Thank you, LITU — and future currentseams content

What a great job last night by the Long Island chapter of TU. The presentation was “Wet Flies 101,” and the post-talk Q&A session was one of the best I’ve had in all the years I’ve been doing this. So nice to see some familiar faces, and to make new acquaintances.

I have been remiss in bringing you more meaningful content — hey, I have a life, too — but my hope is to get back to more reports, articles, videos, and useful information. Some of my diagrams need updating. Even if it seems like days, months, or years go by, I’m not ignoring your requests, and I appreciate it when you send me a note asking for a particular fly video or tactical explanation — or just to say hello.

As a burger and beer snob, I can give you my full endorsement for Black Label Burgers in Westbury, NY. Three words: Yum. Yum. Yum.

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Late Farmington River Report 10/15/18: olives, caddis, and cold & wet

I guided Mark and Sandy on Monday and we made the command decision to go for bigger, wild fish. That meant certain areas of the permanent TMA, and our method was streamers. The water was medium/high at 535 cfs, a few leaves, and the air was raw, with showers that came and went. We managed to bump a few brutes, but no hooksets. We fished four different spots. One of them saw a decent caddis (14-16) hatch with a few tiny BWOs in the mix. Even in the high water, there were a few risers on the caddis. We ended the day with some nymphing. In all the wetness, the camera never made it out of its sheath, so we’ll post sexy trout photos next time. Well done Mark and Sandy in some less than optimal conditions.

Maybe you were one of our streamer love tappers?

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Calling all Farmington River fly anglers: help needed Wednesday, October 17. You fish, DEEP collects, big trout are created.

Due to heavy rains, there was no draw down of the Hogback dam this fall, which meant no broodstock collection for the Survivor Strain program. DEEP is going to try to do it au naturel tomorrow — by fishing with hook and line — and they need your help. How much fun is this job? You fish, catch a big one, the DEEP collects it and takes it back to the hatchery to do its thing. Here are details from Neal Hagstrom:

“I wanted to confirm for you that we will be meeting with anglers at the Greenwoods parking lot on Wed.  We will try capturing brown trout to use as Farmington River Survivor Broodstock using hook and line.  I will be there with the tank truck about 9 am and will bring smaller live cars for use in the river.  There are a couple of anglers who will be starting earlier in the day, so I will be at the river early (7am) and have to leave to get the tank truck from Burlington.  I will stay as late as people want.  We greatly appreciate everyone’s willingness to help out. Law enforcement has been notified of that effort.”

A Survivor Strain broodstock brown sulks in the shallows. Quality fish like these — and their wild progeny — are counting on you tomorrow to help keep the program going.

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Thanks SEMASS TU, a frustrating few hours in RI, and Arts of Angler

My apologies for the lack of recent posts. October is turning out to be a busy, crazy month.

First, I’d like to thank the SEMASS chapter of TU for hosting me on Tuesday night. “Wet Flies 101” was the topic. That pizza hit the spot, and we had some really good Qs in the Q&A portion of the meeting.

I made a detour through Rhode Island on the way home. The objective was my October bass on the fly from the shore, but the three locations I fished were all blanks. Hopefully not a sign of things to come, as this was the first time this year I failed on my quest.

The Arts of the Angler is not a weekend-long show in Danbury this year. Instead, they’re doing it the Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum in Livingston Manor, N.Y. on Saturday, Nov. 10, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. From the CFFC&M: “Get together with friends, including fellow tyers and vendors, at our home on the Willowemoc, talk about fishing, and help us chart the future of Arts of the Angler! The cost of general admission will be $5, and food will be available for separate purchase.” Unfortunately my schedule doesn’t allow me to be there, but I’ll be looking forward to next year.

Two more presentations this month: “Wet Flies 101,” Wednesday, October 17, Long Island Chapter TU, 7:30pm, Hicksville, NY. Everybody welcome. You can get more information here.

“The Little Things,” Thursday, October 25, Taconic Chapter TU, 6:00pm, Cork ‘n’ Hearth, Laurel Street, Lee, MA. Everybody welcome. You can get more information here.

I really gotta get out for some wild brook trout.

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Farmington River Report 10/1/18: That dull thud

Two-and-a-half hours mid-day yesterday, dedicated to the streamer cause. River was still up (670 cfs in the permanent C&R), very lightly stained, and cool (didn’t get a water temp). I hit three spots and found fish willing to jump on in two. Two of the pools had an intense caddis hatch window, about 15 minutes, and the fish were on the emergers, although most of what I saw rising was small. Fished the full sink integrated line with both yellow Zoo Cougars and a cone-head white/chartreuse bugger; all fish came on the latter fly. Gadzooks, the river was crowded for a Monday in October! Didn’t see anyone else hook up, so I took what I could get on this slow day.

Cast, mend, a short swing, a strip, and I felt that old familiar dull thud of a streamer hit. This Survivor Strain brown looks small; in reality, it was mid-teens class and a strong fighter. Taken on the cone head bugger.

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TU 225 awarded the Order of the Triple Jalapeño Burger with Octoberfest Clusters

You know it’s going to be a good night when you sit down at the table and moments later a server brings you a cold, crisp Octoberfest — which you didn’t order, but would have. Sometimes things just fall into place. Many thanks to my good friends at the Narragansett Chapter of TU who demonstrated once again their mastery of the concept of a fed presenter is a happy presenter. Always a pleasure talking fishing over dinner. The topic for the club was “Trout Fishing for Striped Bass,” and we had a some good Q&A afterwards. Now, I gotta make a new presentation for next year!

If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve got. (And if it’s stripers like this, you’re probably doing something right.)

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