Goodbye 2014 - A Good Year

It was a good year on the three rivers that I love to fish.

The Swift became a brook trout fishery almost overnight. Sure, there were brookies there before but not like this year. Even the fly hatches seemed better than normal. Maybe it was that hallowen snow storm in 2011 that left all the downed trees in in the river. It improved the nutrient load which the river really needed. More food, more bugs, more fish.

The EB - This past summer was cooler and wetter than normal and that was perfect for the EB!. The dry spell starting in mid August didn't hurt the trout population because the daytime temperatures never really spiked and the nights were cool. It was a May through November season that did not disappoint. Let's hope that next year is a repeat performance.

The Millers - If we could have a June, July and August season where the river isn't flooded out, like before 2008, I would be a happy man. I will say that May through mid June worked out nicely and when the flow was manageable we had some very good fishing for rising browns at dusk.

Check March 8, 2015 on your calendar. It's the start of daylight savings time. It's my unofficial First Day Of SPRING and that means the start of evening fishing at least on the Swift It may be 60 degrees or it may be snowing but we will be heading in the right direction.

Happy New Year and thank you for reading my blog!

Ken

Winding The Season Down - Some Thoughts

Fact - More brand new fly rods will have their maiden cast on December 26 and December 27 on the Swift than in all other days of the year combined.

Fact - There are people who fish the Pipe and ONLY the Pipe every time they go to the Swift.

Fact - There are people who fish above Rt 9 and ONLY above Rt 9 every time they go to the Swift.

Fact - The two month parade of spawning brook trout has come to an end or at least to a trickle. It was great while it lasted.

Fact - The rainbows have turned their attention to scuds which they do every winter. They also like a certain egg pattern introduced to me by Matt and now shared with Tony and Evan. I'll talk about that early next year.

Fact - I like photos of swirling trout especially trout that you can't see but know are there.

Have a Merry Christmas and Hopefully you'll be able to make it into your waders before years end.

Ken

Two Good Swift River Flies

Two flies to think about as we wind this year down and get ready for a long winter. I've written about them before but they are good flies that do well during the dark season.

The Hot Spot - Very simple and very effective. That light contrasting mid section is a beacon to trout and this pattern has been getting it done for close to ten years. A Swift River staple.

The Swift Serendipity - I dumped the deer hair and went with white turkey flats clipped short. With red kevlar thread, that has that nice waxy surface, it is a great fly.

Notice something with these two flies: a short section of contrasting color is something that they have in common. Same thing with the subsurface version of the RS2 fly, a very popular pattern!!!

A few short weeks to go before we wrap up this season. It's been a good season!!!

Ken

Ok, It's Winter - So What! It's The Swift.

The snow on the ground is gone. More will come. Yes, it was COLD (24 degrees) at the start BUT it made it's way into the lower 40's by noon which made my layers seem like overkill by 11 am. Two good rainbows down by the PIPE came to the net and another bow and a 17 inch brookie did the same above RT 9. I fished for just less than 3 hours covering very selective trout in skinny water which is what I like to do on the Swift. The first two came to a Swift River Serendipity, the third came to a size 20 pinhead and the next (the brookie) fell to a hot pink SJ Worm (ok sorry about that). I would of stayed longer but I had stuff to do ( I hate stuff to do).

Early December and the fly fishing just doesn't stop. The Swift CONTINUES to produce for those that know how to present a fly to these fish on this river. It may seem difficult but if you know the technique and the patterns you will be successful.

The Swift Serendipity works well in fast water especially during the cold months. Pinheads get it done around mid day on those 40-50 degree days. SJW's - Hmm...a good cold weather fly.

Winter is a good time to learn the Swift. The crowds are smaller, the trout are there and you can work productive water by yourself. If you need some guidance let me know.

Ken

Thanksgiving Weekend - On the Swift

The snow didn't kill things off like I had thought it would. Plenty of active trout with some rising to something that liked the 43 degree air. The brookies were still at it but the rainbows stepped it up a notch as they seemed to be aggressively fighting for prime spawning spots. I introduced someone to the Swift who had never caught a trout before. He was a quick study who landed 3 with the last bow being an 18 inch brute. We were working water on the bubble run just above the Y Pool on the right side looking downstream. The water wasn't 4 inches deep and we saw that fly disappear in that yawning take. Priceless.

