I first fished this spot in 1985. I caught trout. I didn't go back until the mid 1990's. I still caught trout. The last time there was in 2007 when I guided the outdoor editor for the Worcester Telegram and she caught trout.
Where is this place and how come I so seldom fish it?
I'll call it the rest area and It's 2 miles west of Bridge St. in Farley. Be careful when making the left hand exit into the rest area!!!!!
I seldom fish it because 1) it's too out of the way for me and 2) the rest area is closed from 8pm to 8:00 am. I like evening fly fishing so I end up going elsewhere.
Park in the lot, suit up and head into the pines and downhill to the river. You will find a long flat beautiful pool close to 200 yards long that can be waded.
Whitewater enthusiasts named this place "The Funnel" years ago because the head of this pool is the end of a very dangerous chute which has claimed at least one life. Ask a whitewater person about "The Funnel" and they will tell you of this place.
I like The Funnel. I will fish it this Spring!
Ken
18 comments:
Mr Ken could you tell me if stonefly nymphs would be a good late March/April choice on Millers and/or Westfield(east) ? Also does the.Swift have any major early spring hatches? Thanks!
Stonefly nymphs are good on the Millers in April and even better in May and early June. The same timetable works for the EB of the Westfield.
Actual midges and BWO's will pop up on good days. Hendricksons and Pale Evening Duns are there in May.
Ken
Anyone been out fishing this past week? Some great weather upon us!!
Tree buds are forming!
I briefly hit the bearsden yesterday. My wife had one get off a wooly bugger and I had a hit on my strike indicator. Other than that pretty slow. Great day still though!!
Oddly enough, I was speaking w/ a co-worker, who's an avid kayak-er & fly fisher, the other day and he mentioned this spot for both activities.
While the rest area parking rules aren't ideal, it's still great to be learning of these spots below Bridge st. Thanks Ken.
Hit the Ware again yesterday for a couple of hours, three nice rainbows between an unweighted prince and an olive bead head caddis soft hackle. Lots of big hatches again, like I've never seen on that river in the 5-years that I've fished it.
PCL,
I drive out to Swift from the Boston area and cross over a bridge with a sign that says Ware River after I get off the Pike at exit 8, somewhere near WalMart.
Is this anywhere near where you fish? Can you perhaps give us some directions to the spots you frequent on Ware River?
Thanks very much,
HJ
I've been killing them at the Quinnie 2 days in a row. Lots of bugs and most fish on on dries though there was a big bugger hatch I benefited from. Browns, Bows and Brookies.
Complaint: too many people!! That river needs artificial lures only and slot limits bad. That said, I think they stocked a lot of Brookies for the first time in a long time. I wonder if this potentially helps or hurts the natuals. I spent the offseason bushwacking to up to the headwaters hoping for lots of wild trout, didn't find any? Downstream, I suddenly caught 5 in one hold. I looked at night and they stocked. Immediately every hole and lot filled. It's a real turn off and kills that river.
HJ,
Anything above Ware (Hardwick, Gilbertville, Barre) will be decent trout water until July, then it gets too warm. If you travel Rt. 32 through any of the above mentioned towns, there will be bridges and roadside access points throughout. Two spots that don't dissappoint off of 32, are the Church St. bridge and section in Ware and the Creamery road bridge and section in Gilbertivlle.
Hope that helps.
~Pete
PCL, thanks for the information. With your directions and satellite maps, I can see exactly where you have pointed me to. I will be checking it out soon.
It also appears that Ware is slightly wider than the Swift. Is that right?
HJ,
Yeah, it's a wider, deeper river then the Swift. Not nearly as big as the Millers, but definitely bigger then the Swift.
If you do decide to give it a try send me an email (peterclewis77@yahoo). I live right down the road from the Creamery st. bridge and would be more than happy to show you some spots.
~Pete
Good info on the above rivers. Keep it going!!
Ken
Ken Looking forward to seeing you on the river again this season.You have done alot for the river and my son and I thank you for all you have done.Joe and Pat Gauthier.
I was on the Quni yesterday. Only small brookies, but a great day.
Hit the Millers in downtown Erving yesterday afternoon and picked up a couple nice clonebows. Couldnt believe it no one was out fishing, even drove by the bridge pool on my way home and it was void of cars. Black stoneflies were all about
I hit the Kempfield section and some water just above the C&R yesterday at midday. I didn't have a temp gage but I would guess it to be in the mid to upper 50s. Lots of stoneflys ovipositing but no signs of any interest in them. I saw 4 others scattered about but were all gone when I left at 2:30. I saw a guide & client raft by, I think it may have been one of the Harrisons, who said they had caught a couple but was slow. It was a shutout by me.
Al
Sz12 Stonefly Dry took 10 on the Swift CnR, none under 14 inches, largest was 20+ !!!! Seriously I never had a day like that on the Swift, the Farmington with 20+ inch fish all day but these brutes wore me out! I never even made it to the Y pool !
Ken,
MassWildlife said they stocked the EB of the Westfield in chesterfield already, do you happen to know if its the chesterfield gorge section? From what I recall and according to my records they dont stock the gorge until later in May. Have you had good luck fishing the EB outside of the gorge?
Tom,
The EB is stocked many times in different locations during the Spring. The C&R section of the EB (Chesterfield Gorge) is stocked around the 3rd week of May. I haven't fished above the Gorge because I really don't like that kind of water. Below the dam is said to be good but it gets a real mixed bag of anglers (read hook/power bait/crawlers)so I don't go there although I know some fly fishers who do well. There's a few weekends of high water releases for kayak racing too during the Spring in that spot.
I wait until late May and if the water levels stay good I'll be there all Summer.
Ken
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