First, let me get this off my chest. I don't like having to hear a full throated F-bomb because you lost a fish. That happens. Grow up and get over it!!Have some class. Second, don't feel that you have a constitutional right to crowd others out. The Swift is heavily fished BUT not that heavily fished this morning. (the Pipe, four flyfishers). Have some manners and try not to talk so much either.
Outside of the above "events" it was a good morning with some bows landed. The best part was seeing (first seen on Labor Day Weekend) the giant pine that fell and crossed the river a few hundred yards below the Tree Pool. This will keep those dim witted kayakers from moving upstream to the Pipe section. Let's hear it for Mother Nature!!!!
Ken
34 comments:
It's supposed to be about relaxing not getting worked up. Besides hooking the fish is the best part knowing you fooled it landing it is almost anticlimactic. Cheers.
Adrian
I agree Adrian. I've been fishing some crudely tied hoppers and having great fun watching fish lift to examine, refusals, the occasional nibble, and the most occasional and surprising solid connection. The visual is almost as much fun as the tug.
Glad to learn of the yak barrier, although I've only occasionally encountered them - the last group were coming downstream from putting in at Rt 9.
Tight lines.
I have to admit as a newbie that I have been so frustrated that on one occasion I have committed the same faux pas (swearing) with others within hearing distance and have come to realize that it was inconsiderate even though no one said anything.
No excuses.........
Fly-fishing is about relaxation, being outdoors, enjoying the company of friends and family, etc. and I need to remind myself as I make my way back to the water in the fall.
One could always wear earplugs
And those earplugs will ensure quite times on the swift
Didn't mention this in my comment last week, but when I came back for my early afternoon session the Saturday before last, I entered the river about 3/4's of the way to the top of the tree pool downstream from the pipe. It wasn't until I hooked and netted my first fish that I saw two fly fishers around the bend below the tree pool. I felt bad, but I honestly didn't see them and I doubt that I disturbed enough sediment to disrupt their fishing, the spacing was not an issue. Not long after, two old-timers came down the trail and one came in above the two and the other came in below the two. In pretty close proximity too boot! I was shocked to say the least. Not only is this poor form for anyone, but to see two guys who have obviously been fishing small streams for a while do it, really made me scratch my head.
Not surprisingly, the two original fishers exited the water in short order, which gave me the opportunity to apologize for coming in above them earlier.
There's enough fishable, productive water for everyone above and below Rt. 9. There's no need to crowd.
Amen to that. I would include the ranting the goof ball in the power boat heading upstream from the bridge at the end of river road. Budwiser at 9:30am and killed the fishing...
I have on occasion (snags and trees ) been guilty of a verbal rant with the requisite self reprimand afterwards.
It is bad form in any setting.
As an aside I managed a couple 14" or so 'bows on the lower river Saturday working a Peter Ross and the like.
Not a soul in sight. Incidentally, the flow above Trout Brook was a trickle compared to below.
Scott
I hooked a nice one and then F&#K! I LOST IT!!! :-)
just kidding
Couldnt agree more Adrian. Have always preferred the first 10 seconds after a hookup where the fishes adrenaline is running rampant...and subsequently mine as well...over the plopping him in my net aspect...strangely always still a moment of frustration when the ol' rod tip goes "boing" though haha.
-Dave
All Good Posts!!! There shows that there is some civility left on the stream. Adrian and Dave make good points that I will take the liberty to expand upon: That dry or emmerger drifts through the feeding lane. There is a rise and a resistance felt as you lift for a gentle hook set. That is the magic point for me. It also happens when you feel that subsurface "tug" on those wonderful subsurface drifts.
There is a newly hatched "commando" element that has invaded this sport. It is VERY different than the contemplative nature that has identified this sport for over a hundred years. I saw a post on a different website that bragged of "whacking and stacking 'bows". Hewitt described this as the "first stage" of fly fishing - CATCH THE MOST. The second stage was to catch the biggest and the third stage was to catch the most difficult.
