We are open 7 days a week, current hours are:
8am-5pm
Monday & Tuesday, Wednesday
10am-4pm,
8am-5pm Thursday & Friday, and 8am-5pm on Saturday & Sunday.
*****We
are looking for one more
part-time
employee, someone who knows the river well and and is knowledgeable
about flyfishing*****
Pictured
is Jim
DeCesare with an absolute
beauty
from the
high water
yesterday.
Jim is proof that patience & consistent effort pays off.
We
have the brand spanking new Simms
Flyweight Waders
in
stock now, check ‘em out. Super lightweight and fold into their own
pouch for easy carrying.
Current
Sale Items:
-Thomas
& Thomas Contact II Euro rods $499 (were $895): all sizes are now
completely sold out. The all new Contact III+ is debuting sometime
very
soon
in
March
-Scott G Series fly rods $660 (30% off, were $945)
-Thomas
& Thomas Lotic fiberglass rods $450 (were $695)
-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 lines 20% off
-All
Airflo fly lines are 40% off
***Sales
apply only to
in-stock merchandise and can be bought in-store, or on the website &
shipped to your door - call with any questions***
Gift
Certificates are available and can be sent by mail or bought on our
website.
We
will match most
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 very soon in
March.
We are also happy to accept various trade ins toward the III+ to make
them more affordable, and you can also trade in your Contact II.
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, a $100 deposit will reserve a rod for
you- we expect this first batch to sell out fast. 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, fish thin Micro Leaders,
and it also makes it harder for smaller fish to throw the hook. The
Contact III+ is 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. With the
included second tip, 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 (3" longer). 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 inside of a week or so.
Monday
Morning 3/16/26
River
Report:
*****We
are looking for a part-time employee, someone who knows the river and
is knowledgeable about flyfishing*****
Don’t
forget to get a 2026 CT fishing license, you will need a new one as
of January 1st. You
can get a license here at UpCountry, on the CT DEEP website, or you
can get one in person at most town halls. Don’t forget to also
purchase the $5 Trout Stamp, you need it to fish the Farmington River
and any other river that is a TMA (Trout Management Area).
The
new Thomas & Thomas Contact III+ 10’ rods arrived
Monday 3/16
if the tracking info is accurate. As far as the longer 10’ 9” &
11’ 5” models go, T&T is still awaiting a shipment of longer
rod tubes for those rods, and are probably a week or two out on that.
Monday’s
rain is well behind us now, we ended up with almost 2”. Total flow
peaked near 2,000cfs Tuesday,
we dropped fast and are
down to about 800cfs now and still
dropping at a good clip. A
little below the dam it’s reading 220cfs (medium flow and
a nice level) in Riverton
and shouldn’t change
much from that (they increased the dam release on Monday), and the
Still River is adding in 588cfs (high) and dropping below that. This
puts the total flow at 808cfs (high
but fishable) and
dropping, I’m guessing we will be in the 500’s for total flow by
Saturday morning, and a
little lower than that for Sunday.
Normal/median
total flow would be 413cfs for today’s date. Unionville
USGS is 1,830cfs & dropping fast- look for flows under 1,000cfs
to fish that section of the river. The normal/median flow for Unionville would be 801cfs for today.
I
will update the flow again sometime on Friday.
The
inflow to Colebrook Reservoir in MA has dramatically increased
(705cfs currently)
which is a good thing because the drought last year left the lake
low, and we never got the fall rains that we normally do. The
reservoir height/elevation has come up 30+
feet in the past 3 weeks,
and it is still increasing
(from about 670 feet up to almost 702+
feet, “full” would be considered to be 716’ of elevation this
time of year, and once it
goes over that the Army Corps will dump extra water to get it below
that). The state began
their Spring trout stocking in rivers last week, and last week they
stocked upstream
of the Permanent TMA/Catch & release in Riverton (from the dam
downstream about 4 miles through Whittemore, stopping just above the
Campground). It’s likely they will stock downstream of the
Permanent TMA/C&R later
this week or
next week (that section
would be from just below Rt 219 in New Hartford from the Wall/Calahan
Park downstream to Canton by the junction with the Nepaug River/Town
Bridge Rd.) The 6.2 mile Permanent TMA/C&R normally gets stocked
once a year in April. Fishing
is still a grind overall, you have to work for your fish, even in the
upper river where it was recently stocked. The trout in Riverton seem
to be bunched up in very small areas, and you have to move around
until you find them.
