Category Archives: General Ramblings

It’s action time! Help put an end to all this Farmington River flow crap.

Get out your email writing hats, folks. State Representative Mark Anderson is requesting that two bills be raised that will give us the consistent flows we deserve. The determination may come as early as next week, so let’s hop to it. You need to send an email to four legislators on the Environment Committee with the power to make this happen. They are:

Joseph.Gresko@cga.ct.gov

Rick.Lopes@cga.ct.gov

Patrick.Callahan@housegop.ct.gov

Stephen.Harding@cga.ct.gov

Representative Joseph Gresko, Chairperson, Senator Rick Lopes, Chairperson, Senator Stephen Harding, Ranking Member, Representative Patrick Callahan, Ranking Member

Here’s a sample letter. Please adjust it as you see fit.  It’s best if you put it in your own words and add as much detail as to how the flow affects your use of the river. 

“Please raise for a public hearing two bills that have been proposed to the Environment Committee to address erratic flows in the Upper Farmington River. This nationally renowned and federally-designated Wild and Scenic River begins below the MDC’s Goodwin Dam in Hartland and flows for 15 miles through Barkhamsted, New Hartford, and Collinsville (Canton). Less than two miles upriver of this dam is the Colebrook River Dam which is a flood control dam owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Currently, the USACE will only release (or hold back releases) when requested to do so by the MDC. 

The first bill requires the MDC to make requests for releases from the Colebrook River Dam, as necessary, to maintain the flow of water in the West Branch of the Farmington River at or above a rate determined to be a sufficient minimum flow rate by DEEP.

The second bill directs DEEP to oversee an update to the Farmington River Instream Flow Study last completed in 1992, which is linked here:

http://www.farmingtonriver.org/application/files/9814/7699/4131/FmgtnRiverInstreamFlowStudySum.pdf

Updating this study will provide information to determine the best flow regime for the Upper Farmington River to support its ecological health and recreational flows in light of changes in climate, as well as recent changes to state and pending changes to federal regulations governing the water in Colebrook River Reservoir.

Thank you for considering these two bills. 

Sincerely, 

Name 

Town “

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I gotta go write an email…

Happy Monday and the current currentseams situation

I’ve always tried to make currentseams worthy of your time. My goal has been to make three posts a week, all original content, stuff that you can’t get anywhere else. I know, sometimes in winter currentseams feels like the very big Steve Culton promotional machine, but after all, it is show season, and I like to keep you up to date on what I’m doing and where because you might want to catch a good presentation. It benefits everyone, yes?

So: right now, we’re in the process of getting our house ready for sale. Happy-happy-fun-joy, all the packing and organizing and culling and painting and cleaning we’re doing. As you can imagine, this leaves less time for fishing and writing. But the good news is it’s only temporary. Normally this time of year I get into a writing and content wheelhouse. That’s going into a holding pattern. I’ll still be posting, but it may not be three times a week. My current thinking is that some of those posts may be revisits of good stuff from the archives. I’m guessing that many of my readers haven’t seen some of the older published articles, or some of the wet fly series I’ve done, just to name a couple. If the planets align and I go fishing, I’ll surely let you know. I appreciate both your patience and your readership.

It’s all got to get packed up. And this just the tip of the iceberg.

On a positive local fishing note, the Farmington River is finally down to an angler-friendly level. Moderate weather is forecast through the week, so it’s a good time to take advantage if you’re not stuck inside packing up your house. I would think that nymphing would be the most productive method. Try an attractor like an egg or a junk fly on the bottom with a tiny soft-hackle dropper or midge pattern above. No need to be fishing at first light — let the water temp come up and enjoy a leisurely afternoon on the water. And of course, there’s always the streamer option…enjoy!

A thin blue line and and a thin pink line, or: I just tested positive for COVID

I most certainly picked this up in Marlborough this weekend, either at the show or at a restaurant. And I’m fully vaxxed and did plenty of masking. They say this current strain is particularly virulent, and so here I am in bed. My symptoms first appeared yesterday and steadily worsened today. If you took one of my classes or attended one of my talks, and were in close proximity for an extended period, I wanted to let you know. I hope everybody is feeling well, and I hope to kick this thing’s butt by NFL playoff Saturday!

This just in from the CDC: You cannot get COVID from kissing a steelhead.

ASMFC Stripers Addendum II Written Comment Deadline is Friday, Dec 22!

If you have not done so already, please take ten minutes and send an email to the ASMFC regarding Addendum II.

Here’s the ASGA’s (the good guys) official positions on Addendum II. You want to mirror these, but don’t cut-and-paste everything or it looks like a form letter/email, which the ASMFC will disregard.

