Thank God for this insect. It's here from the Spring through the late Fall, comes in numerous sizes, seems to be all over the country and loves those damp, cool cloudy days that other mayflies seem to avoid. The Blue Wing Olive is a staple. One of my best dry fly days was early October on the EB when the air was full of them and the trout couldn't get enough of them.
My favorite ways to fish the BWO is ON or IN the surface with an emerger or a full dun pattern. A.K. Best, the well known tier and author, says that this fly really isn't OLIVE but more of an olive brown color. Many imitations our there are too olive and if you can capture one of these guys you will see that. Anyway, I here is the emerger I like to use:
hook - size 18 scud hook
body - olive brown synthetic dubbing
thorax - brown rabbit
Wing stub - CDC Puffs
The Adult:
Hook - size 18
Tail - dun colored hackle fibers
Body - brownish olive synthetic dubbing
Wing - grey CDC
You can tie these up quickly because they are soooo simple. Hint - the emerger is the better fly!
By now EVERYWHERE has been stocked at least once so you have no excuses for not going out. Try to stay clear of bridges because these are prime stocking spots and the truck chasers will hone in on them like cruise missiles. It appears that the DFW has now made it easier for truck chasers to get to places quicker with some nifty software. Why not put effort into developing a strain of survivor trout instead!!
Ken
25 comments:
Ken,
Thank you for echoing my sentiments when i saw this new software. I would love to hear an explanation from the powers that be as to how this is deemed to be any kind of "improvement" for state fisheries....Although i'm sure I already know what that true answer is. Unfortunately, it certainly doesn't benefit year round anglers
Checking out the new masswildife stocking data now & one thing that stands out to me is the disproportional number of brown trout stocked out east and hardly none stocked out west! Doesn't make sense why the state would waste such a good resource on stocking small ponds.
Had the swift to myself from 4-7 last night, seems to be happening quite often now. Four into the net and a few misses, their's fish there but you need to work for them.
East branch is almost there, that inch of rain today won't help though.
I am a huge fan of your blog! Please keep the posts coming as they are my favorite break from work haha!! Also, I am new to the area, and as a passionate fly fisherman your information has been indispensable towards some of the great success I've had on the Swift since October!
I will be teaching a friend to fly fish this weekend and - maybe unfortunately for him - he has said he wants to try the Swift... I'll be packing a spin rod in case the fly lesson is too much for him on this pressured and technical, albeit amazing, water. Hopefully some bwo's will be out and about to give him a show.
I wanted to ask you more about the Ware River. I can only seem to find general area maps, but no information on specific stretches to fish (or even park). I was wondering if you would advise we try this spot out (even if I have never fished here before) as I feel the less pressure may make for a better beginner experience. I fancy myself at least a decent or capable water reader so I'm hoping this may work, however your advice as always would be greatly appreciated.
Kindest regards,
Miguel
Dave,
You and I agree. This is pandering to the catch-and-keep-as-many-as-we-can-chase-the-stocking-truck CROWD. I didn't mind the end of the week summary which basically was " here is where we stocked over the last five days so go catch 'em". But that must of upset the feathers of the truck chasing birds! Better yet, why don't they publish GPS co-ordinates for each stocking site and approximate time schedules for stockings. EVEN BETTER YET, why don't they just hand the trout out at stocking points!!!
This is a set back for people who fish year round. Any fly fisher who waves the pom-poms for this backward idea doesn't have our true interests at heart! Habitat and the trout that live in it are the real issues.
Josh,
Who's going to be fishing for those brown by the 4th of July? Nobody on those ponds.
Miguel,
What spot are you referring to?
For starters go to the covered bridge in Gilbertville and the airport section where Church Street hits RT 32 in Ware(I believe). Guides don't care about town boundaries.
Ken
Ken
I agree about the new format for the DFW. It may be a publicity stunt to make stocking more important than self sustaining fisheries as in Connecticut.
