The alarm was set for 5:15am this past Saturday morning. "Just 5 more minutes" I said to myself. Of course, that 5 minutes morphed into an HOUR which had me racing to the Swift. My plan was simple - be the first one there on your first trip of the New Year. But I thought my late start would kill that idea. Well, I was surprised to see NO CARS at the Y Pool lot at 7:30 and NO CARS at the Pipe! I had the place to myself for the two hours that I was there.
The fishing - only two in two hours with an additional two hits. A far cry from my last trip two weeks ago. Could the bait boys have emptied the place? There were a lot of footprints in the snow on the pipe side of the river especially on the steep bank by the lower pool, a telltale sign of bait fishermen. Two years ago the fishing was great from January through March so I can't really say if they had an affect this year.
I took a photo of the Pipe showing the low water condition of this year. The other photo is from January of 2009 during the flood. One can just barely make out the top of the pipe. What a difference a year makes!!
BTW, I was rigged with a #14 serendipity and a #16 scud. The Serendipity produced the trout.
9 comments:
7am on the swift jan 9th... cant say i'm surprised you were the only one there... it must have been frigid!! i was planning on getting out this weekend but the weather is just slightly too cold for my taste. thanks for the report!
I think the temperature early Saturday morning was 16 degrees. Sunday morning it read 5 degrees. Saturday was definitely better.
I went this morning (Sunday) saw 4 other anglers in 4-hours and yes it was frigid, but no wind. Managed one on a WB above Rt.9. Nothing at the pipe even with a red serendipity. Ken I'm looking forward to seeing your serendipity pattern...
Ken, I was there Saturday around noon. In a couple of hours took two or three slim brookies (12"+) and a couple or three bows (a smaller chrome one and two larger dark-backed ones). All between the Pipe and the hatchery hole. There are still some in there. Maybe the sun needed to be higher to stimulate them. I expect there will always be a few to be found. Yes it was cold.
See you on the water.
Bob O,
Glad to see that you had success on Saturday. I have always done well fishing very early mornings during the winter but not last Saturday. You probably have something with you mid day "warmth" theory. A degree or two can change things.
Tom,
The Serendipity pattern is coming soon.
Ken
How do you get to these two spots...I have never fished the swift?
Anonymous,
The Swift is on the Ware/Belchertown border (it is the border) off of rt 9. The Pipe section is below where the river crosses under rt 9. Take River Road downstream to a turn off across from a long wrought iron gate. Take the turn off, park and then head downstream to the "pipe". You can't miss it. Google Maps will also show you the way.
Ken
I just picked up on the difference in water level after clicking on the photos and closely examining them. (I guess I'd not read your post thoroughly.)
I remember last year. One could hardly get in the water for the strength of the flow. It made for some tough fishing. Should we start a pool on the date this year the water will again flow over the spillway?
Hi Ken:
Happy New Year! Glad to hear that you're still finding them in all this extreme cold.
Your mention of bait boys possibly cleaning out a pool reminded me of a favor I'd like to ask:
I am taking the liberty to inform you about a Rhode Island catch and release blog/web site which I am supporting, and I hope that you may consider taking a look at it too. Oddly, out of 85 state supported trout locations in R.I., there is only one small C&R resource, (and it is not the Wood/Pawcatuck River).
I'm certain that I don't need to remind anyone on this blog what the value of C&R means to your angling experience. But in RI, neither the State Division of Wildlife, nor the local TU chapter will adopt a policy of increasing C&R fishing.
I'd appreciate if your readers would take a few minutes and perhaps also post comments as to why C&R works so well on the Millers and Swift, and Westfield etc.
Thank you for your consideration, and any comments you may care to post in support of C&R in general.
http://ricatchandrelease.wordpress.com/
Sincerely,
Rick
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