The Swift has been bouncing between 45 cfs and 125 cfs for weeks now. I can't talk about what's happening above RT 9 but the fishing below RT 9 has been better with the lower flow. There are a few reasons for this. A higher flow may move the bows around while the lower flow will concentrate them. But there is another reason for this and it's the Summertime fog that wraps up the river on high flows. First, the fog is created by the mix of cold air near the cold water and the humid Summer air above. At 45cfs there is little mixing of the air because the low flow has less cooling effect. Ramp up the flow to 125cfs (a lot more cold water) and you'll have those blankets of fog that can last all day. I see far fewer mayflies when a heavy fog is on the water, period!!! That means fewer rising trout!! All of this is moot when we have a clear, low humidity day. There will very little fog. The "Old Fly" - backcast to my post of 1/12/09. The old Millers Bivisible, a big bushy concoction, DID raise two bows through a heavy morning fog on the Swift. I think the trout could see it!! Ken
21 comments:
I actually forgot about the Millers Bivisible. It worked well in NH a few years back. I'm going to tie a few.
Rod
1. As stated earlier unsigned posts will be deleted.
2. As any casual reader will know this site does not endorse the use of watercraft on the C&R sections of the small and intimate Swift River.
Ken
Ken,
Thanks for that! Any regular reader of your blog would know that you and 99.9% of the rest of us are annoyed by those who insist on floating the Swift above Cady Lane. Guy must be a dimwit to post that!
Lately have been taking the drive up to the White Mts. to fish for wild brookies - it is prime time for that now! Will hit the Swift after the season closes up in NH.
Regards,
Mike
Mike,
Years ago I used to fish the Little River in Twin Mountain NH. It's not a river but not that small to be called a brook. There was a campground on the river and I used to hike a few miles upstream and then fish down. I caught a million native brookies!! It was seldom fished then and I think that it's fished less now. Some day....
Ken
Ken,
From other reports, and also in my experience this season, the wild brookies up in NH seem larger this year. Of course there are plenty of 4-6" fish around, but a surprising number are 8, 9, even 10inch fish. Wonder if it is some benificial side effect from Ingrid (more wood and better habtat in the streams, or thinning out the population for less competition), the mild winter we had in '11-12, a combination of both and/or other factors. But I'm not complaining!
Mike
Hit the Swift early, both Saturday and Sunday. Sorry Ken, I was the one getting ready next to you in the Gauge parking lot Saturday morning, but didn't recognize you w/o the hat, or else I would have introduced myself and thanked you personally for the blog and the recent shipment of flys.
Was skunked Saturday at the Tree Pool, quite a few sniffs on size 24 midges of different colors, but no takers. Had pretty good luck Sunday a little below the pipe though. One of the fish caught that day was a rainbow fry on a pin head; I had never seen such a young rainbow in that river before. Had another fish break me off after what seemed like a run straight into the pipe. I could only shake my head and laugh in astonishment at that one.
~Pete
Ken great blog, I am headed to the swift tomorrow. I was wondering how the Bondsville section is fishing or should I fish the usual sections above and below rt.9.
Sorry I fogot to post my name on the previous post
Phil R.
Phil,
I fished Bondsville a month or so ago and had a good two hours. It's a different river. The native brookies that rise to tiny flies didn't want to play but the bows were there and they came to soft hackles and, yes, a wooley bugger.
Ken
The Millers Bivisble is my go-to dry fly! Small stream brookies love that thing and I've caught rainbows and browns on it too. Also went to Yellowstone a couple years ago with my folks, caught a real nice cutthroat with it - he only wanted the MB, ignored the other 5 patterns I floated right over his head!
dale
I was @ Yellowstone last week. The fishing is the best I've seen in years. Almost any fly was working which I guess doesn't make it that challenging for those who enjoy "matching the hatch". Anyone who ends up making the trip in late July&Aug, I would recommend staying near Lamar Valley so that you are close to the Soda Butte and 1st Meadow of the Slough. Regular fishing tips apply: Be willing to walk more than 1/2 mile from the road if you want to hit a part of the water that will be productive with very large fish (don't forget the bear spray!).
I too was at Yellowstone two weeks ago. Didn't fish Sough or Soda, but took some small cutthroats from Pebble Creek, Yellowstone River, and more sizable rainbows from the Gibbon (near the Madison). I fished caddis, hoppers, and little stuff underneath.
