Our 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 the moment (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.
We are closing early at 2pm sharp on Monday 9/1, Labor Day.
Pictured up top is my buddy Will Ryan with two handfuls of beautiful brown trout from our outing Thursday.
Tom
Ames new & updated "Pocketguide to Eastern Hatches"
books arrived this past week, even though
the official “release date” is mid September and you cannot purchase it on Amazon until then. We sold through all 50 copies we ordered already, but should hopefully have in a bunch more by Friday 9/5.
This is the BEST hatch guide for our area, nothing else comes
close. This version
has some new info & new fly patterns. We will do our best to try to keep this in stock.
Nymphing
Tip:
Small
nymphs are often the ticket in the late summer/early fall, and by
small I mean #18 and smaller, all the way down to #22-24.
Exceptions would be Isonychia #10-14, and Stoneflies #8-10. Most
nymphs are small to very small this time of year. And they are by far
more numerous than bigger ones. Some days this makes a huge
difference. I know a guy from PA that catches an average of
6,000-8,000 trout every year. Yes, he is retired and fishes a LOT
(about 300 days a year), but usually only part of each day. And yes,
he’s a highly skilled nympher with excellent water reading skills,
and he lives near the best streams in central PA (2,000 - 4,000+ fish
per mile for some of his streams). If he has a secret, it’s that he
mostly fishes nymphs averaging #18-24 on a Euro Mono rig (FYI he also
does dry flies & dry/dropper). He typically uses a 4x micro
leader and 6x tippet with 2 flies. He reasons that immature nymphs
are small and grossly outnumber bigger adult nymphs, and it’s hard
to argue with his results.
On Monday 9/1, Labor Day, the entire upper 21 miles of the Farmington River from the dam in Riverton downstream to the Rt 177 bridge in Unionville goes Catch & Release until 6am on the second Saturday in April 2026. If you fish downstream of the Rt 177 bridge you can keep 5 fish 9" or larger through the end of February, then it also goes C&R until the second Saturday in April. If you see anyone illegally keeping trout, call the 24/7 turn in poachers DEEP hotline at 860-424-3333. Even if they cannot send somebody in time, they still log the call and it helps us get more future enforcement.
Frabill
landing nets are in stock!
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 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 more sensitive 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, lots
of used
rods & reels
currently.
Diamondback
Generation IV Euro nymphing rods are available. We
have the full line-up, minus the 10' 7" #4 (not available yet,
probably 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 and excellent option for
Micro Leaders, lighter tippets (6x and thinner), and lighter flies (2-3mm)- the rod has more backbone in the lower half than you would expect, while having a very soft tip. The 10' 7" #2 & #3 have been the big sellers for us, perfect for the Farmington River. The #3 is the all around and will do everything, but the #2 is great if you fish mostly 6x, throws lighter flies a bit easier, and is slightly better with Micro Leaders. The 7 weight is a new addition to the Diamondback lineup, for those targeting larger Steelhead with heavier tippets, as well as King Salmon and other larger fish where you need a stiffer rod with some serious backbone. The 6 weight is probably overall the better choice for Salmon River Steelhead in NY, where you are often down lighter 3x & 4x tippets and still need a rod that has some backbone to land 10# plus fish, but has a softer tip so you don't break fish off.
Friday
morning 8/29/25
River
Report:
Looks
like a great upcoming holiday weekend. We will be open normal hours through Sunday, and close early at 2pm sharp on Labor Day, Monday 9/1. Weather, air temps, water
flow, and water temps are all better than average for late August/early September. 56
degrees air temp at 8am when Joey & I opened the store this
morning (Friday 8/29). Highs all in the 70’s through Monday, with nights in the
low 50’s- and we almost always go 3-5 degrees cooler at
night than they predict
for lows. Other than a
possible dribble this afternoon (Friday), looks like dry weekend and mostly dry weather
through the rest of the 10 Day Forecast (possible rain Thursday).
These cooler nights and
mild days should keep
water temps trout-friendly, and also should help bug activity.
