CT Freshwater Report as of 1/17/2026

CT Freshwater Report as of 1/17/2026

Pictured here is Brent Mastromarino with a real nice winter brown. We had a great weekend at the Marlborough Fly Fishing show this weekend and are very thankful to everyone that stopped by to support. Next weekend we will be in Edison right back at it! It seems like lots of people have been catching great fish as of late. The West Branch Farmington in Riverton is 132 cfs with the Still at 109 cfs, combining for 240 cfs. Please be mindful of redds as you wade around the river. Temps this week are going to be in the high 30’s with lows dipping below 20. Some chance for snow later in the week. A pretty chilly week so dress warm. Keep in mind that the Farmington River from the dam to the Rt 177 bridge is now catch and release until April.

Nothing much has changed. Some midges will hatch around the afternoon but for the most part its all small bugs. Bigger flies to use would be stoneflies or other junky type flies. Overall, the bugs this time of year are small around #20-22 with exception to some larger #16-18 flies, so size down your flies to account for this. Streamers can still be productive this time of year but fish tend to slow down in the cold so you want to slow down your retrieves or even dead drift in some cases. Slowly jigging a fly with some movement can be a good technique. White has been the go to color as of late.

Trends this time of year typically last a little longer. Fly’s and water types can stay consistent week to week. So if you have something working keep doing it. Fish can be found in some slow deep runs but for the most part look to the slower pools now as the cold air drops the water temps. Most fish are spawned out right now and eager for an easy meal so there are plenty of fish to catch. Downstream from spawning areas, trout will pick off eggs that come loose and float downstream. With fish looking for big meals don’t forget larger buggy flies like mops, squirmies, and flashy stuff. Bite windows are a real thing and don’t usually last for too long. Stay out there are fish hard until something happens.

Bugs off the Farmington are about the same. On smaller freestone rivers there aren’t as many bugs as there are on the Farmington so fish feed more opportunistically. Don’t be afraid to go a little bigger in fly choice on the smaller rivers. With cold water, small stream fish tend to stack up in the deeper pools and at times can be tricky to find. Moving around the river is key to finding small stream fish in the winter.

If you go out and have any questions, feel free to stop by the shop, we are more than happy to help you with whatever you need. As always, tight lines!

Location:139 Center St, Bristol CT, 06010

Number: (203) 343-0775

Hours:

Monday                                  Closed

Tuesday                                 Closed

Wednesday                         8AM – 5PM

Thursday                               8AM – 5PM

Friday – Saturday              8AM – 5PM

Sunday                                  8AM – 3PM