When
flows are elevated and/or off-color, you should think about Junk
Flies (Worms, Mops, Eggs, Green Weenies), bigger nymphs (Stoneflies,
Princes, etc.), and streamers of course. Recently stocked trout also
love Junk Flies & Woolly Buggers. The higher the flow gets, the
more trout will move closer to the banks to get out of heavier
current. Darker colored flies show up well in off color water, nymphs
with hotspots are also good. Fish the water near the bank before you
step into the river, otherwise you will spook trout you otherwise
could have caught.
Riverton water temp this morning is 36
degrees, it peaked Wednesday
at 38+
degrees. Behind UpCountry (11 miles below the dam) the water temp is
35.3
degrees this morning, it
peaked yesterday afternoon at 38 degrees.
Water temps have been pushing into the low/mid 40’s during sunny
afternoons on warmer days, and that will tend to pick up the fishing
as it leads to a faster metabolism for the trout, and also more
insect activity. Unionville USGS streamflow is 982cfs and just
starting to go up (median/normal is 798 for today’s date).
Early
Black Stoneflies #14-16 are a legit hatch now, March is the big month
for that bug, and they normally spill over into April and
can even overlap the Hendrickson hatch some years.
We continue to see the smaller #18-24 Capnia (Tiny Black Winter
Stonefly) on mild/sunny afternoons, but that is light
and very near the end.
Soon
we will see #16-18 Baetis/Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s) in the
afternoons, just need water temps to rise a bit. Fishing has mostly
been a grind, but other
than Riverton (which was recently stocked), the
trout are quality holdovers & wilds, with a large average size
(mid to upper teens, with some in the 20” and bigger range). Be
patient, as hours of slow fishing can suddenly turn on when a bite
window opens up. It’s quality over quantity, and all it takes is
one big trout to make your day. Pick likely looking water and fish it
thoroughly, slow & deep with nymphs and streamers. Trout won’t
move far to eat in cold water, so make lots of casts in the higher
percentage spots, and set the hook on ANYTHING suspicious. Strikes
are usually very subtle this time of year.
For you fly
tyers, big Hareline
& Wapsi fly tying
material orders arrived recently.
I’d
recommend focusing on mid/late morning through mid/late afternoon
when water temps bump up a bit. Fish slow & deep, as trout are
lethargic when water temps are cold. Expect most eats to be subtle,
so set the hook on anything. Cycle between small nymphs #16-22
(Midges & Mayflies), black nymphs & Prince nymphs #14-16 (to
imitate the Early Black Stones), Junk Flies (Eggs, Mops, Worms, Green
Weenies), streamers, and fish them all slow & deep. In the
mornings (roughly 7am to 10am’ish) you may find some trout rising
to Winter Caddis, and during sunny afternoons, if you are lucky there
may be a few trout rising to Stoneflies or Midges. Cold water strikes
can be VERY subtle, so set the hook on anything. Remember, “hook
sets are free”.
If you catch a bite window when the
trout decide to actively feed, good catches are possible for skilled
anglers who know the river well and are good nymphers. Lately though,
anglers are working very hard for each and every bite. You have to be
in the right spot (the “spot within the spot”), at the right
time, with the correct flies, rigging & technque. Currently the
best time overall seems to be mid/late morning to mid/late afternoon,
when water temps rise and are at their highest. It’s also the most
pleasant time of day to be outside. Some days it can be earlier than
this though, especially if you have milder night/morning. Jigged
streamers fished slow & deep are also a good choice when nymphs
aren’t producing, and white has been an above average streamer
color this Winter. Water temps are cold (mid 30’s to low/mid 40’s),
so focus on presenting your nymphs & streamers slow and deep.
Nymphing
is often the ticket in March, with fish coming to flies
like Egg patterns #14-18, and #14-22 nymphs such as Early Black
Stoneflies, Princes, Pheasant Tails/Frenchies and Walt’s Worms.
Other good nymphs include Blue Winged Olives (BWO’s) #16-18, Midges
#18-22 (black, olive, red), small flashy Perdigons, Rainbow Warrior
#16-18, Caddis Larva, Cased Caddis, Mops, and nymphs with pink beads
(PT’s, Walt’s, Hare’s Ears, etc.).
