No, there wasn't a spill or a fish kill. Today I decided to do some exploring, sans fly rod and waders. The aim was to check out the lower, LOWER Swift and to find where it joined waters with the Ware River. The above photo shows the junction of these two rivers. It's a nice pool. The flow of the Swift meets the Ware head on creating a beautiful drift line that seems to last forever. Below the junction there is a nice set of riffles. Above the junction the Ware offers nice, nice dry fly water. The Swift's cold flow should provide sanctuary for some of those Ware River browns that we hear about. Maybe or maybe not but it was worth the trip. I'll be back to this spot next Summer for sure!!!
More time was spent exploring this lower Swift River and it included me spying on some rising trout! As expected there was nobody there except me and the trout.
Tomorrow morning I'll be working the Swift with some new creations. Will they work? As I said earlier - maybe or maybe not.
We could get out first snow within two or so weeks. Fish Now!!
7 comments:
hey Ken,
I explored that area 2 weeks ago. A nice spot! With water temps cooled down now, I am sure fish could be anywhere, however in the warmer months during summer, you can be assured there are fish basking in the Swift's cool water at the confluence!
I hit up Trout Brook today in Holden. I for sure thought the summer wiped out all life on that wild trout stream as the river is only 6 feet wide in spots as it is during a wet season. Well, I had a GREAT day! A few natives (6-8'') came to hand on a rainbow warrior and RS2! They are still there!
I then made my way down to the Quinnie and took a walk. I spooked one nice fish but that was about it. I did not fish. I was just walking with the rod, taking in the beautiful day!
It was a beautiful day to be out! Water temp was a chilly 40 degrees.
Tight lines!
Anonymous,
It's great to hear about native brookies surviving this past Summer which was as hot and dry as any that I recall. I feel the same way about the browns in the Millers. That one evening in late Summer where I took three from that shrunken flow convinced me of that. Maybe if the EB had more browns we may have had some Fall fishing there too.
I walked the EB last weekend. The water looked great but the conventional wisdom was that the trout (rainbows) were gone. On the way out I saw a pickup heading downstream. The Ma. license plate had a trout on it. Was it just someone paying their respects to the river OR did this guy know something???
Hope springs eternal!!!
Ken
BTW, I hit the Pipe section at 7am this morning with one idea in mind: start with one fly pattern and then go smaller and smaller. The first fly was a serendipity, #18. I took two. I then went to a #20. Two more came to the net. A #24 brought three and the #24 took one before I called it quits at 9:30. 50% of the trout were caught on a size 24 or smaller.
What does this mean? Maybe nothing because the next trip may produce very different results. Lately, over the last few weeks, small flies have out produced larger flies (18 or larger) time and time again. Four years ago a size 14 grouse and flash was the "go to" fly in November and December. Now it produces next to nothing on this stream. I think that it may be safe to say that flies #20 or under may be the best bet although my #14 and #16 scuds always produce.
My advise: start small on the Swift and if things don't happen then go larger.
Great post Ken (as usual). I have never been that far down on the Swift, but have often wondered about how the access. Can you walk there easily if you put in at the second dam in Bondsville?
Anonymous, I was there on Saturday as well, but didn't get to trout brook. I was Salmon fishing at the Stillwater and below the pump...and enjoying the nice day. The Stillwater was low so i assumed Trout brook would be also.
Regarding Brookies, the state recently electroshocked Trout Brook (last year and before the drought) and found a ton of natives including some 10+ inchers. On the Swift the weekend before, I caught a bunch of wild Brookies (and no Bows/Browns) on a size 24 copper john-ish nymph.
Happy Thanksgiving.
I visited the mouth of the Swift in the summer a year ago. Kayaked down the Ware river from the first bridge upstream. Saw a number of trout taking refuge at the upstream edge where the colder water entered quietly sipping something small.
Fish now! I like that. This AM I visited the Pipe. It was raw/cold and overcast - but thankfully no wind. The stretch had four fishers ahead of me so I went downstream. Started with a little brookie well below the the hatchery hole before coming back up to the Pipe. It was the smaller stuff, 18's and down, that drew any attention. Very picky. Lost and landed a few bows before leaving for family activities.
Bob O,
The mouth of the Swift is very inviting and I'm thinking that there may be hendricksons and other large mayflies in that Swift/Ware River junction come next Spring and Summer! Something to look forward to over the Winter!
The "smaller stuff"! I have a post coming up on that.
Ken
Hit the Pipe at 3:00 on Sat. ....5 cars at rt.9 bridge and 1 at the Pipe.
One fly fisherman at the Pipe for about 15-20 minutes..then I had the place to myself.
Caught 2 'bows on red san juan worm..a small brown on a white san juan worm...3 more 'bows on an olive wooly bugger with a little flash (a gift one recent trip from Wooly Bugger George)...
It was still light enough to continue fishing at 4:20 or so...but the wind picked up and the temp dropped...all in all, a good day without a big crowd.
Tom from Orange
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