Tuesday tidbits: Farmington River, Hatches, Articles, Book

by Steve Culton

I had a really weird session on the Farmington last Thursday. Despite a robust sulphur emergence — 8.5/10 — the wet fly bite stunk. Turns out it was due to a lack of fish. By my best estimate, this long time favorite pool was holding about 1/4 of the normal trout biomass. I had duns in the air, on the water, cripples galore, then mats of spinners. Instead of a boiling surface, I had….a rise here….and there… and then nothing…and then a lonely rise. It was incredibly discouraging. The feeding was over by 8:45pm, unheard of in these parts. I’m usually picking my way out of the river well after 9pm, crouched over, casting to trout sipping spinners. Not on this night.

On the plus side, I met some very nice anglers, and we shared the water with a most civil energy. Joe was trying to fool this wild brown, but just wasn’t able to connect. When he left, he offered me his spot. Second cast, bang! About 16″. Taken on a size 14 classic Catskills Light Cahill dry.

We are in prime sulphur time, which means you should have some soft hackles in your box. Here’s why:

Sulfurs take a good, long time to emerge from their shucks — and then sometimes, not at all. The trout get a good, long look at the food source as it drifts near the film. I fished this invaria cripple out of the water, and it was one of hundreds that never made it out of its nymphal case. Wet flies and soft hackles are a perfect match and method for this situation, as are dry fly cripple patterns.

I’m going to be writing an article for an upcoming issue of Surfcasters’ Journal. The subject will be the importance (or unimportance) of color in fly patterns. To the keyboard I go!

Finally, I hope to get on my horse and get some info out to everyone who requested a signed copy of the book. I’d like to do that by the end of the month. So stay tuned!

6 comments on “Tuesday tidbits: Farmington River, Hatches, Articles, Book”

  1. Steve's avatar Steve says:
    June 9, 2026 at 4:42 pm

    best day ever swinging soft hackles today. Dozen plus and one double. Pheasant tail was the magic.

    Reply
  2. Gregory P Tarris's avatar Gregory P Tarris says:
    June 10, 2026 at 9:06 am

    I cannot see a foto of the invaria cripple you say you used in the article. Please advise

    Reply
    • Steve Culton's avatar Steve Culton says:
      June 10, 2026 at 10:41 am

      Bummer! I don’t know what to tell you, as I can see it on Mac laptop and on an iPhone. Maybe give it some more time to lead? Or you can send me an email, and I’ll send you a copy of the photo.

      Reply
  3. Rob Redman's avatar Rob Redman says:
    June 12, 2026 at 2:27 pm

    going back west again this year. A few days around Bozeman, then 7 days in Yellowstone catching trout like this again every evening. Hopefully. Which rivers were you on last year?

    Reply

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