Welcome to the Millers River Fly Fishing Forum : River Update, Other Species And A Word On The Millers

Sunday, April 8, 2018

River Update, Other Species And A Word On The Millers

I barely ever use 7x...maybe on a few super tiny flies but I only buy a spool every year to keep it fresh not because its gone. I fished the highly technical South Platte in Co for the last 7 years...presentation is king. The really good fishermen never really use anything below 5x except on occasion for the tiny bugs. I used to use 6x and 7x on the Swift exclusively but realize after many years that I was probably casting from the wrong spot more often than not. You hit the nail on the head Ken..
to all readers here there is a lot of great information randomly dispersed throughout Kens blog...well worth the time to go through it-you will be a better angler. Thank Ken for his great blog. Frequent commentator Bob T regarding the fallacy of using ultra fine tippet July 9, 2015 at 9:18 PM

Is it too damn cold out or what? Maybe it's because I've spent 3 glorious weeks in Florida catching many different species of fish in 80 degree weather or maybe it's because of this cold AND the fact that the rivers are still high and cold and seem kind of empty of fish. I took a ride to the Swift Saturday morning after my grandson's soccer game and saw a total of 5 vehicles for all the parking areas. There was one guy at the Tree Pool who caught nothing and he said that the few that were there had left fishless. Now, backcast to the comments section of my last blog post and read what tincup said: DfW guys told him that they stuff these trout with food BEFORE stocking so they are not very hungry. Makes sense I guess. Anyway, I really don't care that much because things will get better by early May. I'm old enough to remember OPENING DAY (3rd Saturday in April) when the fishing always SUCKED because the water was cold and high!!

We need some warm weather, period. Many places have been stocked but the trout are lethargic with this water temperature. A tick upward in temperature is all that it will take and those "fishless" streams will come alive.

A Hint On The Millers

The annual canoe race is set for Saturday 4/14 and if things go as they usually do they will be holding water back in Royalston for a huge early Saturday morning release. That means that Thursday and Friday will have some very fishable levels on this river.

Other Species

It wasn't always trout for me and it always wasn't fly fishing either. Since I was 5 years old I've used EVERY method to catch ANY kind of fish. It all settled down to the long rod and trout but before that there were smallmouth bass and Shad.

I actually got pretty good catching some oversized smallies on the Millers and in Wachusett Reservoir. I intend to go back to some of these haunts this season to get reacquainted with this critter.

Shad - I loved fishing for this fish as much I I liked fishing for stripers and even more so because it reminded me of Atlantic Salmon fishing. That season will be here very soon. Now, this doesn't mean trout are taking a back. I'm just going to relive some old memories!!!!!

Ken

16 comments:

Sam said...: Ken, while working during the week, I think about fishing more than I should as I look forward to the weekend. This weekend though I did not want to go with the cold temps and of course relentless wind.

I started watching the Masters today which sealed the deal for me not going fishing, as I got interested in Jordan Spieth trying to make a miraculous come back from 9 strokes back. His great effort fell a bit short. Sox made a great come back though.

Props to my friend Jim who got out yesterday and caught two nice rainbows in Bondsville which he let me know about via text.

Regards, Sam; April 8, 2018 at 8:15 PM
Millers River Flyfisher said...: Sam,

I admire golf although I'm no good at it.

The Sox are off to the best start in 100 years.

Now, if we can ditch these February temperatures!!!!

Ken; April 9, 2018 at 4:40 AM
tincup said...: Any ideas you or your readers have on keeping bamboo rod ferrules unstuck. Tried most on internet but with limited success . SHAD flies simple gold long hooks you get at wallmart A head of bright yarn or dubbing size of a small pea. Then wrap a bright streamer hackle like a soft hackle fly. Simple, fast. cheep and effective. Only problem need to use sinking line but a stripping basket helps.; April 9, 2018 at 7:21 AM
Millers River Flyfisher said...: tincup (Bob),

I remember an old Fly Fisherman article years ago on the "Care and Feeding of Ferrules". It said that using dry bar soap, like ivory soup, was the best thing available. I shave off some and dump it into the ferrule. I then take a wooden match stick and wrap it in a paper towel and then force it into the ferrule while I twist it around. The paper will come out almost black with gunk. Use no water. Put the rod back together a few times and you will hear a nice "pop" when you do it. The ferrules are now cleaned and lubed.

Thanks for the shad tip!

