Long time commenter "Tincup" let me know first - The swift is UP as we all knew it would during this drought. The concern is that it's up earlier than the past two years. As I write it's leveled off at 128 cfs which will make many happy who don't enjoy the 50 cfs flow. It's very fishable BUT I enjoy the skinny water and the spooky fish! Now there's a forecast of thunderstorms rolling through western and central Massachusetts very late tonight. It won't be enough to turn the spigot off at Quabbin but it may give relief to our other rivers. The spigot will turn off if we get a good regional downpour that rises the Connecticut River above drought stage. Even heavy rain far upstream in Vermont/New Hampshire will do the trick. Hope it rains!!
The Swift has been a haven for browns this early summer especially in its lower sections. Browns in the 18+ range have been spied and caught. The massive brookie population seems to be feeding these brutes and a small (#10 or #12) streamer worked quickly seems to get their attention. Just like the bows that try to smack the 3 inch brookie that takes your fly, the quick, darting action triggers that chase response. The higher flows will not hinder this action a bit.
So, the EB was stocked on Wednesday, June 15 which is the latest stocking of this river in memory. It seemed to have enough trout but just needed more water. Did the Swift get any?? No! A "few" below route 9 would be welcome and they can toss the rest above route 9 to keep those regulars happy.
Going to the Swift tomorrow afternoon to dance with brookies and browns and a trip to the EB on Thursday.
Pray for rain! Pray HARD!!!!
Ken
10 comments:
I just missed the uptick in the Swift's flow. Put my yak in at Cady Lane and had a blast with the brookies all morning. The aquarium is full of them. Pulled out at noon. Two more weeks and a new load of dumb-bows at the Pipe will give those who want to try fly fishing for the first time a good chance to get hooked. The crowds will be back as well.
Tight lines.
Bob O,
It's been nice at the PIPE this spring with no crowds but enough trout to make it interesting. The brookies are fun and the browns are too!
Ken
Hey Ken - Nice to see you today! The flow changes messed things up a bit for the Sulphur's, I am afraid, but I still managed a handful of nice sized Brookies today and lost a good Brown. Got a bunch of cannibalistic fish on that Little Brook Trout streamer I showed you. Have a good one.
Ken,
It is definitely a different river with the higher flow now. Caught a nice brown in fast water and lost a nice rainbow in slow water, both on dry flies. For me tonight sub surface got no results. Went to dry flies, including parachute adams that got the only interest.
Regards, Sam
Nice meeting you in person yesterday, along with others which set me in the right direction. Had the lower pipe and tree pool to myself since I didn't get to the river till noon. Ants and 16 emergers took the larger fish. The brookies didn't seem to care, but only cared on presentation down thru cady lane. Left an ant in a nice brown at the tree pool, as he broke me off. Your brown is still where you left him.
Falsecast I was wearing a blue long sleeve shirt and I think it was maybe you that I stopped and talked to when I was coming back from way down below the bend pool?
Lenny
WOW! 45-46 years in fly fishing. What can I say, you are really amazing. Thank you so much for this blog.
@Falsecast,
I also tied up my own streamer to imitate a small brook trout, and used it last week on the swift. A size 8, which I consider huge for that river. I caught my largest brookie of the day on it, which was pushing 12".
Even the little brookies were chomping on it on almost every cast. To be honest, it was a little annoying, because I was trying to get it over to a brown that was in the run I was fishing.
Tincup,
Good to meet you after all of these years. We have to spend some time fishing together!!
Sam,
You did well considering the high flow and with dries too. Keep reporting!!!
Alex,
Yup, 45 years and it seems like I started yesterday!!!
Ken
Ken,
Went entirely with dry flies tonight. Flies used were the parachute adams along with the deer hair caddis in size 12 or 14. The trout are rising, but not in great numbers despite a lot of bugs hatching.
One surprise tonight came from slow water where I caught a few brookies. A gentle sip of the dry fly and a big rainbow was off to the races, diving and jumping like crazy. I thought it was another brookie being the way it took the dry fly.
Regards, Sam
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