Looking for your input and feedback for the Farmington River book

Feb10

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.

Currentseams Best of 2024 #1: Ladies and Gentlemen, Steve Culton is Writing a Book!

Jan1

You probably saw this one coming a mile away. Obvious or not, signing a publishing contract with Stackpole Books and beginning work on the Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River was easily the biggest deal for me in 2024. Technically, I’m halfway done. Practically, I’ve got a lot more work to do.

For starters, even though I’ve finished my first 50% of the work, I’ve still got to go back through it all and make some editorial adjustments. This isn’t merely changing a few words; the workload can probably be counted in weeks. No complaints, though! It’s a privilege to be charged with writing this book, and anything with my name on it is going to be the best it can possibly be.

I’ll be back to it sometime in early January. And of course, you’ll hear all the latest and greatest right here as things develop.

**This is where the magic happens. I really like my writing space — although, the vista behind me is currently brown and white and gray. Winter is a good time for a big writing job.**

Halfway done with the Farmington River book!

Dec2

Last week, I reached my first manuscript milestone, which included 50% of the text, maps, and a couple dozen photos with captions. Off it went to the publisher, and here I sit with a satisfied smile on my face. So, this seems like a good time to give you a detailed update on the work.

Let’s start here: I’m really excited about what I’ve written so far. I don’t do anything halfway, so it’s particularly gratifying to be able to work on a project that I’m so passionate about. I think I’ve found a nice balance between dispensing facts, being conversational, and mixing in both anecdotes and even a little humor.

In terms of content, the template of Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River will generally reflect the other books in the Stackpole line of “Fly Fishing Guide To…” books. In my book, you’ll get a little history of the river; general information about the trout that live there; maps of the STMA that point out pools and major parking areas; descriptions of the major pools and the river in general; and outlines of the most productive fishing methods.

**After reading the book, you’ll know that tying a big Isonychia soft hackle on point in August and swinging it through snotty pocket water is a very good idea.**

But the truly useful part of the book will be the sections on hatches, seasonal conditions, and fly patterns. My goal for the work is that you’ll be able to read it and have a pretty good idea of where you should fish on December 2, with which method, and what flies to tie on. The book will feature over a dozen local patterns that are proven producers.

Even if you think you know the river, I guarantee there will be lots of information that will be new and useful to you. I’ve been fishing this river since the 1970s, I’m writing the damn thing — and I cannot tell you how much I’ve learned while writing this book.

A book like this cannot be written by one person without the help from others. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to get input from guides and local experts; their knowledge, experience, and wisdom has been invaluable. My final deadline is June 1, 2025. My hope is that next year at this time, we’ll have a book ready for you to read!

Thank you so much for continuing to follow currentseams during this busy time. I’ll try to get you caught up a bit this month on other happenings. Up next, in this order: the IFTS redux, western PA steelhead, and SR steelhead reports. Also, the Fly Fishing Show in January. I’ll be at Marlborough and Edison.

See you on the river.

Happy Monday and the book and Currentseams and fishing.

Jun10

As I write this, I am ensconced in my new writer’s cave (non-cave actually, what with the long, tall windows that allow voluminous amounts of sunshine to spill into the room). I’m wrangling sprinklers on our newly hydroseeded lawn — sod to come tomorrow for other areas. This whole watering thing takes several hours a day. And then there are all the other new-house things on the to-do list…

The book is keeping me busy, too. I should be out fishing and taking notes on the river and hatches and then taking photos and so dammit, that’s what I’m doing tonight, and tomorrow, too, after my afternoon lesson. My current goal is 7,000 words per month, which I didn’t quite reach in May, and now one-third of the way into June I’m lagging for this month, too. Not that I’m complaining! It is a privilege to be writing this book, and I’m taking every step to make sure that I do it right.

So I’ve come to the realization that the new normal for Currentseams is probably going to continue in the catch-as-catch-can mode for the foreseeable future. I will of course try to keep you up to date on my fishing experiences and other must-have news, but don’t be alarmed if in any given week there’s only a couple — or one — posts. I appreciate your patience and your readership. And of course, please keep the questions coming.

Speaking of the Farmington River, right now is a great time to be out fishing. The summer hatches are beginning to ramp up and we have good flows. I’ll try to get a report up on Wednesday. Hope to see you on the river!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Steve Culton is Writing a Book!

Apr9

I’m super-excited to announce that I just signed a book contract with Stackpole. The working title is Fly Fishing Guide to the Farmington River. This will be a comprehensive resource for the West Branch, from the river to trout to maps to access to hatches to how-to-and-when. I plan on including information from local experts and guides, as well as a selection of must-have fly patterns. If you have any of Stackpole’s “Fly Fishing Guide To” river books, you know the level of detail I’ll be delivering.

The final manuscript isn’t due for over a year, so it’s going to take some time for this to get to press. In the meantime, please wish me luck as I set off on this big adventure. As always, I thank you for your support and readership, and of course I’ll keep you updated as the project progresses.