Hot and dry summers like this year can be troublesome for die-hard trout fisherman that live east of the Connecticut River and can not get to the Farmington River. Even now, the Farmy is suffering a little because of the lack of steady rain and for the fact that Hogback Reservoir is drawn down leaving flows low and on the warmer side. This is when I switch modes for awhile and focus on uncomplicated yet rewarding fun fishing for warm water species that inhabit almost of the the river and streams in Eastern Connecticut. Don’t get me wrong, given the time and chance, I willing travel to the Farmington to guide someone or fish on my own, but when I can’t, throwing on a pair of shorts and only needing to carry a handful of flies and tippet is something pretty cool in its own right. Plus, I can be on a number of rivers in a matter of minutes getting the line wet before I would have even finished a cup of coffee driving to the Farmington.

Suckers, Bluegills, Pumpkin seeds, hybrids of each species, and fall fish are all more than willing to attack an artificial fly whether it is a dry, nymph, wet or streamer. As I have stated many times in the past, you can hone your ” trout ” skills with any of a number of warm freshwater species.

Fall fish are one of my favorites though because they can act like trout in a number of ways. Although they may not be as finicky as a trout with a particular pattern, they can be just as critical with the presentation as a trout and perhaps even more.

Finally, if you are a saltwater flyrodder you can head for the sound because late summer and fall can provide great action for species like stripers, blue fish, and false albacore. There are many other species that can be caught with a fly rod- I just named a few of the most popular and sought after.

It seems like I am always limited for time but this year, I hope to spend more time in the brine because I am a first rate neophyte when it comes to saltwater fly fishing.