Some
days there can be a good decent streamer bite. Cold water means you
typically need to slow down your streamer presentations and get them
deep. The easier you make it for the trout to eat, the more strikes
you will get on streamers. Steamers fished under an Indicator
can sometimes get you a big brown trout, and jig streamers
tight-lined on a Euro rig can be very effective. Dead-drift them, but
also occasionally twitch/pop your indicator to give your streamer a
little movement. Top colors this time of year are white, olive, and
tan.
When water temps are in the 30’s and low 40’s,
look for most of the trout in deeper, slower water like pools, softer
runs, and deeper moderate riffles. Be aware that during afternoons
when the water temps bump up a little, trout will commonly move into
the riffles and into the current to feed at the pool heads. There are
often bite windows when all of a sudden after slow fishing, the trout
feed actively subsurface for 1-3 hours, so be patient &
persistent. Expect
to work for trout this time of year. Trout normally will only move
inches for your fly in cold water. Keep your expectations reasonable.
Work the high percentage water more thoroughly with extra casts,
because in cold water trout normally won’t move far at all for your
fly. Slow & deep for your nymphs and streamers, and set the hook
on anything, even just gut instinct.
If you are headed
out fishing this time of year, in general there is no need to get out
there 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. Sunny
days are best of all The exception to starting later would be the
Winter Caddis hatch, which goes on all Winter in the early to mid
mornings (7am to 10pm would be typical, but it can vary). Sometimes
also, you can get an early
morning streamer bite
before the nymph fishing turns on. Other than that, I generally
wouldn’t venture out before 9am, 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 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 90% accurate.
Midges and
Early
Black Stoneflies
#14-16
are
the
main afternoon hatches, Tiny
Winter Stoneflies (Capnia)
#18-24
are near the end. Early
to mid mornings, Winter
Caddis
#18-24 is the bug and may bring some trout to the
surface.
*******************************************************************************
Dries:
-Early
Black Stoneflies #14-16: Mild sunny afternoons are
best.
-Summer/Winter Caddis #18-24: hatch is typically early to
mid morning. Trout focus on the pupa first, and then as the morning
progresses they normally switch to the winged adults when they return
to egg-lay. Try both twitching & dead-drifting your fly, trout
often key on movement with this bug.
-Midges #20-28: afternoon
hatch, especially on sunny/milder days. Sometimes brings trout to the
surface. If not, go subsurface with Midge pupa & larva.
-Tiny
Winter Stoneflies (Capnia) #18-24: sunny afternoons. Hatch is near
the end
Nymphs:
-BMAR Early Black
Stonefly #14 (hatching now)
-Small Nymphs #18-22: various
patterns, many bugs are small to tiny, with size of the fly often
superseding the exact fly pattern.
-Midges #18-22 (black,
olive, red): Zebra Midge, Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge, etc.
-Cased
Caddis #10-14: above average pattern in March & April, especially
when flows are up (high water knocks them into the drift, they mostly
live in slower water near the stream edges).
-BMAR Winter
Stonefly #18 (hatch is near the end)
-Blue Winged Olive
(Baetis/BWO) Nymphs #16-22: all year long
-Pheasant
Tails/Frenchies #14-22: imitates a wide range of Mayflies including
Sulfurs, Isonychia, Vitreus, Blue Winged Olives, small Stoneflies,
and more.
-”Junk Flies” (Eggs, Mops, Squirmy/San Juan
Worms, Green Weenies): Can work when standard nymphs fail, especially
in the Winter when there are not many hatches. Also great in
higher and/or 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. Good choice when flows are up. Some days when
trout won’t move for a small nymph, it takes a bigger bite of food
to get an eat. Often catches larger than average fish.
Experiment!
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16: tons of these
in the river, good all year, especially in the
Winter/Spring.
-Attractor Nymphs #10-20: such as Sexy Waltz,
Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies, Prince, Triple Threat, etc. Some days
trout ignore natural/drab nymphs but will eat gaudy attractors.
-Winter/Summer Caddis Larva #18 (yellow)- also imitates Black
Caddis larva & some Midge larva, works all year long, one of the
only bugs that is active & hatching in the Winter.
Streamers:
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. Streamers are also a great “clean-up” fly to
fish after you have thoroughly nymphed a run, and often will produce
a bigger fish than the nymphs did.
Top
colors have been white, olive, tan. A little yellow paired with
another color (olive, tan, etc.) in a streamer can trigger brown
trout. Black can be good on recently stocked trout (especially
rainbows), during low light (dawn/dusk), and high and/or dirty
water.
-Jig 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. White has been
a top color this Winter, and olive and tan are both good.
-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 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