First - I'm booking up quickly for this 2016 season on my three rivers - The Millers, the EB and The Swift. Also I'm working on developing some trips out in western Massachusetts on the Middle Branch of the Westfield and the Hoosic System. The Middle Branch (MB) may be the most beautiful, remote mid size stream in this State. You've probably never fished it but it's gorgeous and worth your while. There are fish there. The Hoosic and it's branches are a regional secret and fish well for oversized browns. Now, most of my clients come from eastern Massachusetts and this is a haul for you. Most likely an overnight stay to get on the water early for best success. Contact me and we will work it out.
I am getting BIG interest on the Millers this winter. Let's fish it. 90% of the flyfishing is done on 5% of the water. Do what my clients do - explore the river and become familiar with this river.
Also - I've kept my prices at the same rate for the past three years.
Also - I must be doing something right because some regional guide actually lifted a paragraph from my blog on Beginner Lessons. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery they say!!!!
Caddis - If you fish freestones in Massachusetts you can't avoid them. I could do three posts and hardly scratch the surface. In general most of the successful presentations are done subsurface and the photo of those wet flies are PERFECT. My friend Ric introduced me to this pattern 20 years ago. A dry pattern is also shown and this works too although it takes a bit more skill to tie. The wet pattern is made of gray or tan dubbing with some partridge fibers on the top and brown or black ostrch herl behind the head. The dry is turkey quill (glued or taped) over a dull body and a head of black dubbing. They work!!
Ken
11 comments:
I remember fly fishing the Middle Branch with my older brother and my dad back in the late 50's and early 60's before they put in the "new" Littleville dam. The section we fished is now underwater. There was an old littleville dam that had not been in use for a long time and at that point did not hold back the river. Fond memories of those days.
Great flies, Ken. I like your web site in general, and I always get good ideas on flies to tie. I tied up one of those wet caddis flies tonight. It came out pretty good with peacock herl for the head.
Wow, Ken, that caddis reminds me so much of the "muskrat nymph" of Fran Betters. Slightly different materials, but the silhouette and color is so similar! If it works as well as Fran's fly, then it's got to be a killer!
Will
Ken, for the nymph, do sizes 14-16 sound about right?
Lenny
Joe C.,
There's trout in that reservoir too and lots of good water above it.
Lenny,
14 and 16 are right.
Will,
It also looks like one of Polly Rosborough's "fuzzy" nymphs, Casual Dress!
Sam,
Check out the author mentioned above for some great nymphs!!
Ken
Now that you mentioned the overnight trip, I was wondering if anybody knows a place in Eastern Mass that I can camp and trout fish. I would love to just take my tent and spend the night -when the weather gets a little warmer- near the river and get up early to fish the next day.
I don't know about eastern Ma camping but the DAR campground in Goshen is 20 minutes from the EB. Check it out!
Ken
Ken, I would like to share this link to a video for how this guy ties soft hackles with partridge feathers that would typically be too long for a small fly. I find this works pretty well and I hope others find this useful. The partridge hackle tie in occurs at around the 5:15 mark of the video. Regards, Sam
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM_G4KSX2mM
Sam,
Johnny Utah ties very well. That technique is used by most of us when tying smaller SH.
Ken, prior to seeing Utah's video, I had been either trying to tie in individual clumps of mallard fibers and spin them around or I would make a couple of turns with a saddle hackle. I am pretty pleased with the way my soft hackles come out now with this 'new to me' method.
Regards,Sam
Thanks Sam for finding the post, and Ken for spreading it around.
Looks like a winner for smaller soft hackles I like to use on the Swift.
About camping and fishing. The kettle ponds on the Cape are often first iced out, and the first stocked. If you have a float tube or a canoe, early spring at Nickerson State Park in Brewster may be a good bet.
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