I gave Joe a wet fly lesson last week — a little early to expect action on a swung fly, but that’s when we had a window. The rain held off, and we enjoyed having vast stretches of the river all to ourselves. The bite was predictably slow, but Joe did a great job with his presentations. I have the highest confidence that he will be a deadly wet fly machine this spring once the Hendricksons begin to pop. Sadly, I saw very little bug activity — not even some courtesy winter stones — only a couple lonely midges.

The next day, I spent a few hours on river recon for the book — it was blustery and cold and we even had a few sun snow showers to add to the wintry ambiance. But today, it’s warm, and it looks like a decent week to get out and fish. I’ve got more recon time scheduled tomorrow, and hopefully I’ll be able to play a little hooky and wet a line. The river got blasted by that rain last Wednesday/Thursday, but has dropped nicely. What’s more, the state has stocked the Farmington (and a lot of other rivers) — not within the PTMA, but from Hogback Dam down to Whittemore; below the 219 bridge down through Canton; and from Collinsville dam down to Unionville. Enjoy the fresh fish while they last.