One look at the Pipe parking lot said it all - two cars at 1:45 pm on July 1st meant that the lower C&R had not been stocked as was hoped on this first day of the new regulations. I met a guide who, after spending a few hours there, wasn't bragging about the catch. But I had the plan to fish anyway so off into the river I went.
Two bows were taken above the gauge and nothing was caught or seen in the riffles below. It was a repeat of the last two weeks with what appeared to be a scarcity of fish. It's what most have said about the place over the last two weeks.
Then I went to the Tree Pool.
At first it appeared devoid of fish UNTIL the "pellet hatch" started! Within a few minutes the place was crazy with rising fish. 20 or 30 were smashing the surface and that lasted for about 20 minutes and then it went dead again.
I have to say that I have been guilty of saying that the place was fished out. It's not. We just were not clever enough to catch many. What is fairly obvious is that this pool holds most of the fish where in previous years the trout were more spread out. Maybe the next stocking will be something other than a one spot "dump" and more of an effort to move the fish around.
The catch - 3 bows and 2 eight inch brookies. I didn't count the half dozen three inch brookies that seem to like that fast water right next to the Pipe.
We are supposed to get drenched by Hurricane (?) Arthur Thursday night into the 4th. That will help the Millers and the EB. Let's hope it doesn't "help" too much.
Happy Fourth of July!!
Ken
9 comments:
Wonderful to see those brookies.
Do you believe there wild?
Ken,
I was at the Swift today and it was definitely stocked based on the 15+ hookups I had in the Pipe section ( I am assuming the Tree pool is the one below the pipe with the overhanging tree?). I got there and there were 3 spinning guys and 1 fly guy. They all left and I had the place to myself for 3 hours before getting run out by a big Tstorm. There was also a pellet hatch that I can never catch anything on top during. Fished below it and took bow after bow recklessly.
Nice seeing you last week at the Millers. Hope you did better than I did.
Brk Trt,
The tiny ones with parr markings were probably from the hatchery. The other little guys appeared to be adults - streamborn.
Falsecast,
So, I must have been the last person to fish before the stocking. I guess it's summer on the Swift - finally!! I plan to fish there this morning.
The Millers - we did ok. All RAINBOWS!!
Ken
I fished the Swift on Monday (Obviously before any stocking). Most of the fish above Route 9 were in the Y-pool. I saw at least a dozen. The water was very slow. Every so often one would rise but there wasn't a very strong hatch I could see. I tried everything from small nymphs (hot spots) and a dry sulfur to stripping small WB's. I could not get one to budge
Ken how do you present flies to fish when the water is that slow?
I did move down stream. The pipe parking lot was full so I went into the bondsville section. I caught 2 10"-12" brookies. I also found a spot much further down stream where 8 trout were holding in a 3 foot deep depression in the middle of the steam. Again could not get them to move for anything. (Periodically I saw there bodies roll so maybe they were taking something of the bottom.
Mike C.
Here's a starting point for the Y Pool : watch and ask. In an hour you'll know who's catching fish.
As for the slow current - It's been the same cfs for almost 2 years. That out of the way just watch the successful anglers. They cast (many times with an indicator, sometimes not) and then they watch their line or indicator. They don't cast as much as others but watch their fly slowly cover a certain distance. Then they repeat the process again. They have patience. Now you just have to find out what they are using.
Ken
Pipe Update:
There are many fish but they are in pods at this point (this morning). Fish a spot and maybe catch one, move to another spot and catch a half a dozen. They hit my #18 pinhead but I think they would of hit any fly.
Just find them.
Ken
Thanks Ken. I did some watching unfortunately the only fish I saw hooked was when another fisherman was walking up stream and a trout took his fly on the drag (trolling).
In general I have done ok in the past on this section of the Swift though I usually don't fish the Y pool but the sections below it to Rt9. I just need to improve my patience and my presentations.
Mike
What do you mean by a pellet hatch? Does the hatchery actually release pellets into the river via the hatchery pipe? Or are the fish just programmed to feed at a certain time because that's the time they were fed at the hatchery?
NH,
The hatchery personal don't deliberately toss pellets into the outflow. What happens is that certain hatchery maintenance activities (flushing screens, scrubbing raceways) send a cloud of algae and organisms that live in the algae through the hatchery system and into the Swift. This cloud of food gets the trout into a feeding frenzy that lasts until the food is gone.
Although pellets may be in the mix they are a minor component. Besides, I believe that the pellets used now SINK which doesn't explain the surface feeding.
I used to work for a trout hatchery and I've seen this activity first hand.
Ken
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