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 a hefty colored up rainbow I landed on the 4th after work in the evening while fishing with Mandy, it gave me quite the fight. Caught in the catch & kill section in a heavily pressured spot, and we caught multiple other trout, including a small wild Brookie and a big stocked Brookie among others. Don’t limit yourself to only fishing in the Permanent TMA/C&R, there are plenty of fish everywhere. Most years, my biggest wild Farmington brown trout comes from outside of the Permanent TMA/C&R, and most of the bigger rainbows also come from outside of the Permanent TMA/C&R. FYI, even when hatches have been light to nonexistent, I’ve generally been able to do well nymphing.
Nymphing Tip:
Small nymphs are often the ticket in the summer, and by small I mean #18 and smaller. Exceptions would be Isonychia #10-12, and Stoneflies #8-10. Most nymphs are small to very small this time of year. And they are certainly more numerous by far than bigger ones.
Frabill landing nets are finally back in stock! Took forever for our order to arrive, but we are once again stocked up. Very functional lightweight nets with rubber coated mesh, and can handle very big fish. Flat net bottoms make it easy to deal with the fish and unhook them without the fish being all bent up. These nets are very popular with the competition guys. A great value at $40 to $55, depending upon the size.
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 previous batches were 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.
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.
Diamondback Generation IV Euro nymphing rods are available. 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 7/7/24 River Report:
Back to reality for most people after the long holiday weekend. We have settled into a semi-normal pattern of summer weather, with most days in the low/mid 80’s, nights in the 60’s, and quite a few chances of afternoon T-Storms. Glad to see we’ve stayed out of a drought so far, and there is plenty of water in the reservoirs (about 701’ of elevation as of Thursday, 708’ is the max level the Army Corps of Engineers will allow in the lake during hurricane season, which is now). CT DEEP has a flow plan for the Farmington River, and the target release from Colebrook River Lake Dam is 250cfs for July & August (assuming normal precipitation). During dry periods this would be reduced if the lake level is too low, and if we get lots of rain it’s increased if the lake level is too high. They also sometimes temporarily bump it up extra during heat waves to cool the river down. You should see the dam release in Riverton increased by 35cfs to approximately 250cfs this morning, typically they do this at 9am. This will help keep the river cooler.
Total flow below the Still River and down in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) is 258cfs. This should increase to about 290 after they adjust the flow at 9am. There is currently 210cfs between the dam in Riverton (Goodwin/Hogback Dam) and the Rt 20 bridge (Hitchcock/Self Storage), and the Still River is adding in 48cfs below that. Water temp in Riverton is 54.5 degrees this morning, it peaked at 59 late yesterday afternoon (it was 90 degrees & sunny yesterday). Cloudy weather this week will keep the river cooler, sunny days see the biggest water temp increases. The Still River runs warm in the summer, so water temps increase below that, and also increase as you go progressively further downriver. If you are fishing downstream, make sure to take water temps, especially on sunny days as you get toward late morning & beyond. A good strategy is to work your way upriver as the day progresses and water temps rise, that way you stay in cooler water all day long. Typically you can drop back down into the Permanent TMA/C&R in the evening as long as things cool down. Water temps drop as the river goes into the shadows.
Hatches overall have been light in 2025, with the river above the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release seeing more consistent 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 predict this year. Right at dusk to dark has been a fairly consistent peak hatch time, and during the daytime the upper river (Campground & up) has been the place to be. If you leave before full darkness, you may miss out on a brief but very good window of dry fly fishing. Some nights it’s only 15-30 minutes and happens just as it’s getting dark. 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.
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. Don’t confuse them with the bright greenish-yellow #20 Attenuata, because the trout can tell the difference. This is normally an evening hatch.
Summer is a good time of year to own a thermometer and use it. Ideally look for water temps of 65 degrees or less for the most active trout, which should not be hard to find. The water is coming out of the dam at about 54 degrees currently, and then gradually increasing as you move downstream. Try to stay under 68 degrees, and definitely don’t fish in 70 degree plus water or you will stress out or even kill the trout (warm water holds less dissolved oxygen). Water temps are lowest in the mornings, and peak out in the late afternoon. Sunny days see the biggest temp increases. The coldest water is up near the dam, above the Still River confluence. Water temps gradually rise as you go downstream, and also as the day progresses. Lots of trout are in fast water in the summer. There is more oxygen in faster water, and that is also where a lot of the bugs live & hatch.
Nymphing is a mainstay right now, especially in the late morning to early evening time slot when hatches are scarce. A great summer tactic is to target the first light (about 5am) to mid morning time period with large #8-10 Stonefly nymphs. The naturals crawl out to emerge at that time of day, and some of them get knocked into the drift. Pair them up with a smaller nymph, something like a Caddis pupa or small Pheasant Tail/Frenchy. 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.
There are some Isonychia hatching in the fast water, at least as far up as Pipeline & Lyman Rock (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). 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.
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 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. Various nymphs from #8-20 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.
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Dries:
-Sulfur
#16 (Invaria) & #18 (Dorothea): upriver only now (Campground &
above), anytime from mid/late morning through evening, varies from
day to day and in different river sections. Seeing mostly #18
Dorothea currently, the #16 Invaria are on their way out.
-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. Up at least as far upstream as Pipeline & Lyman Rock,
and probably also above that by now. Slightly smaller than a true
Sulfur, and more of a bright greenish yellow, almost chartreuse right
when they are freshly hatched (they darken up to a medium olive
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.
-Rusty Spinner
#12-26: imitates the spinner of many different mayflies. Most
commonly on the water at dusk.
-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
Pipeline/Lyman’s Rock.
-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, plain 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
-Big Stonefly Nymphs #8-10: early to mid AM in fast water-
golden/yellow, brown, black
-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 big 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