Farmington River Hatches
The Farmington has rebounded strongly in recent decades from its former status as a power source and repository for the foundries, paper mills, and tanneries that were built on its banks during Connecticut’s industrial expansion. Many of the factories have closed, and thanks to the environmental awakening during the ’60s and ’70s the river has made a dramatic comeback.
The Farmington River flows from the Hogback Dam in Hartland, Connecticut, through northwestern Connecticut to its confluence with the Connecticut River in Windsor, some 60 miles downstream. Trout inhabit the entire length (wild brown trout have been found near the mouth of the Farmington River), although most are found in the picturesque upper half of the river. In 1994, the government designated the upper section of the river from Hogback Dam to the New Hartford/Canton town line as a Wild and Scenic River.
Coldwater releases from the bottom of Hogback Dam keep the river temperatures trout friendly. Hogback Dam also provides a buffer to keep the flows on the river fairly consistent. The river can get high, especially after spring freshets, but river levels will become fishable within a short time and there are none of the daily fluctuations that plague rivers with hydroelectric dams.
Upper River
The upper river begins as the West Branch of the Farmington below Hogback Dam and flows downstream to the town of Riverton. From Hogback Dam to the town of Riverton, the West Branch retains a small and wild character. Due to the extremely cold water, most hatches in this section are not as heavy as those below Riverton, and they occur much later, in some cases a month behind the lower river. Hatches can occur on this section during the warmest times of the day, giving anglers an opportunity to stretch out their fishing time. Route 20 provides access to a road that parallels the river in this section. The summer is an ideal time to fish this area.
Middle Section
The middle section of the river starts in Riverton and ends in the town of Farmington—over 25 miles of excellent trout water. Because of its excellent hatches and trout habitat, this section receives most of the acclaim and most of the fishing pressure.
In Riverton, the Still River joins the Farmington, adding nutrients that increase the river’s productivity dramatically. Below Riverton to Pleasant Valley, the river flows through People’s State Forest, an area of pristine pine and hardwood forests. A road on each side of the river, with numerous turnouts all the way to Pleasant Valley, provides good access to this almost-wilderness section of Connecticut.
The Upper Trout Management Area (TMA). The upper TMA starts one pool above the Pleasant Valley bridge (Route 318) and continues down to the New Hartford bridge (Route 219) some 31/2 miles. The upper TMA is extremely popular, mostly because trout seem to rise there 365 days a year. Pools in the TMA, such as the Church Pool, the Boneyard, and Greenwoods, are long with deep sections that harbor large trout. Trout in the smooth flows of the quiet sections will rise all day long.
The upper TMA was established in 1988 with year-round catch-and-release regulations. According to Bill Hyatt, fisheries biologist with Connecticut’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), during good years the annual survival rate of brown and rainbow trout in the upper TMA is as high as 35 to 40 percent. Holdovers comprise 35 percent of the TMA’s trout population, and fish larger than 20 inches are not uncommon.
In recent years, survival rates have fallen off and catch rates are down in the popular upper TMA. Hyatt feels that the trout are migrating out of the TMA as a result of the increasing angling pressure.
The DEP has proposed decreasing the creel limit from five to two fish outside of the TMAs and increasing the minimum catchable size from the current 9 inches to 12 inches, 1 inch each year for 3 years beginning in 2002. This would make the sections of the river outside the TMAs more attractive and productive to visiting anglers and hopefully improve the quality of fishing in the whole upper river. Stocking numbers and sizes would also be increased, particularly outside the TMAs.
These regulations would encompass about 20 miles of river from Hogback Dam to below Collinsville. The TMAs will retain their existing regulations and remain open to all forms of angling including bait-fishing.
Below New Hartford, the river twists and turns with Route 44, which follows the river for much of the way to Canton. Along the way, the river leaves Route 44 briefly to lunge through Satan’s Kingdom, a gorge once home to desperadoes on the run. If you are looking to get away from the crowds, float or hike into Satan’s Kingdom and pick your spots. However, during the summer months, especially on weekends, Satan’s Kingdom is popular with tubers.