Morning Trico
spinner falls are still going on, albeit they are getting lighter and it is mostly smaller fish rising to them, with some exceptions. Make sure to go small
enough, as in #24-26 patterns, fished on a long leader with a long 7x
tippet. Also seeing decent numbers of small Caddis averaging #20-22,
in assorted colors
including black. You will
see the black caddis adults on the rocks, they
are hard to see on the water.
FYI splashy rises generally means Caddis. Isonychia
can also create aggressive rises. They
typically hatch in fast water between late afternoon and dark. They
have been light in numbers, but this cooler weather seems to be
helping.
It’s
59.5
degrees for a water temp behind UpCountry this morning, peaked out at
64.2
degrees on Thursday.
Riverton water temp is about 60.5
degrees at the Rt 20 bridge (Hitchcock/Riverton Self Storage) this
morning, it peaked at
63 degrees Thursday
afternoon. Flows are still very good, the total CFS in the Permanent
TMA/Catch & Release is 232cfs
this morning- 219cfs
in Riverton (dam to Rt 20 bridge, about 2 miles), plus 13cfs
from the Still River (comes in about ¼ mile below the Rt 20
bridge).
Late morning through later
afternoons are relatively
quiet in terms of hatches, although from about late afternoon through
dark keep your eyes out for #10-14 Isonychia hatching in the faster
water. It’s a sporadic, one here and one there type of hatch, but
the cooler weather seems to be improving the Iso hatching.
There have been a good amount of small Black Caddis averaging #20-22
on the rocks, some small tan (other
colors too) Caddis flying
around, and the rocks in the fast water have a good number of large
Stonefly shucks on them, also
some Yellow Sally Stoneflies on the rocks.
There is a mish mash of various insects at dusk, including some
bigger #12-14 Light Cahill/Summer Steno’s and small assorted Caddis #18-22.
Mornings with large #8-10
Stonefly nymphs is a good
strategy for bigger fish, think
first light (5:45am) to about 10am’ish. Fish the faster water- pool heads, riffles, runs, and pocket water.
Seems like the August Trico spinner falls have been the best hatch by far this
year despite mostly mediocre hatches in 2025. Remember
that it’s mostly about the spinner fall, and that is triggered by
air temps in the upper 60’s (about 68). Trout seem to be preferring
tiny Trico dries in the #24-26 range, 22’s are mostly
either not getting a look
or getting refusals. Cool nights will push the spinners later in the
morning, and warm night will push them from mid morning to very early
morning. Nymphing the faster water with small nymphs & Junk Flies
is also working. Also big Stoneflies, mainly in the mornings when
they are most active, and larger Iso type nymph from about
mid afternoon through
dusk. Seeing big Stonefly shucks all over the rocks in fast water
lately, which is a great sign. FYI also seeing Yellow Sally Stonefly
shucks on rocks recently, they typically run #14-20. Sallies are
mostly a nymphing deal, and they are a common bug here in August &
September.
If trout are not rising, be prepared to go
subsurface and fish the faster water. If you hate nymphing, try
Dry/Dropper or fish 2-3 wet flies/soft hackles. All effective
summertime strategies. You can also blind fish dry flies (attractors
like Stimulators/smaller Chubby Chernobyls, bigger dries like
Isonychia, or terrestrials like ants & beetles) in broken water,
it’s surprisingly
effective this time of year.
You can do Dry/Dropper and attach a small lightly weighted nymph 18-24” below
your dry to really increase your odds of success.
Hatches
continue to overall be light this year, with the river above the
Permanent TMA/Catch & Release seeing more consistent bug activity
on average, 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, trout will often move into those
areas. When bug activity is light to non-existent (not uncommon,
especially midday), 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. Look for
shady areas. 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 #10-14
Iso patterns in riffly water and do well. Blue Winged Olives
(Olives/BWO’s) can run as big as #18, but I’d expect to see more
smaller ones in the #22-26 range. Match the size closely. Overcast
days are best for BWO hatches.
