Tuesday evening and I'm heading for the EB for a few hours by myself. Between guiding and filling fly orders I find myself without the usual casting time. This would be the quick fix!!
The guy who likes to throw sticks into the Swimming Hole Pool for his black lab was there so I headed down to the Bliss Pool where I found two women and three dogs. Ok, down to Slant Rock. I was in the water at 5:30 and I had the place to myself UNTIL two fly fishers showed up at the head of the run and began to walk through the BEST holding areas. Now, these guys were fishing by the book and by that I mean they were nymphing which is ok BUT this run screams DRY FLIES!! I took two on a Harrop deer hair dun before I gave up and headed back to the Bliss Pool.
The dogs and the ladies were gone and I had this beautiful pool all to myself. I've had stoneflies-on-the-brain since Memorial Day so tonight I would work the cure with a size 10 dry stonefly.
I took thirteen out of that pool, all rainbows except that 16 inch brown that had the color of butter in a frying pan. The stonefly was beaten to death. I had a ball!!
The Millers - there are fish all over the river BUT they have wised up since early May. It's becoming an early morning/evening game right now and that will last through the Summer. FISH THE EVENINGS and catch some rainbows before they disappear. The Browns?? I bet they are rising as I write this!!
12 comments:
Ken,
Were there many stoneflys around or were you using your fly as an attractor?
Yes, indeed, the browns were rising on the Millers Tuesday evening. They shut down right at 10:02 by my watch, when the moon sank behind the clouds and trees.
Where do you suggest trying on the Miller's for night fishing?
I caught at least 10 big ones in the main stem of the Westfield. I don't fish there much, but was impressed by the size of the pools and fish. I left about 8:30 during a lot of caddis activity and the fish were just starting to rise. I took all but one below surface.
Anonymous,
There were no stoneflies around and mayflies and caddis were scarce too but the trout expect stones and they are looking for them. One of the two that I caught on the Harrop dun (a great fly) was rising, the other came to the surface because it was right where he wanted it to be.
I fished all likely spots with that dry stone. It worked.
Falsecast,
Try the Kempfield or the Orcutt sections. Easy wading at dark. If you're brave try the bears den!!
Ken
Ken,
C'mon, really? 13 fish on dries in one pool??? If its the same pool (across from where the Bliss State Forest sign is), its amazing to think that many fish could be in that one run, especially in low water conditions.
More importantly, do you actually believe stocked trout that were imlanted in the river 3 weeks ago actually know what to expect for specific hatches? You've got me shaking my head on this one...
-BT
BT,
Yup, 13 caught from the top to the middle of that pool and I could of caught more if I had stayed longer.
Do I think that these trout were looking for stoneflies? Of course they were!! It's safe to say that they have been seeing them in numbers (along with damsels and iso's) for the last few weeks. It's a big, hapless meal when they hit the water and usually not refused. I was also fishing in the evening which is the prime time on that river at this time of year.
Ken
That sounds like alot of fun! Still enjoy and read your posts. Good job!
Cliff
Does any one know how the Swift river is fishing these days? I have not been able to get out as much as I like too.
Mike
A fishing buddy was going to have a guide take him and his daughter out on the Swift (her first time) yesterday. They ended up fishing the Chesterfield Gorge instead - with success. Daughter got a nice 16" brown. Swift remains awfully high and fast - about 250 cfs, I personnaly would rather see it at about half that before I'd try to fish it. It is coming down very slowly - maybe by the end of the month (when C&R goes into effect below Route 9 to Cady Lane) we will see it back down to fishable levels. As far as I am concerned that is good news as it will help keep the fish away from the "hook and cook" crowd if such a thing is possible.
Mike,
The Swift has certainly been a disappointment so far. You're right about the grab and grill gang. They will hang it up (hopefully) by the Fourth of July.
Ken
Thanks for the advice.
Looks like I will try the Gorge soon.
Mike
I was at the bubbler and Y pool Saturday AM and found some success.
Took a nice bow and a salmon from the bubbler stretch. From the head of the Y at the spillway came a first for me (a chunky smallmouth 15")on a smelt type streamer, and another chunkbow, and a couple of smaller brookies. They came in on a variety of subsurface types: sjw pink, redhead black nymph #14, and streamers. Another I spoke with had taken a half dozen from the Y pool down the bridge. Not stellar, but adequate. Looking forward to the 4th of July infusion (if there will be one).
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