Just above Satan’s Kingdom, the East Branch of the Farmington flows out of Barkhamsted and Compensating reservoirs to join the West Branch to form the Farmington.
The Lower TMA. Just below Collinsville along Route 4, you will find the second TMA, characterized by large boulders and deep pools that hold some large trout. The lower TMA does not get the fishing pressure of the upper TMA because it is newer and the wading is tougher. This TMA is catch-and-release for part of the year, so check the current regulations when you get your license.
Insects usually hatch on this section of the river at least a week earlier than on the upper river. The enterprising angler can follow a hatch upstream.
The river flows through the town of Unionville, which has good fishing near the Route 177 bridge. From there the river flows toward the town of Farmington.
Lower Section
As the river leaves Farmington it turns north for about 20 miles, painting a huge blue U in the northern section of the state map. At Tariffville, the river turns east and flows to the Connecticut River at Windsor.
The lower section is a large river better floated than waded. Smallmouth and largemouth bass and other warmwater species become predominant. The river is warmer here and trout seek out springs and other sources of cold water. You can find pockets of good trout fishing all the way to the confluence with the Connecticut River.
Some fish are stocked in the Tariffville Gorge and some of the tributaries have wild-trout populations. Fly-fishing pressure in this section is light, but a few large holdover brown trout have been rumored to call this section home. Shad runs in the spring can be heavy from the confluence with the Connecticut River to Rainbow Dam in Windsor.
Farmington Hatches and Tactics
Spring. As winter loses its hold on the Farmington, classic Eastern freestone hatches including Quill Gordons, Baetis, Paraleptophlebias, and Hendricksons make an appearance. The Hendrickson is by far the best hatch on the Farmington and gets the most attention from trout and anglers alike.
Depending on the early-season weather, the Hendrickson hatch will start in the upper river from late April to the beginning of May. During the first week of the hatch, duns can cover the water during early spring afternoons; with so many duns on the water, the fishing can be tough. Hatches usually begin around 1 P.M. and last till 4 or 5 P.M.
I have had good success fishing #12-14 Sparkle Duns and #12 Rabbit’s-foot Emergers. For reasons known only to them, trout feeding on the surface during a Hendrickson hatch on this river attack the Usual, a pattern developed by Fran Betters.
If the trout ignore your dun imitations, they may be feeding on other insects hatching at the same time. Often, the trout will zero in on the emerging nymphs or the smaller Blue Quills (Paraleptophlebias) or blue-winged olives (Baetis vagans) that often hatch at the same time as the Hendrickson. If you suspect the trout are keying in on the smaller duns, try matching the smaller flies on the water.
A Hare’s-ear or Pheasant-tail Nymph fished just under the surface will mimic the emerging Hendrickson nymph. Fish the nymph as a trailer off the dun
imitation. Before the hatch begins, dead-drift a #14 Beadhead Pheasant-tail Nymph along the bottom of the riffles to imitate the active Hendrickson nymphs.
Hendrickson spinner falls can be important, but they do not seem to be as consistent in the evenings as they are on the Farmington’s sister river, the Housatonic. Therefore, during Hendrickson time I engage in what I call the “daily double.” I fish the Hendrickson hatch
on the Farmington during the afternoon and then take the 45-minute drive to the Housatonic for the evening spinner fall. When you hit both the hatch and the spinner fall on the nose, as I have done on numerous occasions, it will provide you with a day you will not soon forget.
According to Dave Goulet, who knows as much about the Farmington hatches as anyone, after the Hendricksons a #28 caddis appears that has a fluorescent green body and dun wings. At the same time, a #14 caddis with a pinkish tan body also hatches in numbers large enough to provide good fishing. Finally, various #16-28 brown caddis are around all year. I have found that a general caddis imitation, such as a #16 Henryville, is a good searching pattern in the pocketwater during the spring and summer.
