I did two lessons last week on the Farmington. On Tuesday, I took Joe on a wet fly excursion. We stuck to the lower river; at 140cfs, it had the most water, and the weather was cool enough that the water temp never got higher than 66 (3pm). The fishing was predictably slow; we found success by moving around (we fished three different marks) and targeting the deepest, fastest-moving water we could get into. Joe was a strong wader, and sometimes that’s the difference between fishing and catching. Trout love to hang out in places that are difficult for land animals like humans to navigate. Joe stuck four and we put three in the hoop. In difficult low-water conditions, that was pretty darned good.
Friday was a different story. We had rain Thursday night, which had me all fired up because it would mean higher flows and a little color in the water. While those conditions manifested, the fishing stunk out loud, which depressed me no end. I guided Dan and Sean, and we spent the bulk of our time nymphing. We stuck to water just below the PTMA; our reward was not another angler in sight. Although we bounced around — we fished four different marks — we could only manage two touches. Bah-phooey on those trout. The good news was that both Dan and Sean showed tremendous improvement over the course of four hours. When you actually see clients getting it, and making better casts, presentations, and mends, it’s very gratifying. Both deserved better than what the river gave them, but they’ll hit right in the future and reap the rewards of their lesson.
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I’m back on the book, so this will be my only currentseams post this week. The publisher has sent me the galley copy, which is all of their edits in a document, paged format. My job is to read and review and comment. That’s over 300 pages of reading, so I need to hop to it. I’ve only made it through 20 pages, but it’s a happy feeling when you still like what you’ve written so many months ago, and the edits are generally light. AFAIK, The Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River is still on track for a June 1 2026 release. Natch’ , I’ll keep you updated with any news as it comes in.
Meanwhile, please do your best rain dance…
currentseams.com 
Really enjoyed reading about last week’s fishing lessons — it reminded me how much I appreciate the peacefulness and simple joy of being out on the water, even if the fish aren’t biting. It’s not always about the number of catches, but the experience, the connection to nature, and the time spent with good company.
One thing that stood out to me was the use of a net – “…we put three in the hoop” – assuming ‘hoop’ means net. I understand it can help when landing a fish, but I do wonder about the impact on the fish, especially if you’re practicing catch and release. Some nets can damage their scales or fins and if we’re putting them back, maybe it’s better to handle them as little and as gently as possible without the use of a net …. what I call a ‘quick release’ by using barbless hooks and loosen up on the tightness of the line. Just a thought — curious what others think?
Good luck with the book!
Hi Keith. Thanks for the comment. I think nets constructed of fish-friendly material do indeed have an impact on the fish — in a very positive way. Some nets, as you say, can harm fish. The solution is simple: don’t use those nets. Corded, knotted nylon would be an example of an old-school format to avoid. If you’re looking for proof or reasons to believe in landing nets, the CT DEEP uses them to land trout they collect for broodstock for their survivor strain program. Why would they use nets if they were going to hurt the trout they were collecting and wanted to keep healthy and alive? There are many other benefits to nets that you can research online, like: a net remains the next best thing to a live well for keeping fish wet and oxygenated prior to taking a photo. I hope that helps!