The Millers On Memorial Day Weekend

The gauge in S. Royalston read 400 cfs at 10 pm Friday night and 400 again at 4:30 Saturday morning. The cloudbursts that hit my neck of the woods overnight spared the Millers Watershed and although a I would have liked hitting the lower river THAT flow was still too high.

Off to The Bears Den!

We had "brown trout skies" (overcast) when I met Brad at Pete and Henry's at 7am and then drove down the short road along the river to our destination - the stretch upstream from the trestle which includes that big beautiful pool and the riffles above. That's where I took "the brown". If any brown could be considered a "native" it would be this fish. First, it was almost black instead of brown, a sign of spending considerable time in the Millers. Second, ALL fins were intact especially the pectorals that were as large as oars. Third, it was about 16 inches which is the largest brown that I've caught in this section that fits the above description. That's important because I've caught more 4 to 8 inch browns in this section than anywhere else on this river. The DFW doesn't stock 4 inch browns in the Millers. This is an area that holds native browns!!

We spent 3 hours working that part of the river and did OK with the chunky hatchery browns (no rainbows). Then I took Brad to the Bears Den epicenter - Rezendes. We took a short upstream hike to the riffles below the trestle, found a somewhat safe section to cross the river and then fished downstream through that beautiful piece of water until we were across from Paul's house. The place is full of browns and not a rainbow to be found.

One note about crossing that section of river. At 400 cfs it is an adventure and I will recommend it only for those with a wading staff sturdy legs. I was at my limit in a few places.

Now let's stop here and let me ask the question - where was everyone?? This is Memorial Day weekend and all day long we saw only 3 people in the water and one going in as we were leaving after 7 hours. It was almost as empty as it was 20 years ago. Yes, the flow was a bit high but still wadable and it is loaded with browns.

As I write the flow is still at 400 but it will come down. You have no excuses!!

Ken

Update - EB and the Millers And Damselflies

The EB has been GREAT! And it's going to get better because we are entering the damselfly season. Around the end of May and certainly by early June we will see the damselfly emergence. Consider a warm sunny day on this river. By noon you will start to see trout activity VERY close to shore and that is because this quick swimming nymph is ready to head towards the shoreline (or rocks and limbs close to shore) to emerge. The trout follow this nymph and will intercept them in very shallow water. The chase can be very abrupt and noisy and sometimes if you are ten feet out in the river the noisy action will be BEHIND you. This happened to an angler that I was guiding on the Millers a few years ago. Standing ten feet out from the grassy island at the head of the Millers Kempfield Pool this angler almost jumped out of his waders by the very noisy hit right behind him. We changed flies and took browns in VERY shallow water where the browns were chasing damsels.

The Millers has lots of damsels. The EB is loaded with them. I've seen HUNDREDS who had just emerged and were drying their wings in just a few hundred yards of river. It's incredible how a 3/4 inch nymph can become an inch+ long winged insect but it happens.

It's the nymph that we are interested in. Although it doesn't really look like a damselfly nymph this pattern works: Tie an olive wooley bugger in a size 12 with clipped or undersized hackle. For added effect tie on a set of bead chain at the head. The nymphs have BIG eyes and the bead chain will get this fly down.

I actually saw a Millers brown land it's head on the shore trying to grab one of these morsels.

The Millers is calming down with the Bears Den at a very fishable level and the lower C&R right behind.

Go Fish

Ken

The EB And Some Open Dates

The EB is perfect!! The fish are there and the flows are very fishable. I spent about two hours there this evening and took 4 bows on a size 8 orange and partridge. That's right - a size 8. I've been waiting since January to throw that large fly into the riffles and runs of that river because that's where it works best. In fact, I spent the two hours just working one 30 yard stretch because it was just too beautiful to leave. The Bliss Pool and Slant Rock will be there for another time.

My favorite river?? Maybe.

I have some open guiding dates: Sat. May 24, Sat. June 7, Mon, June 9, Sat, June 14. These are for day long trips on the Millers, EB and the Swift and every time I do this I book up quickly. First come, first served. Just EMAIL me to grab a spot.

Look for the Millers to get down to the 600 cfs range by this weekend if it doesn't rain. I like flows below 500 at this time of year but.....

Ken