Fish the swift and squeeze the last few hours out of that 2014 license.

Ken

Late Season On The Swift

There are still lots of brook trout in clear view on this river and they are still taking the fly but they seem to be a bit shop worn. Not from being caught but from the spawning infighting that we have seen for the past month or so. I've actually been looking for rainbows like the one that took my egg pattern, shot off ten feet and found sanctuary in a downed tree!

Egg patterns or more exactly a micro egg pattern. I tie mine on size 18 and 20 egg/scud hooks with just a bit of flash on the pattern. Micro eggs are closer to the natural size and seem to work better than the larger sizes at least for me.

Another pattern that has worked this Fall are orange San Juan Worms. 40 fish days?? That's what I've heard. I tied some up but haven't used them yet. Maybe next year.

The first real snow hits Wednesday afternoon with maybe a 6+ inch total here in trout land. It will not keep the faithful off the Swift this weekend and that is a good thing!!

Have a Happy and safe Thanksgiving and we will see you on the Swift!!

Ken

Late Season The EB

It's late in the season and two rain events in October did a good job of spreading the trout out. One event moved the needle to 1300 cfs and the next hit about 3000 cfs. The river came down but the colder water changed everything. Double digit days where gone but careful fishing produced results.

Tuesday, November 11 was a good late season day. Two 'bows came to the net with soft hackles and WB's and one of three trout that took a liking to a large dry managed to be released. The other two? Soft rises and no hook ups. It was a good 3 hour trip in that 42 degree water. I was there over this past weekend where the 38 degree water resulted in some hits but no hook ups.

Last year the action seemed to have no end except when the weather just got too cold. This year it seemed to end early. I blame the rain events.

Now, we head into Winter and a season that belongs to the Swift. Some of my best days have been on this river during the Winter. Dress warm, know what to do and you will be rewarded. Contact me if you want to spend a half or full day fishing the Swift during this season. It beats waiting until Spring!

Ken

Autumn Is A Swift Season

What can I say. It's been wonderful on this river over the last month. Brook trout in all size ranges and in all numbers are all over the river. Big browns are in the mix with outsized bows to top it off. Regulars with 40 plus years on this river haven't seen an Autumn like this. It's the brook trout that have stolen center stage. I have not seen these numbers in the almost 30 years on this river. They have always been there and their numbers seemed to increase in that last five years BUT this year may be a benchmark. Do we have a native brook trout fishery on the Swift? Looks that way! Should we protect it? Of course!!! Catch and Release, no bait, year round below rt 9 to the boat launch. Why not??

Winter doesn't end the season on this river. Some of our best days are during the Winter when a sunny day pushes the temperature into the mid to high 30's. The fish respond and we are rewarded. Let me know if you want in on this!!

Ken

Rating The Rivers Again And The "Dark Season" Again

Ok, it's that time of year again. A month and a half ago you could get down to the river at 5pm and have a few hours doing what you like to do. IT'S ALL OVER NOW UNTIL MARCH when we turn the clocks ahead. I hate this time of year because it limits what I want to do. Maybe when I retire I may feel differently but I think not. Our river choices are very few until Spring. The Swift and the Farmington will remain for the wading fly fisher. The others may very well be frozen over which will only cause us to wait patiently for Spring. In the meantime tie flies.

LET'S RATE THE RIVERS FOR 2014:

3rd Place - The Millers: Again, prime Summer time evening fishing was blown away by high water. Things are happening on this river. For the first 20+ years on this river I had GREAT summer evenings with manageable flows. Since 2008 I've seen one blowout after another. Canoes and kayaks on the Millers in July??? I love this river and the Spring seasons have been nice and some Fall seasons ok but the flow levels are like nothing I've seen. Climate change?? Bad luck?? Who knows? I guided this gent last July at dusk. We caught fish and he said the this river, at dusk, was just beautiful. I knew from the forecast that it would change quickly. I would love to see a Summer like the Summers of the 1990's. Maybe next year.

