almost
any advertised deals
from other stores local or on the internet if we have the item in
stock. We want your business, and as your friends and local fly shop
please come to us first if we can help. Our business only survives
because of your support.
We
are now accepting pre-orders for the first batch of Thomas &
Thomas Contact III+ Euro rods that will be available starting
sometime around mid-February.
UpCountry will be one of the first stores in the country to receive
these rods limited to an initial run of 500 nationwide, so get in
line by giving us a call now. T&T brought these rods to us
recently, and we were blown away. They have two different tips,
including a solid one that enables you to more easily cast lighter
flies, cushion lighter tippet, and makes it harder for smaller fish
to throw the hook. It’s made of a new material that’s twice as
strong, and recovers noticeably faster/crisper. This will translate
into more casting distance, more accuracy, and greater sensitivity.
It's like getting two rods in one. Lengths remain the same at 10' &
10'9" with the exception of the new 11 ‘5“ 3wt. If you break
a rod tip on these, T&T has an expedited repair program that
should have you back on the water with a new tip in less than a week.
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.
Late
Fall/Winter 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 Midges and 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 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.
Friday
morning 12/8/25
River Report:
Many
Contact II Euro sale rods have gone out the door since Black Friday
weekend. We are out of the 10’ 9” in
#2 & #3, but the rods
remain on sale at 40% off ($535), and we still have inventory in the
other sizes. T&T Lotic fiberglass rods are now on sale at $450
(previously $695). We also
put all Airflo fly lines on sale at 40% off (they are redoing the
entire line-up for 2026).
Another
day that feels like Winter today. Nice and sunny, but a high of only
31 degrees. Saturday will be above freezing, and Sunday will top out
in the mid 20’s. Ten Day
Forecast sees highs from
the mid 20’s to mid 40’s,
with nights in the teens and 20’s. Despite
the true onset of Winter weather, we have many good fishing
reports. Brown trout are basically done spawning now, and they are
HUNGRY. Nymphing is
typicallyv the ticket in
December, with fish coming
to
things like Egg flies and smaller nymphs such as Pheasant Tails.
Other good December nymphs include Midges #18-22 (black, olive, red),
small flashy Perdigons, Caddis Larva, Mops, nymphs with pink beads,
and Stoneflies #8-10.
Some
days there can be a good streamer bite. Trout lose weight during the
spawning process, and they are looking to bulk up afterwards, which
can make a streamer a tempting choice for them. With cold water temps
here now, slow down your streamer presentations and get them deep.
The easier you make it for the trout to eat, the more strikes you
will get on streamers.
Water
temps are dropping, look for most of the trout in Winter lies now.
That means deeper, slower water like pools, softer runs, and deeper
moderate riffles. Be aware that during sunny afternoons when the
water temps bump up a little, trout may move into the riffles to feed
at the pool heads. There are often bite windows in the Winter, when
all of a sudden after very slow fishing, the trout feed actively
subsurface for 1-3 hours, so be patient & persistent. Water level
remains at an optimum
medium level.
Colder water means less bug activity and less feeding by the trout,
so expect to work for trout this time of year. Having said that, I’ve
had some surprisingly productive days in the Winter,
especially in December and the first half of January.
Fish will start to pod up, and it you can locate the pod and catch a
bite window, you can do well. Keep your expectations reasonable
though. Work the water more thoroughly with extra casts, because in
the Winter trout normally won’t move far at all for your fly. Think
slow & deep for your nymphs and streamers, and
set the hook on ANYTHING. Strikes tend to be subtle when water temps
are in the 30’s and low 40’s.
If
you are headed out fishing, in general there is now no need to get
out there at at the crack of dawn. Give the water a few hours to warm
up one or two degrees, that’s all it takes to get the trout
feeding. The exception would be the Winter Caddis hatch, which goes
on all Winter in the early to mid mornings (7am
to 10pm would be typical, but it can vary).
Other than that, I wouldn’t venture out before 10am, and I’d
expect the best fishing to be late morning through mid/late
afternoon, when water temps rise and are at their highest for the
day. Sunny days are best of all, they warm the water up more than
overcast weather. The general rule of thumb with trout is, fish at
the time of day when air temps are the most comfortable for you, and
it’s 90% accurate.
The river remains in great shape. 95-98% of the browns
have spawned now. Keep your eye out for redds, and don’t walk on or
right below them or you will crush the eggs. Subsurface with
streamers and especially nymphs has been the most consistent lately.
Look a few paragraphs down for specific advice on streamer &
nymph fishing. When nymphing on windy days, using a strike indicator
makes more sense than Euro nymphing. Strike indicators also work
better in slower water, and when fishing further away or downstream
of your position. FYI you can add an aerodynamic indicator to a mono
rig when Euro nymphing if you need to, gives you a lot more
flexibility in water types & conditions.
