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Insects

Brown troutRainbow troutMountain whitefishBrook troutCutthroat troutSteelheadEuropean graylingMarble troutSea-run brown troutResident brown trout

Techniques

Reading waterMatching a hatchNymphingDry-fly presentationStreamer fishingSwinging a flyCatch and release, done properlyTying flies you will actually fish

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Rivers
White River, ArkansasDavidson RiverPenns CreekLetort Spring RunFarmington RiverPere Marquette RiverNorth Umpqua RiverDeschutes RiverSan Juan RiverFryingpan RiverYellowstone RiverBighorn RiverTraun RiverBeaverkill RiverRío GrandeGreen River below Flaming GorgeRiver WharfeHenry's Fork of the SnakeSoča RiverAu Sable RiverTongariro RiverSouth Platte — Deckers and CheesmanRiver TestMadison River
Brown troutRainbow troutMountain whitefishBrook troutCutthroat troutSteelheadEuropean graylingMarble troutSea-run brown troutResident brown trout
Reading waterMatching a hatchNymphingDry-fly presentationStreamer fishingSwinging a flyCatch and release, done properlyTying flies you will actually fish

Farmington River

New England's most reliable tailwater, with a catch-and-release TMA that fishes in January.

Region
Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States
Country
United States
Water type
Bottom-release tailwater below the Colebrook Dam
Species
brown, brook, rainbow
Length
76 km
Typical flow
120–400 cfs in the TMA; the winter release can drop under 100 cfs
Season
Fishable all year; the Trico and sulphur hatches from June to September are the technical part
Best months
May · Jun · Jul · Sep · Oct
Published
2026-10-07

By The Fly Desk

Fly plate: Sulphur Sparkle Dun
Plate 1 · dressing
Aquatic insect plate: Midges (Chironomidae)
Plate 2 · insect

Hatch timeline

  • Jan · 11:00-15:00Midges (Chironomidae) Pupa

    #20-24 · Jan · Hatch

  • Mar · 12:00-16:00Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis) Emerger

    #18-20 · Mar · Hatch

  • May · 13:00-16:00Hendrickson (Ephemerella subvaria) Dun

    #12-14 · May · Hatch

  • Jun · 19:00-21:00Sulphur (Ephemerella invaria) Dun at dusk

    #14-16 · Jun · Hatch

  • Jul · 07:30-10:30Trico (Tricorythodes) Spinner fall

    #22-26 · Jul · Hatch

  • Aug · 17:00-21:00Isonychia bicolor Dun

    #10-12 · Aug · Hatch

  • Oct · 13:00-16:00Blue-Winged Olive (Baetis) Dun

    #18-20 · Oct · Hatch

Matched fly box

PatternImitatesSizeTechnique
Sulphur Sparkle DunEphemerella dun#16Fish the dusk rise in the flats above the TMA boundary.
Trico Spinner, #24Tricorythodes spinner#245-metre leader, 7X, sit still and do not move the fly after it lands.
Walt's WormCaddis larva#14-16Euro nymphing in the fast chutes; the single most useful fly on this river.
Zebra MidgeChironomid#20-22Winter fly: 60 cm under an indicator in the slow water below the dam.
Black GhostBaitfish#8A New England classic; strip it through the deep pool at the TMA's lower end.

The river

Below the Colebrook Dam, the Farmington runs cold and clear for about 10 km through a designated Trout Management Area with flies-and-lures-only rules, then continues as a broader, warmer river to the Connecticut. The TMA is the reason people drive from New York and Boston: steady flows, visible fish, and a good spread of mayflies from May to October.

On this river

Euro nymphing the chutes

The TMA's best water is fast, shallow and full of small chutes where an indicator rig drags. A tight-line rig with a single Walt's Worm on a 5.5-metre leader lets the fly sink first and travel at current speed. Keep the rod tip low and lead the fly with the rod rather than the line.

The July Trico mornings

Trico spinner falls start early and end when the sun reaches the water. Fish the flats above Hitchcock Chair, use a single #24 with a 5-metre leader, and stand well back — these fish sit in 40 cm of water and are visible, which means they can see you too.

Winter midging

From December the fishery narrows to midges in the slow water right below the dam. Use a two-fly midge rig, 90 cm under a small indicator, and accept that a five-fish morning is a good morning. The reward is that the TMA is empty and the water is at its clearest.

Licence and rules

Connecticut requires a fishing licence from 16 and a separate Trout and Salmon Stamp to fish the TMA, which is flies-and-lures-only, catch-and-release for trout. The stamp revenue goes into the trout programme, so it is worth buying even for a single trip. Wading is allowed throughout the TMA but the bank between the dam and the first bridge is steep.
When should I come?

The best months are May · Jun · Jul · Sep · Oct. Fishable all year; the Trico and sulphur hatches from June to September are the technical part

What licence do I need?

Connecticut requires a fishing licence from 16 and a separate Trout and Salmon Stamp to fish the TMA, which is flies-and-lures-only, catch-and-release for trout. The stamp revenue goes into the trout programme, so it is worth buying even for a single trip. Wading is allowed throughout the TMA but the bank between the dam and the first bridge is steep.

How does the water behave?

Colebrook Dam releases are managed for flood control and for the trout fishery, so flows are usually modest: 150 to 300 cfs is normal in the TMA. Because the release is from the bottom of the reservoir, the water stays under 15°C even in August, which keeps the fish feeding when nearby freestone rivers are too warm. After heavy rain, the Still River enters below the TMA and muddies the lower river first.

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