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.
Pictured is a big brown caught by UpCountry's Joey Takeman on Wednesday with a small nymph. Trout may not eat as much in the Winter, but there are bite windows where they still feed. Be patient, and thoroughly cover the high percentage water. Trout generally won’t move far for your fly in cold water, so make more casts than normal to make sure some of your drifts are getting your flies right in front of them.
Current Sale Items:
-Thomas & Thomas Contact II Euro rods $535 (were $895): 10’9” #4 is the only size still available, other are all sold out
-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 out
website.
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 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 around mid February/early March.
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. 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. 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. 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.
Friday 1/16/26
River
Report:
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.
Looks
like the mild weather comes to an end and it’s back to Winter with
colder temps and even some snow for the Ten Day Forecast. Highs low
to mid 30’s with nights in the 20’s for the weekend, 2-4” of
snow predicted. I find that trout often bite well when it’ snowing,
maybe due to the reduced light level? Water level is about medium
and very fishable in the mid 200cfs range for total flow. Riverton
is medium-low at 134cfs,
and the Still River is adding in 110cfs
below that. This puts the total flow in the Permanent TMA/Catch &
Release at 244cfs
this
morning.
The historical median/normal total
flow
for today is 363cfs.
Riverton water temp this morning
is 34.5
degrees, it peaked yesterday afternoon at 37.5.
Behind UpCountry (11 miles below the dam)
the
water temp is about 31.9
degrees this morning, it peaked at 37.8
degrees yesterday
afternoon. Unionville USGS streamflow is 392cfs,
historical normal/median flow is 603cfs.
Slow
& deep in the pools with nymphs & streamers
is
normally the name of the game in January. Strikes can be VERY subtle,
so set the hook on anything. Remember, “hook sets are free”. The
best subsurface fishing lately has been somewhere between 10am and
3pm’ish. But… don’t totally
rule
out dry flies, especially the Winter Caddis hatch in the early to mid
mornings (typically between 7am-10am, but can be earlier or later).
Midges are also a possibility during mild afternoons, a
little sunshine really helps.
If you catch a Winter
bite
window when the trout decide to actively feed, double digit catches
are sometimes possible
for
skilled anglers who know the river well.
Trout are done spawning and they are hungry.
Lately 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. Nymphing has been the most consistent method, with
various nymphs #16-20 getting it done, as well as Junk Flies
(Squirmies, Eggs, Mops). We often pair a Junk Fly with a more
imitative smaller nymph, it’s a good Winter combo. Jigged streamers
fished slow & deep are also a good choice, white has
been
an above average streamer color this
Winter.
Water temps are cold (30’s), so focus on presenting your nymphs &
streamers slow and deep.
Small
nymphs are sometimes the key to subsurface success in the Winter, and
by small I mean #18’s all the way down to #22-24. Exception could
be Stoneflies #8-10 & Mops. Most nymphs are small to very
small right now, with some exceptions. Both Midges and Winter
Caddis are small, and most other nymphs/larva are immature and still
small in early Winter. Some days fly size can make a big
difference. Nymphing is typically the ticket in the Winter,
with fish coming to flies like Egg patterns #14-18, and #14-22
nymphs such as Pheasant Tails/Frenchies and Walt’s Worms. Other
good Winter nymphs include Midges #18-22 (black, olive, red), small
flashy Perdigons, Rainbow Warrior #16-18, Prince #10-14, Caddis
Larva, Mops, and nymphs with pink beads (PT’s, Walt’s, Hare’s
Ears, etc.).
Some days there can be a good streamer bite. Trout are done spawning now, and they lose weight during the process. They are looking to bulk up afterwards, which can make streamers a tempting choice for them in January. Cold water temps 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 Winter brown trout. Dead-drift them, but also occasionally twitch/pop your indicator to give your streamer a little movement.
When
water temps are in the 30’s (now), look for most of the trout in
Winter lies. That means 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 in the Winter, when all of a sudden after slow
fishing, the trout feed actively subsurface for 1-3 hours, so be
patient & persistent. Colder water means less bug activity and
less feeding by the trout, so expect to work for trout this time of
year. Trout normally will only move inches for your fly in icy cold
water. Having said that, I’ve had some surprisingly productive days
in the Winter. Fish will pod up in groups, and if 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. Slow & deep for your nymphs and streamers, and set the hook
on anything, even just gut instinct.
If you are headed
out fishing in the Winter, 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. The
exception 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). 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 90% accurate. The exception to warm days being best of all is
when there is a decent amount of snow on the ground. Warm sunny days
can melt the snow and send ice water into the river, dropping water
temps by lunchtime and totally shutting down the afternoon bite.
Sunny days with highs in the 30’s or less are better when we have
significant snow cover on the ground.
Midges are
the afternoon hatch now. Early
to mid mornings, Winter
Caddis
#18-24 is the bug.
*******************************************************************************
Dries:
-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.
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.
-Midges #18-22 (black, olive, red): Zebra Midge,
Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge, etc.
-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): Often work when standard nymphs fail,
especially in the Fall & Winter when there are not many
hatches.
-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.
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16: tons of these in
the river, good all year
-Attractor Nymphs #10-20: such as Sexy
Waltz, Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies, Prince, Triple Threat, Walt’s
Worm.
-Winter/Summer Caddis Larva #18 (yellow)- also imitates
Black Caddis larva & some Midge larva, works all year long
Streamers:
This
time of year, brown trout are hungry after the spawn and looking to
put weight back on. 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, and yellow. 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.
-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