It's late December and I regret some of those plans that I hatched last February and March when fly fishing plans are usually hatched, namely that I didn't fish where I said that I'd fish. We all know the drill: I'M GOING TO FISH THIS PART OF THE RIVER but you really never get around to it. You go to where the "action" is even if the action doesn't always play out. I did explore and fish the Bondsville section of the Swift. Check off one plan as completed. I spent wonderful hours above the pipe with hardly anyone there. What I didn't do was go back to my haunts of '06,'07and '08 and that's the section above the crib dam up to the "duck pond" on the Swift. '06 through '08 gave us low Summer flows and dry fly action to ants, beetles and other critters. It was great but hard fishing but well worth it. 2009 gave us mid Summer flood conditions that made wading this section life threatening. I said that I would go back to this seldom fished spot this past season (never saw another fly fisher) but I never did. My mistake!!
How come I didn't go below the Bridge Street Pool on the Millers?? Maybe it was because the Millers, like many freestone rivers, were hit by the "2010 Drought". Maybe I was playing it safe by fishing the Kempfield Section which survived the Summer. It was a plan of mine to pack a sandwich or two and spend a day fishing the miles of water below the bridge for outsized smallies and browns. They are there. I should have been there!
We are two weeks away from "New Year Resolution" time. I'm already making a list. Let's hope that I stick to it.
5 comments:
Ken -- you helped me keep a resolution -- learning to fish the "spring creek" sections of the Swift - and for that -- I'm very grateful. Your techniques even worked in the Bubbler earlier this week.
Happy holidays
Dick
Happy Holidays and thank you for the advice and guidance of the blog. This has become one of my favorite sites to visit, and has really helped broadened my fishing expertise. I love all fishing and it is scaring me how much I am thinking about fly fishing...
Happy Holidays Ken,
I too discovered your blog this year and have been enjoying the posts as I have fished the same rivers for 15 yrs. Keep up the good work and peace and 20 inchers for 2011!
Andrew
I too got drawn into the usual areas where the action is even though I promised myself to hike way downstream below Bondsville.
Taking Wednesday off to work the river with my brother. Yes, it may be under 6+ inches of snow but it's the only opportunity available. Any hints for fishing in winter? Never have found a really good way to keep my hands warm. Miller's mitts leave my finger tips frost bitten.
What areas do you work in the winter?
Ken- Thanks for all your efforts in building this community!!
To Dick, Rookie and Falsecast,
Thanks for the nice words concerning this blog. For every note that I get that I'm giving away too much info I get many more from good folks like you. THANK YOU!!!
To "Ham-On-Fly,
You get the award for the best fly fishing internet name for 2010!!!! I wish that I had thought of it!!
Cold fingers and toes are the price that we pay for winter fishing. A hand warmer packet in your pocket may help. I have also switched over to oversized boot waders that allow more room for socks and rid us of frozen wading boots and frozen laces that take too long to dry out during the winter.
My winter fishing is on the Swift and the Farmington. Fish slower and deeper for Swift River trout with the same patterns that I mentioned on this blog. Hotspots, serendipities and pinheads work all year long.
Happy Holidays and a good 2011 to you folks!!
Ken
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