Autumn On The EB

Autumn On The EB

Monday, July 11, 2016

A Good Searcher Fly, Swift Update And Swift Guiding

"Trout aren't naturally selective as they've become in crowded tailwaters. They've been trained to be like that by too much fishing pressure. I've seen tailwater fish that are so hysterical they'll refuse naturals. You wonder how they get enough to eat" - John Gierach


Ok, there are times when the Swift brookies, browns and bows just are too lazy to take something off the surface. So I needed a fly that presented something larger than the usual soft hackle but not too large as a bugger. I needed something that was not too heavy. Nymphing with weight at Cady Lane will get you all the moss you want! Something that looked like a mouth full but was easy to cast. The above fly does the trick. Maybe I'll call it the MEATBALL!

Hook - size 12 wet fly

Body - thin dubbing of your choice. I used brown rabbit

Wing - Short clumps of marabou starting at the bend and building forward. (don't over build)

Hackle - good old over sized partridge

Head - two strands of peacock

Soak this fly totally to get it under and then swing it through all likely runs. It works at Cady Lane and will work on the Millers once we get was water in it.

Swift Update - It rose again on Friday the 8th to about 90 cfs and until the Connecticut River Watershed gets rain it should stay there. 90 cfs is very fishable!! BTW, the fishing has been fantastic below route 9. The Tree Pool is loaded with BIG trout and hardly any fly fishers.


Swift River Guiding - I've had a lot of inquiries and booked sessions on the Swift lately by fly fishers who seem to realize that they know very little about this river. It's the CR section above RT 9 with the Y Pool or the Pipe and that's it for most of their Swift River experience. So I've been bringing folks on a three hour session on the REST OF THE RIVER! Places like the Duck Pond, the Crib Dam, the Gauge Run, The Flats, Cady Lane and Bondsville are the areas to explore. We pick a section or two and fish away for 3 hours. It's a great evening trip in July, August and September and it will give you real insider knowledge just in time for the Fall which is the best time on the Swift. Contact me if you want to explore this river!!

Ken



12 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like that fly with it's marabou wing. I'll tie some up but maybe they will be smaller. Just a thought.

Bill L.

Hibernation said...

I like that fly too Ken. It sort of reminds me of a hybrid between Jack Gartside's Sparrow and a Picket Pin. Amazing fly's both... and I bet your little fly will workout great in a variety of sizes. Nice creation!

Will

Brk Trt said...

Meatball would be a good name.
Looks a little like a Picket Pin

Millers River Flyfisher said...

Will and Brk Trt,

That peacock head gives it a resemblance to that great old pattern,the Picket Pin,and the Gartside influence is certainly there.

Two commentators who know their stuff!! Very good!

Ken

Anonymous said...

The "meatball" would look great with a brass bead in front of the peacock....... just kidding.

10 cars at the gage station parking lot at noon today; also 1 car down at Cady Lane parking. Never saw the tree pool today.

Al

Millers River Flyfisher said...

The Swift is down to 49 cfs as of mid day Tuesday. The reason is heavy storms in the upper Connecticut Valley brought the Connecticut River up so the Swift goes down. The flow map for Massachusetts shows a lot of "red" which means drought. The maps for Vermont and New Hampshire show a lot of "green" which means normal flows.

Ken

Anonymous said...

Also on Tuesday morning there were 16 cars parked up at route 9. Didn't find much going on anywhere along river, slow day. Maybe should have gone more toward mid afternoon and fished later.

Bob O said...

Yo yo flow. Swift is back at 50 cfs. Happy fishing. Coming into ant and hopper season.

Anonymous said...

Fished the tree pool day before yesterday. Broke one off early a.m. and got a couple of brookies using 17 different flies but there were five guys including me after 7 a.m. between the pipe and the tree and no one got anything between 7 and 11:00. Left and had a great time down in Bondsville with a brookie and a big rainbow.

Brad

Millers River Flyfisher said...

Bob O,

I'm afraid that we will be seeing this flow regime all summer.

Ken

Andrew said...

I shared your post about your "Meatball fly" with a fellow flyfisher and tier who lives on the E. Branch of NY's Delaware River. He liked your new concoction. And then reminded me of the Cooper Bug which I have not fished with for years, but used to use with success. Described in this article:

http://midcurrent.com/flies/the-perfect-10-new-england-natives/

Millers River Flyfisher said...

Andrew,

Seems that I remember the Cooper Bug but never tried to fish it. Actually I didn't like the looks of it. I'll try it now!

Ken