Zach St. Amand’s Two Farmington Brutes

Noted Farmington guide Zach St. Amand is on the water 200 days a year. Heck, he actually lives right next to the river.

He ties flies, sold at UpCountry, specifically meant for the Farmington. And, what does he do on a day off? He fishes. He was out yesterday and texted me the photos below. Two huge brutes caught while Euro-nymphing.

Wow. A wild brown and a huge holdover rainbow.

The Farmington is a very special river. Starting in 1985, Connecticut Fish and Wildlife realized that, if they controlled the dams’ flows, they could have fish hold over. And, if they started to stock strategically with Survivor Strain DNA, they could have wild fish. And, how about a permanent C&R area?

Mission accomplished, I’d say. Nothing wrong with a catch ‘n keep strategy wherein nearly all fish get depleted in a year and a spring stocking brings in a new crop. That strategy can work, too.

But, I like wild fish. I’ve met a few anglers who, upon retirement, buy a place near the Farmington. I think I now know why.

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6 thoughts on “Zach St. Amand’s Two Farmington Brutes

  1. Great fish and whats equally impressive is his ability to take great photos while holding fish while by himself. Any info on how that is handled would be appreciated!

  2. Be careful posting photos that show the surroundings. There are poachers on the Farmi, and and some would gladly kill these fish if they could identify the spot in a photo.

    1. Seriously, same here. I'm scheduled to fish with Zach in a few months and cannot wait. I hear he is truly an incredible guide. I've not used a guide since I started fly fishing about 10 years ago, but I hear he really knows what he's doing.

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