Author Archives: Steve Culton

Hatcheries update, Yale, fishing, and who ordered this cold weather?

Happy Monday. I suppose I am one of the lucky ones who doesn’t view Mondays as a collective negative. Such is the fortune of working for yourself at a job you love. (Of course, the money stinks, but that’s a different story.)

I’ve learned that at this moment, we’re in a holding pattern with the hatcheries budget thing. DEEP was surprised to see this manifest, and for now it’s just a line item on a proposed budget. When I hear that it’s time to take meaningful action, I’ll let you know, and what your action should be.

Many thanks to the Yale Fishing Club for hosting me last Thursday. We tied some soft hackles, and at some delicious New Haven-style apizza. While I loved the white clam pie, the potato and bacon was on another level of wonderfulness.

Now that’s a bird’s eye view! Many thanks to filmmaker extraordinaire Matthew Vinick for lending his time and fine drone photography skills.

I did manage a couple hours of fishing during last week’s research/photo outing. Total blank. But I’m not surprised, given that fact that there was an active snow melt which was dumping gallons of icy cold water into the system. And today, we have more winter-like temperatures. Thankfully, those are supposed to go away soon.

CT hatcheries proposed cuts, book stuff, Yale Fishing Club

Hi gang. You may have seen it on the inter web, or perhaps gotten an email about possible cuts to the current CT fish hatchery budget. That, of course, would be unacceptable, and, of course, it would also be ridiculous given the revenue that’s generated by licenses and trout stamps. I’m searching for a definitive action step for us to take — who to contact and what to say — and I’ll get that out to you as soon as I have it.

I know I’ve already said this a hundred times, but thanks for your patience with this one-post-a-week stuff. I’m making good progress on the book, Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River. My recent focus has been on writing about the water. It’s been challenging since I can’t actually get out to much of it due to snow/ice/frozen/no parking, etc. So I’m writing as much as I can from memory. Even then, I still like to be able to get out and reconfirm what I think I know. Lo and behold, this we have a warm spell! I’m hoping to explore this week.

Finally I’ll be teaching at the Yale Fishing Club this week. What a treat to be able to tutor a new generation of fly anglers — not to mention the New Haven-style pizza I’m going to eat.

Last year. Now, say in your best Thurston Howell III impersonation voice, “…must be a Yale man…”

Many thanks for all the input!

In case you missed this post, I’m still asking for your input as I continue to work on the book. Thank you so much to everyone who responded! I’m currently writing about the river itself, describing pools and stretches of water. It’s not as easy at it sounds, but if I can’t go fishing on my favorite trout stream — ghastly wind and cold today — at least I can write about it. This is truly a labor of love, and I think you’ll find that reflected on the pages.

Oh, to be fishing the river today in rolled-up shirt sleeves! Me and some of my friends from Project Healing Waters, June 2023.

Looking for your input and feedback for the Farmington River book

Happy Monday. I hope you enjoyed the big game yesterday. I did, along with one of the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever grilled over charcoal. A half-pound, crusty and rare, melted cheddar, sliced red onions and a little mayo. The bun made it even better — it was light and airy, not a dense, congested bread-bomb. Washed down with a lovely IPA. Did I mention the seasoned fries?

To business. Right now, I’m working on the parts of the books where I talk about the river, specifically the descriptions of the water. It’s currently divided into 5 sections along the 22-mile stretch from the dam to Unionville. There will be maps of each section and detailed information.

Here’s where you can help. What is most important to you about these descriptions? There are so many info buckets: access and parking; details of the pool/water; predominant hatches; fishing methods; wading difficulty; comments from guides/expert anglers; seasonal advice; etc. What’s most valuable to you? Please don’t say all of the above. What’s most helpful to me is to prioritize a few of these (and any other you can think of). You can either comment here or send me an email. You may be as detailed as you like. I may not respond to all of them, but I will read all of them. Thanking you in advance. Now, back to work I go.

Antoine Bissieux patiently waits for a rise. This photo was taken in late August, when things were still very green and the river iceless. Antoine is one of several experts whose Farmington River wisdom and experience will be shared in the book.

And that’s a show season wrap!

Many thanks to the CFFA for hosting the 2025 Expo. I had a blast on Tier’s Row, and I managed to escape only one dollar lighter. (Thanks, Antoine, for the freebie!) Thanks also go to everyone who stopped by the table to see me tie or ask about the book.

I had the last speaking slot at 1:30pm, and even though the show had thinned out by then, I still had a full room. I can’t thank you enough if you were in attendance, and I’m grateful for all the questions you asked.

Speaking of the book, I’m back into it full swing this week. I’m grateful to be doing that as I listen to the wind howl through the trees and watch the snow melt. Here’s to some warmer weather (it’s coming!) and some quality time on the water.

CFFA tomorrow, Edison wrap-up, back to the Book

A reminder that tomorrow, Saturday, February 1, is the CFFA Expo at Nomad’s in South Windsor, 9am-3pm. I’ll be on Tier’s Row, and speaking at 1:30pm on Fly Fishing CT’s Small Streams. See you there!

Edison Fly Fishing Show redux: Another fantastic show. Of all the shows I do, this one’s my favorite. Both my talks, Finding Small Stream Nirvana, and Wet Flies 101, were very well attended — if you saw me speak, thanks for coming. Thanks also to everyone who took my classes — you were an enthusiastic, attentive group. And if you snagged me on the show floor while I was running to another gig, my apologies for having to take off so quickly. I bought some Renomed scissors and some wet fly capes I needed. Good stuff.