Will they ever go beyond stage one?? Hmmm...
Ken
Ken,
Water is up a bit which I like and its cold. The bridge had 9-10 cars on one side and 3 on the other by 8am, so I did my usual spots. I did not see a fisherman until after 10am. By then had 4 fish to net and dropped another. Finally tally was 8 to net and 3 dropped. Biggest fish was 18" with broad shoulders and beautiful in appearance. The rest were in the cookie cutter. Plenty of water to yourself if you know where to look : ^ )
This is why I don't support any type of fishing "tournaments" as I feel it counter to why I fish. I am competitive in many other aspects of my life, but for me fishing is the release for that.
I am actually quite happy at time just watching trout take bugs naturally.
Falsecast,
Your words brought back some memories. It was a hot Saturday afternoon in July of 2009. It was a very wet Summer which made for great Summer fishing on the EB. I took a non fishing walk down the access road, passed the yellow gate and continued to the Hemlock Pool. I call it the Hemlock Pool because one elderly regular said that is what "they" called it. (tradition RULES!). Anyway, I sat down on the steep shaded (hemlocks provide the shade) south bank with the pool just below me. There were rising trout on that hot sunny day in what appeared to be a mix of rainbows and browns. I looked around and found some beetles and a cricket or two and began tossing them into that slow flow. There were no slashing strikes, just a slow deliberate take. Even without the hook and leader the trout were in no hurry. After all, it was a hot sunny day. Why work hard!
Ken
Made a trip there the other day with Dave T and it was gorgeous. Met the gent who drove the Hummer, nice guy and a character haha. One of the best days throwing dries upstream above the bridge in the riffs with big parachute Adams. Glad I can fish the Swift because I havent been able to fish the Farmington in a long time due to high flows. Really having a great lately.
Adrian
Adrian,
If the guy with the Hummer was an older gent with a ponytail then you met George. He is a regular AND a character AND a trout hawk AND very interesting to say the least. If that doesn't meet your description then keep an eye out for George. He's worth running into!!
Ken
Yes it was George. Had some good things to say and I was glad to meet him.
Adrian
Ya know this is fishing it ain't church. While all of us would love to find the bliss/nirvana/peace/solace or whatever we seek (or imagine we might find) in this game, (it is sort of a game we play with the fish isn't it?) we recreational catch and releasers (sic) are just as selfish as the f-bombers, meat fishermen and poachers in our own snobbish self righteous kinda way doncha think? Does that make us better humans than them? Basically you told the f-bomber to f-off without using the f. I say we kill everybody then we'll have all the trout to ourselves. Tounge planted firmly in cheek. Your'e all entitled to my opinion and it's worth exactly what I have charged you for it.
Hey Anonymous,
So what exactly is your point? I'm certain Ken's point was simply to keep you damn profanity to yourself. When you are out to dinner with your sweetie or with the kids at a ballgame do you enjoy some knucklehead f-bombing at the table or seat next to you? I know I don't tolerate it. Its rude and ignorant. I have no trouble understanding the crudeness of the English language and on occasion like most use it myself, however there's no need to yell it out to ruin it for others. You drop a fish. Big deal. Get over it.
Did I say I was trying to make a point? Just seems pointless to me!
Oh ya and if someone gives you a pain on the river you can also ignore it/them or if you feel crowded, just move on! I'm not defending boorish behavior but it is public, like it or not. I've run into a plethora of goons on that river too. However if the pool is crowded some sort of fishing rotation should be established like it is usually done fishing for Atlantic salmon. That way all the (insert expletive here) get to fish where they want. Anyway lighten up it's about fun and relaxation and camaraderie etc ain't it?
Anon,
One minute you are telling us to not make a big deal about language etiquette and poor behaviour, the next minute you are suggesting folks need to make an effort to fish the Swift in same gentlemanly manner as they do Atlantic salmon fishing? How might the conversation go, something like this?...
