There are so many of them. The past month has seen some impressive catches of Landlocked salmon below the Quabbin. One local fish hawk rose 31 and landed 15 in a two week period. It has also almost depopulated the Y Pool because the salmon have moved into better lies downstream and the fly fishers have followed.
Friday saw a mixed bag of trout and two salmon strikes which threw the hook. The above salmon in the photo belongs to my friend Rick who landed the brute that was about 22 to 24 inches. The fly?? A size 14 orange and grouse soft hackle. Eggs and streamers will also work well.
Again, don't trust the gauge. It's not even half of the +650cfs flow that's advertised. So use up what's left of your 2011 license and hit the Swift.
Ken
29 comments:
I'm disappointed your salmon photo won't enlarge.
It's been a fun couple of weeks above Rt 9. I was told today that salmon had been spotted below the Rt9 bridge and in the bubbler brook as well. I managed a small one on a very pink SJW, and another on a salmon colored sucker spawn (both #14).
Bob
Ken,
What do you think will happen to the LLS in the Swift? Fished out by harvesters? I hope I can make it out to at least get a peak at them before they are all gone.
Cliff
Bob O,
You're right about the LL's being below RT. 9. They are spreading out.
Cliff,
Salmon have been going over the spillway during high water for years. Where they go is anyones guess. We know that there is no year round population of them in the Swift so I guess they they just die.
Ken
Spillway must have stopped flowing. The river is down a foot or more today. The pipe is way exposed. I'm wondering where the salmon will go? Soft hackles ruled the evening.
Bob
Bob O,
What is going on??? The gauge says 22cfs as I write this. That seems too low but a pipe that is "way exposed" after being underwater just a day ago means a drastic drop in flow. This can't be too good for any of the fish!!
Ken
Ken, I was there today...the water is lower than ive ever seen it above route 9, although I dont know if the gauge reading is exactly accurate. I guess they are clearing debris from the dam way downriver so it is temporarily low. Just what I heard today
Maybe they lowered the flow to work on a downstream dam but the water level is low BECAUSE they lowered the flow, not because of dam work. You could blow up the downstream dam and it wouldn't change the C&R levels at all. I say this because the "dam preservationists" would like to state that the low water levels upstream are due to lower levels behind their dam. It is simply not true.
Ken
Fished the Swift today. One of the regulars who fishes the river every day said that they were holding water back to safely remove trees downstream (in the pipe area) that were deemed to pose an erosion problem as determined by someone from DCR. He stated that the huge tree that had fallen just around the corner was removed.
Tom from Orange
LOST! PLEASE CONTACT ME IF FOUND!
Hello all,
On Tuesday 11/29 at or around 1pm, I visited Concord Outfitters in Concord, Ma and had some backing spooled on my reel. TO MY STUPIDITY I placed the reel on the roof of my car.... Well you know the rest.
If you were in the shop Tuesday and may have picked this reel up from the back parking lot PLEASE CONTACT ME!
The reel is described as a Silver Large Arbor Spey sized Reel made by a company from Alaska Called "Irideus" steelhead and spey designs. It has yellow backing, green running line and green/blue mixed Airflow Shooting head, a black sink tip and leader/tippet spooled up.
From what I've been told from the company and what I've experienced having to explain the company, you will not see another reel like this! It may be the only one on the East Coast! This company is big in the Pacific Northwest for Anadromous fish.
If you do happen upon it,
Please e-mail me at:
K5Tony85@aol.com
Hopeing a fellow fly fisherman picked this baby up and will return it.
I will reward a $50 gift card to Concord Outfitters if found.
Thank you!!
Anthony
Ken,
Could you post this on your forum??
Tom,
This seems like a dumb idea. Trees fall in rivers all of the time. That's nature!! Fallen trees create holding areas for trout (which the Swift needs) and fallen trees add nutrients to the stream which adds insect life (which the Swift needs). It is a natural process. Erosion?? Say goodbye to undercut banks!!!! Maybe the kayak folks complained that they couldn't paddle over rising trout with the trees in the way. Maybe the DCR is more concerned with creating a park-like atmosphere instead of a natural stream.
Anthony,
You already posted it on this blog. Don't worry. This blog is read by hundreds of fly fishers every day. It's safe to say that the word is out. I hope that whoever finds it returns it. Good luck!!
Ken
The talk at the Swift was to cut some of the branches...but leave many of the stumps to create some much needed structure.
I inspected many of the downed trees..and there were trout EVERYWHERE around them. Seems to be a no brainer to leave something that nature provided right where it fell.
Tom
Mike and I visited the Swift yesterday. Mike got some nice fish.
We met the guy working on the gauge. Said some upgrade was installed wrong 3weeks ago or so ... should be corrected now.
He expected river to stay low until early next week. It's 2ft below normal. Fish are extra skittish. They boarded the spillway..I was told.
I can see a diff btw downed trees and log jams, which pose a potential risk during a flood condition.
Nice day ..getting chilly out there.
Yeah yesterday was a good day. Got to love being the first car there and the last leave. We'll have to do it again Greg.
Fished the Swift yesterday.I did pretty well until they increased the flow.
