CTFishTalk.com: Farmington River - West Branch TMA - Connecticut River Reports ( CT River Reports ) - A Community Built for Connecticut Fisherman.

DV · Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 229 Location: East Windsor

Rob and me met up around 4am again to hit a few spots, first spot was in the catch & release area and second once was a popular pool about a mile above the c&r line. I finally got a few good fish after watching Rob catch all the nice ones in weeks past at MY spots. All in all I l;anded 20+ trout over 14" and 5 over 18" with the largest being a 3lb 20" male brown. The first two fish fought their ass off making long hard runs anytime I gained some ground on em. The largest fish was kind of lazy till it got close, I thought it was average size till I got it in the net. My last 18" thought it was a smallmouth, it jumped 3 times once coming out of the water about 4 ft and spanning 6-8ft of water. Browns just don't normally jump like that, I also caught 2 nice rainbows about 15" each. Rob got one or two about 18" and had a better numbers day at the second spot landing about 5. I also dropped almost every fish trying to get a picture of them, I had to use my superior snatching skills to grab them back out of the water getting me totality soaked in the process. Rob even got an action shot of one of the bastards flying out of my hands, every fish revived well with not one gut hooked till a 12" at the last spot. No big females were caught, I can't wait till August when I get to see some of the females coming back up.

If you fish the C&R area remember to pinch down your barbs and that it is single hook only. I caught a pheobe with treble hooks and one fish had a barbed hook stuck in its gullet. Barbless hooks do NOT cause you to lose fish, the fish that jumped 3 times was hooked right in the upper lip with a size 12 hook, just keep the pressure on. Rob also caught a few flies and every time out we manage to remove some flies from fishes lips, so all you fly fishermen that have a bad attitude towards spinning guys can you know what. Don't use use a 7x tippet (2#) if you are not capable of playing a fish. And to anyone who uses bait, learn to get out of a snag. Stop highsticking you rod and breaking your line at the midway point. Just point your rod at the snag, hold the spool and break it off at the knot leaving only the hook. The second spot was littered with other idiots snags, I really can't stand pulling in other peoples line especially when it is 12lb test.

Release

Jumper

PECo · Joined: 06 Oct 2009 Posts: 5203 Location: Avon, CT

Pretty fish!
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DirtyDawg10 · Joined: 27 May 2009 Posts: 2238 Location: Granby, CT

Sounds like a great trip. nice numbers.

RobO · Joined: 24 May 2010 Posts: 285 Location: South Windsor

It was a great day for trout fishing. DV and I met nice and early, and got our gear on before sunrise. The water was cold and definitely woke you up as you waded deeper into the pools.

DV got off to a great start while the fish were a little more hesitant to attack my line. DV caught some big ones while mine were still nice but between the 12-18 inch category. As DV said I had been bringing in the big ones in the past weeks, but DV made me look a rookie this week in the C&R area. Every time I looked over he was reeling one in.

Later in the morning when we went to the popular big pool, things changed a bit . I got my fish Mojo back and began catching them. The water in the pool at the surface was 58 degrees according to a Fly Guy's thermometer. However that was just the water's surface temp. It was much colder as you got deeper as my nads will contest.

To add on to what DV explained earlier: Each week we go fishing and we are getting more and more snags. Some of them we are able to bring in and we find all sorts of trash in the river. Last week I actually caught a Chuck Talyor sneaker. This week I caught a rubber bungee cord. I couldn't believe DV caught a line with a Phoebe lure on it with the treble hooks in the Catch and Release area, where barbs are prohibited.

Three weeks in a row now I have caught a trout with tied flies still hanging out of the fish's mouth. This week it was a small brown fly with a gold bead head with another leader and fly attached to it. They were hanging out of a 16 inch brown's mouth. I am starting a new collection of flies that I am catching. Someday when I decide to try fly fishing I will not even need to buy or make any flies.

Be kind to this beautiful river and it will be bountiful for years to come.
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cthonkerheaven · Joined: 25 Mar 2010 Posts: 142

I have NEVER Fished the farmington river before and I don't know anyone up there, I have fished the Salmon river, pease brook, yantic, black ledge, jeremy, coginchaug for over 15 years but i always hear everyone talking about farmington. I would def. love to hit that place up soon!!!

SkeeterJim · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 2219 Location: Newington, CT

Nice job guys and awesome pics!
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asianfisher · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 920

I went sunday for a kayak tubing venture, landed only 11. didnt keep nuttin cause to long of a run... All in all found some new holes for fly fishing.... Great catch guys...

Fishface · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 308 Location: New Britain

Super quaility fish Nice pics

asianfisher · Joined: 12 Jan 2009 Posts: 920

I know where that is......

DV · Joined: 05 May 2010 Posts: 229 Location: East Windsor

Lol, so fish it

SkeeterRon · Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Posts: 1173 Location: Newington, CT

Nice fish..
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