2nd Place - The EB: There's a reason why this river came in 2nd. It's not because of the flow. It was fine all Summer long. It's not because we didn't catch trout. We caught a bunch! In fact, this may have been the best season since the epic 2009 season. The flow stayed at a good level during July and August and when we had only a 1/4 inch of rain in September the weather was cool which kept the water cool and the trout could not be happier. When it rained the river went up but then dropped like a rock, usually just in time. Rainbows and browns provided season long entertainment. Perfect, but good for only second place. No fault of it's own!

1st Place - The Swift: It wasn't like this just a few years ago. You would catch the occasional brookie of hatchery size and at times the little guy who was measured south of five inches. Three years ago I began to catch more around 3 inches in certain areas. They were beautiful! Now those fish are everywhere. They're not escapees from the hatchery because they come in all sizes from 1 1/2 inches to 8-10 inches. Then there are the tape measure fish that are seen but seldom taken.

The Swift has its year long fishery which is a plus AND it's traffic which is less than a plus. The rainbows supply the muscle on this stream but the brook trout supply the beauty and MAYBE the promise of having a self sustaining brook trout fishery. I'm glad to see the brookies thriving!! That's why I rate the Swift number 1 this year!

Ken

Getting Up Early - A Swift River Morning

It pays to start early and when you go to the Swift "early" is never early enough. I began the hike to the Y Pool section at 7:30 today with only one car in the lot and another just arriving as I was putting on the waders. I stayed away from going to the PIPE after what I saw yesterday: 8 flyfishers from the PIPE to the end of the Tree Pool at 9:00 am. The gauge section was not an option because I and another angler saw NOTHING in this section. I decided to go above RT 9 for a change.

After the 10 minute walk I got to the Y Pool and found 2 anglers working the water. No worry because the Pool was not my destination. The Bubbler arm was the place that I wanted to be. Long story short: I took 7 in two hours and all where over 16 inches. Started with a #14 scud, switched to a Grouse and Orange and they both worked. The guy who arrived just after me caught double what I did. A real fish hawk that guy!!! The Y Pool - not so good but maybe as the day went on it improved.

I'm not giving secret spots away. Where I fished is fished by everyone. It just pays to get there early!

Went home, raked leaves and am listening to the Patriots as I write this. A good day so far!

Ken

What Connecticut Is Doing And A River Update.

Google up "survivor trout". You will see what Connecticut is doing for it's trout management. It seems that the Nutmeg State is capturing wild/holdover trout and breeding them with hatchery trout to result in a fish that has better survival odds and it appears that they are seeing those results.

What I like about Connecticut is the fact that over 60% of their hatchery output are browns while Massachusetts manages about 25% of that species. Why is that? Maybe they are not swayed by the unofficial department logic that fishermen want large fish and that means fast growing rainbows. We know that the early season meat hunters want them but most season long fishers on moving water are fly fishers and they OVERWHELMINGLY practice catch and release and they want trout that will make it through the summer season. (BTW, if you can't wait to have the stocking trucks dump in new recruits each Fall then you should take up golf. Tough trout are not your game!) In short, Connecticut (and New York) GET IT. We don't. We better if one believes in climate change and in developing measures to insure a viable trout fishery for the future!

Now, what are the rivers doing. Wait to Thursday (10/16) night. The heavy rain will be over and my site will have the river links that you need. Heavy rains mean this: The Millers will rise and then rise some more and maybe stay there for a week. The EB will quickly rise up and then drop down quickly. Saturday should be fine. Below 400cfs is very fishable. BTW, I had a good Monday afternoon on the EB. I caught a lot in two hours. Many browns (fresh) and some older bows. The Swift - this river is like the running back that gives you 5 yards a carry. Very dependable!!

Good Luck,

Ken

Columbus Day Weekend - Everything Is Perfect!!!!!

Check the stream gauges on this site. Check the weather report for the next few days. Everything is perfect for fly fishing in Massachusetts this weekend. So why are you reading this blog?? Rig up and jump in!!

