Guided Driftboat
Fly Fishing
Farmington River, Connecticut River Valley Waterways, Long Island Sound
Where We Fish
The Connecticut River Valley offers an incredible of variety of fishing opportunities. Our fishery includes small freestone creeks, tailwaters, saltwater estuaries, tidal flats, inshore bays and offshore saltwater. Here are some of the waters we fish.
Farmington River
We have been fishing the Farmington since the 1960’s. We have seen water quality improve, and to have experienced the results of DEEP’s excellent Survivor Program for the natural reproduction of native or stream born (mostly) brown trout.
It is a river of many characteristics; from rushing torrents to deep, well-oxygenated boulder strewn runs, riffles to the end of the trout water terminating in a mile long riverine lake formed by a gravel operation below which water temps are inhospitable to trout.
We prefer to fish from a drift boat or — in lower water conditions — a large inflatable raft designed to accommodate two fly rodders. The boats allow us to fish sections not easily reached by wade fishing, to comfortably access different types of water in the same outing, and also provides a safe and comfortable platform for folks who are no longer sure-footed enough for safe wading.
Trips include 1/2 day, full day, and night fishing with mouse flies, wade or driftboat.
Farmington River Trading Company and Seth Boynick drift boat fly fishing the Farmington River on Fox 61 News Hartford.
The Farmington River near New Hartford, Connecticut is one of the areas we fly fish in the drift boat.
Other Connecticut River Valley Streams and Rivers
Naugatuck River: The Naugatuck is stocked with released broodstock Atlantic Salmon and is also a trout river in its upper reaches near Campville in Litchfield County. In its lower reaches as it approaches the confluence with the Hoosatonic River in the Town of Derby it may be floated for Stripers in the spring with some chance of encountering a salmon. It makes for an interesting urban drift as it flows past factories. One must avoid sunken shopping carts, bicycles and old tires, but the fish are there. Trips include 1/2 day, full day, wade or driftboat.
The Naugatuck River near Torrington, Connecticut is one of the areas we fly fish for broodstock Atlantic Salmon.
Shetucket River (CT): The Shetucket below Scotland dam is stocked with released broodstock Atlantic Salmon. Sections can be waded, but this river is best fished from the drift raft. This is a great option to shake off winter cabin fever since the salmon fishing occurs from November – March. Salmon up to 20lbs can be caught on streamers and nymphs. Trips include 1/2 day, full day, wade or driftboat.
The Shetucket River near Baltic, CT is one of the areas we fly fish from the drift boat for broodstock Atlantic Salmon
Housatonic River (CT, MA): The Housatonic flows from its source in Massachusetts's beautiful Berkshire Hills into Western Connecticut and emptying into Long Island Sound. Its upper reaches have pike, bass, carp and trout including some that are quite large. In the upper Connecticut sections it is trout and bass water. With its limestone base rock it has excellent bug hatches and is an excellent river to float. When it flows over and past the first impassable dam — the Derby Dam — it supports a huge population of year round striped bass, some quite large especially in the spring when they are chasing migratory herring. These may be fished successfully in the winter months with heavy sinking lines or more easily jigged up with spinning gear. Trips include 1/2 day, full day, wade or driftboat.
The Housatonic River in West Cornwall, CT is a popular area to fish for trout.
Connecticut River (CT, MA): The Connecticut River provides excellent fishing for both smallmouth and largemouth bass, spring striped bass (some quite large), northern pike and shad. We fish the area mostly from the Massachusetts border to Windsor, Connecticut and in Massachusetts from the Holyoke Dam downstream (stripers and shad). Increasingly walleye have been appearing but we normally do not target these. It is possible to combine two or more day trips, trout, Connecticut River, saltwater and even a day on our guided quad tours in the beautiful Berkshire Hills. Trips include 1/2 day, full day, wade or boat.
The Connecticut River at the Holyoke Dam gets a solid run of big stripers chasing river herring during the early season.
Deerfield River (MA): The tailwater section below Fife Brook Dam in Florida, Massachusetts is the start of the trout catch & release section, which continues down through Zoar Gap. Controlled flows make year-around cold-water releases sustain a nice population of holdover trout combined with being heavily stocked with rainbow and brown trout. Trips include 1/2 day, full day, wade or driftboat.
The Deerfield River in Charlemont, MA is one of the areas we drift boat fly fish for trout.
Saltwater - Long Island Sound
Our specialty is fly fishing inshore species; striped bass, bluefish and in the false albacore. If you prefer, we can accommodate non-flyfishers. We sight fish the flats for stripers in Spring around Stonington, CT and in Rhode Island; the area from New London to the Race; Fishers Island; Plum Gut; Block Island; and Montauk. We bring a licensed captain who can handle the boat while we attend to the fisherman.