Mike
Went yesterday morning and fished 1030am-1230pm I had 2 rainbows throw hooks and a 22" Salmon which I landed. When I first arrived the flow was almost non-existent because the boards were in for tree removal down by Cady lane. Soon after the boards were removed and the flow come up markedly just below the Y pool. I was thrilled to bag that Salmon as it was the first on my new Sage VXP 5wt.
Went yesterday morning and fished 1030am-1230pm I had 2 rainbows throw hooks and a 22" Salmon which I landed. When I first arrived the flow was almost non-existent because the boards were in for tree removal down by Cady lane. Soon after the boards were removed and the flow come up markedly just below the Y pool. I was thrilled to bag that Salmon as it was the first on my new Sage VXP 5wt.
scoot-
Glad to see that you got a Swift River Salmon on your new rod. I'm interested to hear how much the current went up while you were there. It must of been like the Deerfield on a typical Deerfield day.
Early Saturday morning I saw some dead 'bows in the bubbler arm. I've never seen that before. Did they kill the flow there to do their work and that resulted in some dead fish?
Ken
When I arrived, I parked at Rte 9. There was no detectible current from where the port-o-potty is. By the time I walked up to just below the power lines it had markedly risen and the audible sound of rushing water became evident. For my first 20 minutes in the water it continued to rise another 6" of so. I estimate it came up about a foot total. One Swift veteran fishing down from me said it was likely about 300 cfs at this point. I did not see ANY dead fish whatsoever. There were plenty of bows "feeding in my footsteps" which was pretty cool. I'll be back one day this week for sure.
I saw some dead Rainbows in the bubbler on Friday afternoon. The water was moving pretty slow at that time.
Mike
It's running over the top of the pipe now. Leaving a nice little eddy around it with lots of soft hackle loving bows hanging about. Dangerous wading, be very cautious, levels are high. Fish seem to be loving it.
Was on the Swift yesterday. I second Bob-O's notion. Wading to a fishable spot was not easy, but the fish were very active. Pipe was totally submerged and some new trees down. The new tree down on the left side of the river just downstream from the pipe and above the tree pool seems to be a new holding spot. Was surprised at how high in the water column I was getting action. Finished upstream at the Y pool. Beautiful spot, terrible fishing. I feel like the fish act like pigeons. You can kick them and they'll come right back, but they are annoying more than anything else. On the plus side there were some late rises.
John
John, I was there today from 930AM-1215PM. The water was high. Started at the Y pool and worked my way down. got 1 strike from a Salmon I was sight fishing to but all the rainbows were more interested in what was being kicked up by my shoes. (perhaps tie midge rigs to our boots). The water column was so deep it was very hard to judge and unless you really weight the leader properly you'll get no love here right now. I'll be back when the water drops back down. It's just too high right now to enjoy.
Bob,
And any others,
What size and color Soft Hackles are we talking? I have some in Olive and Brown size 14-18 just thread or lightly dubbed boddies with died partridge to match or ring neck pheasant soft hackle.
Tying up a selection for the swift and want to get off on the right foot for the new year...call it my resolution, to be more prepared, educated and equipped for fishing!
Tony, Sounds like you're off to a good start. Ken has some pics of his preferred soft hackle (grouse and orange) on the home page here.
My soft hackles are usually #14's.
Generally tied with a thin olive green (antron) type body and natural color(undyed)partridge feather. Sometimes a little tail, sometimes not. I've tied them on scud hooks, others on a nymph style - I don't think the trout discriminate - I'm partial to the scud curve. Olive seems to be the river color, though I've had successes with rust/orange brown or lighter dun (BWO) bodies. Thread matches body. Color may not matter as much as simply getting down into the feeding lane. I think the trout key on the wispy partridge fibers as they undulate with the current.
These days I'm using 6x fluoro with a bit of weight. Most recently I tied on a #20 black zebra midge nymph on 7x below the soft hackle. I found to start most fish took the larger fly, but after repeated drifts the zebra commanded a bit of attention.
Still plenty of good fishing ahead.
I love those still winter days when the temps are above 32F.
Tightlines.
Bob O
Thanks for the Tips Bob!
Call me weird but my favorite Fly Fishing season is October-March, the other 6 months don't do it for me. I don't know, something about temps in the 30s and colder, walking through snow and really working for fish appeals to me. The scenery of the river is beautiful and you know those who accompany you knee deep are just as dedicated.
I'll get to tying those shortly. Actually just got some of Ken's flies off his site they look great and I'll be whip'n those patterns up them soon.
My favorite hook to tye a Soft Hackle on is a straight Nymph Hook, usually a 200r or similar Diiachi. Soft hackles are great looking under water, and anytime I can get away with fishing a Size 14on 6x at the swift, I'm gonna do it.
Hope all is Well Bob and I'll see you on the River soon I hope.
-Tony
Bob O is right about scud hooks on soft hackles. It's a different profile and a good one.
The grouse and orange, in 14 and 16, works everywhere.
Ken
Bob O is right about scud hooks on soft hackles. It's a different profile and a good one.
The grouse and orange, in 14 and 16, works everywhere.
Ken
Thanks again guys! It's what this forum is for! Gentlemen (and ladies) talking trout and how-to's!
Tony,
I did well with agrouse and flash(green underbody) last trip out in size 14 and 16. I also caught fish on a size 16 hot orange (looks more like pink to me) serendipity (tied with a feather wing instead of deer hair.
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