Category Archives: General Ramblings

Here I am: book stuff, fishing stuff, schedule stuff…

A little random potpourri day on currentseams. I had written a post similar to this one, which was supposed to go live on Tuesday, but somehow WordPress ate my draft (don’t you just love when technology fails?). So here we are.

I received about two dozen requests for personalized copies of the book through me, and that’s enough for me to proceed. My next steps are to figure out how much all this will cost me (mailers, postage — probably media mail) so I can then pass the cost along to you. (How’s that for transparent business practice?) I’m hoping to have that information out by the end of the month, and if you want a signed copy from me, you still have plenty of time to let me know. I won’t ask for money until I get all those ducks in a row, and hopefully I can get books out to you before the official release day of August 4.

Fishing time has been scarce for me this spring, especially on the striper front. I didn’t go once from January through March. Normally, I’d go at least once a month in January and February. But every time I had a time and tide window, it was either sub-freezing cold front misery or a disgustingly high water. I’m really looking forward to being able to swing some flatwings in April. If the elements allow!

March can be a productive big-bass-on-the-fly-from-shore window. Not this year. At least, not for me.

On our local trout waters, it’s a tricky time of year. You basically have two options: targeting stocked trout or targeting wild and holdover trout. I must confess that playing the stocker game is fun for a while; however, I have a limited interest for that. Wild or stocked, the trout will tend to remain stacked up this time of year, even though it’s beginning to warm up and we’re seeing more bug activity. They’ll begin to spread out sometime in April. Bug-wise, think little dark stone flies and midges and caddis, which are plentiful food supplies. Of course, the Hendricksons will be the first big glamour hatch of the year, starting on the lower Farmington in about two weeks. But after last year‘s disappointing showing, that hatch remains a big question mark. We shall see.

Mrs. H, missing the middle fork of her tail.

I did get out to a small stream last week after the rains, but the water was high and cold. There were no bugs and the air temp in the 30s didn’t help. I went out this week in much warmer temperatures and a little bit lower water, and what a difference a week made. But I’ll give you more on that in a post next week.

As a newly minted member of the Regal Vise Pro-Staff, I’m working on a wet fly piece for their website (which is currently under reconstruction). I have no idea when it will post but I’ll let you know. Also look for a future blog post for me on the J. Stockard website, where I’m also a Pro Tyer.

Finally, many thanks to the Yale Fishing Club for hosting me on Tuesday night. It’s always a good time, and I’m a sucker for New Haven style pizza — well done, group! They’re going to fish the Salmon River in New York in a couple weeks, so we tied up some Blood Dot eggs which will serve them well.

The new official release date for the Farmington River book is…

August 2026. I know we were all hoping for June, but it is what it is. Believe me, I’m ready to have the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River out right now, but I don’t get to make these decisions. So we’ll all have to be patient.

I do have a call scheduled tomorrow with the publicist, and if I learn anything new I will pass it on post haste. I’m still working on how to make a limited number of copies available on currentseams — the idea being to get you a personalized, signed copy of the book. I need to work out the numbers and then gauge interest. That’s all I have to share right now, other than Tom Petty being right (I you know, you know.)

I don’t know if it will be August 1, but I’ll try to find out tomorrow. Good thing we’ll have four months of prime fishing between now and then to keep us busy!

Thank you Cape Cod Flyrodders, an Instagram special, and news next week on the Farmington River book

A hale and heart thank you to the Cape Cod Flyrodders, who hosted me last night at their March Meeting. I was warmly greeted and treated to a ~most excellent~ meal at the Yarmouth House. (It’s always a pleasure to speak to a group that understands that a fed presenter is a happy presenter.) My Old-Fashioned Lobster Stuffed Sole was delicious, and washed down with a pint of Fiddlehead IPA. The talk, the OG “The Little Things” was similarly enjoyable — this is a dedicated, passionate group of anglers, and we had an engaging Q&A session afterward. I was also gifted some flies and a unique horseshoe crab bodkin, which was generous and also very much appreciated. I had fun. They had fun. Gentlemen, I say again: thank you very much!

Several of the group decided to follow me on Instagram — @stevecultonflyfishing — and that means that today, they get to see a Steve Culton Instagram exclusive, the Gummy Crane fly. I almost always post unique content on Instagram, like this fly pattern, so if you’re not already following me there, hop to it and you won’t miss out.

Finally, the teaser: I will have some better information for you next week on the publishing date for The Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River. So stay tuned!

Is it soup yet? Not quite. But it’s coming.

Steve Culton is officially a J.Stockard Pro Tyer!

I’ve been a long-time customer of the online fly tying supplier J.Stockard. As you know, I don’t endorse or represent anything that I’m not a big fan of, or enthusiastic user of, and that’s certainly the case with J.Stockard. In addition to being a customer, I’ve written a few articles for their site over the years, but this now means that I’ll be doing some more of that in the future. We’ll see what shape or form these contributions take; naturally, I’ll still be writing for my website! I’m honored to be a part of their Pro Tying Team — you’ll remember I recently joined the Regal Vise Pro-Staff — and I’ll do my best to represent well.

