Well, first we go from a flood condition to a heat wave all within one week. If there is anything good about all of this for the central New England fly fisher it is that the rivers are still fairly high and the watersheds are saturated. The trout(browns) will find the cool spots and survive this heat. They did in 2010, the worst summer ever.
There's a new feature on some of the flow sites and that is a temperature gauge. The Swift site has one and so has the site for South Royalston (bears den). Don't freak out when you check the bears den site. That's what the temperature has ALWAYS been on this river during the height of summer. As I said, the trout survive.
The Swift got stocked at the PIPE section last Wednesday. Actually, it got stocked just above the "intake" house (see photo) and a hundred or so trout are still sitting there smacking wb's, leeches and other things that in a week they will have nothing to do with. They did hit my sulphur dry before I left.
I would like to see the hatchery folks drive up to the gauge and stock there but they never seem to even when requested. It will take some time but those new fish will begin to move around and provide some real sport.
The EB is down to 230 cfs as I write but I'll leave it to the swimmers this weekend and hit it next week during the evening. The Millers is heading downward! It's at 670 cfs as I write and should hit 500 (where it hasn't been in a month)by Monday. It's fishable now but your best best is very early morning and at dusk.
Ken
10 comments:
They also stocked above Rt 9 Wednesday morning.
Al
Yep, new stupid fish all up and down the river. I was told the rainbows are a Western strain that have a bit more pizzaz in them. I can confirm they are leapers and many have considerable size and mass. Should provide good fun through the fall.
Bob O
Now that I live in Bozeman,MT I really cannot contribute much to this blog anymore about the local action. I do hope that the heatwave is short and the summer is not too dry. I've always loved fising the EB. I would like to know what the western strain is....I've seen all types of rainbows out here and most are leapers. The ones with the most fun are the "cutbows"...a cross between a cutthroat and a rainbow. BTW, they do not stock the rivers in Montana as there is more than plenty of fish that nature provides. If you are one that will drive 2 hrs to fish for the last hour of daylight...put SW Montana on your bucket list...you will not regret it.
Ken, keep up the blog...I've found it to be a valuable tool for fishing back when I lived in Mass and I hope others find it useful as well.
Kozman,
YOU MOVED TO MONTANA!!!!!! Good for you. Live large and tell us a tale or two about the fly fishing.
Ken
Yep...Montana. The terrain out here takes a beating on fly rods...I've broken 2 already this season from one thing or another. Here's a tale that happened to me 2 weeks ago. I was fishing in Yellowstone for early season cutthroat. I'm at the Soda Butte about 1/4 mile from the car in an open field. Out of the corner of my eye I see a grizzly running straight for me. I had just enough time to get my bear spray unholstered, safety latch undone and move into a clearing in case I had to spray. What I didn't know is that there was a female right on the other side of the river bank behind me on a bluff and that is what the bear was running towards. He crossed the stream about 20 yards away from me...I don't think he knew I was there. If that doesn't put the fear of god in a man, I don't know what would. I had to stop fishing for a while to calm down and call my lawyer to update my will :) I will say this, bear spray is essential out here. Not sure if it actually works, but its definitely enough of a psychological tool to keep you from doing the really bad thing of trying to run away.
Grizzly running at you at 30 MPH is a pretty impressive sight. But, I Hope I don't ever have to see that again in my lifetime!
Kozman,
That's a fish tale!! The closest that I came to danger was running into a skunk on the Millers 3 years ago. A grizzly is too much for me. Catch some trout and don't feed the bears!!!
Ken
Kozman, that kind event will fill your waders from the inside. I freaked when three buffalo came over the Yellowstone toward me one foggy morning at YNP. Bears ... Yikes!
Two+ early AM hours on the Swift today. Flailed the hatchery hole. Nada. Moved up a bit and tagged 6 in 20 minutes (before I had to leave). That's fishing.
Bob O
Fished the swift below the bridge yesterday, did very well. For some reason the fish were hammering stimulators for a good portion of the day. Some were real bruisers.
Mike
"It's Hot!"
Stopped by the Millers late Friday afternoon - found the water temp to 80 degrees at 5pm above the Upper Trestle pool. I tied on a size 8 stimulator and caught a couple of small mouth bass. I guess in another 4 weeks or so the cool late August nights will start cooling the water back down.
Some really crazy flow rates the past few days - about 40% change in flow rates over the course of a few hours each day.
Al
Al...I fished the millers on sunday...water 78...hooked 1 brown at 9:30 am on a black-nosed-dace I tyed myself..water rose 4 inches from 9-12..then back down quickly at 1 pm
I also caught many blue-gill and smallies.....and some BND on my own BND fly
I LOVE IT !!
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