Out store hours have moved to closing at 6pm on weekdays, but staying at 5pm on weekends. We are also closed on Wednesdays, at least for a while (not a permanent change).
Store
hours currently are 8am-6pm Monday & Tuesday, closed on
Wednesdays, 8am-6pm Thursday & Friday, and 8am-5pm on
Saturday & Sunday.
Pictured up top is one of several
pretty Brook Trout I landed on recent outings. Stocked, but still
beautiful. Lotta 12-14” Brookies in the river this year, some are even bigger.
We
have a lot of used reels at the moment. As such, we have 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, both used & 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 sold out, but we
have another big batch of them on the way any day now.
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. The 10’ 7” #1 is a very interesting option for Micro
Leaders, lighter tippet, and lighter flies.
After walking
through the woods, check yourself for ticks-
they are extremely active. 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.
Monday
morning 6/30/25 Report:
Busy
weekend on the river! Some nice fish were hooked, landed & lost.
Hatches overall have been light, with the river above the Permanent
TMA/Catch & Release seeing better bug activity overall,
especially in the typically slower late morning through late
afternoon time slot. Hotter days will tend to push the bugs to either
early or late, and cooler, cloudy days will see the morning fishing
go later, and the evening fishing start earlier. Hatches have been
very hard to predit this year. Right at dusk to dark has been a
fairly consistent peak hatch time, and during the daytime the upper
river has been the place to be. Other specific predictions have been
harder to make in terms of what bugs will hatch where & when- you
just need to be observant and match what you see. Also check
different river sections out when the fishing & hatches are slow.
Fish in the shade whenever possible, hint hint. When bug activity is
light to non-existent (much of the day), the high percentage
techniques are nymphing, dry-dropper, wet flies/soft hackles, or
blind fishing attractor/bigger dries & terrestrials. Beetles &
Ants are great for the non-hatch times in the summer, very effective.
Don’t waste your time trying to force feed hatch-matching mayflies
when they are not on the water and/or the trout are not rising.
Isonychia are definitely an exception, you can blind fish #10-12 Iso
patterns in riffly water and do well. Sulfurs are still hatching if
you go upriver, I’d stay from Campground and above for that hatch-
mostly 18’s now. They normally go into August, and by then they
will only be up near the dam.
CT DEEP has been augmenting
the dam release since Monday 6/23 to keep the river cooler during
last weeks heat wave, and also to keep the water temps lower further
downstream (Collinsville, Unionville). Excellent decision by them!
Now that we are past that, you will likely see some sort of flow
reduction from the dam in Riverton (Goodwin/Hogback Dam), probably
this morning- I'll update the flows this afternoon. Not sure if they will do that, or how much the
reduction would be. I’d guess they would go from a 350cfs release
down to 150-250cfs. Currently the total flow is 390cfs in the below
the Still River and downstream in the Permanent TMA/C&R (354cfs
at the USGS gauge at the Rt 20 bridge in Riverton, plus and
additional 36cfs from the Still River). Water temps are very good-
53.5 degrees in Riverton this morning, it reached 56.5 there in the
mid/late afternoon yesterday. Optimal water temps for trout are about
50-65 degrees. The absolute coldest water is from the bridge to the
dam (about 2 miles), it currently is staying in the 50’s even on
the hottest sunny days. The Still River is a warming influence, and
typically in the summer it’s at a low flow, which is a good thing.
Water temps gradually increase as you head downriver, and rise as the
day progresses. Typically you are fine in July as far downstream as
New Hartford & Canton, but below that can be a crap shoot. If you
are planning on fishing below that, take a water temp! Especially
during sunny days or during hotter weather. FYI the safest time to
fish the lower river (Collinsville, Unionville) is in the mornings
after a cooler night. Knock off once water temps hit about 68, and
definitely don't fish water that is 70 degrees or higher or you will
stress the trout out and potentially kill them. Just go upriver until
you find colder water. It’s easier on the fish, and the
fishing will be way better if you can find water that is 65 degrees
or less.
Sulfurs are from about the upper Permanent
TMA/C&R and right up to the dam. Overall bugs have been light
this year, with some exceptions. Do not neglect Terrestrials such as
Ants & Beetles, they are often the ticket from now through early
fall. Especially when you have sporadic risers but there doesn’t
appear to be any real hatch. Nymphing is a mainstay right now,
especially in the late morning to early evening time slot when
hatches are scarce. The fast water at pool heads and in between pools
is loaded with trout. It’s also more oxygenated, and many bugs live
& hatch in faster water. Mousing after dark for big trout is
popular in the summer, and an especially good choice when it’s
really hot during the days. A lot of the biggest trout become mainly
nocturnal in the summer.
