Swift Reliables

Two flies that you should not be without when you fiswh the Swift (or any tailwater) are scud patterns and the Hot Spot.

Scuds come in all shapes and sizes. Mine are not as bushy as the traditional tie but are slimmed down and may actually pass off as a generic nymph at times. My bodies are olive Australian possum and the shell is nothing more than thin clear plastic. The wire is 32 gauge and the size range runs from 14 through 18. Pick out the fuzzy hairs by the thorax and you're done.

The Hot Spot goes back about 10 years in an attempt to imitate the mess of tiny dark subsurface insects that this river has WITH ONE IMPORTANT FEATURE. A contrasting band of light material sandwiched between dark bands. The reason? Trout seem to key in on that contrast amidst all the other bugs floating by. It's caught untold numbers in the bubbler arm and around the pipe.

I like olive/brown dubbing (natural or not) for the fore and aft sections and white or yellow for the band. Sizes 18 through 24 work very well. KEEP THE BODY SLIM.

These flies are easy to tie and really produce on this river. Try them out!!

Ken