I'll see you there!!

BTW, I'll be writing and ranting about what one of our neighboring states is doing with trout management on my next post.

Ken

The Rains Came - Finally!!

September was as dry as a bone. Less than an inch of rain fell and the EB and the Millers, still both fishable, needed an infusion. That break came yesterday afternoon and evening. The EB went from 70cfs to 600cfs overnight and now is dropping as it always does. It should level out to 200 or so for October barring another big storm. The Millers fared nicely going from 140 or so to 300 as I write this and now it appears to be dropping which is unusual for this river. It usually goes through the roof and then stays there for a week. I'll take what's happening now any day.

Speaking of the Millers - Saturday, before the heavy rain started, the Millers had a great BWO hatch going on which brought the trout to the surface. The flies were in the size 18 range with both emergers and duns being taken. It was perfect BWO weather, cool and cloudy, until the skies opened up around 1pm. The rain put everything down. We'll have more chances this month if the flows stay fairly low and the weather stays cool and the skies stay cloudy!


Ken

A Soft Hackle September

Soft Hackles - they always work and sometimes they REALLY work. They were my top sunken fly on the EB for a year now and this year they just seemed to beat the Swift River trout especially this month. I will admit that the Swift soft hackles are a size or two smaller than I use on other rivers although a size 12 did work well.

I like to experiment with this style and I believe that I may have posted two of these flies last Spring but a refresher course is in order.

First is an olive body S.H. with size 5x tippet material wrapped around the body. The tippet worked pretty well getting the fly down quick and it gives a slight shine to the fly which also seemed to work. 5x works on sizes down to 14. I like 6x on smaller sizes. Sometimes the Grouse and Flash just seems too bright. The "6x soft hackle" does it just right. Don't ask if one brand of tippet is better than another!!

The dark S.H. has a tiny wingcase of mylar which makes this fly more visible. It works well!

Try them out.

As you all know by now we need rain. The rivers are still mostly fishable in the deeper pools and where the river's flow gets pinched down to give good flow and depth. The good thing is that the weather is now cool enough so water temperature is not an issue. Just one good 1 inch storm will set us up for the rest of the season.

The rest of the season - Last November was great on the EB and the flow was low then too. I'll show you this river. Just email me for availability. The same goes for the Millers and the Swift.

Ken

The Swift - First Day Of Fall

No rain at home during the night but 20 minutes into a 30 minute drive to the Swift I had the wipers on. When I arrived at the Pipe lot there were puddles and a light rain. So goes the first day of Fall. The upside of this was that at 6:45am mine was the only car there. That means there's only one thing to do: Hit the PIPE.

This 120 cfs flow gave me the opportunity to fish LARGE meaning size 14 and 16 soft hackles and the trout agreed. In three hours I landed 21 and missed another half dozen. The top of the food chain came to the net with some 14 to 18 inch DARK bows followed by some 8-10 inch fish of the same species. These guys reminded me of this past Spring when the place was crowded with them. Maybe they stocked some recently or this high water made those Spring fish come out of hiding. Bob O. (who was the second to show up at 9ish) floated the theory that maybe these guys are young stream bred fish which intrigues me. Then came a few 4 to 6 inch brookies. The top soft hackle was a size 14 olive and partridge tied on a scud hook. This short, heavy hook gets the fly down AND it looks buggier than a standard hook. Overall, a good morning.

I left at 10am leaving only Bob and a new arrival to have the place to themselves.

Rain - In short supply recently. The EB is low but the cool days and very cool nights have saved this place. One storm of about 1 inch of rain will fix this place up quickly. Let's hope this happens!

Ken

September - What The Rivers Are Doing And A Lost Camera

I managed to be on all three rivers over the last week and for the first time this season I'm looking for a little rain for the EB. All is not lost and in fact I like the flow flow because of the dry fly possibilities. If swinging sunken offerings is your game than the going will be a bit rough. But the water temperature is in the mid 60's at mid day but lower very early in the morning.

