Here we go again!! The Swift saves the day

Rain again!!!!!

Up at 5:30am, rain all night, checked the stream flows and headed for the Swift. I found the Y pool parking lot EMPTY but headed for the pipe section where I found one flyfisher. We had a good morning. I took 10 'bows in three hours, all of them over 14 inches on scuds, hotspots and jailbirds. These were all "dark" fish having been in the river for some time. By 10:00am the surface activity began but I struck out on that level.

I'm hoping that the Millers level doesn't climb above where it is now (high 400cfs) but I'm not counting on it. If it stays where it is I'll be there but it doesn't look good.

I'd do anything to fish for those rising browns in the Millers!!

We will see.......

Ken

The Westfield And The Millers

I've spent some time as of late on the East Branch of the Westfield fishing the "Gorge" section. This place has been a surprise - great dry fly fishing through the pocket water of this wild and beautiful river. The flies have been bushy caddis, high floating with light colored deer hair for visibility and the rainbows attack them!! There has been the story that this river gets too warm to fish through the summer. This summer, with all the rain, made great conditions for the rivers' rainbows. I now live 15 minutes from this spot so it will be visited many times over.

The Millers - Be careful what you wish for. I wished for a rainy summer to keep the water level up and my prayers were answered x 5!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday the water level made it down below 500 cfs so I worked the Kempfield section and landed 7 browns and broke another off. The last 3 chased my dry caddis fly. There was no real steady rise due to the water which is still high but one could see the occasional surfacing trout and that fish would become my target.

Let's hope that the next 4 to 6 weeks are dry to keep the river fishable.

See you there.

Ken

Just When Things Got Good.....

As you know, I had a great evening on the Millers over the Labor Day weekend chasing skinny water browns with dry flies and from the emails I received I wasn't the only one having fun. That fun lasted until this past Saturday when Hanna blew through and raised the water level by a factor of 10!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, Sunday morning found me on the reliable Swift where I scored a hat trick by taking three species of trout - 11 rainbows, two brookies and a brown. They fell to an assortment of sunken flies ranging from hotspots to scud patterns. The rainbows had a great color to them and were certainly not freshly stocked fish but the brookies were beyond words!! The only thing that beats a sugar maple in full Fall color is a brookie in spawning garb. They were almost there!! Yes, I should of brought my camera.

Took a side trip last week to the Westfield Gorge C&R. This place has the reputation of not holding up too well in the summer but this wet July must have helped carry the rainbows over. I fished a dry caddis through some shallow riffles and the 'bows just attacked that fly. I'll be back there once the waters receed.

Keep an eye on the Millers. (use the link on this blog) Once the river hits 450cfs drop everything and go fly fishing.

Ken