This was a strange day. It was supposed to be a day of family meeting family to address some issues. All of that is now on tomorrows plate.
I was stretched out, nowhere to go, the plans are all changed and I needed some time thing and relax - regroup!!! I now have the time so why not the Swift!!
I got there around 2pm and found only one angler who left within a half hour. I landed 8 and missed a few more while fishing dries. It's the last day of March but the dry fly action lives up to the Swift reputation.
Fly Fishing is not a game of how many fish that you catch. Last week I caught 1 trout in the same spot that I fished today. It was fun!! Today, with a few adjustments, was much better. I figured it out and that's the FUN in this wonderful pastime that we enjoy. There will be days in the months ahead where I will feel like a trout-god and other outings where I will be left scratching my head. That is this wonderful sport. I love it.
Flies today - Fished around the Y Pool area. Everything was caught/missed on a #22 dark caddis dry (clipped hackle)emerger. I went to a #18 in the same pattern - nothing doing!!!
Tomorrow we get get back to the things that have to be done.
Today was good!
Ken
I caught trout in tiny side flows. I could see them rise and take the fly!!!
23 comments:
Millers River update....Been catching plenty of fish just below the So. Main St dam and at the treatment plant...no luck at the Holtshire/Orcutt area or Wendell Depot...just re-discovered the Millers in Athol...caught 19 fish this evening...big browns..big 'bows..and big brookies....the 1st 4-5 on an olive bugger...and the rest on..ready for this? both light and dark usuals. fish were rising and they loved the usual.
Also went to Royalston..a few people fishing near Birch Hill..I tried down past Pete and Henry's,,,skunked..I heard they dumped all of the fish at the bridge...oohh well, back to Athol to try my luck in the morning.
Tom from Orange
Cold yesterday morning on the Ware, but still was able to coax three decent bows to the net. All on the swing, after a long drift and all on an olive tung bead z-wing caddis size 18.
Tom,
Good here about some Athol catches, especially about those browns.
PLC,
Let's hear it for the smaller flies!!
I'm sure that most will agree, size 18's seem huge coming out of winter, when we're all fumbling around w/ cold fingers and trying to manage 22's and smaller ;-D
Ok..time for another Millers River update...fish are rising..had a day to remember on Sat. morning...landed 41 trout in 2 hours..browns, brookies, and rainbows...mostly on olive w.b.....went back for just shy of an hour in the evening..landed another 12...all on dry flies..usuals and caddis...spent an hour last evening and landed BIG browns on stone fly and usuals and some type of wooly worm...There was a caddis hatch and the fish were slurping them off the surface all over the river.
Also some type of spinner was seen flying around.
The flows are perfect now so get out and fish before the River Rat Race release of water from Birch Hill Dam.
Tom from Orange
Sounds like the Millers is fishing very well right now from Tom's report. I also waw several flyfishers in the stretch below the Exchange street bridge in Athol the past few days with the lower flows. I don't often see anyone in that stretch, but its great looking water right now..
Tom,
Were these recently stocked fish or holdovers you were catching?
Scott
Great news about the Miller's. I have been focused on the Squannakook the past few days and have had a 10 fish days, not exactly 41, but some really good fish.
Stocking observations:
1. More and bigger Brookies everywhere. Is this good for the streams that have wild brookies or not? I do like seeing them there and feel it's slightly more "normal" catching them.
2. I've caught 2, 17 inch Browns. Do they stock them that big or can I assume holdovers?
3. More bugs than fish, but the hatches have been good, maybe more than previous years. Also, the stocked fish seem to be on them more. I attribute this to unusually low water, thus dry fly conditions, while still quite cold water temps contrasting with unusually warm air temps. Does anyone else agree or experienced similar conditions?
I would love a large water event that raises these rivers to average levels. I think it will stretch out the fish and they'll return to holds in a more "natural" way. I worry we won't get the rain and these fish will not see the end of April.
Glad the hear the Swift is mellowing. I finally got sick of all the people and haven't been there in a month. I'll have to get out to the Miller's one of these days. I am waiting on Hendrickson's and the Housy.
Hi all, any activity in the bears den? I think I remember a report from last week that there was nothing doing. I am assuming that Tom from Orange was talking about below Wendall Depot. Thanks
I have been fishing (and catching) around the Exchange St. bridge in Athol. I have caught some holdovers, but most were recent stockers I believe. I landed a brown a couple of days ago that had to be 21 inches and weight 4 lbs..but I have also caught others in the 17-18 inch range. The Central District definitely raised and stocked some lunkers.
