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8am-5pm Monday & Tuesday, Wednesday 10am-4pm, 8am-5pm Thursday & Friday, and 8am-5pm on Saturday & Sunday.
Pictured up top is another nice recent brown trout landed by customer Mike Andrews.
Current Sale Items:
-Thomas & Thomas Contact II Euro rods 40% off
-Sage Sonic fly rods 25% off
-Scott G Series fly rods 25% off
-Simms G3 Waders 20% off
-Simms Confluence Waders 35% off
-Scientific Angler Amplitude Smooth Trout fly line 20% off
***Sales apply only to in-stock merchandise***
Between the 40% off sale and our trade-in program, those of you who have lusted after a T&T Contact II Euro rod but are on a tight budget should be able to finally afford one. Next year's Contact III+ (arriving mid to late February 2026) will bring a new gold standard to the industry, but the Contact II is the current best and will elevate your game. Bring the rods & reels that are gathering dust in your closet and trade them for something that will make your Christmas special.
We will match almost any advertised deals from other stores local or on the internet if we have the item in stock. We want your business and as your friends and local fly shop please come to us first if we can help. Our business only survives because of your support.
We are now accepting pre-orders for the first batch of Thomas & Thomas Contact III+ Euro rods that will be available starting sometime around mid-February. UpCountry will be one of the first stores in the country to receive these rods limited to an initial run of 500 nationwide, so get in line by giving us a call now. T&T brought these rods to us recently, and we were blown away. They have two different tips, including a solid one that enables you to more easily cast lighter flies, cushion lighter tippet, and makes it harder for smaller fish to throw the hook. It’s made of a new material that’s twice as strong, and recovers noticeably faster/crisper. This will translate into more casting distance, more accuracy, and greater sensitivity. It's like getting two rods in one. Lengths remain the same at 10' & 10'9" with the exception of the new 11 ‘5“ 3wt. If you break a rod tip on these, T&T has an expedited repair program that should have you back on the water with a new tip in less than a week.
Tom Ames new & updated "Pocketguide to Eastern Hatches" book is in stock. Definitely the BEST hatch guide for our area, nothing else comes close. This version has some new info, new pictures, and new fly patterns. We will do our best to try to keep this in stock, it’s been flying off the shelves.
Late
Fall/Winter Nymphing Tip:
Small
nymphs are often the key to subsurface success this time of year, and
by small I mean #18’s all the way down to #22-24. Exception would
be Stoneflies #8-10 & Mops. Most nymphs are small to very small
this time of year, especially the Fall batch of Blue Winged Olives
(BWO’s) & Midges. Overall, small nymphs & larva are by far
more numerous than bigger ones. Some days this makes a huge
difference. I know a guy from central 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 30’ 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.
As
of 9/1/25, the entire upper 21 miles of the Farmington River from the
dam in Riverton downstream to the Rt 177 bridge in Unionville went
Catch & Release
until 6am on the second Saturday in April 2026. 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.
Friday
morning 12/5/25
River Report:
Many
Contact II Euro sale rods
went out the door on
Black Friday weekend. We are out of the 10’ 9” #3’s, but the
rods remain on sale at 40% off ($535), and we still have inventory in
all the other sizes.
5
degrees at 7am this morning, brrrr. Looks like Winter is here in full
effect, with a thin layer of snow on the ground left
over from Tuesday. It’s
pretty out there. Long range highs are
in the mid 20’s to mid 30’s, with nights anywhere from single
digits to low 30’s. Weekend
doesn’t look
bad, with highs in the mid 30’s
and not windy. Water
temps are dropping, look for most of the trout to move in Winter
lies. That means deeper, slower water like pools, softer runs, and
deeper moderate riffles. Water
level remains medium and very nice. Colder water means less bug
activity and less feeding by the trout, so expect to work for trout
this time of year. Having said that, I’ve had some surprisingly
productive days in the Winter. Fish will start to pod up, and it you
can locate the pod and catch a bite window, you can do well. Keep
your expectations reasonable though. Work the water more thoroughly
with extra casts, because in the Winter trout normally won’t move
far at all for your fly. Think
slow & deep for your nymphs and streamers.
If
you are headed out fishing, in general there is now
no need
to get out there at
at the crack of dawn. Give the water a few hours to warm up one or
two degrees, that’s all
it takes to get the trout feeding.
