PLACES--'UPCOUNTRY FISHING GEAR SHOP' PINE MEADOW CONNECTICUT

                                                       

WAITING FOR SPRING—LONG TIME READERS KNOW THAT IT’S SOMETHING I SEEM TO DO A LOT OF –(ESPECIALLY DURING WINTER).. WITH THE COMING OF WARMER WEATHER CERTAIN RITUALS PRESENT THEMSELVES..TIME TO GET SOME FERTILIZER ON THE LAWN—CHECK OVER THE LAWN TRACTOR (NEED A NEW ONE THIS YEAR)..

LOST A MONSTER RAINBOW TROUT HERE A FEW YEARS BACK
WITH ONLY ABOUT FIVE OR SIX MORE FEET OF LINE TO GO

MAYBE ADD A LITTLE MULCH AROUND THE FLOWERS TO MAKE EVERYTHING PRETTY AND NEAT..GOTTA PICK UP SOME OF THOSE ORANGE PLASTIC THINGS FOR THE WEED WHACKER..MY OTHER HALF, CAROL, DOES A GREAT JOB OF PICKING UP SOME POTTED PLANTS (I LEAVE THOSE CHOICES UP TO HER TASTES).  AFTER A WHILE AND A BIT OF WORK WE HAVE THE PLACE LOOKING PRETTY GOOD..

MY FISHING PARTNER--JAY MORIN -- FRIENDS SINCE WE WERE TEN YEARS OLD
AND I HAVE THE HONOR OF BEING THE GODFATHER OF HIS SON, LUKAS

I HAVE TWO RITUALS THAT I LOVE PERFORMING..ONE IS TAKING THAT WINDSHIELD OFF THE MOTORCYCLE AND THE OTHER IS VISITING THE ‘UP COUNTRY’ FISHING SHOP IN PREPARATION FOR FISHING SEASON..

LIKE A CANDY STORE FOR SOME OF US GUYS

USUALLY MY FISHING PARTNER, JAMES (JAY) MORIN AND I WILL HEAD UP TO PINE MEADOW CONNECTICUT, STOP FOR A COFFEE AND ENJOY BROWSING AND SELECTING A FEW OF THE FLIES AND OTHER GOODIES WE JUST MIGHT NEED FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON..ALWAYS GOOD PEOPLE WILLING TO MAKE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WHAT FLY IS “HOT” AND WHAT PART OF THE RIVER YOU WANT TO BE ON.

 

OF COURSE I TAKE THESE SUGGESTIONS WITH THE PROVERBIAL GRAIN OF SALT..SPEAKING STRICTLY FOR MYSELF, IF I HAD THE GOOD FORTUNE OF FINDING A SPOT WHERE THE TROUT WERE FRISKY AND PLAYFUL, I WOULDN’T BE TELLING EVERYBODY WHERE TO FIND THEM AND WHAT KIND OF FLY THEY LIKED..BUT, THAT’S JUST ME..

HAWK'S EYE VIEW OF THE BEAUTIFUL FARMINGTON RIVER

BUT!!  THERE ARE TWO GUYS WORKING THERE THAT I CERTAINLY WOULD TRUST..GRADY ALLEN IS THE OWNER OF THE BEAUTIFUL SHOP..IF HE TOLD JAY AND I TO HEAD UPSTREAM FOR THREE MILES AND USE A #18 BLUE WING OLIVE OR DOWNSTREAM FOR SIX MILES AND TO TIE ON A #16 PALE EVENING DUN, THAT’S  WHAT WE WOULD DO. GRADY HAS LIVED IN NEW HARTFORD FOR ALL HIS LIFE AND HAS OWNED THE SHOP FOR 15 YEARS..OVER 60% OF THE FLIES IN HIS SHOP ARE TIED LOCALLY..A FEW PATTERNS ARE UNIQUE TO THE FARMINGTON RIVER..

MEET GRADY ALLEN-OWNER OF 'UPCOUNTRY' AND LIFE-LONG RESIDENT
OF BEAUTIFUL NEW HARTFORD CONNECTICUT

ANOTHER GENT WHOSE WORDS ARE GOLDEN WOULD BE –DON BUTLER- KNOWN AS THE ‘FISH FOX’. HE HAS A GUIDE SERVICE FOR BOTH THE FARMINGTON AND HOUSATONIC RIVERS..WHEN I’M IN THE STORE I WILL ALWAYS TRY TO HEAR WHATEVER THIS MAN HAS TO SAY AS FAR AS FISHING GOES..HE HAS CAUGHT A TROUT ON A DRY-FLY FOR 83 MONTHS IN A ROW!! YEA, IF HE SAYS SOMETHING ABOUT FISHING I PAY ATTENTION..

HERE'S DON BUTLER--THE "FISH FOX"

IF YOU’VE EVER FELT LIKE YOU MIGHT JUST LIKE TO GIVE FLY-FISHING A WHIRL THIS IS THE PLACE TO VISIT FIRST..THEY OFFER CLASSES—SELL FISHING LICENSE- HAVE A WIDE SELECTION OF GREAT EQUIPMENT—AND A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE THAT YOU JUST WOULDN’T FIND ANYPLACE ELSE..IF YOUR ALREADY A FISHING ENTHUSIAST STOP IN AND CHECK OUT THE FLY ASSORTMENT AND ALL THE OTHER YUMMIES THAT A FISHERMAN JUST HAS TO HAVE.. 

CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE FOR THE LATEST INFO ON RIVER CONDITIONS-WHAT FLIES ARE WORKING-WHERE TO STAY IF YOU PLAN ON VISITING FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS—PLACES FOR CHOW-FISHING TIPS- ETC..THIS AREA IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SECTIONS OF CONNECTICUT AND THIS SHOP IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE STOPS..I’LL EVEN BRING MY MOTORCYCLE TO A HALT THERE SOMETIMES JUST TO PICK UP A FEW FLIES AND SEE IF I CAN LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT LITTLE PIECE OF HEAVEN CALLED–THE FARMINGTON RIVER..

CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE AT— wwwFarmingtonRiver.com

TILL NEXT WEEK---HOPE ALL IS WELL AND REMAINS WELL WITH YOU AND YOURS

AND REMEMBER---CATCH AND RELEASE---IS VERY COOL

                                                                              JIM