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.
****************************************************************
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