Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: The Farmington River is so low, and the weather so hot, that the DEEP has announced thermal refuge areas that are closed to fishing. My opening reference was to a similar decree in the summer of 2016. The difference this year is that the water coming out of the dam is significantly colder.

Rather than parrot the temporary regs, here’s a link to the DEEP site that will tell you everything you need to know. The decree goes into effect today, Saturday August 6. As always, I urge you to carry a thermometer, don’t fish if the water is above 68, stick to the upper end of the river, and fish early or late.
Time to give the rod a rest
Good health is true wealth
Rich, it’s actually not that dire. The restrictions are all far downstream from the dam, leaving miles of fish-friendly cold water for hard-core anglers. Still, the river remains very low, and for me that’s the main issue: I loathe low water. Anglers choosing to fish should remain vigilant about temperatures.