Guides, Fly Fishing Links, etc.

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Guided fishing is available at Limestone with member Scott Simko.

Phone: (860) 453-4031  Reasonable cost, see here at the bottom of the webpage,  For email, see the About Us page 

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—— Full Service Fly shops w/ guides ————————————

Near the Covered Bridge is West Cornwall, CT: 

Housatonic River Outfitters. email: hflyshop@aol.com 

On the Farmington river (Rt 44) in New Hartford, CT 

Upcountry Sports email: Info@FarmingtonRiver.com  Note: Upcountry is featured, between 14-17 minutes, in the On The Water video Fly Fishing the Farmington. 

Closest fishing and hunting supply shop to Limestone, on Rt 44 in East Canaan, is Jim’s Bait and Tackle.

—– River Information ——————————————————–

USGS Stream Flows Housatonic River at Falls Village, CT

USGS Stream Flows West Branch Farmington River at Riverton, CT

—– Other Local Guides —————————————–

Ron Merly Fishing guide. Ron is CT based and covers both fly fishing and spin rod. A member of TU, Ron has authored the book, “Flyfisher’s Guide to Connecticut“, so he knows where to fish and be successful.  Ron holds the State record for sea-run brown trout – 10lbs 8oz!  To see Ron in action as a guide, view On The Water website for the 22 minute feature Fly Fishing the Farmington.

Jeff Yates is a Mianus TU chapter board member, guide and author of Fly Fishing Fairfield County: Secrets of Suburban Streams. He  has over 20 years of experience covering waters in CT and many other fisheries.

Harry Desmond runs Berkshire Rivers Fly Fishing and in addition to fishing for trout, has float trips on the upper Housatonic river targeting Northern Pike.  He works in the Berkshire area and northwest CT. 

Stephen Pogodzienski, Coast Guard certified captain, runs a guide service with several fishing guides in the NW CT area.  Trout, Bass or Northern Pike on the fly with wade or float trip options.  Check out his Pogo Pike website.

—— National/Online Fishing Gear shops ———————————————

A national chain retail store, Cabelas,  is located in East Hartford, CT

A Pro Bass Shop retail store is located right off of I-95 in Bridgeport. They do have a selection of fly fishing equipment including flies and other gear.

The closest Orvis retail store is in Avon, CT and they are also in Darien, CT. 

Bloomberg.com article by Kyle Stock titled “Will the Orvis H3 Be the One Fly Rod to Rule Them All?“

LL Bean makes high quality gear that is backed by their no-questions return policy

Sage Rod, Reel and other equipment

—— Online shops ———————————————————

Discount  Fly Shop in Centennial, CO.  Member credits can save on the next order.  Fresh and salt water.  Good prices.

Big Y Fly Company in Hood River, OR.  Great prices, fast service.

The Fly Stop in sunny San Diego, CA.  Fresh and saltwater flies. Good prices, fast shipping.

Denny Rickards Crystal Creek outfitters.  Master stillwater fly fisherman with clinics, books, DVDs and fly patterns

Flymen Fishing Co sells fly tying materials and flies featuring their “Fish-Skull” custom weights and fish eye patterns. Take a look at these unique, realistic fresh and salt water flies.

Tight Lines Fly Fishing is an online and retail store in Parsippany, NJ that has a variety of events, classes, trips etc.  Their website title “The East Coast’s Most Complete Full-Service Fly Shop”

The Stillwaterflyfishingstore.com is a Canadian online store run by two seasoned fly fishers who love lake fishing.  Flies, books, DVDs etc

The Idaho Fly Company in Boise, ID.  They sell the “slip strike” indicators that are very helpful for fishing during those summer heat days when the trout are 15ft + down (HIGHLY recommended for fishing at LTC)

Housatonic Fly Fisherman Association (HFFA) – members cover fishing in the upper river from the CT/MA border all the way to where the Housatonic river meets L.I. Sound in Milford/Stratford, CT.  Trout to stripper. This is their Facebook link.

Farmington River Anglers Association (FRAA) group dedicated to fishing and preservation of the Farmington river and tributaries. Produces a guide book to fishing along the river. FRAA is a club associated with FFI(see below).

Connecticut Fly Fisherman’s Association (CFFA) is a Hartford area group open to anyone.  Past members included the founder of Limestone Trout Club, Dr. “Skip” Ellis.  CFFA is a club associated with FFI.

Connecticut Surf Casters is a Madison CT based group that while they have a surf/spin rod tilt, they do have members that fly fish for Striped bass and other saltwater fish.

Trout Unlimited is a national organization promoting fly fishing, water resources and conservation.  Local CT based chapters are geographically divided – Nutmeg, Farmington Valley, Mianus , Candlewood Valley and others. TU chapters are some of the invited groups that find a challenge fishing at Limestone. If you are a member of TU, check out the Member Benefits page for your discount options.

Connecticut River Salmon Association works to keep the legacy of wild Atlantic salmon alive in Western New England. Promotes the Salmon-in-Schools project.

Fly Fishers International or FFI (formerly International Federation of Fly Fishers, IFFF) has since 1964 has been an organized voice for fly fishing around the world.  FFI has casting certification programs, fly tying classes and advocacy of protection of access to fisheries everywhere. The North Eastern Council would be your “local” resource. 

A bit different direction, check out the Fly Fishing Team USA website although the Facebook page is more active.  “The mission of Fly Fishing Team USA (“FFTUSA”) is to educate and train men and women in the sport of competitive fly fishing on both national and international levels and to promote, and educate its members in the conservation of our fisheries, lakes, rivers and streams.”

Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service site has many links with information. While not specifically fly fishing related, this site may be useful.