Farmington River

The Gift Without A Bow

December 25, 2019 by Leigh 1 Comment

Last night I went to the 11 pm Christmas Eve candlelight service at my church. It started with a short video. A man wakes up to find he and his wife covered in Christmas wrapping paper. His shoes, coffee mug, briefcase and car are also nicely wrapped. The shower and faucet have bows on them. The point of the video is that we have much to be thankful for even before we see what’s under the tree.

I felt the same way as I headed out for a quick Christmas Day trip to the Farmington River. A couple of hours isn’t much, but enough to remind me how much we have and to be thankful for all of it.

Forty degrees may not sound warm, but by Connecticut standards it’s downright balmy. With no wind, it seemed like a real Christmas gift.

Yesterday I found out the hard way that my waders have a leak in the seam of the foot. I grabbed a pair of neoprenes off the wall. It has been at least 2 years since I’ve worn them, but they did the job. I felt a like Santa in a chimney when squeezing into them, which told me that this has been an enjoyable and prosperous holiday season. A reasonable diet and training schedule will resume Jan 1.

Upon driving a quick loop of the upper river I discovered that I’m not the only one who likes to fish on Christmas Day. There were plenty of liberated elves. I was able to find some water of my own and quickly seized it.

After getting into the neoprenes and rigging up, I put Tippet in the backpack and we headed to the river.

I had a size 10 thinmint woolly bugger tied on. Within minutes, a nice brown was in hand.

After releasing the fish, I looked around and realized that we have so much to be thankful for. Even in winter, the river has a beauty and serenity that overtakes all other thoughts.

This will probably be the last FinFollower post for 2019. Although my frequency of posts has declined, my love for the sport has not.

Tippet and I wish you and yours a healthy and prosperous 2020, with tight lines and more fishing adventures.

Enjoy!

The Sage Dart Hits A Bullseye

October 6, 2018 by Leigh Leave a Comment

I’m always excited to see a package on the doorstep with a return address from Sage and RIO. It usually has some of the latest products inside and an offer to test them.

I was pleasantly surprised to open this box and find a new Sage Dart 3wt rod, Sage Click reel and RIO Creek fly line. Ever since I saw the Dart I’ve been wanting to give it a try, and the timing couldn’t be better.

I live in New England. The recent rains have pushed some of the larger rivers to relatively high water levels, and small streams have been looking more attractive.

The Sage Dart is a great choice for small streams. I am testing the 3-piece 7’6″ 3wt.

If you’ve read any of my prior reviews, you know that I typically test the product outside the intended use. This review is no exception. While I used it for small stream trout, it was also tested on my local bass pond.

To complement the Dart, I received a Sage Click reel along with RIO Creek line, which is specifically made for small streams. Sage reels are always light and dependable, and I’ve been using RIO lines for some time.

The first day of testing began on the Farmington River. Almost immediately I caught a juvenile smallmouth on a nymph. It was good to feel a fish on the line, but the winds picked up and I wanted to use this rod for what it was intended for – dry flies and small streams. We packed up and I started thinking about where to go next.

Five minutes from my house is a small stream that runs thru town. It is stocked lightly in the spring, but by late summer holds few remaining trout and it is mostly dominated by panfish. It was a longshot, but turned out to be the right decision.

I tied on a small caddis dry and started catching panfish. Nothing of size, but it gave me the opportunity to cast to different targets. I’m pleasantly surprised by the distance and accuracy you get from the 7’6″ 3wt Dart. For such a light rod, it shot much more line than I expected. The RIO Creek line delivered the fly softly to the surface and did not spook the other fish.

On one cast I had an interested follower that looked like it might be a trout, but it quickly turned away.

I dropped down to a size 2o midge, and this brown appeared. As is typical, he refused the fly 3 times before turning and crushing it on the surface.

The second outing I took the Dart to a local bass pond.

It was a beautiful fall day and I decided to tie on a size 10 baby complex twist bugger from Fly Fish Food.

I cast from the dock into the glassy water. Within minutes I had this perch on the line.

Followed by this juvenile largemouth bass.

Even though the Dart is a 3wt, it provided enough backbone to cast a size 10 streamer 60 ft, and pull in this bass with no issue. Again, I really like the smoothness and distance of cast with the RIO line.

What I like about this combo:

Casting is effortless – it is a very light rod and I was happily surprised by the distance you can get with the Dart
The Click reel felt like it was made for this combo, smooth and light
RIO Creek small stream line was perfect for small streams – loaded well at close range but has enough body for casts beyond 50 feet

The bottom line: If you’re a small stream enthusiast, give the Sage Dart a test. It is an excellent dry fly rod, and worked well with small nymphs and streamers.

If you’d like to check out other review on these products, see below:

Sage Dart Fly Rod Review

HATCH Magazine Review

Link to the RIO Creek line video.

Note: I received a Sage Dart rod, Sage Click reel and RIO Creek line to test, but no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Enjoy!

Product Review: Redington Hydrogen Fly Rod

September 28, 2015 by Leigh 1 Comment

Had a chance to test out the new Redington Hydrogen fly rod. Although marketed as a trout rod, I used it in few different situations and it performed exceptionally.