Email your letter to: comments@asmfc.org (Subject line: Striped Bass Draft Addendum II). you’ll know your email was received because ASMFC will send you an acknowledgement.

I know you’re busy, but it really only takes 10 minutes and we need your voice to be heard. I thank you. The stripers thank you. ASGA thanks you.

If I was a striper, I’d look concerned, too.

Getting Chris Into Some Steelhead (A Thanksgiving Story)

I can’t be the only person who feels this way.

You go on a fishing trip to unknown waters where there are going to be crowds. You’re unsure about what the energy will be. Competitive? Territorial? Downright rude? I must confess that I have a tendency to expect the worst from my fellow man (or woman). But, we can always hope for the best. And on my first solo run to the Erie tribs for steelhead, I got hopes and dreams and better angels.

It started Thursday morning when I was speed wading in the dark to the mark I wanted to fish. I could see headlamps bobbing in the woods upstream. I could tell they were moving at a slower pace, and as I closed ground I could see it was a guide with three clients. I caught up to them, and asked the guide where he was heading; in my mind, they were there first and would get dibs. I reassured him that I wasn’t going to race ahead and Bogart their water. The guide was appreciative, so much in fact that he asked for my cell number. His idea was that if I was blanking and they were pounding them, I could fish near them. Or if vice versa, we could share water.

It was a most excellent way to start a day. I was so excited by this conversation that I suddenly realized I was 100 yards past my mark. (I suspect the pre-daylight savings darkness had something to do with it, too.)

Cut to an hour later. First light. I saw Chris wading upstream toward me. I’d met Chris the day before when I came to the creek to scout some water with my guide, Bob Packey. Chris was new to fly fishing and had a positive energy and friendly spirit. He remarked how he’d seen me pounding fish up yesterday, and that he was having a tougher go of it. So I told him that if he was blanking, come find me later and we’ll see what we can do about it.

Around 11am, Chris shows up. I could tell from the look on his face that he had been struggling. He confirmed that he hadn’t had a touch. Come on in here, Chris, and let’s take a look at your rig. I didn’t like the size or placement of his shot, so we re-rigged. I told him what I’d learned about the 50-foot run I’d been working, how I had been approaching it, and where I thought he’d have success.

You can imagine how cool it must have been for Chris to hook up within a few casts. All told, he got into four steelhead in about a half hour. Chris’ excitement was matched only by the positive wave of sheer enjoyment that washed over me as I watched him do battle.

Chris getting acquainted with one of the locals. Sometimes a little instruction goes a long way.

The next day, I fished for just over two hours. I saw an angler looking for space, and I told him if he cared to wait, he could have my spot in 10 minutes. He did, and I ended that session with a smile on my face.

Thanksgiving is a season when we acknowledge the many blessings we have. I’m thankful to have met some nice people on the river. I’m thankful for the opportunity to give to someone in need. I’m a confident person, but I am humbled by this experience. Thank you for reading, and please do likewise the next time you fish.

Some TGIF Odds & Ends

Hot on the heels of the International Fly Tying Symposium, I made an overnight run to the Salmon River in Pulaski. I left Tuesday afternoon and was back home by 9pm Wednesday. I’ll post a more detailed report soon, but I ran the middle river with Row Jimmy. We had decent action in the mid-to-late morning, but then the bite tailed off and I had to be content with four in the hoop.

Another satisfied customer. I like the transparency of the tail on this one.

If you won flies from the 1k Followers contest, and you’re wondering where they are, I’ll tell you. I haven’t tied them yet. You have my apologies for the delay, and you’ll be pleased to know that it’s on my sooner-rather-than later list of things to do.

In the striped bass management world, ASMFC is soliciting public comment on Draft Addendum 2 to Amendment 7. Your participation and comment is important, so look for a post from me soon with my thoughts and the ASGA’s party line on the subject. We need to keep hammering ASMFC until they get it.

I’m still guiding if you’re interested in a late fall/early winter outing. This can be a very productive time to fish. Not to mention it’s less crowded!

Finally, my latest article for Surfcasters Journal should drop any day now. When it does, I’ll let you know.

Thanks Croton TU, ASMFC Striped Bass Addendum II, Small Stream, and Happy Monday!

A quick greetings and salutations before I dive into a sound bites — word bites? — edition of currentseams. Hope you had a swell weekend. Me, I took a beating in my NFL ATS pool but still managed to win. (Unlike my Dolphins, but that’s another story.)

Many thanks to the fine men & women of the Croton Watershed TU Chapter for hosting me Thursday night. The subject was “The Little Things 2.0” — the second chapter in my series of seemingly insignificant things that can have a huge impact on your fishing. And the pre-pres cheeseburger was delicious. Therefore, I bestow upon Croton TU the Order of the Cheeseburger with NE-style IPA Clusters for recognizing that a fed presenter is a happy presenter. I’m at the NE Fly Tyers tonight in Massachusetts, talking about the Farmington River.

