I have been asked many times to provide a "hatch guide" for the Millers River. In short, there is no hatch guide for the Millers. Here's the reason: The Millers is very much like many freestone rivers in central New England. The flies that you find on the Millers are very much the same as the flies that you encounter on other central New England rivers. The hatch times are pretty much the same as on other central New England rivers. Now, our fly boxes are loaded with every creation to "match the hatch" as the saying goes, so why worry! If there are hendricksons hatching we have the right fly. If it's March Browns, Sulphurs, or BWO's we have that too for every stage. In short, worrying about hatches is a fools game. We have enough flies to match what's happening, period!
If you want to have a "guide" to the important insects then buy Tom Ames " Hatch Guide For New England Streams". That is all that you will need.
Here are a few pointers: The Millers is loaded with Hendricksons BUT they are a minor event. I have seen the river loaded with them but with no rising fish. So have the Harrison Brothers who claimed that their paddles drowned hundreds of these flies without seeing a trout rise. The great rod maker Dan Trella says the same thing about the Quaboag River - lots of Hendricksons but no rising fish. Last year's low water brought a great hatch at the Kempfield with RISING BROWNS but it was a rare event.
March Browns - This large fly is a standby from mid May through late June. It's always there and brings the evening fish to the surface. Any March Brown pattern will work if the presentation is correct.
The "Tan Flies" - Sulphurs, Cahills, you name them. They can be all over the river at times from late May through September. ANY tan pattern will work ( I know this from experience)if the size and presentation is right. Sizes 14 through 18 will fill the bill in most occasions.
Caddis - Don't go crazy with the array of surface/sub surface patterns that are out there. Caddis patterns, for the Millers, work best in the top six inches on the water column. My Moby Dick Wet pattern has been doing the trick over caddis water for years as long as the presentation is right. I hardly fish a dry caddis anymore!
In short, don't fret too much over what's hatching. You probably have enough of the right flies to be successful. The again there's always the wooley bugger!!!
12 comments:
Hi Ken,
Great to meet you last month at The Evening Sun. Like the basic hatch descriptions. Have you had any luck on the Millers the past couple of weeks?
Ken,
I second your recommendation of Ames' "Hatch Guide For New England Streams". It is a very credible and helpful volume from which to learn both the lifecycle of the natural and the construction/presentation of the imitation. Actually too much information to ingest in a sitting, but easily taken in segments.
I'm looking forward to wetting a line on the Millers this year.
Bob
Ken
Thanks for the info on fly hatches. I think that we may be taken in by this inexact science. You are right about having a loaded fly box(s).
Ted
I believe your spot on with the whole match the hatch theory on the Millers. Spent countless times doing that only to throw out "something tan" ;-)which brought good results. Only the Deerfield River follows the match the hatch and I believe that even at times that river follows the Millers by throwing out anything white which will get you results.
Hi Ken,
I've been following your blog for a couple of years now and appreciate your insights. Would love to see you on the water some day.
I have been very humbled by the Miller's and will buy your book and love to learn this river.
I have been catching a lot of fish the past few weeks at the Squannakook/Nissitissit and the Quinnepoxet/Stillwater. The Squannakook is fishing quite well now.
I made several trips to the 38 cfs Swift after in Feb/Mar and caught oa few off the rock and under the ice on the overflow part of the Swift. Other than that, didn't see a fish from Hatchery pool all the way to the Y pool.
Falsecast,
The Swift was a mystery this year. The flows were great but the heavy snow and cold made the trout disappear. I thought that my success in early April at the pipe with some obvious holdovers would continue but that wasn't the case. I believe it must be stocked by now. I may hit it between now and Sunday.
Ken
It wasn't the snow that made the trout dissapear on the Swift..It was a group of Russians who absoutely DECIMATED the trout..YES, one member of this garden hackle crew was caught at night above Route 9...Just goes to show there was prob more of them at night up there..Below Rout 9, they basically plucked EVERY FISH all the way down to bondsville....
Im moving to Montana...Screw these meat hunters
False,
Where on the Quinnie have you been fishing? I have been doing well, too...
As of today, Stocking trucks ARE NOT ALLOWED to go down river road around the barriers like they did last year....They can only stock from the rail trail now, and will do so next week or week after when it dries out enough....
Very helpful information on fly hatches. <a href="http://www.troutfishingvids.com>Fishing for trout</a> is a challenge for me and I found your info useful, thanks!
Christopher,
I fish a lot of areas of the Quinnie, see below. Luckily the impoundment is under the 190 bridge so there is that much water in between. Do they stock the Oxbow, I thought that was the secret holdover spot?
2 seconds of rant :) For the record, whichever method someone prefers to catch fish is fine by me, but I am a C&R guy. The Quinnie/Stillwater rivers are so small that bait fishing really is like killing fish in a bucket.
I have always felt the Quinnie is perfect for a MA TMA - or TU support Brook Trout initiative. Only 7 miles, fertile, plenty of wild Brookies (some Browns), flows into a resevoir, dam should be removed opening up Salmon runs.
1. I frequently wade the 2nd River Rd bridge (parking area in field) and wade the whole farm all the way to the rail trail. Remote back there.
2. Trout Brook confluence and downstream. Took a bunch of small, wild, Brookies there before the stocking.
3. Rte 31 bridge near the Biker Pizza place and go upstream.
4. From the Rail Trail lot and do the whole loop at night often. That's the area that gets killed by bait fisherman, but at night it sort of comes alive. I have to admit the only time I fish the Y pool is at night too, can be very productive.
Good luck
Also, once I was walking towards Cady Lane on the Swift and heard a whistle and saw folks running about. It was the Russians from Springfield. I didn't see it, but I heard they net the width of the river. What a mess. I'd love to get rid of the FFO on the Swift and make the whole thing C&R, no bait, but it will never happen. They can't even take down a useless dam that killed to kids without the locals going nuts.
Falsecast,
A agree, the dam should be removed. It does nothing but prevent upstream migration.
Ken
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