Farmington River · fly box
New England's most reliable tailwater, with a catch-and-release TMA that fishes in January.
| Pattern | Imitates | Size | Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulphur Sparkle Dun | Ephemerella dun | #16 | Fish the dusk rise in the flats above the TMA boundary. |
| Trico Spinner, #24 | Tricorythodes spinner | #24 | 5-metre leader, 7X, sit still and do not move the fly after it lands. |
| Walt's Worm | Caddis larva | #14-16 | Euro nymphing in the fast chutes; the single most useful fly on this river. |
| Zebra Midge | Chironomid | #20-22 | Winter fly: 60 cm under an indicator in the slow water below the dam. |
| Black Ghost | Baitfish | #8 | A New England classic; strip it through the deep pool at the TMA's lower end. |
The dressing plate
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.