Which weekend is he talking about, Memorial Day Weekend or this one coming up? Actually you can take your pick. The Millers was blown out on the long weekend and will will be the same this Saturday/Sunday. Expect it to be UP well into next week rain or no rain.
The EB got tame by Memorial Day but now is running very high due to last nights (Wednesday) rain. If the rains hold off that water will drop like a rock. It should be fishable (500-700 cfs range) by later Saturday (if the rains hold off).
We fished the Swift last Saturday in the driving rain and under Memorial Days bluebird skies and we had fun landing and losing trout. The usual places had the usual number of anglers on both days. It alsp appears that the trout have found their way back to the "Bubbler Arm", a place that they seem to have avoided over the last few months!
Hot Spots were the fly of choice on this river.
For those of you who are dying to hit the Millers (me included) but will stay away because of the flow I have included two Bears Den section photos of clients taken two weeks ago when the flow was perfect and the browns were willing.
Go Fishing!!
Ken
25 comments:
Hey Ken any reports of Evening Hatchs?
I see some blogs located in CT have Sulphur hatches occuring already! Any new on your front?
Ok Ken, time to earn your money :)! Just how deep is that Rezendes pool and the run right below it. It feels like those spots drop to the abyss! 10-15 feet? Just a random question I was reminded of when reading your post...
Will
How about the depth of the Gorge Pool?
Al
Hit the Swift from the power lines down to bridge and caught my record on It. Well over 20 plus trout, including a really nice Brookie.
Ken, what do you use to judge when the flows will be fishable for the EB of the Westfield. The USGS gauge in knightville just tells you how much water the dam is letting out and not really the flow of the river above the dam. With the chance of heavy rains and thunderstorms this weekend I'd like to test the waters soon.
Tony,
I've seen everything from hendricksons to march browns to stoneflies to one lonely sulphur over the last two weeks. Bring every imitation for spring and early summer with you.
Will,
Rezendes Pool, just below Gulf Brook, is over my waders all year long.
Years ago (100+) a bridge crossed the Millers there. Maybe the deep spot was caused by some rip-rap built to support the bridge. The run below it (referred to as 1st Run in my Guide) is not as deep but very tough to wade.
Al,
The Gorge Pool is deep. It's over your waders during a 300 cfs flow and maybe over your head in a 600 cfs flow.
Tom,
Usually the dam at Knightville doesn't hold back any water just like the birch hill dam on the Millers in S. Royalston. They hold back water when there is a threat of downstream flooding during BIG rain/runoff events. That gauge is an accurate measure of the upstream river flow right now.
Ken
Very interesting Ken. There is a part of me that thinks a swim on a mid summer night, right off that little sand bar in front of Paul's house would be interesting. Just seems like a DEEEEEP spot!
I've only wadded the end of the 1st run , the middle/upper part feels like to much.
Both are fun spots to fish though. Thanks for the insight!
Will
Ken - Fished the Swift for the first time last Saturday form Rt 9 Bridge up to the Y-Pool and that stream section up to the Dam. Never saw so many fish. We were working a two nymph rig all day - the bottom one was a San Juan Worm, and neary a fish did we catch despite perfect drifts. Later I swithced to a greem flashy woolly bugger and caught two nice ones. But man - those C&R fish are smart - do you really have to be on the perfect fly to have success?
Joe Smith,
Not the perfect fly but the right fly. I've never caught a trout above rt 9 on a S.J. worm and all the flies that I fish in that area are size 20 and smaller. I and my clients do well with those flies. Look at my home page and the early posts for this year for pinheads and hot spots. They work above rt 9.
Ken
Joe Smith, Ill add to Ken's comments. If you tie your own flies, you tube search Davie mcPhail and "McPhail bug". Look for the one with a yellow floss body and orange wire rib. That fly in a 14 has worked awesome for me in that section of the swift. Likewise, very simple caddis larva tied with an olive body and black head ranging from 14-22 have worked well. Dropping one of those off a HUGE (like #6-10) chernobyl ant or hopper also works surprisingly well for me during the summer.
All that said though, on the swift, when in doubt, smaller flies and very long leaders is a good rule of thumb, especially in the slow sections.
Hit the EB of the Wesfield yesterday, the flows were good and the fishing was even better. Didnt see any other fisherman until later in the afternoon. Caught browns, bows and brookies. There is a lot of fish all throughout the river you just need to get to their level.
I braved the millers yesterday..between bridge street pool and millers falls center saw some bows...but only caught smb....my daughter caught her 1st smb
and on another note... people are saying that they want a self-sustaining fishery???...then why do they continue to fish those many pods of fish...( just like the worm-drowners do)...this is not Alaska...where those fish are returning to spawn...if u see a pod...move them ...spread those fish around..please give 'em a chance...
to me, at least...it isn't fair, just like fishing in a bath-tub...
oops...type-o.