Hal
Funny, they don't even seem to be putting the correct information on this new "technology" caught brookies at the pipe last week that were for a fact stockies. The whole thing is a joke
Lenny
Ken,
I don't know, and I could be wrong, but I don't think this new format will result in the catch and keep individuals getting any more of the trout than they already do. There have always been stocking truck chasers, and word has always gotten out on what water has been stocked even before the internets. My hope same as always is DFW will be active in enforcing limits, but I am doubtful they have the required manpower.
I hope they don't publish this specific type information for fall stocking as that is a great time of year to fish while most of the fish harvesters have either moved on to hunting, or lost interest in fishing for trout.
Regards, Sam
Lenny,
You are right. I've caught plenty brookies in the Swift that are hatchery fish.
Sam,
It's not a question of whether they will catch more fish under this new format (I think they will) but it is pandering to the truck chasing, gold rush mentality which is the ugly side of this sport. Of course there have always been truck chasers but I thought we were going in the other direction by releasing data on Friday afternoon. Guess I was wrong.
Ken
I don't understand, Ken, why the DFW would pander to the truck chasers. What would be the reason for that? We all pay license fees, so why not do something to satisfy C & R guys too and expand those areas along with making it year around?
Also, enforce the limits and make sure those who catch fish have paid into it?
The more I think about this new stocking info format the less I get it.
Sam
Hello all, this is a funny post for me because I have never had much action or luck fishing bwo hatches and have not witnessed too many to be honest.In fact when I have taken trout on this pattern there usually are no naturals in sight... go figure.I started to tie my own with a pheasant tail abdomen and olive thorax just to add some contrast.For the wing I use poly yarn in a comparadun style.As I said above usually I am not matching any hatch when I choose this fly(don't know if my recipe stands up to a real hatch) and will fish a size 12/14 on the pemmi in July and 16/18 on the squanny in the fall before the stockies come...nissi was fishing good on Sunday three hard takes on the swing but couldn't land any, one of those days I guess. Don't over look this river folks many holdovers and not many hook and cook guys. The stretch up stream from where the dam was removed is absolutely perfect fly fishing water. That should be the c&r if you ask me.
Paul Fay
Ken,
I always liked that the state had a website where you could see if your local river has been stocked. I don't get the idea of why it needs to be a daily posting of locations though. Every Friday was good enough for me.
I do agree that I think this will mean more fish caught on stocking day when they are more gullible which would mean less that get distributed throughout the system. Is it a lot more who knows.
On the bright side I can use the website to see when a river has been stocked and know which to day to avoid the crowds.
Mike
Paul,
The EB has good numbers of BWO in the Fall. So does the Millers over the last 10 years or so. The thing in common with these rivers is that a cloudy, cool, windy day with a hint of rain to come will bring them out.
Mike C,
It is overkill for sure.
Sam,
They pander to them because they are afraid to get them upset. I once asked a state official why 66% rainbows instead of 66% browns as in Connecticut. "People want big fish and rainbows grow quicker" was the answer. Are we THAT different from Connecticut because they seem to be doing great with their policies!
Ken
@hal, Interesting that you mention it, CT probably has the most precise stocking data out of any state. You can in fact view the exact location in each stream where trout are stocked. Check out the DEEP site for CT trout stocking. You'll see the maps with circles as to where the trout are stocked.
I agree with the sentiment here that they should focus on sustaining trout populations.
Trout,
I agree with Hal. Follow the leader I guess. "Ct probably has the most precise stocking data of any state". Big statement without qualifiers. Still the wrong direction for any state unless you pander to the "keeper" crowd OR the "look how many stockers I caught and released crowd." By July these clowns will be a memory. Until then...
Ken
Fished the Niss this morning - the water was high, but the fish were still there a week after stocking, and were acting like trout (eating a #12 hare's ear). The new MA stocking site is sort of the opposite of NJ where they have set in-season stocking dates, and the rivers are CLOSED to fishing on those dates. More disturbing to me is the thought that they would stock brookies over the natives in the Swift. Have caught many brookies, but have never seen a stocker there. Had good luck down in Bondsville a week ago - got a couple bows including a fat 17" holdover, and got into a pod of spectacular 8-11" wild brookies in a rock garden downstream of a fallen tree.
