I knew that the weekend would be a combination of watching the raindrops and having to do some personal stuff that really had to get done. So Friday afternoon, at 4:30, found me above RT 9 on the Swift as the ONLY fly fisher there!!! It was a first, my own private tailwater with the only drawback being a cold drizzle and fog that made sighting the trout difficult at times.
Where to go? First I hit a nice stretch below the power lines (you know where it is Matt) and took a rainbow that nailed a size 20 hotspot. Next it was upstream to the hemlocks where I had the place to myself and spent an hour or so taking one bow and losing another. By 7pm I was out of the water and heading home.
Just an observation but the trout that day didn't seem to have much fight in them. Maybe it's been a hard, long winter for them too. Anyway, fresh recruits will be in the river in a few weeks and they will become Swift River trout, very difficult but so rewarding!!
Still playing around at the vise to solve that stage of mayfly life as the insect breaks the surface tension and begins to hatch as a full blown dun. I think this may work:
Hook - any size for the insect you are matching
Tail/Shuck - I'm hooked on something called FROSTY FISH FIBER. Great tails on dries and good shuck material. Has a subtle sheen to it and comes in a million colors. I use olive and hit it with the appropriate sharpee.
Hackle - Here's my theory. I use a small size hackle (#18 or #20 for a size 14 hook) so the fly rides very low in the film.
Wing - cdc of the right color (grey works for everything)tied back over the fly much like a wet fly. The cdc will keep this fly poking above the surface. I also tie a larger head on this fly. It just looks good. One point - clip the hackle on top of the hook so that the cdc doesn't stand up but slants back.
I'll be at the Swift again this week.
Ken
7 comments:
Thanks for the report, Ken!
I noticed too, the last several times I was on the Swift, how sluggish the fish were, but not surprising, given the enduring cold water temps.
I also look forward to the new recruits :-)
Herm
We are on tap for some 50 degree weather this week which should spur some insect activity which will start the trout moving and make us all happy!!
Ken
I have an amadou patch on my vest. Works great on CDC. I got it in Europe where they fish a lot of CDC flies (don't use a fake called samadou - the real amadou is made from some sort of tree fungus).
Amadou - it's been on my "buy" list for a few years now but I keep forgetting/putting it off!!!!!
I've seen the powder in bulk on ebay. You can buy a bucket of it but I'd just as soon try the fungus!
Ken
Hi Ken & Co.,
The swift was fishing pretty well yesterday - not sure if there's new blood or just better conditions. I went exploring on the lower stretches of the river in a tangled over hanging snarl of water and the bite was on - a bit more work to get a drift but it was fun. Especially after a skunking last week!!
Question for you guys: When can we expect to get out on the EB. I've still never been, and I'm really anxious to try my hand at it. Sounds like a beautiful place rich with fish. Also, any suggestions for the Millers - are there sections that fish well early in the season?
Thanks! Muggs
Hi Ken & Co.,
The swift was fishing pretty well yesterday - not sure if there's new blood or just better conditions. I went exploring on the lower stretches of the river in a tangled over hanging snarl of water and the bite was on - a bit more work to get a drift but it was fun. Especially after a skunking last week!!
Question for you guys: When can we expect to get out on the EB. I've still never been, and I'm really anxious to try my hand at it. Sounds like a beautiful place rich with fish. Also, any suggestions for the Millers - are there sections that fish well early in the season?
Thanks! Muggs
Muggs,
Once the water goes down much of the same places that you fished on the Millers last summer/fall will do alright this spring. The EB- I'd wait until Mid May to fish this river in the Gorge C&R. Down in Knightville (below the dam and in general regulation area)I've heard that the fishing is ok in the spring. Watch out for water releases on the weekends because of canoe races.
Ken
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