(this isn't Alaska, those fish are NOT there because they swam upstream nto spawn..)
I have been consistently catching fish on a 16 Hendrickson above 9. I agree that usually you have to be in the mid 20's and various midges to get those fish. I went on Saturday and I didn't see any naturals, but still caught fish on it.
Has anyone noticed a trend of sporadic huge surface takes with fish coming straight out of the water? I am not sure what it is, but a guess might be that occasional big light colored fly (Grey Fox/ Big Cahill??).
Soon it will be sulphur time. I always remember an day early in the hatch when you see bugs every where, but the fish don't take. Then the next day it's boil at dusk.
Ken -- Is bliss pool that lovely water just upstream from the state park sign? I fished it between thunderstorms Sunday (7/2) evening and took 15 trout (brookies, browns, bows) all on yellow stimulators. Had the river to myself. Of course the constant thunder explained why!
I think the approach is way more important than the fly. I've had a lot of success above rte. 9 fishing a 16-18 Elk hair with a soft hackle dropper, using 6x fluorocarbon. The 8x and size 26 flies aren't always necessary if you're a little more stealthy than the average guy who fishes to them from 8 feet away at a 90 degree angle from the fish.
Very true NHFlyfish!
Falsecast sometimes when they clear the water like that, they are trying to get a rapidly escaping emerger vs an actual dry. I would not be surprised if they were going for a fly in the air either - Ive seen small mouth bass do that all the time - jumping to catch damsel or dragon flies in the air. I've not heard of trout doing this, but dont see why they would not.
I've seen trout on the Millers making leaps like that at this time of the year; I think they are after a damsel/dragon fly. Probably won't see it on the Millers again this year due to river conditions.
Heard a tale from a well known female guide and later from a local regular down by the "pipe" area of the Swift today that they had heard that 2 guys were caught with 25 fish yesterday. The outcome, if any, wasn't known. Less than 4 weeks away from the July 1st , beginning of the C&R - artificials only, stocking for below Rt 9. Hopefully they stock it better and more importantly, regulate it better this year.
Al
Yellowstone Bound,
That's the place and it's a great place. And I was in your number range two years one June evening ago with the same fly. It looks like a stonefly and that river has them.
Falsecast,
They were hitting hendrickson nymphs/drys above and below Rt 9 because we've had very good hendrickson hatches on the Swift. Trout will continue to hit them even after most of the naturals are gone but not too long after.
That mayfly that you mentioned: I've asked and looked around and I believe it may be what Tom Ames Jr. calls a Cream Cahill. It's not a major hatch in New England but shows up on the Swift from late May through late September.
Will,
There are very few MAYFLY nymphs that rapidly emerge. Caddis emerge quickly and will cause a trout to make that splashy rise before the fly gets airbourne.
A larger fly will catch trout but when the predominant fly is in the 20 and smaller range you will catch or at least have more takes with the appropriate sized fly. I think it's called "Matching the Hatch" or something like that!!!!
Ken
Hit the bearsden this evening for a short while. Water was still abit high but manageable if you know where some of the more shallow slots are. I simply couldnt wait any longer. Took one decent brown and lost another in the riffles above Rezendes on a 16 grouse and flash. Was quiet all evening long through 830pm when I left. No rises (that I saw). Get there in the next 2 days before Friday/Saturdays monsoon! Flows should be beautiful by tomorrow late afternoon
-Dave
Very cool Ken. I had assumed there were both that tried the fast exit strategy... Thanks!
Will
Had great dry fly action on the EB of the Westfield last night. Decided to hit it before the rains showed up. A few other fisherman were about but still plenty of room. My March Brown comparadun brought over a dozen fish to the net, as evening approached the dark blue sedge caddisflies started coming out in full force; a soft hackle or dry pulled under the surface was the key, landing another five fish; dead drifted caddis dries were ignored as is usually the case during a caddis emergence. The upcoming rains should keep the river in good shape
Tom,
I was there too about a half mile below the Bliss Pool. Did well on the surface early with a stonefly and then later with an outsized hair wing Adams which they were very interested in. Then went to catch the Bruins!
Ken
Another good method for fishing dries above rte. 9 is to cover the dry in hi-flote (I prefer the Orvis powder myself) and fish a dry with an emerger dropper. When you mend your line, it bobs the flies under then up to the surface again. If done delicately enough not to create a lot of water movement, it can simulate an emerger pretty well and stimulate rises.
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