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Derrick Kirkpatrick

@ctfishguides

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If interested in booking a lesson or guided trip, send me a direct message on Instagram. Subscribe to our Patreon account Trout Tactics 360.

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Now enrolling for the 2027 Guideline Academy — Farmington River Edition.

Join Guideline USA ambassadors Gordon Vanderpool, Zach St. Amand, and Derrick Kirkpatrick February 19–21 at Legends on the Farmington.

Three days of technical fly fishing instruction, in the classroom and on the water. An intimate group. Personal instruction. Built for driven anglers who want to expand their skills and deepen their understanding.

Message me “ACADEMY” for details and registration. by @ctfishguides

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4 days ago

Some big brown from a recent outing with @max_kantor @guidelineusa If you’re interested in our 3 day guideline clinic this February shoot me a message. It will be held at @legendsonthefarmington

I have some November dates available on the Farmington. Fishing can be good both subsurface and on the surface, with plenty of opportunities to sharpen your skills.

If you’re interested, hit me up. Let’s get you on the calendar and get to work! by @ctfishguides

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a day ago

Farmington River Report — live Monday night at 8:30 p.m. on Trout Tactics 360 through Patreon.

The fishing’s been up and down, but I brought this beautiful brown and a few others to hand the other day. We’ll discuss what’s been working and the challenges in a live format. Students, bring your questions!

Please be especially careful when handling female brown trout and brook trout this time of year. Keep them wet, support them gently, and release them promptly. by @ctfishguides

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13 days ago

Shanna put in the work on the Farmington recently. We spent the session tight lining, and she executed—bringing some beautiful fish to hand. I have a feeling there are plenty more good fish in her future.

I still have dates available in October and early November. Shoot me a message if you’re interested in booking a trip! by @ctfishguides

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20 days ago

Justin Finch put in some serious work on micro dry-dropper techniques and straight dry-fly fishing, and the progress since our last lesson has been huge.

This big holdover FRAA rainbow stealthily sipped his dry fly right off the surface — exactly the kind of eat you’re hoping for when everything comes together.

But progressing as an angler isn’t just about presentation or the physical side of fly fishing. It’s also how you approach the water. Patience. Observation. Reading what’s happening before you ever make a cast. Even something as simple as how you wade and position yourself can make a huge difference.

There’s a lot to learn, and there’s always another level to get to. Justin has made some major strides, and I have no doubt we’ll continue to put fish like this in the net as he keeps building on it.

Zach and I are currently booking guided trips and lessons for October, November, and December on the Farmington. If you’re looking to improve your approach, sharpen your technique, or just spend a day chasing quality trout, reach out and get on the calendar. #guideline #trouttactics360 #farmingtonflies #ctflyguides #farmingtonriver by @ctfishguides

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a month ago

New Version Available @farmington_flies

The Dirty Stripper is one of our most versatile jig patterns. It can be dead drifted, jigged, stripped slowly, or ripped aggressively through the water depending on the situation.

We rotate different versions and color combinations of this fly rather than keeping large quantities of one variation in stock. The current version is olive with a 5.5 mm nickel tungsten bead.

That oversized tungsten bead makes this an aggressive jig. It gets down quickly, creates a lot of movement, and is generally a fly we fish on no lighter than 4X.

The Dirty Stripper has accounted for some exceptional fish over the years and has proven itself well beyond the Farmington, producing large trout in multiple states.

Different colors and versions will continue to rotate through Farmington Flies, so when a variation is gone, the next batch may be something completely different. by @ctfishguides

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a month ago

Farmington River report tonight at 8pm, live on Patreon Trout Tactics 360.

Anada and his son joined me for a lesson the other day and put together a solid day, catching fish primarily nymphing. But the fish that will stick with them was the one that got away.

Anada hooked a wild female brown just over the 20-inch mark and did just about everything right. He fought her all the way to the net. Her nose was practically touching it when she decided she wasn’t done yet—and just like that, she came undone.

Heartbreaker.

That’s also what keeps you coming back. You can execute everything perfectly, get that close, and one slight error—or simply a little bad luck—can end it in a second.

Fishing on the Farmington is tough right now, but if you know where and when to be, there are some great fish to be had.

Tonight at 8 PM, we’ll break down the current Farmington conditions, what we’re seeing on the river, where the opportunities are, and finish with a live Q&A on Trout Tactics 360.

If you’re looking to elevate your game to the next level, consider checking out Trout Tactics 360 on Patreon.

And check out our latest YouTube videos at CTFishGuides.com.

See you tonight at 8. by @ctfishguides

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2 months ago

Carp caught in Conneticut by local guide Derrick. @ctfishguides good fun! by @ctfishguides

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2 months ago

Warner Blunt & Company came out with Zach and me for two days—and these guys are sticks.

There’s a lot of fruitless time on the water right now, but when the small bite windows opened, we took advantage and capitalized with some pretty good fish.

Summer fishing is about knowing when and where to focus your efforts. We can show you how to dial in on migrational drift behavior, the dry-fly game, and even some outside-the-box approaches that will take fish when the standard stuff isn’t getting it done.

If you’re interested in working on your summer game, shoot us a message.

We’ve also got some interesting stuff getting ready to drop soon…

Stay cool and carry your thermometers. by @ctfishguides

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2 months ago

One fish of many from Warner Blunt’s crew during their two-day outing on the Farmington. 👊🎣

As we move into August, the river is starting to change, and tomorrow night’s live River Report will cover exactly what you need to be paying attention to.

📅 Monday
🕣 8:30 PM (ET)
📍 Live on Patreon

We’ll cover:
• Current river conditions
• What fish are keying on
• Productive tactics and fly selections
• Where to focus your efforts as the season transitions
• What changes to expect over the coming weeks

On the gear side, I’ve been spending a lot of time fishing micro rigs with the Guideline LPX Nymph 10’8” 3-weight paired with the Aura reel, and I’ve been extremely impressed. The rod has been a phenomenal tool for this style of fishing. The Guideline 4X Micro Leader Material has also been outstanding—strong, manageable, and performing exceptionally well with these longer, technical presentations.

If you’re an Emerger Tier member or above, you already have access to the live River Report. If you want to stay ahead of the changing conditions and maximize your time on the Farmington, we’ll see you tomorrow night at 8:30 PM. by @ctfishguides

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3 months ago

The surface action continues to produce some beautiful trout.

If you’ve been wanting to improve your sight-fishing and dry fly skills, now is one of the best times of the year. Low, clear summer flows make it easier to spot feeding fish, study their behavior, and learn how to approach them without being detected. From reading rises to making the right presentation, sight fishing is one of the most rewarding—and technical—forms of trout fishing.

If you’d like to work on sight fishing, dry fly presentations, or both, shoot me a message and we’ll get something on the books. #ctfishguides #farmingtonriver #ctflyguides by @ctfishguides

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3 months ago

Dave DeMuth joined me for a lesson on the Farmington, and we spent the day working through a variety of techniques based on the water and conditions. He executed exceptionally well, adapted throughout the day, and brought a bunch of quality trout to hand—including a beautiful 18-inch wild brown on a dry fly.
July and August are some of the best months to sharpen your dry fly game. The fishing can be technical, but it’s one of the most rewarding times of the season to learn how to consistently fool trout on the surface.
If you’d like to improve your dry fly fishing, shoot me a message and let’s get something on the books.
#FarmingtonRiver #DryFlyFishing #FlyFishing #BrownTrout #WildBrownTrout CTFishGuides FarmingtonCT FlyFishingLessons TroutFishing CatchAndRelease by @ctfishguides

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3 months ago