Now: this may seem like a wee bit of a dichotomy, because I’m also a firm advocate of the concept and practice of “support your local fly shop.” I happen to also be a long-time customer of UpCountry Sportfishing in New Hartford, not to mention the state’s two Orvis stores and the Compleat Angler in Darien. There’s also the new kid on the block, the Local Fly Company. My association with J.Stockard doesn’t change any of this, and I’ve been very upfront with J.Stockard on my thoughts about local fly shops. Can we all get along? I believe we can.

Either way, here I am.

New Guide Rates for 2026

I was so busy with the book in 2025 that I kept my previous year’s rates in place. But, times change. Travel distances get longer, my cost of doing business goes up, inflation is a thing, and my altruism extends only so far. So, we’ve got new rates for 2026. Some things haven’t changed: I’m still a teaching guide; still guiding part-time only; still almost never guiding on weekends; you still need to call or email me to book a date. And — I can’t emphasize this enough — I’m strongly pushing the 4-hour lesson. Anything longer than that, and people begin to fall apart, so 4 hours is the best bang for your buck. I appreciate everyone who’s already booked time with me this year, and I’m looking forward to spending time with you on the water, and helping you improve your angling skills.

You can find my general guiding information page here, and my rates/trip checklist here.

Hot off the press: the Farmington River book is at the printer!

This book-writing thing is like the building of Rome: it takes time. While I finished writing the “Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River” months ago, there are dozens of post-manuscript submission steps that must be completed — proofing galley pages, correcting mistakes, reviewing and re-reviewing — to ensure that we print a quality product. Yes, there will probably still be some errors, but hopefully, those will be minor.

And now, as you read this, the book is at the printer! So now, we’re at printing, then binding, and hopefully I get my advance copies in a couple month. As of this writing, the scheduled release date hasn’t changed, and that’s June 1. Of course, I will update you here and on other social media channels as new and better information comes in.

I’m looking forward to sitting under this sign, pen in hand!

I’m still undecided about when and how I might sell books from this site. There may be a mass pre-order, which would likely be cash, check or Venmo only, then out go signed copies into your hot little hands. I first need to research the costs of doing that business. Again, you’ll find out here once a decision is made.

I love the positive energy and anticipation I’m feeling from people who are really looking forward to the book. Believe me, I share your excitement!

Currentseams Best of 2025: #1

Admit it: you saw this one coming a mile away. If so, pat yourself on the back, and treat yourself to a New Year’s toast. If you missed with your guess, there’s always next year (now only 365 days away)…

#1: Finishing the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River. I have to admit that while I knew this book would be a lot of work, I didn’t know it would be as much work as it was. Part of it was that I thought I had finished half of it back November 2024. The reality was, instead of over 50% of the manuscript, it was only around 40% of what eventually became over 100,000 words. Then, I needed more photos. I finallyfinished it in June this year. And technically, I’m not quite done — I’m still waiting for final page proofs for final approval before it all goes back to the publisher during the first week of January.

And then…it’s off to the printers and hurry up and wait. As of this writing, I still think we’re publishing June 1. I’ll let you know as the drop date draws near. I’ll also let you know if I’m going to be doing a pre-sale here. Again, tbd. Looking back, I’m immensely pleased by what I’ve written, and I think you will be, too. And of course, there’s one more big question to be answered: What’s my second book going to be about?

While this cover follows the Stackpole “Fly Fishing Guide To” format, I do like it. Bob Lindquist took the hero shot, and that’s Joey Takeman’s box on the lower left.

Currentseams Best of 2025 #5-#2

Much of what’s on this list involves personal achievement. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. But what about actual fishing? Because of the book, I did less fishing this year than in recent memory — especially striper fishing, which was limited to less than a dozen outings(!). However, I did get in a good number of guide trips (thanks again if you were one of the anglers I took out this year) and I madeup for some lost time during the summer months. Which brings us to #5…

#5: Reconnecting and Fishing with Old Friend and Mentor Mark Bieber. This was a late summer bass trip, and one that, looking back, made me wish I’d done it years sooner. We fished the pond at Winding Trails in Farmington from a canoe, Mark with spinning gear and me with the long rod. Largemouth bass were the target, and we both scored multiple fish. So what if they were smaller than an average Farmington River trout? Fishing with a dear friend who had a major positive impact on your life is time well-spent, fish count and size be damned. And if there’s a cigar in the bargain? That’s really a win! We’re already planning on going next spring.

Bass are truly under-rated and under-fished with the fly rod. This ambitious junior bucketmouth ate a Soft Daddy Crayfish.