Offered in sizes 2 wt to 6 wt, I chose a 9′ 6 wt because I wanted to see if the rod could handle smallmouth and trout. Both are found in local rivers this time of year, and you don’t always know what’s on the other end of the line. In addition to casting dries, I also wanted the option of nymphing and throwing small streamers.

One of the first things I noticed is how light the Hydrogen is compared to some of the other 6 wts I use. At only 2.7 ounces, I checked the label to make sure I received the right rod. But the light weight didn’t impair the performance. I gave it plenty of opportunities to handle larger fish. And while it bent over sharply a few times, I never lost confidence in its ability to perform.

My first stop with the Hydrogen was the Housatonic River, where I used it to catch smallies on streamers. It cast the size 8 Orange Blossom Special conehead smoothly, but I probably wouldn’t recommend going much heaver.

Soon after arriving, I had on the first smallmouth. The rod bent nicely, but never felt weak or uneven.

This guy was on the other end of the line. He definitely felt and looked like a football.

My next stop was a local farm pond for some kayak fishing. The Hydrogen had no problem with the foam poppers, and a 6 wt was the right choice for largemouth bass.

Later in the week I took it to the Farmington River, where I caught brown trout on nymphs and dries. I was especially impressed with the way it delicately delivered a size 24 BWO dry to a waiting brown.

My last trip with the Hydrogen was back to the Housatonic. I cast a size 16 peacock caddis during the evening hatch to hungry browns, mostly in the 14″ – 16″ range. A few were bigger, and again the rod had a chance to show it could handle large fish.

In all, I used the Hydrogen to catch smallmouth, panfish, largemouth and trout. I threw streamers, nymphs, poppers and dries. It handled every situation with no problems.

Here are a few other reviews on the Hydrogen to compare:

Hatch Magazine Review

Red’s Flyshop Video Review

The Venturing Angler Review

Overall, I would recommend the Hydrogen. Its light weight, strength and price (~$300) make it a great choice. While it is positioned as a trout rod, I found it quite capable while chasing other types of fish.

Note: I received a 6 wt Hydrogen to test, but no compensation for this review. The opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Enjoy!

A Nice Start to May Fishing

May 4, 2015 by Leigh 4 Comments

After a winter that went much too long and a slow-moving spring, the first weekend of May in Connecticut brought sunny days with temperatures reaching 80 degrees. Most of Saturday was dedicated to chores, but I was able to steal an hour at the local farm pond to test some newly-tied poppers. Despite the cool water temperature, I had quite a number of panfish strikes, with a few brought to hand. This was one of the largest and most colorful. I expect to see more of these and some nice bass as the summer progresses and the pond’s water warms.

The local beavers have been busy, working on what will become bass cover. I never see them in action, but they create a lot of wood chips.

On Sunday afternoon I headed to the Farmington River to meet my friend Paul. While I was gearing up, this escapee from a local chicken coop showed up. We were deep in the woods, some distance from any farm, so he was quite a surprise. I hope he finds his way back before he becomes dinner. It was mentioned that he would also be a great source of hackle, but I passed.

The day started out slow but ended well. Despite rumors of a healthy Hendrickson hatch, it had not yet arrived. Bugs were rare and fish rose sporadically. I took this first rainbow on a hares ear nymph. He was quite a slab and proved to be an impressive acrobat, launching into 4 vertical leaps before surrendering to the net. I’ll also give him the Mayweather award for being the best fighter of the day.

Later in the afternoon a hatch arrived and I landed two browns on small Hendrickson dries. The first was voraciously feeding on top. I had tied on a dry that matched the hatch, but was consistently refused. I took it down a size and he hammered it, bending the rod sharply and peeling off line.

The second I caught while leaning against the bank. I had reeled in and was talking to my friend when I noticed him rise about 20 feet away. I unwound a few feet of line and sent out a roll cast. He quickly sipped the fly and started running.

Hope your getting out for some spring fishing. Enjoy!

One of the Last for 2014

November 30, 2014 by Leigh 4 Comments

With the fishable days of 2014 coming to an end, I decided to make a quick morning trip to the Farmington River on this last day of November.

The temperature was forecast to reach the 40’s, with mildly overcast skies, perfect for a late fall day on the water

The snow on the ground from the pre-Thanksgiving storm made a solid blanket, but wasn’t enough to hamper hiking. No other cars were in the parking lot, a good omen if I hoped to have the water to myself. I suited up, adding waterproof gloves, wool cap and toe warmers to the list of requisite equipment.

Walking in solitude down the canopied trail reminded me that the end of this year’s season is near. The only occasional sound was heavy melting snow crashing through the hemlocks and pines, often hitting the ground with a thud, or the water like the splash of a large fish.

When I arrived at the intended spot there were two men downstream casting dries. They continued for a few minutes, then moved to the bank for a cigar break. Afterwards they shuffled around the bend and out of sight. Other than their presence, the water was mine.

I started out with streamers, followed by a brace of nymphs. None of these caused the line to tighten. Then I saw a few rises across the stream, subtle and intermittent. I switched to a small BWO spinner, and within a few casts had this healthy brown in the net.

I probably should’ve stayed with the BWO, but I wanted to give some other rookie flies a try. Unfortunately they all struck out. Well, there’s always next season.

Hope you’re getting out for a few last casts in 2014. Enjoy!