Early last week I had plans for a July 4th weekend hat trick: The Millers, the Swift and the Westfield. If you remember I made a prediction that the Millers would kiss the 500cfs level by 7/1. Fat chance!! It blew out that Wednesday and came close to 2000cfs by the 3rd. I fished the Swift very early Friday morning. Fished it hard but had only one brown taken by the gauge on a sulphur to show for my efforts. That leaves the East Branch of the Westfield. I hit that in the early evening of the 2nd. The water was high but not unfishable. Two good rainbows came to the net thanks to a #10 soft hackle with one more breaking me off. I was there for two hours.
Now, while I was at the Swift I ran into a friend who has been getting the rainbows and browns of the Swift to chase his streamers!! When I got home I tied up a few small marabou streamers to hit the East Branch with the next morning. Sunday morning found me on the Westfield swinging streamers through the currents and landing rainbows. The rainbow in the picture was my second that morning. All told, four bent the bamboo and one threw the hook after a brief aeriel display.
I don't know when the Millers will be back to normal, whatever that is. It has been very high (+500cfs) since 6/11. Say a pray!! I'll be back at the Westfield this week.
Ken
6 comments:
Thanks Ken. I too have been on the Westfield lately, with most of my luck coming on swinging streamers. I hope to get there a couple more times in the next two weeks before the temps come up.
Joe
The Swift was fishing well this morning 7/6. Picked up a nice three pound rainbow.
Anonymous - that's a very good fish. What was the lucky fly??
Ken
Hi Ken: Great to hear that you're bending the Boo. Nothing else quite like it.
What sort of maribou streamer are you using please?
Hope to get to the Gorge next week, any suggestions?
Always fun to read your reports,
Rick
RI
Great Blog! I've been to the Swift a few times this year, unfortunately no luck so far. I fished just below the spillway at the Y pool, tons of large fish visible, but no one around me seemed to be catching anything either. I haven't ventured below the Rt 9 bridge yet. Is it wadable? Are the fish less finicky?
Rick - I have always tied small streamers for rivers around here. The Marabou streamer that I used was size 12!
Tail - olive marabou
Body - sparse yellow dubbing with a flashabou rib.
1st layer of wing - white marabou
2nd layer of wing - dark gray marabou
That's it!
Mike - The entire Swift is wadable now. I LOVE the water below rt9. The fish are smart but are not fished over as much as the Y pool. It also has water that is a lot more interesting and varied.
Good Luck to you guys and thanks for the good words about the blog. - Ken
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