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I seem to do this every year around this time and that is to beat the drum for the Lower Millers. Twenty years ago I had Wendell Depot and The Bears Den practically to myself. Now they are popular destinations and that is a very good thing but many fish nowhere else on this river. The Lower Millers is pretty much the same lonesome place that it was back in the 1980's. This is where I caught my first Millers trout in 1985. It's a great place!!!
Where is it?? I consider the Bridge Street Pool as the start of it because from here downstream there is no real road access until you arrive at Millers Falls. The railroad is the only real access which means that you have about 5 miles of hoofing it to work the entire area. The above photos are of three GOOD pools that are within .6 miles of each other.
Bridge Street Pool - This is a great place and is usually the first place that I show people below Wendell Depot. Classic riffles that lead into DEEP holding water. If I had one place to fish on a May or June morning this would be the place.
Cable Pool - About a 1/4 mile below the Bridge Street Pool is the Cable Pool. The few fly fishers back in the 1980's knew what was meant by the word "Cable". This place was crisscrossed by cables with sliding gates for kayak training. The cables are long gone but the pool/run is still there and it is perfect water.
Morman Hollow Brook - Morman Hollow Brook flows into the Millers about .6 of a mile below the gauge at Bridge St and the pools in this spot are beautiful. The trout are there along with the largest smallies that the Millers has to offer.
Take a break from the crowds and spend a few hours here. It's worth it!!
Ken
21 comments:
This are does not exist. Never heard of it ;)
You know, the couple times I've hiked backwards from the CT river (admittedly none more recent than 10years ago) I did quite well on trout and smallies as well - there is some neat water in that lower section as well. It must be the access challenges that stop folks from exploring down that way!
Will
Where do you recommend parking to access the bridge street area?
Anonymous,
Park as soon as you get over the bridge.
Will,
I agree, the access points will challenge many but there's good water without a very long walk. One could have a ball fishing the entire section for the day.
Ken
I'm an idiot! I never thought of walking the tracks to get down there. I've always used the gauge side and slid down the beaver den to get down below the deep run and just walked the edge to get down to those spots in the past. Yeah, it's a heck of a journey and with that big tree at the end of run now, I don't know it I'd be able to take that route, so thanks for the tip.
I love the bridge pool and have always had good luck there, but it does get a little crowded at times so heading downstream is sometimes a must.
Ken,
Those 2 "winteresque" pictures are those as of late? or older photos. Looks like some nice winter waters.
Tony
Tony,
The photos are early Spring photos of a few years ago. the pool/runs are still there. The sections that I mentioned start to fish best when the leaves begin to come out.
Ken
I hope this is the year I can put your guide to good use. Since purchasing it the Millers has been blown out most of the time.
Bob
Bob O,
Something tells me this WILL be the year, however its going to come early. Now only if the state smartens up and starts stocking the Millers early. The flows are already coming into their own.
If we could get that river stocked 80% browns and 20% bows!
If the state gets on it, come Hendrickson time...
-BT
Hitting the "Like" Button for your post BT!!
And Ken as soon as those leaves start to open from their buds I'll get out there! Maybe in a two or so weeks
One rain storm of about 2 inches will blow out this river for a week or more.
All this talk about the naming of pools is great, but has anybody actually been out fishing lately? Millers? Swift anyone?
Anyway, next week looks to be great for some early outings!
PS the words in the "robot verification" are getting hard to read even for non-robots!
Bert,
For what its worth I landed a couple hogs a few weeks back at an "undisclosed" location (no not the Swift). Hope to get back out again next Thursday as time permits...
-BT
I took a 4 bows and lost another 2 on the Swift yesterday. It was in the 60's.
Agree on the robot codes...
Am hoping they stock early. I went to the Housy to check out a few favorite spots and the water levels and temps are good now. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hendricksons by end of month.
Falescast,
If you cast it (and the h20 temps are right), they will come.I am counting the minutes...
-BT
Bert,
Read the blog. I and many others have been fishing all Winter. The Swift is a major destination with rainbows, LL Salmon and Lakers since November.
We have been fishing!!!
Ken
Browntrout,
"for what it's worth" why don't you name you destinations? Readers of this blog are not going to keep the fish or crowd you out. Just wondering...
Ken
Ken,
Sorry but as the expression goes, "some things are best left unsaid."
:^).
-BT
Caught 5 bows, lost a dozen more around the pipe on Thursday. One of the "regulars" there said that they had dumped a bunch of fish in last week - this seems right since all the fish we got to net were in the 8-12" range (although a couple that were lost were considerably larger). Does anyone know how often do these "unannounced" stockings occur on the Swift? I had also heard that a bunch of rainbows that were dumped in the Quinnie in the fall, though it is not on the fall stocking list.
BT,
Oh well. No harm in asking!!!
Mike,
The pipe stocking seems about right in it's timing. Last year it wasn't stocked till July 1st.
Ken
Ken,
What particular patterns do you tie/fish or have developed for early season Hendricksons? And if charts are correct, would a Quill Gordon be one of the next hatches??
Saw a bunch of bows in the squannacook last Sunday. None to hand though.
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