Farmington March 22

[SlowNDeep]

[quote author="Magnet" link=topic=1448.msg10235#msg10235 date=1206432279]
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!
[/quote]

Magnet,
When the Farmington has about 1000 CFS coming through the Boneyard I usually fish the first 20-30 yards down from the head while standing on the bank. The most productive seams at these temps and this height are usually 3-6 feet off the bank. Golden Stones and Caddis larva are my first picks in that stretch. There is some pretty turbulent water immediately upstream and these patterns appear to agree with what the fish are expecting to see there.

[AaronJasper]

Eddie ... great advice. Also, if you watch the tip of the month video can can watch it! Same spot... same results

[Nymphmeister]

Yeah, I gotta agree. The biggest single mistake I see people make in high water conditions is to step in the water off the bank without first fishing it. Why do fly fisherman seem to always feel the need to stand in the water???

[Magnet]

It's true, the first thing I did was plunge right in before casting. OK, I admit it. I have a chronic case of rollcastaphobia. I got right in there where the fish were. I fact I think I felt a couple of them bumping against my waders. I'm pretty sure they were trying to pick nymphs off me!

Seriously though, thanks very much for the advice and input. It makes a lot of sense.

[alanb_ct]

Yes, that's exactly the right advice. When I walked all the way in there on Saturday, there was already someone there and he was fighting a big fish. The key is getting to that spot first or fishing it when the weather is awful and no one is out.

[Nymphmeister]

Word to the wise:

Be careful about being too specific with your locational fishing info. The Farmington is crowded enough without directing people to EXACT locations- I would limit this to PM's amongst yourselves. Part of the fun in fishing is learning the spots and figuring out some puzzles on your own. Better be careful or people will soon be requesting GPS coordinates.... Lol. As a matter of fact, could you guys PM me the GPS locations for all your best big fish spots please?

[AaronJasper]

I am going to put LOJACK in your car so I know where you are fishing at all times lol! When they make the upper river a TMA crowding will no longer be bad. Its going to get worse until opening day. Then there will be breathing room!

[Nymphmeister]

A 1.5 mile extension won't eliminate crowding, but it will help. They need like a 10 mile addtion, Lol! And I too cannot wait for Opening Day, for a lot of reasons.

[AaronJasper]

Remember you will be able to fish from the dam down to the 219 bridge with the proposed new regs.8 miles should take care of it!

[Nymphmeister]

Yes, it's true the SEASONAL TMA would go all the way up. The year 'round one would only be extended 1.5 miles. But yeah, 8 miles or so is way better in March & early April when everyone is packed into 3.7 miles.