As May slips into June, the cream duns appear. The sulphurs, Cahills, and the Epeorus Vitreus, a summertime cousin of the Quill Gordon, provide good, reliable evening fishing from late May well through July, peaking in June.
The E. Vitreus dun hatches in profusion on the Farmington, and the hatches seem to be getting stronger in recent years. The duns hatch under water, perhaps on the streambed, and rise to the surface as fully emerged duns. The #14 insect is grayish cream with a distinct bit of orange at the thorax.
This is the time to fish those wet flies, such as the Partridge and Orange. I have had good success fishing a Usual tied with orange thread down and across stream. The trout will take the fly on the swing as it rises to the surface, so be prepared for hard strikes.
Sulphurs emerge as the water temperatures start to creep into the 60s (F). CDC Emergers and floating nymphs are excellent patterns during the sulfur hatches. Fishing soft hackles just before the hatch starts can also produce quite well. Sulphurs tend to hatch just as darkness comes on, so don’t leave early. A parachute-style fly on a #16 or #18 hook is my favorite imitation for the dun.
Summer. Due to the coldwater releases from Hogback Dam, the Farmington is the one river in Connecticut that fishes well in the summer. Midday water temperatures in July and August usually stay in the 60s. During the summer months, Tricos and their spinner falls in the morning become important.
If the morning spinner fall is less than spectacular, fish terrestrials. Letort Crickets, foam beetles, and small ant patterns usually work very well. During the summer months, I have had great success fishing the Letort Cricket with a small nymph as a trailer. The cricket attracts the trout, which will quite often take the nymph with a soft swirl. Fishing a small Black Ant (#20-28) to sippers is also one of my favorite summer tactics. During August and into September, flying ants periodically appear—always carry a few in your vest.
The Ephemerella needhami is another late-summer hatch imitated by #22-28 mayfly patterns with a chocolate-brown body and smoky-dun wings. A favorite local adult pattern is tied with a dark dun CDC wing, a chocolate-brown body, and a thread tail. According to Dave Goulet, the Farmington’s E. needhami seem to be much smaller than those found on other rivers, which may be caused by the Farmington’s cool water temperatures. The E. needhami can appear on the water until September.
Fall. Fall brings on the tiny (#24-28) Blue-winged Olives. One local pattern partly developed by Dave Goulet at the Classic and Custom Fly Shop in New Hartford is called the Unicorn. Tie the Unicorn on a small hook (#22-28) with a thread body and thread tail. Attach a small cylinder (1/32 inch) of white foam at the wing position in a wide V.
The Unicorn floats on the wing with the back end of the fly submerged to give the appearance of an emerger. The Unicorn works best at the beginning of the hatch. As the hatch progresses, the trout will start to key in on the duns (imitated by a small BWO Parachute). Water levels are at their lowest in the fall and the fish will be shy. Careless presentations will send the trout to the bottom.
Winter. Caddis hatches are not as prolific on the Farmington as they are on some of the other rivers in Connecticut, probably due to the river’s colder water temperatures. However, the Farmington River’s trout clearly relish caddisflies when they can get them, and sometimes they are the only item available.
For example, the #18-20 black winter caddis Dolophilodes distinctus keeps the trout looking to the surface December through March. During those periods of the winter when open water exists, otherwise sane people outfitted in many layers of fleece and wearing thick neoprenes will cast to the super-selective sipping trout in the pools.
A popular local pattern for the winter caddis is tied on a curved hook with a foam wing, a turn of dun hackle, and a small dubbed head.
Another version of the winter caddis is amber and is in the #16-20 range. These wintertime caddis tend to wiggle across the surface—probably because it is too cold to do anything else. Fish your caddis patterns to imitate the behavior of the naturals, if your fingers will cooperate.
Midges hatch every month of the year, but are particularly important November through April. Griffith’s Gnats in #20-28 work well, as do various midge pupae patterns fished in the film. The most effective patterns are usually nothing more than thread and a bit of dubbing at the head.