I hit a small stream last week for a quick 90-minute session. I went bushy dry the whole way, and pricked a bunch of fish. None were brought to hand, and that was just fine with me. Water was low and clear and there were no signs yet of redds on this brook.

The Maryland Juvenile Striped Bass Index recently came out and the results were discouraging again:

The ASMFC Striped Bass Board will soon release Addendum II for public comment. You can read more about their annual meeting here from the American Saltwater Guides Association, who once again are doing so much of the striped bass conservation heavy lifting. We can’t thank them enough! Stay tuned for the official ASGA position on the commenting. We’ll need all hands on this one!

I just completed a piece for Surfcasters Journal. It’s about waiting out a slow spot or hour or night. Should you stay or should you go? You can read the answers in the November edition. Again, SJ is an e-zine that’s loaded with fantastic saltwater and surfcasting nuggets, and is a bargain to subscribe. If you’re not subscribing, you should be.

Now, off I go to rehearse tonight’s presentation.

And the 1,000 Followers Contest Winners Are…

This morning I dumped all the entries into a virtual bucket and had my independent panel of one randomly select three winners: Jim D., Jack W., and Geoff K. Congratulations! The winners have already been notified by email. (Geoff K, your Charter email is bouncing back, so please send me a valid email address!) Now, to the vise…

I’d like to thank everyone who entered, and everyone who reads and follows Currentseams. Onward and upward…if you get a fishing friend to subscribe and we’ll be doing this again soon, although I may now go in increments of 250.

What do you have in mind?

Farmington River Update, Contest Closed, Small Stream Report Coming

I’ve been writing for years now about the new normal with flows, which is: rarely is there middle ground. Most of the time, it’s flood or trickle. We can’t catch a break with this rain (and more is on the way Saturday!) and as a result the Farmington is sky-high again. They’re currently bleeding the dam at 1.1k cfs, and the Still is pumping in an additional 250cfs. Who knows what the next week will look like? I have two lessons scheduled but we’ll have to see. The inflow to the reservoir is also high, and will need to (eventually) be bled. If you choose to go out, please exercise caution!

The 1,000 Followers Contest is officially closed! Thanks to all who entered. I’ll pick the winners soon. Keep your fingers crossed.

Finally, I owe you a small stream report. Look for it tomorrow. I also have some other fly fishing writing projects that desperately need my attention, so off I go…

Yes. I am also steelhead dreaming.

Farmington River coming back, contest, casting distance and other rainy Monday musings

The good news is: fall is finally here, along with her cooler weather, and the Farmington River water temperatures are finally getting back into trout-friendly territory! In an odd twist for September, water temps are actually cooler miles from the dam as the water that’s coming out is still (ridiculously) in the low-to-mid 60s. You should carry a thermometer with you and never fish if the water temp is above 68. I’m not sure when DEEP will do their fall stocking, but I imagine it will be in the next couple weeks. The bad news is: we’re getting creamed by rain, and the river in the PTMA as I write this is well into 4-digits cfs and the color of chocolate milk.It should drop and clear significantly by the end of the week.

Contest alert! If you have not entered my 1,000 Followers contest, you now have less than a week to do so. You can get all the details here.

This from the Ministry of Too Funny: every once in while, I feel like a total failure as a writer. That is, I write one thing, and a surprising number of people take it in a way that I could not possibly have imagined they would. After last week’s post about stripers and casting distance, I received a bunch of emails from people offering suggestions on how to increase my casting distance. I appreciate your helpful nature — I surely do. But what somehow got lost in translation was that I was already casting 100 feet. I don’t believe the fly caster who could reach the fish that Toby was hooking is alive on planet earth today. Maybe he or she is, but if so, you can probably count them on your fingers. At any rate, thankfully, the vast majority of big fish I hook come within the 75-foot range, which is attainable by anyone with the right gear and good fundamentals.

A roll cast to get the head out, a single water haul over my head, then bombs away! I love to hear the line whistling through the guides, and the dull thud of the line length bottoming out. We had great casting conditions, 0-5mph quartering over my right shoulder (I’m a lefty). Photo by Toby Lapinski

I also want to thank you all for your patience as I navigate a very busy time for me. Lots of personal projects going on (it’s all good) that are keeping me from writing here as much as I would like, and (gasp!) even from fishing as much as I would like.

Speaking of stripers and writing, I’m currently working on an article for Surfcasters’ Journal. As usual, I’ll do my best to make it fun and interesting and informative. Enjoy the rain!