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 our regular
customer Jonas with a big trout from Wednesday. He and
his buddy Thomas landed several beautiful browns in the 17-20”
range. It’s been a quality over quantity week.
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.
Friday
Morning 2/20/26
River Report:
We
are looking for a part-time employee, someone who knows the river
well and 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.
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.
More
anglers made it out this week with the above freezing temps, and a
lot more of the river thawed out and became fishable. Rain and temps
above freezing on Wednesday put some good water in the Still River,
which both improved the flows downstream of that, as well as helped
to melt a bunch of shelf ice. The river is mostly
fishable from the dam all the way through New Hartford, and there are
even some open/fishable areas downstream of that here
& there. You
have to work hard for your fish lately, it’s been a grind, but the
fish gettting caught are averaging 16-19”, with the bigger browns
topping out at 20-22”. Morning
Winter Caddis hatches are ramping up lately, and some fish have been
surface feeding on them.
Tiny
Winter Black Stoneflies (Capnia) started hatching recently,
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 recently,
and we should be receving
Hareline tying materials order today
(Friday).
The
flow gauge on the Still River finally
thawed out. The dam is
reading 86cfs
at the Rt 20 bridge, that’s a low flow
(historical normal flow would be 182cfs).
The
Still River is 138cfs,
which puts the total flow below that in the Permanent TMA/Catch &
Release at about 225cfs
(historical normal total flow for today would be 319cfs).
Riverton water temp this morning is 36 degrees, it peaked Sunday at
about 38 degrees yesterday
afternoon. Behind
UpCountry (11 miles below the dam) the water temp is 32.7
degrees this morning. Unionville USGS streamflow gauge is frozen.
The
major parking lots are mostly plowed (Whittemore is
not), but most of the
pull-offs are still piled with snow, a
few are plowed though. 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.
*******************************************************************************
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