This blog has centered on three rivers in Massachusetts over the past three years and those rivers have been the Millers, the East Branch of the Westfield and the Swift River. If I was to rate the rivers for 2009 they would have been 1. The EB, 2. the Millers and 3. the Swift. What about 2010??
Number 3 - The EB. If I were to ask the gods above for one more season on one river for 2010 it is certain that the EB would be my choice. 2009 was perfection - great flows and rising trout from May through November. I couldn't ask for more. That didn't happen in 2010. The hot weather and the drought wiped this place out. My last trout was taken in July, a far cry from the heavenly, October day in 2009 where the bows sucked in BWO's and my dry fly offerings. It was a sad summer on this river. A normal year, weather wise, would be much appreciated. So would more browns!!
Number 2 - The Millers. 2009 was a cursed with high water. In 2010 fishing for those browns was great until the end of June when the worst drought conditions that I've seen in over 20 years took hold. Did those conditions kill off the river's browns?? The answer is NO. I caught them, as did others, in the early Fall. This river will come back!!
Number 1 - The Swift. A great part of 2009 saw this river turned into a flooded, kayakers dream. This past year saw it running between 45 and 115cfs - perfect flows. What gives this river the top prize for 2010 is the fact that I "discovered" the lower river in Bondsville - no crowds at all and plenty of trout. I really and truly love that lower river. The above photo shows one of my favorite runs on the lower Swift. Solitude and rising trout. Who could ask for more!!
Say a prayer, fly fishers, that 2011 will bring a "normal weather" year.
I'll be on the Swift and probably the Farmington this Winter. I'm also looking forward to a week long fly fishing adventure next June. Tenting, campfires and fly fishing until I drop!! You know the drill. Any suggestions??
Ken
12 comments:
Ken,
Had poor results after more than an hour on a native brookie stream. After switching to your serendipity pattern (which was tied on a bait hook approx size 12)took half dozen in half hour. Needless to say, I picked up some 18-20 scud hooks and can't wait to try them out. I look forward to reading your blog in 2011, you do a great job! Thanks-
CLiff
Cliff
Ken,
Already got my prayers in for a "normal" 2011 rainfall. I spend the last 2 weeks of June and the last week of September and the first week of October guiding on the Androscoggin River in northern NH. Great hatches and lots of big brooktrout and even some landlock salmon. Molidgewock Campground is right on a great spot on the river, so I recommend it highly. For more amenities, try Coleman State Park or the state campground at Lake Francis. You can't go wrong at any of them.
Happy holidays!
Gerry
Gerry,
Thanks for the info on northern NH. I used to fish that area years ago. Maybe it's time for a return trip!!
Cliff,
Glad that the serendipities worked well and thanks for the nice words about the blog.
Ken
I don't know about sweetwater in June but if you're in the neighborhood the week of June 6th or June 20th you need to do a pre-dawn trip or three with me on the MMack. I'd post some pics of May/June fish to entice you but that wouldn't be fair. ;)
Hi Ken, this question is a little off subject, but I was hoping that you could shed some light nonetheless. Why is it that tail waters such as the Swift and Deerfield fish well year round, while other rivers such as the Millers and Westfield do not? Does it have to do with water temp?
Thanks, Jake
Jake,
You're right about temperature. The Westfield and the Millers can freeze over in the Winter. Tailwaters pretty much stay the same temperature year round.
Jim C,
I'll take you up on that!! I've moved up to a 9wt too.
Ken
Ken,
I am trying to tie up some swift river scuds using scud back material. However, my thread keeps cutting it when i try to tie it in. Even when I tried to wrap looser it still cut. Am I doing something wrong, or is scud back just junk? Also, you use turkey flats as the little white wings on your serendipities? Thanks Ken!
Cliff
Cliff,
I tie down the shellback with a rib of fine gold wire. It never cuts the shellback. My shellback material is nothing more then thin strips of clear plastic that I cut from zip lock bags. It works fine.
Good luck!!
Ken
Ken:
It was certainly the driest year I've seen in my 8 to 10 years of fishing. I'm a big fan of lake Francis State park in Pittsburg, NH. Go for the Pittsburg grand slam...brookie, rainbow, brown and landlocked.
Enjoy the holidays,
Andrew
Andrew,
Thanks for the info on Lake Francis. So far everyone has suggested northern NH and that's under consideration. I'm leaning towards the Farmington - the best fly fishing river in New England according to my humble opinion. Maybe the Catskill region or maybe the Limestone section of PA. It's still up in the air. I'll consider all suggestions!!
Ken,
If your really up for camping and fishing why not head to ME and camp out along the West Branch Penobscot or the Kennebec? The other option is Rangely. I've taken some good fish out of the upper in summer including a wild brook trout that was 22" and over 4lbs.
Just a thought.
BT
BT,
You're on the list!!
Ken
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