Derrick's (CT Fish Guides) client Shanna with one of several large trout from the past weekend while working on her tight-lining, this one is a holdover (look at the dorsal fin). 

New Fall Hours:

Monday-Friday 8AM-5PM, Saturday & Sunday 8AM-5PM

News:

Just arrived, the brand new highly anticipated Hardy Tactus fly rods designed by world champion Howard Croston for Euro nymphing & technical dry fly fishing. The nymphing rods include a 10' 8" #0/2, 10' 2" #2, 11' 2" #2, and 10' 8" #3. They have a powerful butt section for fighting bigger fish, and a include two tips: one standard tubular/hollow for a traditional feel and more power, and a nano carbon solid tip for lighter work with micro leaders, light flies, and better bite detection. The new series is lighter in hand and has a noticeably crisper recovery. The dry fly rods are either 9' 2" or 9' 9", both lengths offered in #3 and #4 The shorter length has a lower swing weight and is slightly better for accuracy, while the 9' 9" models give offer extra reach and better mending capabilities. While optimised for dry fly fishing, the 9' 9" lengths also function as hybrid nymphing and wet fly rods.

UpCountry is looking for good used fly rods & fly reels for cash and trade. This is how we get those great items listed on our Used Gear/Specials page. Bring in your old items and we can turn them into something new. We give more for trade ins than anywhere else. Call ahead for an appointment.

Steve Culton's brand new book "Fly Fishing the Farmington River" is out now, and it is fantastic. The book contains detailed information on the river, from the Hogback Dam in Riverton down to Tariffville Gorge. There is an updated hatch chart, new fishing locations, specific techniques and strategies for the Farmington, suggested fly patterns, plus detailed info from guides & river regulars. We have of plenty of  in stock available in the shop and in our online store here: Book

UpCountry will be holding a special "Hardy / Greys Demo Day" on Saturday, October 24th from 11am to 3pm. This will be your first chance to play with the new Hardy Tactus Rods, the new Hardy Firecrest fast action series rods, the new Greys Compflex and more. Meet Earl Evans, our regional sales representitive, enjoy some food and refreshments, and see all the good things UpCountry has been up to inside our store.

For more fish photos, store announcements and river news visit our Facebook page.

River Report:
October has arrived, and we are in great shape! Foliage color has noticeably increased over this week, it's getting extra pretty out there. Not peak yet, that will probably be about October 10th through 25th, with color lingering well beyond that. Brown trout are in pre-spawn mode, and the bulk of the spawn will take place later this month and well into November. Some of the browns are already starting to color up, especially the hook-jawed males. Still plenty of rising trout at moments, match the bugs you see. When they aren't rising, fish streamers & nymphs. Other than Isonychia & Stoneflies, mostly you want to nymph with smaller patterns in the #18-22 range, which imitates the sizes of the most common natural nymphs this time of year. Streamers appeal to the aggression of trout (due to the impending spawn). Often some yellow in a streamer will trigger October trout- can be all yellow, or olive & yellow, brown & yellow, etc. Play with retrieves- I normally start with a fast, aggressive presentation and then adjust depending upon the trout's reaction. This is also a time of year you can play with bigger streamers in the 4-6" range. You won't catch as many trout, but it ups your odds of landing a true trophy. 3-4" can be a sweet spot- big enough to interest a larger fish, but small enough that a 12-14" fish will still try to eat it. 

The total flow in the Permanent TMA/Catch & Release (C&R) is medium at 239cfs. Riverton USGS gauge is reading 187cfs two miles below the dam, and the Still River is adding 52cfs just below that. We are in very good shape. River water temp is 61 degrees in Riverton this morning. The entire river is back in play now, so don't limit yourself. Unionville USGS gauge is reading 351cfs, a very normal/typical reading for early October. We are in that time of year when due to cooler air temps, shorter days, longer nights, and lower sun angle, water temps are typically cooler as you move away from the dam most days.  

As mentioned above, big streamers can be a very good fall fly choice, but smaller streamers and Wooly Buggers will bring a lot of trout to the net in the coming weeks as well. If you favor quantity over just chasing big trout, smaller offerings will produce more fish overall and still catch the monsters, but to a lesser degree. The big daddies and big mamas of the river consider them less of a threat and put up less of a chase.

Grady's favorite technique for catching trout on streamers is to work upstream, making long casts to the bank, followed by a rapid stripping retrieve. Look for current breaks such as rocks, and features that protect trout from birds like overhanging branches & logs to cast around. Keep moving slowly upstream on foot, making just enough casts to cover an area thoroughly. Most of your strikes will come on the first couple of casts so don't spend too much time in one spot. Use polarized glasses to help see your streamer underwater and to see any trout chasing them down. If a trout chases but doesn't commit, immediately follow up with another cast. If that doesn't work and the fish is big enough, consider changing your streamer to get another chance.

When fishing streamers its important to cover lots of water and get your offering in front of as many trout as possible. Use heavy tippet for this method such as 0x-2x - the trout are looking at your fly, not at the tippet you use and you want to be able to set the hook HARD, using a hybrid of a strip-set and an angled sideways lift. 

