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Our hours change starting Monday, May 12th, moving to 6pm on weekdays, but staying at 5pm on weekends. We are also now closing on Wednesdays, at least for a while.
Store
ours currently are 8am-6pm Monday & Tuesday, closed on
Wednesdays, 8am-6pm Thursday & Friday, and 8am-5pm on
Saturday & Sunday.
We have a lot of used reels at the
moment. As such, we are doing 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.
Pictured
up top is our regular customer Brent, who finally achieved his quest to
land a 20” wild Farmington River brown trout after countless 19 to
19.5” fish over the past year or two. Congratulations Brent, that’s a great fish, persistence finally paid off.
We have tons of books at the moment- we received a bunch of used books as well as a big order of new books that arrived recently. Also, more used rods & reels came in, we have a BIG 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 is almost sold out, but we should be getting more soon.
Diamondback Generation IV Euro nymphing rods are now available. I know many of you have been eagerly anticipating them, and now 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.
After walking through the woods, check yourself for ticks- they are extremely active now. I’m picking 1 or more off the dog on a daily basis, and also finding them on me regularly when I walk in the woods or through tall grass.
Monday 5/19/24 Early Afternoon Flow Increase/Update:
As of 9am, they bumped the dam release up from 150cfs up to approximately 260cfs, and by the time it hits the first USGS gauge by the Rt 20 bridge in Riverton (by Riverton Self Storage) it’s reading 287cfs at 1:45pm. This puts the total flow in the Permanent TMA/C&R as of early afternoon at 435cfs (Still River is adding in an additional 148cfs). I would still call these water levels about upper end medium and very fishable, still well within the 200-600cfs total flow “sweet spot”. This is a combination of water being released from Otis Reservoir in MA (they are required to add any water released from Otis to the regular dam release), and also the Army Corps of Engineers needing to lower Colebrook Resevoir back down after all the rain we received in May. 708’ elevation is considered “full” and is the level they like to keep it at or below for flood control, and last I knew we were about 3 feet over that.
Monday morning 5/19/25 River Report:
The total flow on the river below the Still River and in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) is 331cfs, the historical median total flow for today is 386cfs- I would classify this morning’s flow as medium, clarity is very good. Riverton is 181cfs (medium level) between the dam and the Rt. 20 bridge/Riverton Self Storage (historical median flow for today is 240cfs). The Still River is adding in 150cfs and slowly dropping, historical median flow is 146cfs. Riverton water temp is 46.5 degrees this morning, it reached 49.5 degrees yesterday afternoon. Downstream water temps are higher, averaging mid 50’s to low 60’s of late, depending upon the daily weather and time of day. Peak water temps are normally mid to late afternoon, with warm sunny days seeing the biggest temp increases. Unionville USGS gauge is reading 924cfs and going down, historical median flow for today is 560cfs- definitely fishable now. Lake McDonough is currently full to the brim and spilling water over the dam and into the East Branch, not sure what the cfs is but it’s a good amount (maybe 200cfs?) and is making the flow higher/faster from there down (but not unfishable). The East Branch comes in about 3/8 of a mile below UpCountry, a few hundred yards downstream from Michael Angelo’s Restaurant.
Caddis remain the dominant hatch by far, they are on the entire river from top to bottom, running from #14-24, with 16-18 being very common. They are most active in the faster water: pool heads, riffles, runs, rapids & pocket water. Trout will gorge on the pupa surface, hint hint. Hendrickson hatch is done, although you may see light spinner falls in Riverton (above the Still River) for a few more days. We are starting to see a light Vitreus hatch at least as far up as New Hartford, should get heavier soon. March Browns are just starting up, there are a few hatching sporadically as far upstream as about Church Pool. Subsurface they are eating Vitreus nymphs: try a #14 Pheasant Tail, Frenchy, or Sulfur Nymph (Vitreus nymphs in the Farmington are brownish yellow, just like the Sulfur nymphs). FYI Vitreus hatch and are active between late afternoon and dark, and they hatch best when it’s cooler and cloudy. 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). The main Caddis is still about a #18 green/olive body with grayish wings. You can use specific pupa patterns, Walt’s Worms, and Sexy Waltz (has flashy rib & hotspot). For dries think olive/green in #16-18, and there are also some Black Caddis #18-20, and a few bigger tan ones in #14-16. Seeing clouds of tiny cream Midges at moments.
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. Make sure one of them is a pupa-type pattern. Junk Flies like 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 #14-18 Pheasant Tail or Frenchy (just a hot-spot PT).
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:
The most common Caddis we are seeing is an olive/green bodied one in #16-18. 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. Olive/green & tan are the two most common body colors, and small black Caddis are common now and all year long. We are seeing a few Tan Caddis, they will pick up in a week or two. At the moment the subsurface nymphing with Caddis pupa and other nymphs is by far the most consistent & predictable method. I’m still catching a lot of trout on Junk Flies though, 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 recent rains we are finally full, last I knew we were at about 711’ elevation, 708’ is considered 100%/full. This means we don’t have to worry about running out of water in July & August. At some point soon though, they will need to increase the dam release to get the reservoir down to or below 708’.
Other bugs we are starting to see include Vitreus, and even a few March Browns. 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, 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 just 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. The 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. 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 LOT of good reports from smiling anglers. Dry fly fishermen have come into their time now, with Caddis bringing trout to the surface at moments. Nymphs & streamers have been producing the majority of the fish you see in this report. Expect to work for the high quality bigger holdover & wild fish. If you get into a pod of recently stocked fish, you can do some big numbers with subsurface flies. 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. Most sections outside that have been stocked 3-4 times now, with more to come before Memorial Day weekend, and then again 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.
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Dries:
-Caddis
#16-20 (green/olive, black, tan): main hatch on all of the river now,
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: Seeing a light hatch about as far upstream as New
Ha
-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.
-March Brown #10-12: a few, just starting, about as far
up as Church. Sporadic fast water bug, afternoons/eves.
-Rusty
Spinner #12-14: imitates Hendrickson spinners, only in Riverton above
the Still River, afternoon hatch is done and spinner falls are light
and almost over.
-Midges #20-28: afternoons/eves
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 Blue Winged
Olives, Vitreus, small Stoneflies, and more. #14 will pass as a
Vitreus nymph.
-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
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-20:
imitates a wide range of Mayflies including Blue Winged Olives,
Vitreus, Sulfurs, small Stoneflies, and more
-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.
-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.
***Don’t
neglect streamers! - top colors have been olive, tan, white, and
black. Black is good on recently stocked trout (of which there are
lots right now), during low light (first & last light), and
high/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