Hi Ken,
I guess I should qualify my statement to say that I mostly fish in New England, so there may be other states out there with a more precise stocking map feature. I'll say that CT offers A LOT of information including detailed stocking locations, pools, access points, etc. All in the form of view able and printable maps online. Quite honestly, publishing locations is fine by me, because I fly fish primarily for the solitude. The more people going to the noteworthy pools and riffles leaves more room for me to fish the quieter sections of a river.
I would love to see rivers closed to fishing during stocking which would let fish move from its stocking location.Not popular I'm sure.
Great point, Mike, as to using the web site to avoid the crowds. Another reminder why fishing in the fall has become my favorite time of year to get out fly fishing . Even the heavily hit places that still hold trout are vacant for the most part.
Regards, Sam
Closing the season during stocking means you have to OPEN the season which, if you're old enough to remember, gave us the disaster known as Opening Day. Many times the fish were still schooled up and they were slaughtered. I like the idea of publishing a list of stocked streams but no stocking dates or stocking locations. Virtually every stream has been stocked by now so it's a dead issue.
I like the idea of a "trout stamp" and C&R on the "major" rivers list. The stamp would earmark funds solely to do what Connecticut is doing: building better trout!!
Ken
Ken, I had a good time this evening trying to entice a rising trout next to a big boulder in slow clear water. Some of the rises were right off the surface, and others were just underneath. In any case I tossed both an emerger and a dry fly caddis #16 in his feeding lane, and had some good drag free drifts, but he would not take. It was getting dark, but I think at one point I saw a snout underneath the fly, but he wouldn't take it. I always enjoy seeing trout rise, and hopefully I will get him to take some day being I know where he lives.
Regards, Sam
Sam,
Next time......
THAT is what it's all about!!
Ken
You are right, Ken. I didn't connect, but what a thrill to see that rascal rising and trying to outsmart him. It looked like a nice one too. Next time, Sam
Just a thought here: Since the DFW stocks so many trout each year is there a point where too much C&R starts to impact the quality of the fish? I know that hunting helps to cull the herds so there is enough food in an area to support a healthy deer population , other wise there would be less food and the entire herd would suffer. That has been a proven fact. Does the same apply to trout populations? Does too much C&R impact the trout's environment to sustain a health growing population? I know you promote Fly fishing and C&R , but don't you feel there has to be a balance with those that like to fish, not fly fish and maybe keep a few for dinner? I am being a devils advocate here but see so many who tend to berate those who don't fly fish, as if they were idiots or worse . Don't we all have a right to pursue are own way within the regulations? I am writing this because as a fly fisher I know there are others beside us who read your blog and this appears to turn others I've heard from off and labels us as elitist, arrogant etc, who are only concerned with "our" type of fishing and have no room for any others. by the way thanks for this blog . I love hearing all the info from you guys.
Paul N.
Paul,
A stream can hold only so many trout based on available habitat and food supply. Most rivers/brooks in this State cannot sustain the fish that are stocked even if they are not "fished out". Let people keep fish from these waters (I'll include lakes here too) but there are rivers, and parts of rivers, that have the habitat to carry trout through the season and even (sometimes) through the winter. Catch and Release makes sense here.
"Elitist, arrogant etc" are labels thrown at fly fishers that are sometimes deserved. "Trash dropping fish hogs" are labels thrown at bait fishers that are sometimes deserved.
Ken
Ken ,
Appreciate your knowledgeable response to the question regarding C&R vs. catch and keep in regards to sustainability. I wish their was better enforcement of the laws but it seems not to be the case. I am always surprised that we don't see more DFW officers around the Swift.
Thanks again,
Paul N.
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