Tuesday 12/30/14 Report: Almost the New Year, so make sure you have a new license before you fish in 2015- we will be closed on New Years Day (Thursday), and then back open Friday. We sell licenses, but you can also purchase one online. MDC cut the flow at the dam back by 100+ cfs yesterday, giving us a very angler-friendly total flow of 374cfs in the permanent TMA, with 226cfs coming from the dam. This is a normal, medium, clear flow. Cool to cold weather is with us now, water temps will average mid to upper 30s depending upon air temps, sunshine, time of day, and where you are in relation the dam. If you want to try to catch the Winter Caddis hatch, we recommend starting relatively early. Other than that, the better & more comfortable fishing is late morning through late afternoon when air temps are higher- this gives the water a chance to warm a degree or two, which gets both the trout & the bugs more active. Sunny days will see the biggest temp increases. Still no real snow in sight in the long range forecast. Winter Caddis and Midges will be the two main hatches for the next couple of months, and there are always at least a few Black Caddis hatching 12 months a year (they often go unnoticed due to their small #18-22 size and dark color). We recently got in a sizeable book collection, and we also have a bin of FREE books (limit 2 per customer). Recently the state stocked huge Seeforellen browns averaging 15 pounds (up to 20 plus pounds, literally state-record sized trout were stocked) in couple of local lakes (Highland & West Hill)- 50 in each one. I know of trout up to 19# landed so far, wow. I personally look forward to winter/cold weather fishing on the Farmington, as there is a fraction of the normal number of fishermen out most days, and when present on milder weekends they usually focus on Church Pool & Greenwoods- if you stay away from the super popular spots, you will likely have some elbow room. The Catch 22 is that those are two of the best dry fly pools this time of year. Ahh, decisions, decisions.... In terms of dry fly action, mornings will see Winter Caddis (sz 20-24), and Midges (sz 22-28) will hatch in the afternoons throughout the winter, and can provide good fishing on the surface, especially on milder days without too much wind. These are both GENERAL rules, and often you will see the caddis continue into the afternoons, and sometimes the midges will start hatching in the late morning. Nymphers overall have been getting the best results lately, especially on windy days that have been so common so far this winter (significant wind causes less rising activity, and makes it tough to fish small dries). Dont be afraid to fish some some gaudier/flashy/attractor-type nymphs in the winter, the trout often show a preference for them in cold water. If you are fishing streamers, remember that a slower presentation (swinging and/or slow stripping & twitching) matches up with the slower trout metabolism due to colder water temps- but as always, play with your presentation and let the trout tell you how they prefer it, they may still want a bit faster strip at moments. Try using a floating line and bouncing/hopping a Fishskull Skulpin Bunny on the bottom- use a 0x-2x tippet with this pattern & method, that fly is heavily front-weighted and rides hook point up. As a general rule, when water temps are cold (we have been averaging upper 30s recently, this will decrease a bit with normal/colder weather returning now), the better fishing mostly shifts to late mornings & afternoons, with mild, sunny days often the best of all due to a rise in water temps which increases bug activity & trout metabolism. There is one MAJOR exception: the Winter Caddis hatch, which often starts up not long after first light after milder nights, and is typically an AM deal. We have the specialized fly patterns you need to match this somewhat unique hatch- the females are wingless and run on the waters surface. Midges hatch in the afternoons. Subsurface, egg flies (sz 10-18) are still hot most days, along with medium to large stones (8-12), caddis larva (sz 12-18 ), midge larva/pupa (sz 16-22), and attractor nymphs (sz 12-18 in Red Headed Stepchild, Copper Johns, blue Lightning Bugs, Yellow Prince, Rainbow Warrior, etc.)- a little flash in your pattern seems to help with the smaller nymphs, we have some great new patterns to check out. Some days the streamer bite has been good, and others not so much- its important to experiment with colors (white has been above average) & retrieves and let the trout tell you what they prefer- it can very from day to day, and even during the day as light conditions change. -Torrey
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 14:13:40 +0000
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