Stonefly nymphs are always effective searching patterns on the Farmington. Size 10 Golden Stonefly Nymphs and large #6 black stonefly imitations fished on the bottom in the pocketwater stretches are always good strategies. These larger stones hatch at night, so the dry-fly opportunities are limited. However, the smaller Yellow Sallies can provide some summertime stonefly dry-fly fishing, as will the early black stoneflies that appear before the Hendricksons.
Strategies and Equipment
With 28 miles of outstanding trout water on the Farmington, the toughest decision of the day may be where to fish. If you enjoy the challenge of technical fishing to super-selective feeders, then head to the upper TMA and its large pools. If you seek less crowded conditions coupled with fantastic scenery, go to the sections above and below Riverton.
Below New Hartford to the town of Farmington, the river provides miles of lightly fished trout water (after the first few weeks of the season) with trout eager to rise to flies. There is something here for everyone, including solitude, if you seek it out. There is excellent access along the entire upper river. Stop in the fly shops for information about what spots might be hot at the moment. Explore and have fun.
Pocketwater. Look for trout feeding in the eddies next to the fast water. The slicks behind rocks and the seams next to fast water hold feeding fish. I have had great fishing in the pocketwater above and below the popular pools. Due to pressure, many of the holdover fish will move out of the pools and seek refuge in what normally would be less desirable lies. The best time to find these spots is during a good hatch, such as the Hendricksons—the fish will show themselves to you. Keep moving and keep looking.
Pools. If the siren call of the constantly rising trout in the pools of the upper TMA is too much to resist, remember one word—presentation. Slack-line casts are necessary to fool these catch-and-release trout. I have found the down-and-across presentation critical to fishing success on the flat-water sections.
The Farmington is a large river, so in most cases, if you walk slowly and carefully, you can approach a fish from above. Stay above and to the side or even directly across from a feeding fish. Using a reach cast, feed the fly before the leader down to a trout in his feeding lane. If the fly passes the trout, allow the fly to float well past the fish and then slowly retrieve it to avoid disturbing the trout. Never false-cast over the fish. I cast well above the fish and keep the casts low to the water. Long tippets of three to four feet may be necessary to get drag-free floats; shorten the tippet if it gets windy.
Tackle. For most of the Farmington River, an 81/2- to 9-foot rod for an 4- or 5-weight line is fine. However, the upper TMA demands finer equipment. As the season progresses, the water levels drop, the flies get smaller, and the trout become smarter. These trout will often feed on infinitesimal items in the film.
It’s at this time that a 2-weight rod fished with 7X to 8X tippets can make a real difference. The trout in these hard-fished areas become leader shy and even a 4-weight line will produce too much line splash. Flies must be correspondingly small, so lighten up as much as possible.
Jeff Passante is author of The Housatonic River Fly Fishing Guide. He lives in Haddam, CT.
The Farmington River Anglers Association (FRAA) maintains a hotline at (860) 738-7227 that provides hatch information and stream conditions. FRAA also produces an excellent guide to fishing the Farmington, detailing access points and maps of most of the popular pools up and down the river. Contact the fly shops below for a copy ($9.95) or leave a message on the hotline.
• Classic and Custom Fly Shop
New Hartford, CT
Dave Goulet
(860) 738-3597
www.classicandcustomflyshop.com
• UpCountry Sportfishing
New Hartford, CT
Gradey Allen
(860) 379-1952
www.farmingtonriver.com
• Quiet Sports
Collinsville, CT
John Marona
(860) 693-2214
The picturesque Austin Hawes State Campground (860) 379-0922) is on the west side of the river between Riverton and Pleasant Valley. Excellent fishing can be had within walking distance of your campsite.
Numerous motels can be found along Route 44 from Hartford to New Hartford. If you are looking for something a little bit more upscale, The Riverton Inn (860) 379-8678 in Riverton and the Avon Old Farms Hotel (860) 677-1651 in Avon both have excellent lodging and food.
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