The exception would be the Winter Caddis hatch, which goes on all
Winter in the early to mid mornings. Other than that, I wouldn’t
venture out before 10am, and I’d expect the best fishing to be late
morning through mid/late afternoon, when water temps rise and are at
their highest for the day. Sunny
days are best of all, they warm the water up more than overcast
weather. The general rule
of thumb with trout is, fish at the time of day when air temps are
the most comfortable for you, and it’s accurate about 90% of the
time.
The river remains in great shape. Most of the
browns have spawned now, but there is still a small subset that has
not yet done it- keep your eye out for redds, and don’t walk on or
right below them or you will crush the eggs. Subsurface with
streamers & nymphs has been the most consistent lately. Look a
few paragraphs down for specific advice on streamer & nymph
fishing. When nymphing on windy days, using a strike indicator makes
more sense than Euro nymphing. Strike indicators also work better in
slower water, and when fishing further away or downstream of your
position. FYI you can add an aerodynamic indicator to a mono rig when
Euro nymphing if you need to, gives you a lot more flexibility in
water types & conditions.
Total
flow below the Still River and in the Permanent TMA/Catch &
Release (C&R) is 335cfs
(a medium water level), with Riverton right below the dam at 260cfs
(medium level), and just below that the Still River is adding in
75cfs.
Riverton
water temp is
41
degrees
this
morning, it peaked yesterday afternoon at 43.5
degrees.
Downstream water temps are currently quite
a bit lower
than that, averaging in
the 30’s now,
depending upon time of day & weather. Sunny days will see the
biggest water temp increases.
This
morning at 8:45am water temp
was
33.6
degrees
behind UpCountry.
Water
temperatures overall will continue to slowly decline as we move into
Winter
and colder nights & days. As water temps drop, trout will tend to
migrate into the deeper, slower pool water as they drop out of faster
flows. They will often pod up when water temps drop into the 30’s.
Locate the pod and catch a bite window, and you can have a
surprisingly good Winter
day.
They began to lower Otis Reservoir in MA in early
November, and that water has to be added to the dam release in CT.
Also, the Still River flow is
being
augmented by water released from Highland Lake to lower the lake
level there (they do that every Fall, just like at Otis Reservoir).
We should be in good shape in terms of water for a while now. Seems
like we are also back to weekly precipitation. Still need a good
amount of water to fill
Colebrook
River back up. Recent rainfall is helping, and although still low the
lake level
has
increased by about 15’
in
elevation
recently.
Grady recently acquired some reasonably
priced trout-weight bamboo rods,
most are in the $300 range.
They are in the rod rack all the way to the right, in between the
Sage and T & T rods. There are some real values & bargains
here.
Some good angler reports recently, mostly
subsurface, but at moments fish have been rising (Winter Caddis in
the AM, and small Blue Winged Olives & Midges in the afternoons).
Streamers are having their moments, and an egg fly paired up with a
nymph has been a consistent producer fished slow & deep.
Be
ready to fish nymphs, streamers, Junk Flies, wets/soft-hackles, or
dry flies.
Watch
out for redds (where trout deposit their eggs in the gravel), there
are still a few
spawning
brown trout. Read several paragraphs
below
for advice for fishing during and after
the
spawn.
Blue Winged Olives #22-28, they will hatch into
December in the afternoons. They can be joined by afternoon hatches
of small to very small Midges, a hatch that goes all Winter.
When
they are not rising, which is the majority of the time, fish
streamers, Junk Flies (Mops, Eggs, Worms, Green Weenies), small
nymphs #18-22 (BWO’s, Midges, Pheasant Tails, etc.), #8-10
Stoneflies, and Caddis Larva.
Egg
flies get hot from mid/late October through the early Spring, and in
fact I catch trout 12 months a year on egg flies. Trout move around a
lot in the Fall due to spawning,
so
they can be in one spot today, and a totally different spot tomorrow.
