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Things are improving gradually. Not as windy as the past 2 days, but still plenty tough to mend and cast. More food in the water, easier flows. Water temp actually hit 39 degrees. Lots of gray midges about. I also saw bait fish in the shallows. Lots of folks in all the good spots. Better fishing is really close now.
Alain, did you put a few in the net?
The farmington is under 1,000 cfs for the first time in a while! I almost couldn't believe my eyes lol!
Aaron: I couldn't believe the flow either! When the dam is cut back to a typical level, and we get a few warm days, the fishing should be really good.
Magnet: I only landed one fish, but my confidence was good, since I think I am starting to figure things out. I had terrible troubles casting and mending with the wind. With the high water, there aren't too many legitimate spots to fish effectively. At that flow, I know about 6 of those spots - every time I got to one of those places; there was someone there! In one case, the guy was fighting a nice fish. At another place, there were 4 adults and two kids (great that folks and kids are out in the fresh air-don't get me wrong). To land my fish, a fat 16in brown, I walked a half mile to a more remote area. In that area, I found a slack water area that obviously contained lots of food. There was a slow back eddy there that was carrying some of the food in to the main channel. The fishy location was an honest 50 foot or more drift from my location, around a tree. My second cast, I was thinking to myself, "That looks like a good mend and drift." Sure enough, when it hit the spot, the indicator went right under and I hooked up! Better still, the fish was caught on a brand-new 2008 pattern I tied with recommendations from Torrey, I'm not even sure what to call it. I'm not sure why I only caught one there.
Keep in mind that such a hookup, while a mundane, ordinary task for some (i.e. Aaron would have caught a ton there), it is not that way for me! I am still learning all the time, and a really harsh critic of my abilities. The slow learning curve is killing me.
If you go up there, it should be fairly obvious what fly to use, if you are observant. Flip rocks, look around.
Alain, When I drive from Old Saybrook to the Farmington, my goal is to "wet my net" one time. After that I'm chill'in on the riv. I know it seems like low expectations but success is relative. Yes,we all are our own worst critics. As you tenaciously analyze and improve your skills, your posts are enlightening to others like me. I would love to have your fishing knowledge. There are several elite and even some world class fly fishermen posting on this site and they are eager to share and teach too. A couple of times I've seen on this site a report with pictures and I said to myself "I know that exact spot." So the next day I rush up there with my fly rod and high hopes only to come home with the skunk. I can function on the river but my understanding
the dynamics of the ecosystem and how I need to approach it are limited. I'll be going up there Monday morning. I'll let you know how I do. Thanks for the tip about being observant and flipping some rocks. In the morning I shall become one with my environment on the river's edge. The trout will be at my mercy!.... Ha! After all, I am the "Magnet."
Magnet,
I really like that way that you worded that post! How did you end up doing today? It was such a nice day out today. I could not believe how many people were out fishing where I was today.
Magnet,
Thanks for lending a sympathetic ear. I hope you caught a lot today. It was really warm and tomorrow's even warmer.
I went out Saturday too.
Thought I would have a nice day on the river with the warmer weather, spozed to be like 42 degrees.
I found some nice water
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...-3-22-08-1.jpg
But it was much colder than the weather man said it would be
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...-3-22-08-2.jpg
I managed to sight two fish feeding in the high, but very clear water, and like Jim Teeny says, if I spot 'em, I got 'em!
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...-3-22-08-3.jpg
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...-3-22-08-4.jpg
Got another one later in the day that was a nice fat fish
http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s...-3-22-08-5.jpg
Tried to hit a few other spots later on, but there were lots of people around later in the afternoon.
Either way, a nice day to be out.
Nice fish porn & report Slo, we gotta fish together sometime soon, it's been a while.
I did get one fish Aaron. It was a really nice size brown so I was pretty happy. I looked for and found the boneyard for the first time. Its an awesome spot but you cant wade out. Its like I was up over my waist and I was only 5 feet from shore. I finally found a slightly submerged flat rock to stand on and I casted from there. You have to be a mending maniac in that kind of water. Alain,there were some gray colored flies crawling around. They were a little bigger than the black ones that were crawling on the snow about a month or so ago. My hits came on a hares ear nymph. I was amazed that there was almost nobody on the river for such a nice day. Guess everybody got their fill over the weekend. Man, those are some nice fish Slo!