Monday 2/16/26 Farmington River Report: Good week to get out there

Store Hours:
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 local artist Jim DeCesare with yet another big Farmington River brown trout caught this past weekend, he loves Winter fishing. This one was deceived by a small nymph. Most bugs eaten by trout in February are small to very small, with a few exceptions.

We have the brand spanking new Simms Flyweight Waders in stock now, check ‘em out. Lightweight and fold into their own pouch for easy carrying.

Current Sale Items:
-Thomas & Thomas Contact II Euro rods $499 (were $895): 10’9” #4 is the only size still available (we have one left), others 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 our 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 or so.

Monday Morning 2/16/26 River Report:
Don’t forget to get a 2026 CT fishing license, you will need a new one as of January 1^st. 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.

We now have FRAA Banquet tickets available for purchase in the store via cash or check, but not credit/debit cards. Date is Saturday March 7th, cost is $60 per ticket. We also have 100 Ticket Raffles for sale. FRAA puts on some of the best banquets we’ve ever seen, and they do a fantastic raffle.

Finally a full week with highs all well above freezing! About time. The upper 5 or so miles from the dam in Riverton down through Campground is all open and fishable, below that things gradually start to lock up, especially in the slow pools. These milder temps should steadily & gradually open up more areas as the shelf ice melts. FYI most of the pull-offs are still full of snow, but major parking lots are almost all plowed. You may have to get creative on parking, but should be able to find a way to access most of the open water. Tiny Winter Black Stoneflies (Capnia) started hatching last, they average #18-20 but can go all the way down to a #24. A #18 BMAR Winter Stonefly or a black Zebra Midge in those sizes can imitate this bug, but often I find I do better on other nymphs that look nothing like a small black Stone, so pair that up with another nymph pattern. If nothing else, bugs in the drift get the trout out of hiding & feeding. They may move into the riffles in the afternoons when there are insects in the subsurface drift.

For you fly tyers, a Wapsi fly tying materials order arrived last week and is up on the walls. And after that, we should be receving Hareline tying materials order shortly. Need to get those fly boxes up to speed for the Spring.

The flow gauge on the Still River is still frozen. The dam is reading 95cfs at the Rt 20 bridge, that’s a low but fishable level for the upper river (historical normal flow would be 185cfs). I’d guesstimate the Still River around 50cfs, which puts the total flow below that in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release at about 145cfs, give or take (historical normal total flow for today would be 320cfs). Above the Still River in Riverton from about the Rt 20 bridge/Riverton Self Storage to the dam it will remain open & fishable no matter how cold it gets, and last I knew it was open/fishable at least as far downstream as the Campground, and highs well into the 40’s should open up some more water as this week progresses. Below that there is substantial ice. Riverton water temp this morning is 36 degrees, it peaked Sunday at about 38.5 degrees. Behind UpCountry (11 miles below the dam) the water temp is 31.4 degrees this morning. Unionville USGS streamflow gauge is frozen.

The major parking lots are mostly plowed (Whittemore was not last I knew), but most of the pull-offs are still piled with snow. I’d recommend focusing on mid/late morning through mid afternoon when water temps bump up a bit. Fish slow & deep, as trout are lethargic when water temps are in the 30’s. Expect most eats to be subtle, so set the hook on anything. Cycle between small nymphs #16-22 (Midges & Mayflies), Junk Flies (Eggs, Mops, Worms), streamers, and fish them all slow & deep.

Slow & deep in the pools with nymphs & streamers is normally the name of the game in Winter. 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 most days (it can vary though). 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. Lately anglers are working hard for each and every bitw. You have to be in the right spot (the “spot within the spot”), at the right time, with the correct flies, rigging & technque. 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 #16-22 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 large Stoneflies #8-10 (golden, brown, black) & 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. Tiny Winter Black Stoneflies run #18-24. 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. 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. Top colors are white, olive, and tan.

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 some days. Keep your expectations reasonable though. Work the high percentage 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). Sometimes also, you can get a mid-morning streamer bite before the nymph fishing turns on. 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 and Tiny Winter Black Stoneflies (Capnia) #18-24 are the afternoon hatches now. Early to mid mornings, Winter Caddis #18-24 is the bug.

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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.
-Tiny Winter Black Stoneflies (Capnia) #18-24: sunny afternoons


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.
-BMAR Winter Stonefly #18
-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. Some days in the Winter when trout won’t move for a small nymph, it takes a bigger bite of food to get an eat. Experiment!
-Caddis Larva (olive to green) #14-16: tons of these in the river, good all year, especially in the Winter.
-Attractor Nymphs #10-20: such as Sexy Waltz, Rainbow Warriors, Frenchies, Prince, Triple Threat, etc. Some Winter 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, and 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.
-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