#4: Pecking Away at Steelhead. I managed three steelhead trips this fall. When I was chained to my keyboard, I kept picturing indicators dropping and reveling in the knowledge that I would be fishing soon for these prized piscines. The first trip was to Erie, where low water and a dismal fall run kept the numbers down, and the relishing of each fish landed sky high. Trip two was to Pulaski, where there were plenty of fish, but — as always — an abundance of anglers. My batting average in the first day stunk; it was much better on the second day, but I only had three touches all day. Finally, our December trip was a bust of sorts: a 2-hour window of decent conditions, then it went south fast, culminating in a cancellation of the second day. So, the quest for 300 goes on. If you’re keeping score at home, I’ve now landed 288 steelhead.

The December trip wasn’t all bad. Here’s Gordo with his first steelhead ever on the fly rod. Proud papa!

#3: Being Named to the Regal Vise Pro-Staff. This is something I’ve been wanting for a long time. It finally became official at the 2025 IFTS. I’m going to do my best to be a swell brand ambassador, and you can see me and my Regal vise in action at the Fly Fishing Shows in Marlborough, Edison, and Lancaster this winter.

No photo/bio yet. But trust me, I’m there.

#2: First Time Fly Fishing Montana & Idaho. The bad news was that we went during one of the worst times to fish. The good news was that I got to fish four days in Montana and Idaho. We did a family drift boat trip on the Kootenai one day, and I drifted solo (with a guide) the second. It was a trip of firsts, not only location-wise, but with five new species: native redband rainbow, cutthroat, cuttbow, whitefish, and pike minnow. I did some lake fishing solo, and then we floated the Madison as a family. Gadzooks! I still haven’t written about the second half of the trip. Let’s get that on the to-do list right quick.

Cuttbows sure are pretty things. I have no idea how many fish I landed on the second day. I took them on top dry, on nymphs, and swinging wets. Spectacular action, and all of them wild fish.

Currentseams Best Of 2025 #10-#6

I normally do my yearly “Best Of” wrap-up in four segments of 3-3-3-1, but since we’re running out of days, we’ll do it in three. And away we go!

#10: Fly Fishing Shows and IFTS. I remember going to the Fly Shing Show in Marlborough many, many years ago, and thinking, “the next time I come to this show, I’m going to be a presenter.” It took a few years for me to get there, but since then I’ve never looked back. Presenting to an audience and teaching fly fishing still gives me a jolt of energy and pure enjoyment. Whether you’re a speaker or listening in, there’s no better place to ask questions and learn. November’s IFTS unofficially kicked off the 2026 show season, which is nearly upon us. I’ll be doing three days in Marlborough, three days in Edison, and, for the first time, the Lancaster PA show in March.

Thank you, everyone, who came to see me speak, watch me tie, or take a class. See you next month!

#9: Farmington River Book Research and Photos. As you can imagine, writing a guide book is a lot of work. And since I do nothing that I’m passionate about halfway, this was a lot a lot of work. But, it was a labor of love. And I learned so much about the river! In fact, I was surprised to discover how much I didn’t know. I got to interview dozens of fascinating, knowledgable people, hang out with them and watch them fish, take photos, and soak it all in. I can now say that I have walked, waded, and/or fished the entire 22 miles of river from the base of Hogback Dam to the steel bridge in Unionville — and then miles more below. I don’t know many people who can make that claim.

Matthew Vinick took all the drone pictures in the book. There’s some really good stuff!

#8: Another Year Being Featured in On The Water‘s Guide Flies. I’m not sure how long I’ve been doing this, but every year I play, and every year, it’s still a gas to see my name in print next to a fly I tied.

My advice for when you fish the 2025 pattern, the Iso Soft Hackle, is: hold on to your rod.

#7: Being Named Again to the Feedspot Top 40 Fly Tying Blogs. My ranking of #17 isn’t really what this is all about; rather, it’s the company Currentseams keeps. AvidMax. Fly Tyer. MidCurrent. Gink and Gasoline. Orvis. Just to name a few. These are all quality sites, worthy of your attention, and I’m honored to be included along with them. Here’s fun project for you to tie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZFZQTmJmEs

#6: Alan and Steve’s Excellent Albie Adventure. We’ve been planning to do this for years, but finally saltwater angler extraordinaire Alan Caolo and I were able to spend a morning in Rhode Island chasing funny fish. Or, rather, waiting for them to come to us. Pickings were slim, but a splendid time was had by all, and Alan is an excellent teacher and an all-around swell guy. You can read all about it here.

A Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to you and yours

It’s hard for me to grasp the concept that 2025 is almost over. Hopefully, you had an excellent year and caught plenty of fish, particularly that lunker, or that one that wouldn’t eat, but finally did. Your readership and interest in currentseams — and especially the book — is a truly wonderful gift. So: thank you! I’m hoping to put together my traditional best of the year review, starting later this week. Show season is coming fast, so stay tuned for a list of my appearances. In the meantime, festive family fun, food, and wine is calling. Joy to the world!

I haven’t, but in my mind, I could be.