Ken; April 9, 2018 at 8:33 AM
Hibernation said...: Smallies are soooooo much fun. And, while most people catch on the Millers are 8-12"... you can find some 3+ # fish, especially in about 4 weeks, in lower reaches. FUN with a capital F!; April 9, 2018 at 9:56 AM
Anonymous said...: Shad fly: Straight Eye Gold Hook, large brass bead head, bright orange or red thread shoulder, Gold flashabou skirt like a dart. I will give Al Niemic credit for this one.; April 9, 2018 at 1:02 PM
Millers River Flyfisher said...: Hibernation (Will),

That photo of a lady with a good smallie was taken at the Bridge Street Pool in Farley in June. I saw a giuy with a spinning rod take a 4lb smallmouth in the same place. He weighed it and released it. That was May. My biggest on the Millers was at the head of the Kempfield Pool across from the monster boulder. Took a big stonefly nymph and was 3 lbs. That was in early June. You are right about the time of year and the location.

Anonymous,

I've got a few of those hooks hanging around. I'll tie some up!

Ken; April 9, 2018 at 2:39 PM
Gary said...: It is cold, air and water, even had ice in my guides this morning, not just the top 2 or 3 but all them, what are there 20 or something. But 1st trout last year was fooled on April 11, now I have been out on the water 5 times this year and fooled 2 nice bows so I'm ahead of last years count. Oh and Mr. Ken you will never guess where I saw a stocking truck this morning, NO I wasn't following him, I was actually goin home (to warm up) and spotted him on one of the branches (Westfield) that I've never seen stocked before.; April 9, 2018 at 7:47 PM
Millers River Flyfisher said...: Gary,

I think that you've caught the most so far this cold spring.

There's another branch?????

Ken; April 9, 2018 at 8:33 PM
Lenny said...: Was kinda happy to find the millers high the other day. Nothing T11 and a soft hackle streamer can’t fix. Found a few that wanted to play in a couple hours. Pretty particular about how they’d hit. Seemed like only mid swing and not strips or on the hang down. I like high water because no one else is there!

Lenny; April 10, 2018 at 12:46 PM
Millers River Flyfisher said...: Lenny,

The Millers is dropping like a beadhead and will be very good tomorrow and real good Friday.

BTW, have you given any thoughts to working that spey rod over some shad??

Ken; April 11, 2018 at 5:17 AM
Lenny said...: I fully intent on it!

Lenny; April 11, 2018 at 3:20 PM
The Eye on Harvard said...: Ken, Can I take this thread off topic for a second? When last fishing the Ware a church street about two weeks ago I got a polite handwritten note on my windshield not to park on the side of the road opposite the airport fence. What's the parking etiquette for this location? Not a lot of room to get off the road on the airport side by the bridge. I want to keep the neighbors happy.

TC; April 11, 2018 at 4:39 PM
BobT said...: I like what Lenny said...high water should be respected...but also fished. You don't have to get far into the water...the fish tend to migrate to the banks and I have had wonderful luck on the Millers in high water with a Hornberg or a soft hackle streamer. Speaking of the soft hackle streamer...one of the simplest yet most effective flies ever made. I like mine in Yellow followed by white, black and olive but yellow will get the browns moving. I had my best streamer day ever on a Yellow SHS in the Housatonic in a driving rainstorm around 1990. My dad and I drove out from Boston at o'dark thirty, had breakfast at the diner that was there and kept looking at the rain. My dad offered to bail if I wanted(I think he wanted to..lol). I said nah...lets give it an hour...drove upstream found some good looking water albeit high and muddy...I started slapping it down and was into fish within a few casts...the action didn't stop for hours..all the fish were in water along the bank next to fast water in little pockets. The Millers has always been good during these times too and the makeup of the river is similar in many spots. Yellow SHS is money!!; April 11, 2018 at 6:25 PM
Millers River Flyfisher said...: BobT,

All good points. I used to fish the Millers years ago in very high water. Maybe it's being a guide that makes me throw the caution flag out there.

TC,

I was on the Ware but, for some reason, didn't park across from the airport fence but took the LEFT off of Church St. before the bridge coming from Ware Center. That place is ok.

Ken; April 11, 2018 at 6:43 PM
Sam said...: Ken, my Bondsville report after work for a bit tonight. Nothing doing for me, though I saw caddis flittering across likely trout holding haunts along with plenty of midges, but nothing was going for them. I drifted the usual sub surface flies, pheasant tails, hare's ears and soft hackles, but no action. Had I saw rises I would have gladly fished dry flies, but never got the motivation or signs from the trout to go my favorite way to fish.

My friend Nate who I ran into there, reported seeing rises, but could not coax a hit to those casted to. The water is still very cold, high 30's to low 40's in my estimation. Cold enough that despite two layers of thick socks I wanted to get out to warm the feet up from time to time.

Sam; April 11, 2018 at 9:01 PM

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Autumn On The EB

Sunday, April 8, 2018

River Update, Other Species And A Word On The Millers

16 comments: