Farmington River Report - Week of June 2

Fished Fri 5/31 with Dr. Maria Ellis locally known as a very accomplished fly fisher and her friend a full on novice Lisa.

Lisa’s mother lives on the River a little below the former Apricots soon to be Wooden Tap. Lisa wanted to fish this section much of which has lower fish #s than upper sections and suffered mortality during the draught years in part as her mother has observed that fishers often show up there cast some and leave after 10 mins. Her mom is convinced that there are no trout there. The ladies raised but missed 2 fish in the 10 or so mins we hung out there.

Maria’s sharpshooter pinpoint casting with streamers on the bank accounted for enough fish caught or missed throughout the float to keep it interesting and Lisa was able to get at least one decent rainbow on a suspension rig…..The ladies were brave as we got thru some bumpy sections known as Suicide Six, a graveyard for canoes in some years…..the next section normally produces well but did not with only a few interested fish and or missed takes.

Rowed thru the next mile of flat water to what can be the best section of the river for bugs and formerly high fish #s (a very short stretch of its own unique micro  ecosystem associated with a lake formed by a gravel operation) the most viable bit being approx 100 yards of fast shallow water starting just below the pond outlet.

We waited it out until near dark and for one of only one or two times it did not switch on….I said lets wait another 10 mins….(did this several times) and finally gave up and headed to the take out….as we exited the good water things started happening and Lisa the novice was able to get at least three more nice fish (brooks and rainbows) on sulfur duns with soft hackle wet  and or tan caddis dry with soft hackle wet on a dropper….do not know if it really switched on the the formerly really good water we had just left or not