For me personally, Wendell Depot has been unproductive..Holtshire/Orcutt has been very slow...been catching fish at the treatment plant as well as just below the dam on So. Main St.
Not sure what caused it, but fishing in Athol on Monday with my cousin and we noticed the river all of a sudden dropped about 9 inches..could tell from the rocks on the sides...then it came back up shortly after...once it rose, the fish became active again.
Starretts perhaps?
Tom from Orange
"Tom from Orange"...That's not "TK" by chance, is it?
41 fish in 2 hours! Sorry, but that is not fishing, it is shooting (tank) fish in a barrel.
-BT
To All,
It's great to see these posts about the Millers. It seems that just a few years ago I had to beat the bushes for responses. Now they flow in!! I think we are serving a purpose. THANK YOU!!
The browns - The dfw only stocked browns since 2002 in the C&R sections of the Millers. It appears that these fish are moving around because the Exchange Street bridge area was not a stocking area for browns.
Very good news!!
Ken
To All,
It's great to see these posts about the Millers. It seems that just a few years ago I had to beat the bushes for responses. Now they flow in!! I think we are serving a purpose. THANK YOU!!
The browns - The dfw only stocked browns since 2002 in the C&R sections of the Millers. It appears that these fish are moving around because the Exchange Street bridge area was not a stocking area for browns.
Very good news!!
Ken
Browntrout...I agree that the days of catching as many fish as I did on Sunday are few and far between, but I just presented the fly and waited for their response. As time passes, they are becoming more educated to the food in the river and are more selective. That's the nature of the stocked fish.
Ken.....we have been catching some monster browns..they have been hammering stoneflies..the Central District raised and stocked some great fish.
There are rising fish everywhere and huge caddis hatches.
Get out and fish the Millers now before they release water for the River Rat Race. Lots of rising fish at the So. Main St. dam too.
Tom from Orange
Tom,
I cannot even imagine being able to keep track and remembering each number as you caught them. Did you have a small blackoard and chalk handy?!! : ^ )
Several years ago, and friend and I happened upon an amazing striper blitz. The tides were right and darkness was falling. We took fish steadily from 5pm until 1pm. We both lost count on the number of fish we took by the time we were into the upper teens which was within the first two hours. That said I must say I find your fish counting abilities both amazing and perplexing...
For your information (and amusement) I began keeping count after having caught 19 the night before.And before you question my ability to count to 19, I was actually sending my wife texts because I was having such a blast. So, short of having a calculator, and the fact that I was alone and not chatting it up with a friend, it was fairly easy to keep track of how many fish I landed. Now, if you were to ask me how many I missed..or "quick released"..I couldn't give you an accurate answer. Like I said in an earlier post..it was one of those rare occasions not to be duplicated anytime soon.
I will be fishing the Millers as often as possible and trying to fit in a few local brooks as time allows.
Tom from Orange
Browntrout,
I believe that you questioned my count of 16 on a dry stonefly on the EB's Bliss Pool a year or so ago.
You may also find "amazing and perplexing" the fact that Tom is actually TELLING EVERYONE where he's fishing, an event that would never happen with you!
Ken
Ive met Tom at the top of the hill at the Swift he is a gentleman and I would not question his post. I always wondered about stories of huge catch days until I had a few myself. I hope I can get up there again before the Stripers arive.
Browntrout,
So you admit to keeping count of stripers until you lost count (upper teens). So you were making an effort to count your catch. Good, that's fishing, but don't dump on others for doing the same thing.
Ken
The Swift has fallen from 140 to 55 cfs. What's up? or why down? It's got to be more than just the spillway shutting off. Anyone been there to see what's happening? Looks like the shutdown started on April 2nd. Like a rock..
Bob O,
I think it may be the end of the spillway for a while. 55cfs comes out of that bubbler very often and the spillway flow had to be at least 60cfs last Saturday.
I had some great fishing on the spillway the last two months.!!
Ken
I guess you're right. Too bad about the spillway flow. I expect there are more than a few stranded fish up there. We need good rain and it may come back again. I got over below Rt 9 for just a bit today - I fish the duckpond and below. Took two nice slabs (rainbows) out of a non descript run. They were interested in a #14 caddis larva. Happy Easter guys.
Bob
I felt similar, i did have that kind of experience.
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