You probably know this guy. The Fly Fishing Show remains one of the best opportunities for you to meet and speak with and learn from some of the best, most knowledgeable fly fishers in the world.
Wu’s Shanghai Dumpling in Edison. It’s what’s for dinner. Every year, I look forward to getting my spicy pork dumpling and spicy pork Udon fix. Authentic and delicious!
Speaking of Tom Rosenbauer, you should listen to his Orvis podcast with my buddy Josh Miller. Josh is a fairly new friend, and what I’ve learned so far is that he’s an incredibly pleasant, very fishy guy who knows a ton about fly fishing. Aside from speaking and tying and teaching, my favorite part of the show is making new friends and seeing old ones. I got to know a bunch of my fellow “Celebrities” this year that I really hadn’t spent any time with before, and it made for some already fond memories.

Last but not least, the Christmas/New Year hiatus is over. I have resumed work on the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River book –it’s not going to write itself — and that means I’ll be getting back to one or two posts a week while I focus on that project. I appreciate your patience.

DEEP Fisheries looking for your input on fishing the Farmington River

In case you didn’t get the email, DEEP is considering the expansion of the PTMA on the Farmington River. There is no specific timeline for this; rather, it’s information gathering only. Here’s their text and then the survey link:

“The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Fisheries Division is collecting information on a possible expansion of the year-round catch and release section of the West Branch Farmington River Trout Management Area (TMA). No immediate plans to expand catch and release regulations are in place as this is only an information gathering period. Please take time to answer each question below as your opinion matters, and please also provide comment. These same questions were asked of anglers on the Farmington River as we conducted a yearlong survey from the Goodwin Dam in Barkhamsted down to Route 177 Bridge in Unionville in 2024.

Your participation in this survey is encouraged and appreciated. Thank you!”

Take the Survey

More like this, please.

CFFA Show this Saturday, Feb 1: The Best Little Fly Fishing Show Around

I will be appearing again at the CFFA Fly Fishing Expo, this Saturday, 9am-3pm, at Nomads Adventure Quest in South Windsor, CT. This truly is the best little fly fishing show around: vendors, tiers, speakers, and more. I’ll be on Tier’s Row, and at 1:30pm I’ll be presenting a program on Fly Fishing Connecticut’s Small Streams. Hope to see you there, and please come say hello!

Steve Culton Edison Fly Fishing Show Schedule and Farmington River Frozen

First things first: the Edison Fly Fishing Show starts tomorrow, Friday, January 24. I’m there two days, Friday and Saturday, doing a class and a seminar each day. The seminars are included in the price of your admission, and we have Finding Small Stream Nirvana in the Catch Room on Friday at 10:15am, and Wet Flies 101 in the Strike Room Saturday at 9:45am. I’m teaching classes both days in the afternoon. There’s still room if you want to sign up for Tying and Fishing Wet Flies on Friday and Beyond Cast & Strip: Presentation Flies for Stripers on Saturday. You must register for those classes here.

Here’s a pdf of my show schedule:

Last but not least, I went to the Farmington River yesterday to shoot photos. Due to the Arctic blast we’re experiencing, Church Pool is completely covered with ice, from the bridge down the length of the pool. If you must go fishing, you best bet is from the dam to Riverton. However, once you get just above Riveton, there is shelf ice, so beware. Also, none of the lots or pullouts are plowed, so I wouldn’t attempt to navigate snow drifts unless I had a very reliable 4WD vehicle. Just go to Edison and have a fly fishing blast (and stay warm while you’re doing it).

Snapshots from Marlborough — on to Edison!

A very busy, very fun show last weekend in Marlborough. I bought some stuff, taught some classes, demoed some flies, gave some talks, made some new friends, and reconnected with old ones. Then there was the wine drinking…but let’s get back on topic.

No crappy hotel coffee for this man — especially with Lost Shoe being just a 10-minute drive away. What better way to kick off the show than with a lovely cup of pour-over Peruvian before my first talk? Oh. Lost Shoe also makes beer. So I got some of that, too. It’s waiting patiently in my fridge as I write this.
I had a terrific crowd for my first talk of the show, The Farmington River. With the book coming out — actually still being written, but I like the positive thinking perspective — it’s gratifying to see so much interest in the river, especially from people who have never fished it. I did the same talk on Saturday, and had another strong crowd. Thanks so much for coming!
Tim Flagler as Featured Fly Tier. Tim of course is an exceptional tier, and his tying videos are among the best around. Did I mention he’s also a nice guy?
Local talent Lisa Weiner working on one of her impressive salmon flies. She’s using silk gloves to apply stranded floss. Lisa’s a pro, but you too can try this home.
Jersey boys Lou DiGena and Bart Lombardo on Tyer’s Row. Both of my friends are very talented tiers with some serious technical skills. You can learn a lot just by going to these shows and watching and listening and asking questions. Even though I’m a presenter, I go see other people when I have free time. It’s how you get better.
Ed Engle from Colorado is another good friend. He’s written several books, and I have two of them, Tying Small Flies, and Trout Lessons. Both highly recommended!
What you don’t see here is my morning Destination Theater appearance and my afternoon class. But busy is good! Hot on the heels of my Farmington River talk, I was featured tier for my Farmington River demo…
…where currenseams follower Bill Kindl was kind enough to take this photo. It was an honor to be Featured Tier twice at this show.

And now, we’re off to Edison. I’ll be at the show for two days, Friday and Saturday. I’ll post my schedule before then. See you there. And as always, I truly appreciate your support.