Total
flow below the Still River and in the Permanent TMA/Catch &
Release (C&R) is about
300cfs
(a medium water level), with Riverton right below the dam at 238cfs
(medium level), and just below that the Still River the
gauge is frozen currently but is running about 60-70cfs.
Riverton
water temp is
just
over 38.5
degrees
this
morning, it peaked yesterday afternoon at just over
40
degrees.
Downstream water temps are currently quite a bit lower than that,
averaging in the 30’s now, depending upon time of day &
weather. Sunny days will see the biggest water temp increases.
This
morning at 9:45am
water temp
was
33
degrees
behind UpCountry, it peaked out at 37.9
yesterday afternoon.
Water
temperatures in
the 30’s
will tend to push
trout
into the deeper, slower pool water as they drop out of faster flows.
They will often pod up in
the Winter.
Locate the pod and catch a bite window, and you can have a
surprisingly good Winter day if
you show them flies they want with a good presentation (for nymphs
that usually means a dead drift down deep).
If
standard nymphs are not working, try Junk Flies like Eggs, Mops, and
Squirmy/San Juan Worms. Also, sometimes a bigger nymph like a #8-10
Stonefly or
a #10-12 Prince
can convince a lethargic trout to eat when they refuse smaller
nymphs. In
general though, most aquatic life is small in the Winter, as in #18
and smaller.
They
began to lower Otis Reservoir in MA in early November, 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. Still
need a good amount of water to fill
Colebrook
River back up. November
rainfall
helped, and although still low the lake level
has
increased by about 15’
in
elevation.
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.
Blue Winged Olives #22-28 are
waning now and near the end. Midges become the afternoon hatch now, a
hatch that goes all Winter (all
year long actually).
And
in early to mid morning, Winter Caddis #18-24. When
they are not rising, which is the majority of the time, fish
streamers, Junk Flies (Mops, Eggs, Worms, Green Weenies), small
nymphs #18-22 (BWO’s, Midges, Pheasant Tails, etc.), #8-10
Stoneflies, Prince
nymphs,
and Caddis Larva.
Egg
flies get hot from mid/late October through the early Spring, and in
fact I catch trout 12 months a year on egg flies. Trout move around a
lot in the Fall & early Winter
due
to spawning and also dropping water temps,
so
they can be in one spot today, and a totally different spot tomorrow.
This
is
prime time for streamer fishing- when
they
are post-spawn, trout
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 da
ys and anytime the water rises and/or gets off-color. Play with
retrieves and fly color. When water temps are
in the 30’s (now),
you may need to slow your retrieve down and make sure to get your
streamers down deep (use weight flies, split shot, sink-tips/sinking
line, or sinking leaders). Euro nymphing jig streamers and/or
dead-drifting them under a strike indicator can be a deadly way
present streamers to lethargic trout in cold water. It puts the fly
right in their face and makes it easier for them to eat. Twitch &
animate the fly sporadically during the drift.
Although
almost all of
brown
trout have spawned 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 gentle 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.
The majority of the trout that are going to spawn have done so
already, but I’ve seen stragglers as late
as
the second week of January. 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 there are
plenty
of post-spawn
trout.
Some trout will position in the first deeper/darker
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 ramps up in
the Winter. 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 most nymphs. Streamer fishing requires 0x-3x
tippet depending upon fly size and the size of the trout your are
targeting. Small jigged
streamers on a Euro rig typically match up nicely with 4x-5x, and
as heavy as 2x-3x for larger jigged streamers.
FYI after the CT fisheries sampled the trout population
in 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.
****************************************************************
Dries:
-Summer/Winter
Caddis #18-24: hatch is typically early to mid morning, all year
long, ramps up in the Winter. Trout focus on the pupa first, and then
as the morning progresses they normally switch to the winged,
egg-laying adults. Try both twitching & dead-drifting your fly.
-Midges #20-28: afternoons/eves
-Blue Winged Olives
(BWO’s/Olives) #22-28: Afternoons, especially during cloudy
weather. Hatch is about over.
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 superseding the exact
fly pattern.
-Blue Winged Olive (Baetis/BWO) 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.
-Midges #18-22 (black,
olive, red): Zebra Midge, Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge.
-”Junk
Flies” (Eggs, Mops, Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies): Often
work when standard nymphs fail, especially in the off season when
there are not many hatches. 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. Big Stones are a mouthful that
can be hard for trout to pass up, and there are a surprising amount
of them in the river. Often gets you bigger fish.
-Caddis Larva
(olive to green) #14-16: tons of these in the river (most other
rivers too), imitates the common Hydrospyche, good all year
-Attractor Nymphs #10-20: 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
Streamers:
Trout
get aggressive on streamers in the fall due to spawning, and then
after spawning brown trout are hungry and looking to put weight back
on. 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