The bigger #16 Invaria Sulfurs
and #18 Dorothea are more upstream now, from about Mathie’s Grove
or Campground. We are seeing more of the Dorothea (#18) than the
Invaria (#16). There are some Isonychia hatching in the fast water,
at least as far up as the upper end of the Permanent TMA/C&R (and
maybe even further upstream), but they have been light in numbers
overall. Having said that, it doesn’t take many Iso’s to get the
fish on them. Caddis have been a common bug, with the best action in
the mornings in faster water, and right at dusk and even beyond into
the dark. Be prepared to fish subsurface if you don’t have a hatch
or rising trout. Caddis pupa (tan, olive/green) and Walt’s Worms
are working well in #14-18, and Pheasant Tails too (#12 for
Isonychia, and #16-20 for Sulfurs & Blue Winged Olives/BWO’s).
There are still some Vitreus up closer to the dam. Light Cahills
#12-14 are a possibility anywhere on the river at dusk. You may see
#18-24 Blue Winged Olives, especially on cloudy days.
With
summer now here, don’t neglect terrestrials such as Ants &
Beetles, both can be VERY effective, especially when there isn’t a
good hatch but you have sporadic risers. Air temps in the upper 60’s
and above get terrestrial insects active, so they will be in play
from now through October. You can also blind fish them over likely
water. The books say Sulfurs are a late afternoon to evening hatch,
and they often are, but with the icy cold water coming out of the dam
they can also come off in the mid/late morning and early/mid
afternoon. Tailwaters like the Farmington and Delaware system often
have hatches at times of day and times of the year that deviate quite
a bit from standard hatch charts.
July is normally the
peak month for big Iso’s in the Permanent TMA/C&R. The nymphs
can swim like a tiny minnow, so play around with dead drifting,
swinging, twitching, and even 6-12” strips like a mini streamer.
The trout will tell you what they want. You can use a #12 BMAR Iso
nymph, Prince Nymph, or a big Pheasant Tail to imitate this bug. You
can also blind fish big Iso dry flies in #10-12. They typically hatch
between late afternoon & dark, but I’ve also seen them here at
other times of the day.
Hatch intensity has varied from
day to day, with light hatching typical most of 2025, but there has
been some good bug activity when you are in the right place at the
right time and the weather cooperates. 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. Caddis 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.
Streamers
can be a good option during low light (early/late in the day), or
when you have high and/or dirty water. Make sure to get them down,
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 to 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
about 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.
Assorted Caddis remain a
significant hatch and will be present daily straight through mid
fall, and anglers often overlook them because they are so obsessed
with Mayflies. Caddis are most active in the faster water: pool
heads, riffles, runs, rapids & pocket water. Trout will gorge on
the pupa surface, hint hint. Vitreus hatch and are active between
late afternoon and dark, and they hatch best when it’s cooler and
cloudy- look for this hatch in the upper river (Riverton) now. 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. On crappy,
cooler overcast afternoons, we’ve been seeing #20-24 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. 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.
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 April & May rains we are finally full.
This means we don’t have to worry about running out of water in
July & August.
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.
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:
-Sulfur
#16 (Invaria) & #18 (Dorothea): more upriver now (Campground &
above), anytime from mid/late morning through evening, varies from
day to day and in different river sections. Seeing more #18 Dorothea
than #16 Invaria currently.
-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.
-Attenuata #18-20: evening
hatch, often confused with Sulfurs. From the lower river up into at
least the middle of the Permanent TMA/C&R (Church Pool), maybe
further up too. Slightly smaller than a true Sulfur, and more of a
bright greenish yellow, almost chartreuse right when they are freshly
hatched (they darken up within minutes).
-Blue Winged Olives
(BWO’s/Olives) #18-26: afternoons & eves, especially during
cloudy, cooler weather. Rusty spinners also in the same sizes at
dusk.
-Vitreus #12-14: late afternoon & eves, fast water,
hatch is only/mainly in Riverton now
-Light Cahill/Summer Stenos
#12-14: eves, entire river
-Isonychia #10-12: light late
afternoon to evening hatch in fast water, upstream at least as far as
the Campground.
-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
& Beetles #14-20: deadly in the summertime!
-Mouse patterns:
fish after dark for BIG trout, use a short/heavy leader
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,
Isonychia, 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
-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.
-Isonychia Nymph #10-12: mid
afternoon through eves, fish in fast water. Use BMAR Iso nymph, also
bigger Princes & Pheasant Tails
-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,
including plenty of bigger articulated patterns.
***Don’t
neglect streamers! - top colors have been olive, tan, white, and
black. 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