Events/Classes - UpCountry Sportfishing on the Farmington River

The Hatch Guide For New England Streams is a new book by Thomas Ames Jr. This is the first book of its kind to focus solely on insects from this area. Filled with great photography, this book is a must have.
available in paperback / $19.99

UpCountry Sportfishing
352 Main St/PO Box 70
Pine Meadow Ct. 06061

Phone:
(860) 379-1952

Email:
UpCountrySports@
Gmail.com

Pat Torrey is our resident Zen Master of nymph fishing. Here is a quick tip from his wisdom.

Blue Winged Olives and the Wet Fly

If you are the type of angler who is looking for a different kind of fall fishing experience, we at UpCountry just might have the answer for you: fish the fall Baetis with little Blue Winged Olive wets.

Almost every afternoon from mid October until the first week of December the Farmington River has a very consistent hatch of small Baetis mayflies, size 26-28. The extended time frame of the hatch allows the fish to get pretty familiar with this food source. Most anglers fish this hatch with standard dry fly and emerger patterns, which become less and less effective as time goes on.

As an alternative: try fishing the Baetis hatch below the surface with soft hackled wet fly imitations that are seldom used. To paraphrase the late Gary LaFontaine: if you want to catch more fish, fish when other fishermen don’t; fish where other fishermen don’t, and fish how other fishermen don’t.

Blue Wing Olive Wet
Hook:
Tiemco 100 or 2487

Body:
Olive brown fur or olive thread

Tail:
Blue dun wet hackle or brown zelon

Rib:
Gold wire (optional)

Hackle:
Blue dun wet hackle

A selection of Pat’s wet fly patterns are available at UpCountry.

You'll find Don Butler working behind the counter much of the time, but he also guides, ties flies, teaches classes and holds a record
83 months in a row
catching a trout on a dry fly on the Farmington River.

Fly Fishing Lessons & Classes

Call the store at (860) 379 - 1952 to register for any of these events.

Saturday 2/13/10 - 9am-1pm Wet Flies for the Farmington Though often lost in the shuffle of nymphs, dries, and streamers, wet flies are a lethal arrow in any fly angler’s quiver. Wet flies have been taking trout for centuries, and the fish haven’t gotten any smarter. Join fly addict and outdoor writer Steve Culton as he takes you through some basic wet fly patterns that will prove invaluable on the Farmington and many other rivers. This seminar is free and is limited to 6 people. Participants should have some tying experience, and bring a vise, tools,
and threads. All other materials will be provided.

Saturday 2/20/10 - 9am Striper Flies: Introduction to Flatwings. Flatwing streamers have a remarkable lifelike movement in the water, even when they are not being stripped. Join striper addict and outdoor writer Steve Culton as he takes you through a short course in single-, two-, three-, and multiple-feather flatwings. Learn to tie flies that create the illusion of life and appear irresistible to stripers. Participants should have some tying experience, and bring a vise, tools, and threads. All other materials will be provided. The class will be limited to four people, and last about four hours. Cost: $25 per person.

Sunday 2/21/10 - Shawn Britton will be holding a fly tying class on Sunday February 21st called "Tying Realistic Flies with Foam". This five hour class will teach the art of tying realistic caddis, terrestrials, stoneflies, hoppers, crickets, frogs and more. Tuition is $75 and space is extremely limited. Call the store to register at (860)-379-1952

Fly Fishing Lessons

Our guides are available for private instruction in a one on one environment that allows you to set the curriculum and learn the skills that you would like to master. From improving your casting to presentation of the fly, we can make you a successful angler.

Don Butler is a dry fly aficionado and teacher of basic fly fishing skills. Don uses a lifetime of accumulated stories to relate his experience. He has been featured as a fly tier and lecturer at many fishing expositions around the Northeast.

Pat Torrey specializes in nymph fishing techniques and gives classes in the art. He has fished with Joe Humphries and is the best resource to be found on fishing nymphs in New England and Montana rivers.

Fred Jeans is a FFF certified fly casting instructor. His many years as a fishing guide, outdoor writer and lecturer qualify him as one of the region's finest. He has been published in several national sporting journals including Fly Fisherman magazine. Fred's skills as a casting instructor make him invaluable to anyone looking to improve their form.

Send mail to upcontrysports@gmail.com with questions or comments about this web site.