Friday, May 30, 2025

Friday 5/30/25 Farmington River Report: Great conditions, multiple hatches

Store Hours:
Out store hours are now 6pm on weekdays, but staying at 5pm on weekends. We are also 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.

Pictured up top is local guide Ben Canino with yet another beautiful brown trout, he’s been really getting into them lately.

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.

We received a small batch of the new Diamondback Gen IV Nymph Rods with carbon grips- the first batch prior to this was all with traditional cork grips. Carbon grips are very sensitive, more 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. We have very limited quantities on this first batch, so don’t wait if you want one.

The store is stocked with tons of books at the moment- we received a bunch of used books as well as a big order of new books. Also, more used rods & reels came in, we have a LARGE 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 available.
I know many of you have been eagerly anticipating them, and 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 near daily basis, and also finding them on me regularly when I walk in the woods or through tall grass.

Friday morning 5/30/25 Report:
The total flow on the river below the Still River and in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) is 261cfs, the historical median total flow for today is 356cfs- I would classify this morning’s flow as medium to medium-low, water clarity is very good. Riverton is 165cfs between the dam and the Rt. 20 bridge/Riverton Self Storage (historical median flow for today is 258cfs). The Still River is adding in 96cfs, historical median flow is 126cfs. Riverton water temp is 46.5 degrees this morning, it reached 47.5 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 444cfs (medium-low), historical median flow for today is 560cfs.

There are quite a variety of bugs currently hatching, June is peak hatch time on our river. Hatch intensity has varied from day to day, with light to moderate being typical. It has also varied a lot depending upon location, with some pools seeing better bug activity than others, and it’s not 100% predictable either. #16 Sulfurs (Invaria) are hatching on most of the river, typically later in the day, but as you move closer to the dam it can happen earlier. On a cold tailwater like the Farmington or Delaware, hatch times often vary greatly from what the books say. Various Caddis are showing up, from a #14-16 tan, to #18 olive/green, #20 black, down to Micro Caddis and other assorted sizes & colors. Pupa patterns #14-18 nymphed in the fast water work very well when Caddis are active, and there can be some good dry fly action during milder eves when they come back to egg-lay in low light. #12-14 Vitreus (look sorta like a bigger Sulfur, hatch in fast water late afternoon through dark) are still hatching, albeit it’s been on the lighter side this year. Also #10-12 March Browns, they are a sporadic one here/one there kind of bug that hatch in fast water in the afternoons & evenings. If they rise to these bugs, match with dries- you can also blind fish big March Brown dries. Also fish nymphs that suggest them (#10-12 Fox Squirrel, Hare’s Ear, or a specific MB nymph). #14 Pheasant Tails/Frenchies work well for the Vitreus. Evenings are also seeing a few #12-14 Light Cahills.

Streamers can be a good option when you don’t have bugs hatching (early AM, cold days, in between hatches, etc.), or if you want to cover a lot of water quickly. Make sure to get them deep, experiment with different retrieves, change colors, and play with different fly sizes & designs (length, bulk/sparseness, shape, etc.). I usually start with a fast strip his time of year with water temps mostly in the 50’s and even low 60’s. But if that doesn’t work, slow it down, change your presentation angle, swing them, twitch them, fish them on the dangle- experiment based upon the trout’s reaction (or lack thereof lol). Go smaller if you cannot get eats on bigger patterns. Also try trailing a nymph or wet fly/soft hackle 18” behind a weighted streamer, very effective for converting follows to eats, and a great way to “nymph” if you aren’t proficient at nymphing.

Caddis remain a major hatch and will be present daily straight through mid fall. They are most active in the faster water: pool heads, riffles, runs, rapids & pocket water. Trout will gorge on the pupa surface, hint hint. We are starting to see a light Vitreus hatch well up into the Permanent TMA, and it should get heavier soon. 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). You can use specific pupa patterns, Walt’s Worms, and Sexy Waltz (has flashy rib & hotspot). For Caddis dries think tan #14-18, olive-green #16-18, and black #20. Seeing clouds of tiny cream Midges at moments. On crappy, cooler overcast afternoons, we’ve been seeing #22-24 Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s/Olives).

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, but Indicator nymphing is effective also. Make sure one of your flies is a pupa-type pattern. Junk Flies such as 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 #14-20 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. From May through October, if I’m nymphing, at some point there will definitely be a Caddis pupa pattern #14-18 on my rig at some point.

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:
We are seeing several different Caddis hatching. 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. Tan and olive/green are the two most common body colors, and small black Caddis are very common now and hatch all year long on the Farmington River. Tan Caddis are picking up now, they can be as big as #14, and also commonly are #16-18. At the moment the subsurface nymphing with Caddis pupa and other nymphs is by far the most consistent & predictable method. I’m still catching trout on Junk Flies at moments, 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, and a little over 100%. This means we don’t have to worry about running out of water in July & August. At some point though, they will likely need to increase the dam release to get the reservoir down to or below 708’ by July 1st (the beginning of hurricane season).

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 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. Unlike the light and sporadic daytime emergence, 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. You are also more apt to get into wild fish when you fish water that isn’t as busy. Wild fish don’t like being constantly disturbed by anglers. 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, along with Sulfurs, Vitreus, and March Browns. Expect to work for the high quality bigger holdover & wild fish. If you get into a pod of 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- that section gets stocked once per season. Most sections outside that have been stocked 3-4 times now, with more to come 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:
-Assorted Caddis #14-20 (tan, green/olive, black): major hatch on all of the river, 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: late afternoon & eves, fast water
-March Brown #10-12: light hatch, sporadic fast water bug, afternoons/eves.
-Light Cahill #12-14: eves
-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.
-Midges #20-28: afternoons/eves
-Ants #14-20


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 Sulfurs, Vitreus, Blue Winged Olives, small Stoneflies, and more.
-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
-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