The photo above shows the great isonychia nymph which is all over this river. A quick, darting swimmer this nymph acts like a stonefly by crawling up onto rocks to hatch and then flying away usually around dusk. There are plenty of imitations that you can find online so I will not bother with the recipe. The dun is dark colored with smokey grey wings (unusual for this time of year) and trout will take that surface imitation EVEN THOUGH it doesn't ride the surface like most other mayfly duns. Don't leave home without them!

The other photo is of the great Hemlock Pool. As the Eastern Flyfishing Magazine article pointed out it also has another name: Les's Pool. I believe I met that man years ago when he was a driving force behind TU (when it was a driving force) in Massachusetts. I'll call it by the latter name going forward. Anyway, fish this pool and the riffles at it's head. The gate is still closed so it's a 15-17 minute walk to get there but well worth it.

The Millers - I love this low flow and I love the fact that darkness falls at 7:30 instead of 9:00. You don't have to wait f o r e v e r for surface action. Again, water temperatures are fine. Even the rainbows made it through the Summer. Don't forget to bring some large light colored flies so you can see them in the failing light. They have worked the last few times out.

The Swift - Every thing works at the Gauge down through the Tree Pool from 30's to #14 soft hackles. Also, weekend evenings have been sparsely attended by fly fishers in this section. On Wednesday evening I saw only two other anglers which appears to be the norm over the last few weeks. Spend an evening down there before our evenings are gone.

I have some open dates through late September and October. October Fridays are mostly open (weird) with a few weekend dates available. First come, first served.

Summer is winding down with Fall right around the corner. Fish the next two months before everything shuts down (except the Swift).

Ken

9/12 Update - The lower gate on the EB is open so you don't have to endure the 15 minute walk to get to Les's (formally called the Hemlock Pool) Pool. It was windy as hell which made dry fly fishing dicey but worth it. I rose 4 and landed 2 in the 3 hours there. Long floats through the pool brought 3 up with 1 hooked and then 1 in the riffles at the head of the pool. Ok under the windy conditions. Probably could of caught more with a nymph BUT I like dries. Rises were on and off and If you see a rise cast to it.

Update #2 - The lower gate was closed on Wednesday evening BUT was open on Friday morning. Go for it!!

This Just In: a camera was found on the way to the Y Pool. Email me and I'll connect you to who found it.


Ken

Swift Weekend

I've been bouncing around the Millers this past week and needed something a little less robust. I've still got tiny flies on the brain or maybe it's the cold water that has now doubled in volume. Saturday and Monday morning were spent on the Swift.

Saturday - It started off with swinging an old reliable Grouse and Orange that accounted for two trout. Then I gave a test run to a size 20 something that my friend Brad created and two more came to the net. Then it was McPhail Buzzer time in size 20. Three more but many misses and break offs was the result. The high water (107 cfs) still had the trout trying to find the surface because surface action was sparse.

Monday - Started with Mc B's and managed one below the gauge. As I rounded the bend I could see that there was one fellow at the Pipe but the Tree Pool was empty. That's where I headed. It had been a foggy start but now it was clearing and with that the hatch came on. Fog kills hatches on this river and it only took 5 minutes before a half a dozen trout began working the pool.

Now, I had a good time Saturday watching Dan and Gary nabbing the occasional riser on #32's. The smallest fly that I had was a #28. I was hoping that it would be close enough if the same insect was on the water today. It worked and in the last 15 minutes that I had to fish I took three, 2 bows and a brookie.

It was then that I realized that I had fished and caught trout in everything from a size 12, size 20, to size 28 in a 48 hour period. Not something that happens with a wet size 12 in the mix. So when someone asks me whats working on the Swift what do I say? Everything, I guess.

Ken

New Guiding Dates, A River Update And A Lost Vest

First things first - Fridays have always been a day that I have had trouble springing myself free to guide someone. THAT'S CHANGED! Fridays are now open with 9/5, 9/16 and 10/3 free and clear. 10/31 is open and every Friday in November is the same. November is a great time to fish the Swift and the EB. My evening trips are very popular and we have about 1.5 months of those before it gets too dark. Right now 4:30 to 7:30ish is perfect.


