It's that time of year again. If you are unfortunate enough to not live close to trout streams then you may not realize that shorter days are here. If you can only fish from 8am to 4am then you will only know that the sun rises later each day and that full sunlight in very early July means that you can fish at 5am and may need sunscreen. Not now. Fly tying light without a flashlight is after 6am and the evenings are much shorter. I live close to trout streams and my weekends are there BUT my evening trips are getting shorter. 8:30 in early July meant sunlight. Now it means darkness. The dreaded dark season will be here soon.
The Swift has been a charm and I'm talking about below route 9. The whole place is full of trout. Since the flow increased from 50 to 125 cfs the trout have moved around and are not stuck in the same places that we saw them when the flows were lower. Last Sunday morning I was the only one at the Pipe at 6:30 and saw only one other flyfisher until 10:30 when I left. I hooked about 14 and managed to land 9 and they were all strong, eager rainbows except for a 3 inch brookie that decided to get into the act. It was good fishing from the Crib Dam to the Pipe. The trout fell to a swift serendipity and (mostly) to a fly that I will mention later.
The Swift is this State's only tailwater trout fishery. We have to realize what this means to us and protect it. There are those who would want to see this as a "multi-use" recreational water resource but we are the dominate recreational user and have been for decades. Let's keep it this way.
Ken
13 comments:
Shouldn't the Deerfield also be included as a tail water trout fishery in Massachusetts?
Ethan
What size serendipty were you using? Thanks!
Bob Wilson
Ethan,
You have a point. Maybe we should consider the Deerfield a tailwater fishery. A cool water release from a dam(s). Sounds like a tailwater.
Ken
The Deerfield's less crowded and has more wild fish than the Swift too, but the Swift is pretty incredible, something about water that clear, it makes fooling the fish seem that much sweeter!
The Swift does have wild fish; at least in regards to brookies. I've always wondered what's in the backed up waters behind the 1st Bondsville dam up to the cottages that are downstream from Cady Lane. It's always cool, perhaps a few degrees warmer during the heat of the summer, and there's definitely a much more fertile river bottom to support insect life. I would bet one would fine some nice browns in there. I also think one would find some salmon living in there, at least what remains of the salmon that came down the spillway in November of 2011.
Al
Rodney Flag of Flags Flies has told me of a friend of his that would canoe downstream from the boat launch and catch trout all summer. I know that the Harrison Brothers have guided down there during the winter and were successful. The Swift is full of native brookies all the way to Bondsville and one "local" told me that Brookie fishing is very good far downstream in the Fall.
Ken
Water is back down to the 50 cfs. Good news for all you dry fliers.
I've been having good fun, high or low, playing with a light caddis as evening falls. Though, I must say, last night, the first evening of the descent, the fish were spooky and, below the wires, were slurping small emergers which made the fist appear they were standing on tippy toes just to sip the surface. Pretty neat. Truly there are fish thoughout the river. Below the C&R and down to the impoundment to the infamous dam are many, many fish. Hoppers are still in season and will be till frost. Happy Fall!
Just tried to fish the Deerfield. I've never seen such a massive kayak and raft hatch in my life. Made the Fife C&R section practically unfishable. They were even putting in at the warning buoys just below the damn. The state needs to do something about this. The river is far too crowded, and the C&R section is a joke if you can't fish it...
Lets hope traffic on the Swift never gets this bad
ahh...yes..the raft hatch!!
fun...isn't it?!! NOT !!
I was told by a raft guide that I have to move out of their way....even tho he could've gone on either side of me and I was on the Deerfield as well...he said.."i have precedence over you because I have paying clients and you are just a "stand-alone fisherman!!! WTF??!!
There's a guy on the Swift who has barked at me, 100 yards away mind you, that he has "paying clients" with him. Like he owns the damn river. A: Is that legal and B: Does anyone know who this classy fella is?
NHFFO,
I have no idea who that could be. Was he drifting or wading??
I guide on the Swift but it is always first come, first served. You find a spot and fish it. You don't lay claim to spots because you're making money.
I'd love to run into that jerk!!!!
Yellowstone Bound,
They took a C&R section of the Deerfield that was used by common flyfishers and have turned it over to commercial interests. That's it. This will not happen again especially on the Swift!!
Ken
NHFFO,
I guide on this river too but I pick an empty spot and then fish it. You can't lay claim to place where you are not currently because you're "guiding". I want to meet this jerk. If anyone knows who he is please email me.
Yellowstone,
Commercial interests have taken over the Deerfield while the average fisher, who pays for the trout that are stocked, get the leftovers.
Ken
Yep, I was pretty put off, I fish the Swift less and less now. I actually prefer the Deerfield, I can always find fishable water with nobody else around, and the rubber hatch is there, but most people are pretty courteous and avoid my fishing area. Besides, fish on that river are so used to boats they aren't boat shy really. The guy was a wading guide and was literally yelling on the section above rte. 9. I spoke to 2 other guys who had experienced his courtesy as well. One said he was from NH, which breaks my heart as a lifelong NH resident.
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