First off, the Swift has gone UP as this drought continues. I can't remember the Swift rising at this time of year unless there was an overflow event. It's still very fishable so get out there. I've been asked about the pod of trout that nobody is fishing for. I'm not telling anyone of its location but you may see me there in the next few days.
The EB and the Millers are fishing very well especially the lower Millers. As long as the flows stay low things will be good. Once they start draining Tully Reservoir things will go downhill. The EB needs a shot of rain to move the trout around. They're still podded up making them easy pickings for fly fishers and otters. On Columbus Day weekend I saw this guy from New Jersey fish this small run and take about a dozen trout in a half hour. I had lunch with him back at the vehicles and I mentioned his success. "Just a pod of stockers" was his reply. Certainly not a "Phase 1" fly fisher!! (See my October 14 post on that subject).
I'm getting feedback on the Squannacook which has plenty of trout but needs some rain. I plan to fish this river and explore some of my old haunts in November. In the meantime I'm looking for any reports on any of our other rivers in Massachusetts or in the rest of New England.
I enjoy tying flies as much as I enjoy fly fishing. The great Boston tier Jack Gartside said that if he could no longer fish he would still tie flies. There is supposed to be a sense of artistry in our hobby with different "schools" of thought when it comes to proportion, size and profile of the flies we tie. This country has a legacy of over a hundred years of fly design starting with the early Catskill fly makers who guarded their methods like they were state secrets. Take some time to read up on our legacy and you may end up like my friend Brad who refuses to tie WB's. He buys them!!
Ken
10 comments:
The Swift is up but still fishing well. The brookies are gorgeous in their fall colors. Took some shots of them but don’t think I can insert them on your web page reply section. And yes, they are full body shots. Joe C.
Joe,
Tried to post those great brook trout photos but.....
It's that time of year.
Ken
We sure do need rain. After work I visited a little tributary tonight, and I mean little like 2 feet wide, that feeds a larger stream that I fish near home. I don't fish this little spring brook being the brookies use it to spawn and I leave them be, and they were in there tonight same as every year but boy was the water ever low and leaf choked. Last year at this time there were droves of brookies swimming up this tiny brook, but as of now they are cut off from getting upstream.
Ken,
Today from 9am-1pm I fished above the Bears Den C&R from the end of Blossom St. to in sight of the RR trestle. Nymphing downstream and black buggering on the way back up and was only able to interest a half dozen fall fish (palm sized) (they pounded my pink indicator putty too). Some lovely riffles, runs and small pools all along the way. Black flashback hare's ear and a bead head squirrel tail nymph shared the interest of the fall fish. Have the browns retreated downstream to slower water or overwhelmed with all the floating leaves? When you said the lower Millers is fishing well did you mean the lower C&R section - Wendell/Kempfield?
Harvard,
Rezendes, in the mid Bears Den, appears to be fishing better than the area above the CR.
Wendell/Kempfield is the place to go!!!!!
Ken
P. Adams,
We need rain for sure!
Hi ken, I read your blog frequently and enjoy it. There are several rivers in central MA that may be worth checking out once we get rain. One is the stillwater. The salmon are stacked in the basin and waiting for rain to run up. Once we get the rain it is a freak show though, you would think we were in Alaska. Also the quinnie is fishing well for brookies some wild and native and also browns. The area below the dam on the quinnie is holding huuuuuggggeee trout and salmon. Saw a brown over 7# and a rainbow closer to 30" than anything. Again the trouble with this area is it gets hammered by bait guys. Your area is ten times better for fishing, but this time of year wachusett and its rivers can be epic. I moved out here from Colorado (mistakenly) but this time of year here is as good as it gets anywhere just gotta hit it right.
Ben
Ben,
I lived 15 minutes away from the Stillwater 30 years ago when it became a landlock destination. Lots of salmon and lots of hardware!! The Quinnie, by the aqueduct, had tons of big fish, salmon and lakers and if they get rid of the dam it will be awesome.
Ken
They've said they were going to take the Q dam down but no one appears to know what the deal with that is. Planning on fishing the Stillwater in the rain Sunday.
Lenny
The Quinnie and Still really could use some additional regs....they are real gems in MA. I grew up learning trout fishing on the Quinnie...some very good fishing can be had if you are willing to hike away from the aqueduct and bridges. I got a large lake trout in the Stillwater about 15 years ago...was fishing for a stray salmon that may have been hanging out very late in the year and hooked the laker alongside a downed tree. Not sure why it was up as far as it was where I caught it but it was a thrill. The thought of the kind of pressure I am sure those fish see nowadays bothers me. Its such a small river its shocking that any make it past the bait boys to spawn. Does anyone know if the east branch of the swift has a run of landlocks? I thought that it did at one point.
Bob T,
I believe that there is a baffle dam on East Branch of the Swift that stops any run of salmon. (Someone verify that for me).
The DFW told me years ago that Stillwater salmon run all the way to E. Princeton. It's a success story but good stories bring out the hordes!!
Ken
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