What a week!! Perfect weather and perfect flows. It started Sunday with a quick trip to the Swift in the early afternoon. The usual parking lots were only half full which seemed odd for such a nice day and that meant that I had the gauge to the intake all to myself. 4 bows, 1 brown and two gorgeous brookies made it to the net in those 2 1/2 hours. In a few weeks those guys will really be taking on their Fall colors making them even more beautiful!!

The Millers - With flows below 250 cfs this river is producing with surface action in and around the lower C&R with the best action at sundown. The darker it gets the better it gets. Just make sure that you are fishing a dry that you can see. #12 light colored comparaduns, bivisibles, HW Adams, anything that you can see. Casts don't have to be long as the trout will rise almost a rod length away. Some rain is in the forecast later this weekend so check out this site for the flow.

The EB - It could use a little rain but we are still finding willing trout. Trout are still everywhere from the pools to the riffles and fishing pressure has been light. Brad and I were their last night and saw 1 other angler. This Labor Day weekend will mark the end of the swimmers for the year which means we will have it all to ourselves until freeze up.

A Lost Vest - Someone lost a vest in the Swift River parking lot over the last week or so. If you found it and would like the owner to reclaim it then email me at ken.elmer9@gmail.com and I'll have that person contact you.

Have a Great Labor Day Weekend! The Autumn season is almost on us.

Ken

All Three Rivers Are PERFECT Now!

Ok, I'm back. All that I will say about the 10 days between posts is that I like the Madison but like the Gallatin more!!

As I write this ALL the rivers (Millers, EB and Swift) are in prime condition. Even the reluctant Millers is down into the 200cfs range which is where it should be historically. I guided there Thursday evening with all of the action occurring at sundown. Lots of rising trout and some massive mayfly hatch of some light colored fly that I couldn't identify because of the darkness. Because of the low light (sunset and heavy cloud cover)I opted for a size 14 Millers Bivisible, a big hairwing creation that floats high and can be seen at dusk. It took all of our trout. BTW, 2/3 of our catch were RAINBOWS! That's what a wet summer will do for you!

As the comments from my last two posts show, the EB has been spectacular! Flows have been great all summer with mid August water temperatures being in the low to mid 60's at mid day. It seems that every style of fly has produced if fished carefully and patiently. And for those few who think that I write too much about this river I will say that I was there last night with a friend from the Boston Area. We saw ONE other flyfisher. That's normal for this river.

The Swift is what it is - always good, always challenging!!

Let's hope that the Millers stays low.

Best,

Ken

A Saturday EB Trip And A Stream Forecast

Saturday was a late start. Not for my wife but for me. Mornings in August mean a start time on the EB at no later than 6:30am. We started at 9:30am. That's ok because it was just meant to spend some time together, getting out on the water with a light lunch of sliced tomatoes and cheese and just exploring. The "exploring" meant fishing some places that I've overlooked over these years. Catch something? Maybe, but just a day in a good place.

I rose 7 and landed 3 while missing a brown that I would like to describe as Sparse Grey Hackle did about a brown on the Beaverkill 80 years ago: "It was the size of a railroad tie". I'll never tell you where I missed it and that's a first for the 7 years of this blog!!!

How did the wife do: hooked 2 and landed 1 on her tenkara outfit. Now, she is from greater NYC who never fished BUT she is a quick study. I gave her some instruction on where trout are found, she fished those spots and then found other runs and pools to fish. Then she said that her fly was too small (#12 soft hackle)and wanted a larger fly. I said "ok" and tied on a goofy bivisible creation and she hooked up. Now she doesn't think she needs a guide!!!!

Big, fluffy clouds kept the temperatures down and at noon the water temperature was 64 degrees. The only problem was the sunbathers and their stick fetching dogs that kept me from one good place.

Tenkara technique is great for someone new to fly fishing. It teaches you to fish up close studying the water. It's not equipment heavy and is never a frustrating experience compared to a beginner with conventional equipment.

Overall a good day.

The forecast - big rain starting Tuesday night and running through Wednesday. Say goodbye (again) to the Millers. God only knows how far the EB will rise BUT it will drop quickly. Saturday (maybe Friday) will be ok. If it's at 500fs the games begin. They are predicting 2.5 inches of rain. Dial in on my site to get the flows.