Glad to see we’ve mostly stayed
out of a drought so far in 2025, and there is plenty of water in the
reservoirs currently CT DEEP has a flow plan for the Farmington
River, and the target release from Colebrook River Lake Dam is 250cfs
for August (assuming normal precipitation/resrvoir levels)- this is a
target flow number, and not an absolute. For September the target dam release is 200cfs. During dry periods this
would be reduced, especially if the lake level is too low. 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. So far they have been on the conservative with the
releases, with the fear being if they draw the reservoir down too
much and then we end up in a drought, that we could be in bad shape
in late summer/early fall and not be able to let out enough water.
DEEP has done a great job managing the flows since they took over in
June 2024, and it should only get better as they gain experience.
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 5:45am)
to the mid/late morning time period in fast water 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, Walt’s Worm, 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 holds more bugs. Mousing after
dark for big trout is popular in the summer, and an especially good
choice when it’s really hot during the day. A lot of the biggest
trout become mainly nocturnal in the summer.
There are
some Isonychia hatching in the fast water, 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. Most (but not all) Caddis are on the smaller
side lately, like #18-22. 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 #16-20, and Pheasant Tails too
(#12 for Isonychia, and #18-22 for Sulfurs & Blue Winged
Olives/BWO’s). Light Cahills/Summer Stenos #12-14 are a possibility
anywhere on the river at dusk. You may see #18-26 Blue Winged Olives,
especially on cloudy days.
Summer is a peak time 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, or
a Prince Nymph
or Pheasant Tail to
imitate this bug. You can also blind fish big Iso dry flies in
#10-14.
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. 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
#16-22 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
subsurface in #16-22
(olive/green, tan). You can use specific pupa patterns, Walt’s
Worms, and Sexy Waltz (has flashy rib & hotspot). 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 (2024), 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
#16-22 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.
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. FYI in the summer, due to water
temps you don’t want to go too far downstream or you will end up in
water that is hitting or exceeding 70 degrees- USE YOUR
THERMOMETER!!!
****************************************************************
Dries:
-Tricos
#22-26: Morning deal, it’s all about
the spinner fall- they ball up in the air over riffles and fall to
the water when air temps hit the upper 60’s. We are getting toward the tail end of this hatch, it's getting lighter, look more upriver for it.
-Assorted Caddis
#16-22 (tan, green/olive, black): Mostly on the smaller side now,
various species, especially Black Caddis. Active mostly in the
mornings and evenings, 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.
-Yellow Sally #14-20: Fast
water bug, you will see the shucks all over the downstream side of
rocks in fast water, look like miniature Golden Stones. Mostly a
nymphing deal.
-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
#12-18: evenings
-Isonychia #10-14 light late afternoon to
evening hatch in fast water
-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. July/August are peak months for
this morning bug.
-Ants & Beetles #14-20: deadly in the
summertime!
-Attractor Dries #10-16: Mini Chubbies, Stimulators,
Amazon Ants, etc.
-Mouse patterns: fish after dark for BIG
trout, use a short/heavy 0x leader
-Midges #20-28:
afternoons/eves
Nymphs:
-Small
Nymphs #18-24: various patterns, most of the bugs are small to tiny
in late summer
-Assorted Caddis Pupa #16-22 in various colors
(olive/green, tan). Use specific pupa, plain Walt’s Worms, Sexy
Waltz, Hare’s Ear Blowtorch.
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-22:
imitates a wide range of Mayflies including Sulfurs, Isonychia,
Vitreus, Blue Winged Olives, small Stoneflies, and more.
-Blue
Winged (Baetis) Olive Nymphs #16-22: all year long
-Big Stonefly
Nymphs #8-10: early to mid AM in fast water- golden/yellow, brown,
black, Pat’s
-Isonychia Nymph #10-14: mid afternoon through
eves, fish in fast water. Use BMAR Iso nymph, Keslar’s Iso, also
big Princes & Pheasant Tails
-Yellow Sally Nymph #14-18:
fish in fast water, prevalent in August & September. FYI
yellow/brown Sulfur Nymphs can also work to imitate them.
-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, even in the summer in low/clear water.
-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
-Muddler
Minnow #6-10: and oldie, but a goodie. Most anglers don’t fish this
classic pattern anymore, and that’s a mistake! Quite a versatile
fly that can be floated, skated, dead-drifted, swung, stripped, or
weighted down & nymphed.