In case you didn’t know (and if you’ll pardon the inflamatory headline) the Farmington River has lots of trout. Lots of big trout. And lots of wild trout. All good news if you like to fish the Farmington.
We know this because every September, the MDC draws down the flow of the dam and electroshocks the river. The electroshocking has two purposes: trout census, and gathering broodstock for future generations, aka Farmington River Survivor Strain. (For more on Survivor Strain, see my article in the Spring 2014 issue of The Drake.)
I didn’t attend, but the DEEP delivered their state of the river address to the FRAA a few weeks ago. Here’s their story in numbers:
• Around 4,600 fish sampled in one day in the TMA.
• The highest number of fish in the 16″ class ever sampled
• The highest number of fish in the 20″ class ever sampled
• Two-thirds of the 16″ class were Survivor Strain, and the highest number of wild fish sampled yet. (I’m getting these figures second hand from the FRAA Facebook page, so I don’t know if that means there were more wild fish overall than ever before, or there were more wild fish in the 16″ class than ever before.)
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Survivor Strain, taken in April 2013. Note red elastomer behind eye, indicating she was re-planted the previous fall.
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Big ole’ wild thang taken on a Drowned Ant soft-hackle. Where’d all dem spots go?
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I take a substantial number of wild browns like this guy on wets. It’s fun to return to the same spot the next year and see how everyone has grown.
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Many thanks to the DEEP and to everyone who practices catch-and-realease. Your efforts are truly appreciated.
currentseams.com 
Good news about the Farmington population! Hope you’ll be doing more fly tie classes at Upcountry. Tried to attend Feb 8 group, but told it was over subscribed.
Don, most likely not until next year. Hope to see you then!
I am doing a demo this Saturday at the CFFA show in South windsor.
thx for the info and update
My pleasure. 🙂
That is awesome. I wonder if we will ever just let that river’s fish just go about there business and stop putting them in there. It could probably be very manageable once that sampling gets to 8,000.
I don’t see that happening in the near future. I’m pretty happy with the numbers I’ve been catching the past few years. And the trout are spread out everywhere. I think in 2012 their census estimated a wild percentage at 50%.
Steve, Dean Keister from Mianus TU. I need your address to send you a donation letter for tax purposes for the files you donated to our TU Chapter Fund raiser last April. Also, will contact you about speaking again for next fall.
Dean
Check your email, and you know where to find me. 🙂
Steve
It’s articles like this, on cold days like this that get me excited for the upcoming season. Hoping that a few of those wilds will take one of the patterns I have tied this winter.
Best, Glenn
It’s fun to think about…warmer weather and non-slushed water, that is.
Steve,
A few weeks ago I stumbled on your blog while searching soft-hackle fly pattern images. Then I noticed where you are located!
Thirty years ago I moved from the Connecticut shoreline to Columbia, South Carolina where I’ve remained. I grew up fishing for snapper blues in the estuary canals in Clinton, CT. I spent my summers at Camp Sequassen (on West Hill Pond). These summers were probably the happiest times of my life. Alas, I only visited the Farmington for camp tubing trips at Satan’s Kingdom. (Trips with my father to northern Maine really got me interested in fly fishing.)
Here in Columbia, the Saluda tailwater grows large trout. Best of all, the wild trout water of Great Smoky Mountains NP is only four hours away.
Can you post a photo of your Soft Hackle Ant? I should probably fish ants more than I do and a soft hackle pattern just might get me to do it. Thanks you.
Hi Dwight. Glad to have you on board. If you so a search on this site, you can find plenty of photos of and the recipe for the Drowned Ant soft-hackle. It’s a fly I do very well on.
Steve,
You scared the hell out of me with that headline. Glad to hear things are GOOD! There is enough to worry about when it comes to our favorite pass time. Take care and continued success.
Sorry, Jim. Thanks for your kind words. Spring is coming!
Steve,
You have a great site. I love your pix and your dedication to wet flies
Jack Swegel
Sent from my iPhone
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Jack, thanks for saying so. Always a pleasure to share my wet fly enthusiasm with others.
Reblogged this on Gin Clear and commented:
A good review of this New England fishery.