I have posted some poor photos of what I've been fished for dries on the EB. They are size 12 and 14 hairwing Adams that seem to hook more trout than the hopper patterns that I've used. Those EB trout seem to rise gently to the larger flies instead of the big take and that results in some misses. The big Adams gets their attention and they can take it in. As the evening wears on we go to smaller flies. You know the drill!

I think I've got to perfect my "dry fly in fast water" technique. Too many misses.

Ken

A Short Post - FISH THE EB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, you've seen the posts and the comments. Fish this river. I had a great night last night and a comment from another spoke of a great day floating hoppers earlier in the day. I guided a newbie who rose 8 trout and if reflexes had more experience he would of hooked more than the two. Same for the guided trip the week before. TROUT ARE RISING ON THE EB!!!!!

Get up early and get there by 7:30. Catch trout until noon or so, sit on a rock, take in the environment that you are in, have lunch and a cigar and then do it again after the shadows begin to cross many pools by 4pm. You will be there for the evening rise where the hoppers downsize to generic olive comparduns in sizes #14 and #16. You cannot spent a better day in Massachusetts on a summer day than on the EB!!(if you flyfish)

Trout are everywhere here. Fish for them!!

Ken

Seasonal Change And A Note On The EB

Things are changing. You may notice it if you are an early riser. On June 21 the sun rose at 5:07am. Today it rose at 5:38am and sets at 8:02, a full 22 minutes earlier than that first day of summer. We've lost almost an hour of daylight over the last five weeks and at the end of this month we will have lost over an additional hour. What does this mean for the fly fisher? It means that fishing conditions are getting better.

First, August is historically cooler than July. There's less sunlight to heat things up. Temperatures cool off more during the longer August nights. Many of the larger aquatic insects are done for the season but are replaced with terrestrial insects like hoppers, beetles and crickets and ants. Especially ANTS. It seems that over the years the best weeks for winged ants are the 3rd and 4th weeks of August. I have fished over an ant swarm only to be told that someone was doing the same thing 60 miles away from me on the same day. My ant pattern is simple: size 16 and 18 hooks, a dark brown/rust colored body tied in an hour glass profile with two small blue dun hackle points tied at the "waist" and pointing backwards. Very slim wings of grey CDC does the trick too.

Another good autumn pattern is the pumpkin caddis. The Millers used to have swarms of this large rusty orange fly, the EB less so. Maybe that's why a grouse and orange works so well during the Fall.

The EB - this is the best year since 2009 which was an unbelievable year. Water levels have been great in July and with the slow cool down of August things will just get better. With luck we will have another 3 or 4 months fishing this treasure.

Watch, August will have two weeks of 90+ temperatures and no rain. Maybe, but things are still changing.

Keep Fishing!!

Ken

This Weekend - Where To Go And A Lost Rod Tip On The Millers

It is dead mid Summer and logic says go to the Swift. It's a safe bet because of the cold water and the fish population but there are options.

The EB - I guided someone with limited dry fly experience this past Tuesday evening with flows below 200cfs BUT we had rising trout throughout the evening. There are many trout there and with the bump in the flow this week AND with high temperatures in the 70 to 80 degrees with night time temps in the 50's we are talking about opportunities in the evenings and especially in the early morning. Give it a shot!!

The Millers - Up and down and up and down. It's down NOW. Fish in the evening and not in the morning if you plan to get there after 7am. Maybe I should of said 4am because that's when I had my best morning Summer results. Fish the Wendell section in the evening into the dark. My best dry fly fishing on this river over the past 30 years has been at dusk on the lower river!

Back to the EB. The weekly rain, be it a regional storm or a local t'storm, has kept this river fishing as good as 2009 which was the best season in the last five years. Try to make an evening on this river!!

If you lost a rod tip (maybe a 4pc 5wt)on the Millers just email me and I will try to reunite your family.