It's an awesome land.
Today I fished the Swift, both the bubbler stretch and then down at the Pipe, just in time for the noon hatch. Took fish everywhere of greater size than those I landed out west (the western trip was family time with a little fishing).
We are very blessed to have such an excellent fishery so close by.
Today I greeted fishers who had come from NH and eastern MA. The Pipe area was vacant at 11:30 when I arrived. Only the mist and the fish were there to meet me (I think I heard eagles screaming up hear the hatchery.)
Keep up the great blog Ken - Tight lines - see you on the water.
Bob O.
Bob O, what did you see hatching? I haven't fished the Swift in a few weeks but I am planning on hitting it tomorrow (along with about half of the fly fisherman in New England probably).
Brendan
We must have just missed each other Bob O. as I left the Gauge parking lot around 11. Arrived early, around 6:30, and as I was getting ready, another fisherman showed up, but he was the only other person that I saw all day. Had great luck at the Pipe, hooking and landing 4 rainbows, all of great color. Bright reds and dark bellies. But, the thrill was finally fooling a rising bow w/ a size 24 tan midge at the Tree pool. What a fight!
Is it at all possible that the rainbows are starting to spawn now? With the colors that I saw today and the behavior of a group of 5 to 6 fish at the Tree pool, it seemed to be the case,but I'm no biologist.
~Pete
Definitely pre-spawn or spawning.... I got around12 Friday and half were ejecting sperm as I took my sz12 Pheasent tail soft hackle outta there jaws!!!! Tis the season!
Mike A.
I always thought rainbow trout spawned in the spring (or late winter) while brown trout, brook trout, and Atlantic (searun and landlocked) salmon spawned in the fall.
The Swift is a very artificial environment, as are the rainbow trout that are there, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised if the usual "rules" don't apply.
Brendan
I don't believe there is any 'natural' reproduction of rainbows in the swift. The stockers' timeclock is upside down. I believe you are correct, rainbows normally are spring spawners. Nonetheless, for the past few years at about this time I've witnessed their circle dance and chases which in nature is prespawn activity.
BTW - the hatch is pellets (size 16 - tan). lasts about 10 minutes. Ha!
PCL - good job. Some of those fish have real shoulders and dig right in (especially in the current).
Bob
Pete,
Good to meet you at the pipe yesterday AM - as you say we had it to ourselves most of the morning, though we did get a little wet. A "typical" good day on the Swift, with hookup to netted ratio of about 4:1. Most came on tiny soft hackles and midge pupa in red, orange, and purple. Got one that must have gone 18-19" and 3 lbs. to the net - had another big fish break me off on a black foam beetle. Strangest catch was a wild brookie that was 10-11", with a perfectly healed triangular bite out of the middle of its back - must have got nabbed by an eagle or osprey at some point. There were loads of fish in the river in the entire section from 50 yds below the tree pool to up above the gauge.
Mike
Hit the Swift yesterday afternoon and evening. There were about 8 cars in the parking lot at the pipe, so I headed above the bridge. Quickly missed two fish on nymphs in the faster water below the cable pool before 2 people came in above me and 2 more below me. I headed to the Y pool for more room. (I might never say that again!) Plenty of fish of course, but I struggled for the afternoon trying to tempt fish suspended about a foot below the surface, feeding lazily if at all. Others caught plenty of fish on nymphs in the faster water in the upper part of the pool.
Waited and waited for an evening rise, which finally started at around 7:30 in the upper part of the Y pool. A feeble sulfur hatch (just barely still happening) followed by a better spinner fall.
Brendan
Likewise, Mike. Hope you had a great rest of your day.
I headed back yesterday (Monday) afternoon to get a couple hours in and to look for the pair of sunglasses that I lost on Sunday. Got skunked on both endeavors, but I must admit that I was more focused on the latter as I missed three takes on my size 24 midge offering. Anyway, the flow's back down to about 51 CFS. Just as I was getting used to the 122 flow.
If anyone found/finds a pair of Native Bombers, in wood coloring, please let me know. Though, I'm afraid that they're long gone...
Ken,
What do you think about the Millers with the recent rain? Flow seems up a bit, is it worth a trip?
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