Large Stonefly nymphs #8-10 are still working well, especially in the mornings, but they can pull above average fish later in the day too. Trico Spinners #22-26 are still on the water, but have moved to late morning following the cold overnights we have had recently. Isonychia #12-14, have been out in the afternoon all week, with the trout eating them well in some areas. Blue Winged Olives (BWO's) #18-24 & Hebe's/Yellow Quills #16-18 are hatching in the late afternoon & evening. Tan/brown Caddis #16-18 & big October Caddis are increasing in numbers and are producing trout throughout the day, particularly on fast water. Still seeing some big #12-14 Summer Steno's/Light Cahills in the eves, along with #14-16 Yellow Sallies. Typically the dominant hatches in October are tan/brown Caddis, Iso's, and small BWO's. 

Nymphing remains a consistent producer when trout aren't rising. A lot of the best fishing currently is in riffly water with a bit of current and some chop to it, whether you are fishing nymphs or dry flies. Many bugs live and hatch in faster water, and the evening egg-laying/spinner falls occurs where the riffles are. Smaller, heavy jig streamers fished slow & deep are a great fly to fish after you are done nymphing a run, often producing a bonus fish or two or three. Junk Flies (Mops, Eggs, Worms) are also good "clean up batter" flies. 

Fall often means using smaller nymphs in the #18-22 range, especially in low to medium flows- this can be the difference between a very slow outing and a banner day. Most nymphs are small to very small in late summer/early fall. A good strategy at our current flows is to use a weighted #14-18 nymph at the bottom of your rig to get your flies down, and a smaller lighter pattern on a dropper 18-24" above. On your top dropper, you can even use an unweighted fly, a brass bead nymph, or a soft hackle/wet fly if your anchor fly on point is heavy enough to get your rig down.

Hatches: 

Dries: 

- Isonychia #10-14: Fast water bug, usually hatches mid-afternoon to dark. Even if you don't see any hatching and no trout are rising, you can successfully blind-fish these in riffly water that you would normally nymph. Hatch usually goes at least into November on our river, but the bugs get smaller over time.

- Blue Winged Olives/BWO’s #18-24: afternoon hatch on cloudy days and later in the day when the sun goes off the water on days with blue skies.

- Hebe #16-18 (Little Yellow Quill): a dull yellow Sulfur-type mayfly we see in August/September in the late afternoon & evenings. 

- Assorted Caddis (tan, olive/green #16-20, black, gray #18-22) 

- Tricos #22-26: the main event for this morning hatch is the spinner fall, which normally happens when the air temps hit 68 degrees. Mostly upriver and near the end of the hatch now.

- Hoppers, Crickets, Beetles & Ants #12-20: great option from late morning to late afternoon.

- Yellow Sally #12-18: A smaller Stonefly that lives in fast water, looks like a miniature Golden Stone. Trout have been eating them on the surface at dusk.

- Light Cahill/Summer Steno #12-14: evenings

- 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. Hatches all year, peaking in both the summer & winter.

- Midges #20-28: 365 days a year, underrated and overlooked by many anglers. 

Nymphs:

- Caddis Pupa #16-18 (tan, olive, green)

- Caddis Larva (olive, green, tan, cream) #14-16: tons of these in the river, good all year

- Pheasant Tails/Frenchies #12-22: imitates a wide range of Mayflies including Hebe's (Yellow Quill), Baetis/Blue Winged Olives, Isonychia, and small Stoneflies.

- Walt's Worm #14-20: great general purpose nymph that suggests many different bugs, especially Caddis on this river. 

- Isonychia Nymph #10-14: dead-drift, swing, twitch, and even strip them in. They are great swimmers, and some days trout prefer different presentations- you won't know until you experiment. Use B-MAR Isonichia, large Prince Nymphs & Pheasant Tails to represent them. 

- Baetis/BWO Nymphs #16-22

- Yellow Sally #14-18: small Stonefly that looks like a miniature Golden Stone. Lives under rocks in fast water. Active & hatching in September here. Dries are good in fast water near dusk.

- Junk Flies (Eggs, Mops, Squirmy/San Juan Worms, Green Weenies): Often work when standard nymphs fail, especially when there aren’t many hatches.

 - Large Stonefly Nymphs #8-10: golden/yellow, brown, black, Stoneflies 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. Best in early morning during summer. Look for the empty shucks on top of rocks where they crawl out to emerge in fast water.

 - Midges #18-22 (black, olive, red): Zebra Midge, Flash Midge, Red Iris Midge, etc.

Streamers:

-Fall is Prime Time to fish medium to large streamers and take advantage of the trout's seasonal aggression. Streamers that incorporate yellow can be particularly good in the fall. Periods of higher/dirty water are a great time to fish big streamers and target big trout. Also early & late in the day during periods of low light. They are a good clean-up fly to try before right before you leave a spot. 

-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 #4-6: olive, brown, white, black, yellow

-Articulated Streamers 4-6" long: various patterns to target the biggest trout in the river, a good choice in the fall to catch fewer but bigger fish

-Muddler Minnow #6-10: and old classic that is still deadly and quite versatile. 

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If you like our fishing report, please consider buying your gear from us. We generally ship the same day, for free anywhere in the country for orders over $70. We ship small orders via mail or UPS for a small cost. Our shop can only exist with your patronage.

UpCountry Sportfishing is always looking for good used fly fishing gear for cash and trade. This is how we get those great items listed on our website and you see on our racks. We buy fly rods, fly reels, quality classic bamboo, and fly tying equipment etc. Bring in your old items and we can help turn them into something new. We give more for trade ins than anywhere else. Call ahead for an appointment.