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. .
Current
Sale Items:
-Thomas
& Thomas Contact II Euro rods $535 (were $895): 10 #2,
10’9” #4, and 11’ 2” #3 are still available, other sizes are
sold out
-Scott
G Series fly rods $660 (30% off, were $945)
-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 lines 20% off
-All
Airflo fly line 40% off
***Sales apply only to in-stock merchandise and can be bought inshore, or on the website & shipped to your door - call with any questions***
Gift
Certificates are available and can be sent by mail or bought on out
website
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 to
late 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, a $100 deposit will reserve a rod for
you. 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. The
Contact III+ is 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. With the
included second tip, 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 inside of a week.
Friday 12/26/25
River Report:
Christmas
is behind us now, but somehow they are still playing Christmas music
on the radio, go figure. Looks like we are going to get a good shot
of snow later today (Friday), with 5-8”
forecast late today,
mostly after dark. Other
than some parking areas being snow-filled, the weekend should be
pretty decent with some sushine and highs upper 20’s to mid 30’s,
not windy at all either. Overall it’s been a windy December prior
to this.
Water level is medium-low in the Permanent
TMA/Catch & Release, 176cfs this morning. Riverton
above the Still River is 97cfs
(low). The Still is adding in 79cfs.
Riverton water temp is 34
degrees, it peaked yesterday afternoon at 37.5.
Behind UpCountry the water temp was
31.4
degrees at 8:45am,
it peaked at 34.7
Sunday afternoon. Unionville
USGS streamflow is 256cfs (low).
Overall, fishing has been good most days in December, which is historically typical. If you catch a bite window when the trout decide to actively feed, double digit catches have not been uncommon for better anglers. Trout are done spawning and they are hungry. Lately the best time overall seems to be about 11am to 3pm, when water temps rise and are at their highest. It’s also the most pleasant time of day to be outside. Nymphing has been the most consistent method this month, with various nymphs #16-20 getting it done, as well as Junk Flies (Squirmies, Eggs, Mops). We often pair a Junk Fly with a more imitative smaller nymph, it’s a good Winter combo. Jigged streamers fished slow & deep are also a good choice, white has been an above average streamer color in December. Flows are dropping and getting lower lately, but you will likely see a flow increase at the dam on Monday (release is based upon Colebrook Reservoir inflow & water released from Otis Reservoir). Water temps are still cold (30’s) because it is Winter, so focus on presenting your nymphs & streamers slow and deep.
Small
nymphs are sometimes 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 right now. Both Midges and Winter Caddis are small, and
most other nymphs/larva are immature and still small in early
Winter. Some days fly size can make a big difference. Nymphing
is typically the ticket in the Winter, with fish coming to flies
like Egg patterns, and #14-22 nymphs such as Pheasant Tails/Frenchies
and Walt’s Worms. Other good December nymphs include Midges #18-22
(black, olive, red), small flashy Perdigons, Rainbow Warrior #16-18,
Princes #10-14, Caddis Larva, Mops, nymphs with pink beads (PT’s,
Walt’s, Hare’s Ears, etc.), and Stoneflies #8-10.
Some days there can be a good streamer bite. Trout are virtually done spawning now, and they lose weight during the process. They are looking to bulk up afterwards, which can make streamers 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.
When
water temps are in the
30’s (now), look for
most of the trout in Winter lies. That means deeper, slower water
like pools, softer runs, and deeper moderate riffles. Be aware that
during afternoons when the water temps bump up a little, trout will
commonly move into the
riffles and into the current to feed at the pool heads. There are
often bite windows in the Winter, when all of a sudden after slow
fishing, the trout feed actively subsurface for 1-3 hours, so be
patient & persistent. 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 if 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. Slow
& deep for your nymphs and streamers, and set the hook on
anything, even just gut instinct.
If you are headed out
fishing, in general there is now no need to get out there 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 exception to warm days being best of all is
when there is a decent amount of snow on the ground. Warm sunny days
can melt the snow and send ice water into the river, dropping water
temps by lunchtime and totally shutting down the afternoon bite.
Sunny days with highs in the 30’s or less are better when we have a
good snow cover on the ground.
Midges are
becoming the afternoon hatch now that the Fall Blue Winged Olive
hatch is done. Early
to mid morning, Winter
Caddis
#18-24 is the bug.
*******************************************************************************
Dries:
-Summer/Winter
Caddis #18-24: hatch is typically early to mid morning. Trout focus
on the pupa first, and then as the morning progresses they normally
switch to the winged adults when they return to egg-lay. Try both
twitching & dead-drifting your fly, trout often key on movement
with this bug.
-Midges #20-28: afternoon hatch, especially on
sunny/milder days. Sometimes brings trout to the surface. If not, go
subsurface with Midge pupa & larva.
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.
-Midges #18-22 (black, olive, red): Zebra Midge,
Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge, etc.
-Blue Winged Olive
(Baetis/BWO) Nymphs #16-22: all year long
-Pheasant
Tails/Frenchies #14-22: 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 in the Fall & Winter when there are not many
hatches.
-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.
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16: tons of these in
the river, good all year
-Attractor Nymphs #10-20: such as Sexy
Waltz, Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies, Prince, Triple Threat, Walt’s
Worm.
-Winter/Summer Caddis Larva #18 (yellow)- also imitates
Black Caddis larva & some Midge larva, works all year long
Streamers:
This
time of year, brown trout are hungry after the spawn 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. Streamers are also a great
“clean-up” fly to fish after you have thoroughly nymphed a run,
and often will produce a bigger fish than the nymphs did.
Top
colors have been white, olive, tan, and yellow. A little yellow
paired with another color (olive, tan, etc.) in a streamer can
trigger brown trout. Black can be good on recently stocked trout
(especially rainbows), during low light (dawn/dusk), and high and/or
dirty water.
-Jig 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