Ken

The Rain - The Good And The Bad Of It And A Lost Rod Tip - See Comments

The weatherman said look out for storms last Tuesday but as I headed east at 5pm the sky was nothing but hazy. Paul headed west towards Wendell Depot after a big storm hit his town just outside the watershed. We were hoping for a few hours on the Millers.

The flow had just nudged over the 500 cfs level when we started. Some may like this level but I don't especially in the Summer. Cut it in half and I'm fine. When a inch smallie rips line off your reel because he's broadside heading downstream the flow is just too high. I spent the next hour or so practicing my casting.

Then came the lightning. We made it back to the cars before the skies opened up with the heaviest downpour I've seen since Irene. The result of this: the Millers went from a rather high 535 cfs to about 2000 cfs in 24 hours. As I write this (6am on 6/19) it's still roaring along at 1250. It will take a while to come down.

The EB rose like a rocket too but has come down nicely to 272 cfs. That is PERFECT!! Fish this river this weekend!! This weather pattern has been great for the EB. That whole watershed is WET with every brook and spring keeping the river cool and at a good level between storms. This year is much like 2008 and 2009 where the EB was great through the Summer and the Millers was unfishable.

The Swift just keeps rolling along with the trout beginning to spread themselves out. I can't say the same for the fishermen who still school up in the usual spots. I took two new fly fishers to the Swift, showed them the crowds, and directed them to an empty stretch of river where they both caught their first Swift River rainbows.

This is considered "High Summer". It's that two week period in July when we have, historically, our warmest temperatures
of the year. The EB has made it through this period this year. The Millers???

Ken

Mid Summer Update And A Jerk On The Swift.

It was a good week! A Tuesday evening at the EB resulted in 9 trout (7 bows and two browns) taken on the surface. There was no hatch but the trout rose to a small hopper pattern and later to a size 14 hairwing adams. And they fought, especially the rainbows!! They jumped, ran and then darted away when released. The water was in the high 60's but there was a good flow which results in a good exchange of oxygen over the miles of riffles that this river has. High dissolved oxygen is vital for trout survival. These trout were healthy and bringing them to the net quickly will not hurt them.

The Millers is finally losing weight. Lets hope that the t-storm forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday doesn't cause this river to pig out - again.

Now for the Swift. Saturday morning was packed at the PIPE as the photo shows. I counted 8 from the pipe flow to the end of the Tree Pool. I found a lonely spot upstream and caught a few on pinheads. The trout have spread themselves around which is what we want them to do.

Now for the JERK. My friend Bill was talking to a fly fisher at the PIPE this week who claims that some guy in a canoe was trying to SPEAR trout in the Tree Pool!!!!!!!!! A totally illegal act and just another thing that we have to put up with. If it's not the trash dropping bait boys and the guys who keep their limit THREE TIMES A DAY it's now this. What's next, canoes with trawling nets??? Call the DFW law enforcement if you see stuff like that. 508-366-1176

Ken

The Three Rivers - Everything Seems Right But.......

Thunder is in the air as I write this. Arthur brought rain but not like his sister Irene did almost three years ago. The EB went up and went down as scheduled and if we don't get blasted in the next few hours it will be fine this week. A 1/4 inch of rain will not hurt. It will help in the long run. Right now it's a morning/evening fishery during these hot bright days but because of the flow mornings will last longer and evenings will start sooner.

The Swift - caught a bunch in two trips to the Pipe area over the long weekend and really didn't see the expected crowds during my morning (6am to 10am)outings. In fact, the place was pretty much empty when I left each morning. There are plenty of trout that took #18 and #20 pinheads and another #18 fly that I will mention later did very well. The bows are BIG, period!! Hint: stay away from the usual places.

The "But" in the title refers to the Millers. It's been fishing well if you know when to go (refer to the EB paragraph) but this river has put some serious weight on (high flow) since Friday. It's FAT again and I hope the storm that ran through the area around 5pm today doesn't add too many calories. 200 cfs to 300 cfs is PERFECT. It's over 900 right now. Wait to this weekend.

Tomorrow will be the Swift or the EB in the late afternoon and into the evening.

It's starting to rain. Looks like the Swift tomorrow but we will watch the flow and make a decision then.

Ken