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The Farmington
by Bob Rifchin
With all the problems of the modern age, the Farmington
River in Connecticut is truly a crown jewel of
Northeastern trout fishing. Sure, it's had its problems,
but the degradation of the early industrial era is a
thing of the past. With the Farmington River Angler's
Association as watchdog, this is a river with friends.
The Farmington is the largest trout fishery in
Connecticut, a busy place, and well worth knowing
intimately.
The river should be looked at in three sections. The
Upper River stretches roughly from Heartland to Canton,
and is typical of regulated-flow cold water fisheries.
The water is very clear and cold and has a reduced
aquatic insect population to the confluence of the Still
River. The section includes a catch-and-release only
Trout Management Area from Pleasant Valley to New
Hartford. This is trout water!
The middle section is predominantly trout water to
Farmington, though bass and perch are part of the mix.
Below Route 4 the river flattens out. There are rapids
at Tariffville Gorge just before the water spills into
the Rainbow Reservoir.
The Lower River from the Rainbow Dam to the Connecticut
River is influenced of the power needs served by the
dam. Much of this fishery is warm water though there are
trout to be found spring and fall. There are also shad
present in May.
The fishing starts at the Hogback Dam accessible off
Hogback Road and continues on downstream through a
succession of named pools. Beaver Pool which is next in
line along Hogback Road just after the junction of Route
20 is a great piece of dryfly water with easy wading.
It's fortunate that I can fish there midweek as it's
often crowded, but the midge fishing there is often
good. There was a day a few years ago when there were
several good fish right below the larger rocks at the
head of the pool. There were midges in the air and
whatever the fish were taking was invisible, so a size
22 Griffith's gnat, which is my favorite nondescript
searching pattern, was chosen to find some answers. Fish
rose to it freely, but none would touch the fly. The
midges appeared grayish so I dug through my fly box
until a similar fly with a thread body covered with a
gray CDC wing was found. The fish took that fly one
after the other, though I rested the water after each
one. The best was almost 18 inches and the smallest 14.
It was just one of those perfect days one never forgets.
The Canal Pool at the junction of Route 20 in West
Hartland is another great spot, as is Van's Pool just
upstream of the old Hitchcock Chair factory in Riverton.
The Hitchcock Pool however, is an easy, enjoyable place
to fish and ideal for beginners. There are productive
runs above and below the pool, and the water is easy to
read.
Lyman's Rock Pool marks the
confluence of the Farmington and the Still below
the Riverton Fairgrounds. It is a maze of
circular currents and a challenge to fish
effectively. The warmer waters of the Still add
to the Farmington's richness, and hatches become
more intense at this point. This empties through
a series of rapids into the Pipeline Pool,
reachable off East or West River Road. This long
pool offers great opportunities for both dry
flies and wet flies at almost any time.
Whittimore Pool, also off East or West River
Road, has the water to hold big fish, and it's
fun to fish its tail, wading deep when there are
sulphurs on the water. Perhaps one of the most
memorable fish I've ever caught was there,
though it refused my fly seven times. Each time
the fish came to the fly and turned away, I
rested the pool and trimmed the fly a bit.
Finally it was replaced with a size 18 cutwing
parachute pattern I used in the Catskills in
years past, and on it's first drift the fish
confidently rose and inhaled that pattern. That
was an honest 22 inches of deep-bodied power
I'll never forget, and taking the time to trim
the fly and rest the water is what brought me to
the right imitation. Patience really is the key! |
13Lg.jpg) |
The Austin Hawes State Campground comes next, and with
it Hawes Pool, the Campground Pool, and just below that
is the Hemlocks Run. The Spring Hole is just past the
Department of Environmental Protection Headquarters,
followed almost immediately by School Bus Pool and
Halford Run. School Bus is well worth the trip anytime
as it's varied water types support almost all of the
hatches found on the river. Be prepared for anything,
and don't ignore the quieter center of the pool.
The Trout Management Area where catch-and-release is
mandated comes next, and with it even larger crowds than
the sections we've just been through. Fishing anywhere
along the upper river is definitely preferable during
the week whenever possible. This is challenging fishing,
in great measure because of the heavy pressure, but it
is good fishing as well. The Church Pool, Drive-In Pool,
Morgan Brook Pool, The Greenwoods, Central Riffle, The
Boneyard, Ovation Pool and the 219 Bridge Pool make up
this section. My favorite is the slower-water section of
the Church Pool where 7x or 8x tippets are the norm. The
fish are very fussy, but do take nymphs and emergers a
bit better than dries. Expect to share the pool with
others, and all of you will be casting to rising fish.
From New Hartford, at the lower end of the Trout
Management Area, all the way to Collinsville the river
remains a cold water habitat, moderated a bit by the
season, but with activity through most of the day. Below
Collinsville the water becomes much more the freestone
stream we expect in the Northeast. Trout activity is
concentrated at the beginning of the day and at dusk.
The pocket water of Boulder Run is a favorite spot when
the larger flies like the Isonychia bicolor are on the
water. Here you pick your way among the rocks using a
long rod to maintain control and get the longest drift
possible. The flies need to be buoyant, and the fish are
a bit less demanding. Just don't let your fly drag!
The great thing about the lower river is that the major
hatches occur a week or two before the cooler upriver
sections. The activity also ends earlier in the day, so
one could actually fish out a hatch and continue
upstream for more action. Also, the crowds just don't
exist on the lower river. If you get out of the water
for a few minutes there's nobody standing in your pool.
People take things a bit more slowly, and at places like
Salmon Brook and the Tariffville Gorge there are still
plenty of trout.
The months of August and September are a great time to
enjoy the large Isonychia hatches, and I agree with Dave
Goulet, of Classic and Custom Fly Shop in New Hartford,
that these are great hatches on the river. After all the
squinting over midges and tiny tricos, these are
mayflies you can see! It's really a fun time to be
there. There are still tricos this time of year, so
you're free to strain as much as you like. The intense
concentration of the trout on these tiny mayflies is an
amazing thing to watch.
For more information, contact the fly shops in the area,
or The Farmington River Anglers Association, P.O. Box
147, Riverton, CT 06065. Their Guide to Fishing the
Farmington River is very complete
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