Saturday, October 31 - I made it to the lower Swift parking lot at 6:30am with drizzle in the air before anyone else. Within a minute or two a van pulled up with two guys setting a record for suiting up and heading for the "pipe". I didn't mind because I had my mind on fishing alone from the crib dam downstream over that beautiful stretch that runs beyond the gauge station. I wasn't disappointed. I had the place to myself except for one angler who explored the crib dam after I left it. I could here the cars coming and going during the two hours that I was there. Nobody seemed to stay to long probably due to the weather - off and on downpours that put a lot of leaves in the water and tested the resolve of anyone who ventured out on that morning. I would have stayed longer but home activities were waiting.
This was fun!! Very skinny water due to the 60cfs flow and trout being found in water that barely covered them. Five 'bows came to the net with one four inch brookie that grabbed my fly almost at my feet! I still had egg patterns on the brain but luckily so did the trout. The fly was a micro egg #20 which these guys just can't resist. The small size was probably the reason for the lost fish but that's ok.
The Fall is nice but it really is the end of months of fishing AT ANY TIME when I'm not at my day job. No more evenings casting to rising trout during the week. I HATE IT!!!!! The next five months will find us working the Swift or the Farmington during the daylight on weekends unless we work a vacation day into the mix. The two above mentioned rivers are a godsend to us during the "dark months" and it sure beats ice fishing!!! Speaking of the Farmington - the word is out that CT. licenses are DOUBLING in cost for 2010. Oh well.
Let's hope for some balmy weekends in November and December. It can happen!
Ken
P.S. The first photo was taken from the gauge station two days before. Fish from the opposite shore through the whole stretch.
12 comments:
Ken,
Way to go. That is a beautiful (lonely) stretch. Did you run across any spawners? I saw a few in the bubbler on Sunday. Rain and leaves are impediments but the reward comes to those who persist. I'm sorry to see the daylight go as well, and am hoping for relatively warm weekends. See you on the water.
Bob O,
Didn't see any evidence of spawners. In fact, the brookie was found in very fast water which certainly isn't spawning habitat.
Conditions on the Swift are PERFECT for trout hunting!!! Short lines, light tippets, it doesn't get much better. This month should be great!!
Ken
... and I agree about cold winter rivers beating ice fishing, though I find trying to cast into that little auger hole from 40 feet away great target practice...
Joseph
Joseph,
I like casting to that auger hole too but only if they're rising!!!!!
Ken
(sarcasm)
That explains that thumping and crackling sound on the ice...
I always wondered what that was....
(/sarcasm)
-Eric
Sounds great, Ken. Is the Millers done for the season? Went out to the Kempfield pool a couple of weeks ago and got nothing.
Linda,
The Millers season may have a week or two left in it if the water drops below 500cfs and the weather stays mild as it's supposed to through next week. I hope to get out there one or time (or two)!
Ken
Eric,
You nailed it!! That thumping sound is the sound of trout trying to get to the "ice fly hatch". I thought that I was the only one who knew!!
Seriously, Fly Rod & Reel did a story a few years back on "Ice trout". They showed a photo of a guy trolling a streamer behind a sled while working the "drift lines" in the middle of a field. It was the funniest article that the magazine has ever run!!
Ken,
Hit up the Millers yesterday morning with a friend of mine. I landed 12 beautiful trout and my buddy landed 6, with about 10 other good strikes and I lost 4. The trout are hitting in the sunny patches of the river in the morning. I will hit them up again Wednesday. Good FISHING, see out there.
Dustin
Hit the Millers again on Wednesday guided my brother and his friend between the three of us landed 26 browns and lost about 4 or 5 more. Nothing hittin fly so we switched to spinners and on the line they went.
Dustin
Dustin,
That's great news. I'm assuming you're on the lower C&R. We are supposed to get some heavy rain on Saturday which will flood the river again. I hope not.
Ken
Ken,
I am planning a trip in the morning to the millers and I have never fished below the duck pond it looks like it has some nice pools and maybe less fished area what do you think? And yes I have ben in the C&R area lots of hiking, but this is one of the areas I havnt fished.
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