"Hey,excuse me '*$#@!, but is this *$#@! bench seat taken? I've been walking my "=*7:#@ off and my &*+"*'n 7*%#@ is killing me"...
Thats about as 180* a turnaround in opinions on flyfishing as you can get!
Anonymous,
You've said enough. It doesn't matter if what you said was illogical or incoherent but either way you've said enough.
As I have said to those of your kind in the past: Start your own blog. See how that goes instead of using another venue for your soapbox.
Get lost!
Ken
I generally agree, dont freak out, it's just a fish for crying out loud...
That said, I gave some guys on the swift a good chuckle via a string of "holy s*&t!" and "m****r F*****R" after hooking a nice bow this past March, taking a step back to take up line as it charged me, only to find the log that resides at the tail end of the "hemlocks", tripping, and ending up on my back on the bottom of the river. Being under water when the river is surrounded by snow and ice I feel gives you a pass to swear loudly.
I did land the fish though - dang near an 18" bow... and worth the ruined cell phone and destroyed ego for sure!
Plus the chuckling of the guys up in the Y pool was funny - heck, I'd have likely giggled a bit if I was watching me fall in too :)
Will
Will,
You get a pass on that!!!!
Ken
I brought a friend and his daughter down to the pipe and the fishermen already there graciously made space for us and shared their flies
We had a wonderful time as they caught their first fish on the Swift
Only the good memories are worth keeping
Hey Ken,
Back to fishing talk. Wondering if you know what the general practice is of those that stock the Millers in Fall. Typically it is this week and or next, but wondering if they wait for flows to come down. Looks like flows were trying to normalize but rain last night and possibly over the weekend could make that look like a mid to late next week type trip. Looking to hit Upper Trestle in the evening one of these Fall days.
By the way it was me that you chatted with for a bit at the Pipe a week or so ago. Came up on my while i was untangling from an overhead tree that had claimed more than a few lines, then chatted for a bit while I hooked into what looked like a nice bow when it flashed only to lose it a couple seconds later in the current, or as you put it, a long distance release. A cascade of events that might have someone pissed and cursing. Quite the opposite, I've had nice dreams of that hook up a couple times, only in the dream I do get it to the net.
John
Ken, any thoughts on if a casino in Palmer might have an effect on the Swift area? I would hope that it didn't add a whole bunch of traffic and other urban side effects to a nice rural area.
John,
I remember that encounter and I remember that big 'bow that cleared the water and then broke off. That was a real fish!!!
The Millers - it will be stocked unless the river is in flood/drought stage. Personally I don't like this Fall stocking of rainbows and never have since I was the President of that Chapter. It is there to placate the TU masses who only want some easy playtime. There is a much larger picture that is being missed by those of that kind. Do you want a truck load of easy fish OR the possibility of a self sustaining fishery?? TU refuses to address this issue as they all ways have on this river.
WAH< WAH< WAH what a bunch of effin crybabies grow a set of stones and try to develop a sense of humor geez
Hmm crybabies? Dont think id ever accuse anyone posting here as guilty of that but what do I know.
Ken, everytime you mention rainbow stocking on the millers it brings me back to late June 2010...wading down the royalston section...only my second year flyfishing. It was a "rainbow graveyard" up and down the shorelines. A very sad sight to behold. Not a brown to be seen amongst them though. Im with you, seems rather senseless to me despite what ive read here regarding the differences in cost and difficulty to raise browns. But again, what do I know!? Enjoy your weekends folks.
-Dave
OK, looks like I'll be golfing instead. I share your frustrations Ken. But we can't expect the so called Commonwealth to behave in a rational manner. It's the Scorpion and the Frog parable come to life.
Except the true sportsmen are the ones who get stung.
I'm going to become a Nihilist Fly Fisherman that way I won't care one way or another.
By the way Will, feelin your pain, my twins just started school. It doesn't get easier, just different !
Scott
Hahah, what a bunch of chicks we have here.
Crying and pissing and moaning about everything under the sun.
No wonder people look at fly fisherman the way they do,
Post a Comment