This
is
prime time for streamer fishing, browns get extra
aggressive
due to the spawn, and when
they
are post-spawn, trout
are
depleted, very hungry, and on the hunt for bigger food items. Early &
late in the day are the peak streamer times, and also on overcast
days and anytime the water rises and/or gets off-color. Play with
retrieves and fly color. When water temps get truly chilly (right
about now),
then
you may need to slow your retrieve down and make sure to get your
streamers down deep (use weight flies, split shot, sink-tips/sinking
line, or sinking leaders). Euro nymphing jig streamers and/or
dead-drifting them under a strike indicator can be a deadly way
present streamers to lethargic trout in cold water. It puts the fly
right in their face and makes it easier for them to eat. Twitch &
animate the fly sporadically during the drift.
Although
90-95%
of
the brown trout have spawned now, a few
are
still spawning. Keep your eyes out for redds, the light colored oval
areas in shallow gravelly riffles where trout drop their eggs.
Avoid
walking through them, and the first 15 feet or so below them as the
eggs will often wash 5-15 feet below the redd.
Favored spawning areas typically include side channels and pool
tailouts, but gentle riffles at pool heads can also have spawners if
there is pea gravel present. The bulk of the spawning on the
Farmington River is typically from about mid October through late
November, and the eggs/fry hatch out in February through early March.
The majority of the trout that are going to spawn have done so
already, but I’ve seen stragglers as late
as
the second week of January. Walking on the eggs in this time period
will crush and destroy them and future wild trout. Please also
refrain from fishing to spawning trout on redds, it’s unsporting &
unethical. They are stressed enough already, just let them do their
thing and make more wild brown trout. There are always lots of
non-spawning trout to catch, as well as trout that are still
pre-spawn, and there are
plenty
of post-spawn
trout.
Some trout will position in the first deeper/darker
water
downstream of spawning fish
to
eat loose eggs in the drift.
Don’t
forget about the early to mid morning Summer/Winter Caddis #18-24
that hatch 12 months a year, this hatch ramps up as the weather gets
chillier. Long leaders 12’+ paired with long/light tippets (3-6’
and even longer) of 6x-7x (depending upon fly size) will help present
small dry flies properly to our picky trout in flat water. Be
stealthy in your wading, and it doesn’t hurt to dress in drab
clothing. 5x-6x tippet is appropriate for nymphs. Streamer fishing
requires 0x-3x tippet depending upon fly size and the size of the
trout your are targeting. Jigged streamers on a Euro rig typically
match up nicely with 4x-5x.
FYI after the CT fisheries
sampled the trout population in September 2024, they estimated the
trout per mile in the Permanent TMA/C&R at 2,800+ fish- that’s
a lot! And when they sampled the trout recently (early September
2025), they shocked up a lot of trout and the fish were in good
condition.
****************************************************************
Dries:
***Blue
Winged Olives (BWO’s/Olives) #22-28: Afternoons & eves,
especially during cloudy weather. Usually go until at least mid
December
Goes in to December. Rusty spinners also in the same
sizes in the late afternoons.
*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. Try both twitching &
dead-drifting your fly. This hatch ramps up in the Winter when the
weather gets truly cold.
-Midges #20-28:
afternoons/eves
Nymphs:
-Small Nymphs
#18-24: various patterns, most of the bugs are small to tiny this
time of year, with size of the fly often superseding the exact fly
pattern.
-Blue Winged Olive (Baetis/BWO) Nymphs #16-22: all
year long
-Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-22: imitates a wide
range of Mayflies including Sulfurs, Isonychia, Vitreus, Blue Winged
Olives, small Stoneflies, and more.
-Midges #18-22 (black,
olive): Zebra Midge, Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge.
-”Junk
Flies” (Eggs, Mops, Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies): Often
work when standard nymphs fail, especially in the off season when
they are not many hatches. Especially good on recently stocked trout,
and also during high or dirty water. Egg Flies are deadly from
about mid October through April. Mops are a great “clean-up”
fly after you already fished a run. And worm flies are very good in
higher, off-color water.
-Big Stonefly Nymphs #8-10:
golden/yellow, brown, black, Pat’s. Big Stones are a mouthful that
can be hard for trout to pass up, and there are a surprising amount
of them in the river. Often gets you bigger fish.
-Caddis Larva
(olive to green) #14-16: tons 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 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,
works all year long
Streamers:
Trout
get aggressive on streamers in the fall due to spawning. The
low-light conditions of early & late in the day are prime time
for streamers, as are overcast days and periods of higher and/or
off-color water.
Top
colors have been olive, tan, white, and yellow. A little yellow in a
streamer can trigger brown trout in the fall. 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