.jpg)
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
15 comments:
Ken,
Please do not label all those that use bait( when legal) as "trash droppers). I have used almost everything on the Swift:, Bait , flies , and lures according to regs. I do not leave trash and take offense to such a "genereic and dumb" comment catagorizing ALL bait fisherman as such. Thought you were a bit smarter than that.
Paul N.
Thanks for the comment.
I never said that "all those who use bait are trash droppers". I implied that all of the trash left behind is from the bait boys! Some may actually clean up after themselves. I have never seen a fly fisher walking up to the swift with a dunkin donuts cup in his hand or a fly fisherman with a bait container but this is the trash that we find. We know where it comes from and it's not fly fishers who will not toss a six inch piece of leader material in the water.
A guide from New Hampshire took photos of Swift River trash this past Spring. We know where it came from. Not a good advertisement!
Ken
I was there on Saturday. I think I am second to last in your picture. Pretty good day of fishing despite the crowds.
Mike
Mike,
I overslept Saturday. That's why I wasn't in that spot!!!
Ken
Ken,
On Sunday I was at the tree hole and watched two kayaks and one canoe stop at the base of the lowe riffle. I prayed thry wouldn't be foolish enough to enter. I was one of four or five below the Pipe. Thankfully they turned around. With so much river available to yakers it's foolish for them to invade the C&R. Spearing trout is a whole new level - reserved for herons. BTW I landed my first chunker brown that day. A magnum football 18+ inches. Made me smile.
I landed a nice brown aswell Saturday around 200 yards north of the pipe, first one I've seen in a few weeks on the swift and it was a nice suprise. There were a ton before it was full swing summer, not sure where they headed.
Josh,
No browns for me for over a year in the Swift. Tons of bows and lots of pretty brookies. I used to catch the occasional brown but not now. Any suggestions for browns or is it by chance. A few others are doing it too. Any suggestions?
Ken
The numbers of big browns increase further down the river, where a small raft is needed to fish them effectively. But, there are some true giants down there.
As for the bait chucker comments, you're right on Ken. Paul N can be as sensitive and offended as he wants, but bait fishing is the single largest detriment to that river. Not just the three fish most of them kill multiple times a week, or even day in some instances, but also the residual effects from the bait in the water. I've seen guys fish there with shiners. Do people know what shiners can do to a trout environment? Ask anyone who has seen the decline of wild brookie water in Maine ponds thanks to shiners. Also, I've never seen a fly-fisherman kill a fish there, and I've also never seen a bait-chucker release one there. Every bait chucker I've seen had a string with him. And i've never seen a drop of trash on the FFO section above rte. 9, it's all where they allow bait. My point is it's not a generalization when it's been proven true over and over. That river should be fly fishing only, send the bait chuckers to a river with no sustaining population, let them catch their 3 stockies and go home.
Ken,
Just good timing I guess. I have a picture from earlier in the year north of the Y pool that shows about 10-15+ BIG rising browns and I was able to catch 4-5 out of that pack in about 10 minutes. The one I caught last week I had seen in the middle of the run, tossed a helgramite nymph 10 yards up stream from him and it lasted about 2 seconds before he nailed it. They seem a lot more eager to eat than the bows, at least on the swift (when they're around).
I got a nice brown a couple weeks back that was holdover/wild fish, very silver in color almost like a sea run fish looks. It was selectivly feeding on dries, sorrounded by dumb feshly stocked bows. Fish was very protective of it's spot and would attack any trout that got to close. It was fun to watch a 20+ inch brown, bite a 14 inch rainbow!
I had a day about a month ago down by the pipe where the only fish I caught using a Sulphur and BWO emerger were Browns. Mostly 9-11 inch ones, but one serious bruiser at 18 inches. Then the pellet hatch happened and I switched to an olive bugger and fished under the hatch and the only fish I caught were Bows. Weird?? I too went through a long stretch where I hadn't caught any Browns, especially above rte 9. When hopper season begins I expect to catch more.
Thanks for noticing my cleanup work above and below rte. 9. I know that I'm not the only one that does this. The FFO is loaded with debris from stick on bite indicators,fly leaders,section of fly line and leader packs assorted drink containers ice and reg coffee cups along the feeder and under the bench at the Y pool. Don't kid yourself. There are quite a few fly fishing slobs that use the FFO section. I have proof. A woman took a picture of me and sent it catching fish last fall with a trash bag strapped to my wading belt that was quite full. I have also noted dead fish in The Y pool and downstream.
Ken - Nice observation regarding the spear fisherman. I'd suggest that those who see this stuff take a picture and publish it. Send it to Fish and Game. Also, I'm a pretty big guy so I frequently make it obvious that I am taking their picture. Huge deterrent. Great blog - Absolute necessity each time I head out to any of these rivers. Please keep up the good work.
Found 10 in that same stretch of water mid morning Thursday. Down in the kayaking waters, I had 25 go by me between 10am and 12:30; which is actually a total of 50 passes. Yup, summer is here.
Al
To All That Have Been Catching Browns In The Swift: I'm Jealous!!
The last one that I saw caught was with I guy that I guided a year ago March. It circle a dry for 30 seconds before he took.
Al, The State has posted boating regulations at the Swift River gauge site with pictures of the river at the gauge site instead of posting pictures of the boat ramp downstream. Translation: they are encouraging rafters in 50cfs water.
Terry,
I agree with NHFFF and my 25 years of observations on the Swift above Rt9. I think that you overstate the problem. Many who fish that section belong to your organization locally or regionally. Are you pointing a finger at them? Remember, the upper section is used by MANY day hikers and not just us. "Quite a few flyfishing slobs" are your words not mine. If you "have proof" then bring it up at your chapter meeting this Fall and at the council level as well.
Ken
Post a Comment