As commentor Chico said a week or so ago " I'm getting a bit bored with the Swift". There is some truth to this in the fact that the Swift is one of the few places with cool, running water and it gets all of our attention. It would be nice to work some other rivers into the mix but that's not on the table right now. And with the Farmington gasping at 60 cfs we will just count our blessings and fish the Swift.
Maybe it's knowing that we are going to the Swift that passes for boredom because once I get there everything gets very interesting.
Last evening I spent three hours working dry flies along Cady Lane. The trick here is to find the BIG fish which tuck themselves up against the bank, many times in very skinny water. My size 16 CDC Pale Dun bounced off the bank and bank side foliage and then drifted downstream towards me. First, a good 14 inch brown inhaled it followed by two brookies in the 11-12 inch range. Then I missed THE brown who followed the fly for a foot and then sipped it in and then broke me off. He was an easy 18 inches and he is still there. Throw in the bunch of 6 inch brookies and it was a good evening!
One of my most popular guiding sessions during the Summer and early Fall is my Evening Rise trip. 5 to 8pm and then 4 to 7pm later on are great opportunities to learn about a new spot or to brush up on technique. I still have some openings in August. Also, if you're interested in a Fall trip (September, October, November) BOOK IT NOW! I will fill those months quickly!!
August is a transitional month. Hot days but the nights are getting cooler and longer. Soon the brook trout will don their Autumn colors. August is good but September is bettor. The days are generally in the 70's and it is normally a drier month. Terrestrial flies can rule the day and I've had some of the best dry fly fishing on the Millers fishing over BWO, caddis and midges. There's plenty of trout food around and the cooler water temperature activates the trout's appetite. Get Ready!!!
READ THIS - "Anonymous" and frequent contributor Hibernation have cited examples of someone leaving glow bugs in the backs of trout above Rt 9 in and around the Y Pool. Knowing that section the way I do and the method of fishing eggs YOU DON"T FOUL HOOK AND BREAK OFF TROUT by accident!! This is evidence of SNAGGING!
Look for evidence of "Lifting", where you see a sharp upward stroke with a fly rod as was done against salmon and steelies in western NY over the years. I left the Environmental Police number in the comments section for this post. Spread the word that we are looking for the "flyfisherman"!
Ken
10 comments:
Ken,
Is it my imagination or do the larger brook trout in the Swift seem to be getting into spawning colors now?
RC
RC,
It seems that way to me although I'm anxious to see the spawning colors so I may be imagining it. I do believe there's a change!
Ken
Meant no disrespect to swift....raining like crazy....here south of Beijing China! Will try to send some h2o back home. Chico
I caught another rainbow at the swift today that had been foul hooked and broken off with glo-orange egg pattern. This is the third fish that I've taken the same pattern from since the last stocking and I have seen several others in the water. I've seen them in the y pool and the three stocking points downstream. This technique, couple split shot and a brightly colored 'fly' cast to get on opposite sides of stationary fish and yank, I saw used out west to snag salmon and believe to be illegal. I suppose if you fish above route 9 these are the things you see, i don't even like to fish up there during the Brook trout spawning season when this practice becomes far more common.
Yesterday up the swift I got a rainbow in the net after he inhaled a small brookie that had taken a dry, the larger fish often attack other hooked fish (for behaving irratically?) but this time the hook stuck enough so he couldn't spit the brookie before being landed. Was on the Farmington on Monday, water very low but did get a nice brown, difficult position, during morning trico spimner fall. Got a few more small sporadic risers during the day on baetis and ant patterns. Saw several humming birds, a bald eagle from casting distance, a dozen blue heron and even a white one, three mink, lots of swallow tail butterflys and a three foot long snake swimming past me with a small Brook trout in his mouth. A good week so far, got a little rain yesterday and looks to be more on the way.
Anonymous,
Snagging is illegal. The Environmental Police "inland" number is 508-366-6537 and they have responded in the past.
You are right- we need some rain especially the Farmington. This will be a good test for the survivor trout!!
Ken
It's been a few weeks for me to get on the swift.. but last few times there I was amazed to see maybe 2 fish with orange glow bugs in them (both in the corner of the mouth, looked like fish that broke off when hooked). One I caught and took the glow bug out... the other evaded my fishing skills.
Another fish, in that log jam 100yds down from the powerlines, had a big sparkly woolly bugger in it's flank. I wanted to catch that one to get the bugger out but couldnt.
I dont remember seeing so many fish there with flies in them. Pretty weird. Seeing Anonymous post above made me think of it.
Will
It's a little strange to hear about the fish with hooks in them, especially when they put in less fish this year than last. Last year when fishing near the pipe I'd foul hook a fish here and there due to so many fish being stacked up, and that only ever happened at the pipe where the water is faster. That's weird.
Lenny
Leaning to the benefit of the doubt, the egg-laden trout may well be the result of inadvertent fouling, rather than intentional snagging. It would seem to me if there is intent to snag (often with the goal of harvesting fish) that the tippet used would be heavy enough to overcome the forces of resistance. I fish egg patterns, and have inadvertently foul hooked fish, and, with only a 5x or 6x tippet, they have sometimes broken off. I think a trout can take an egg, and it can release or be spit out, only to lodge in its flank or dorsal area. The foul hooked fish often seem to apply considerably more resistant force to the leader than one hooked in the jaw, thus breaking off.
That said, I do not condone snagging (lifting) fish, or illegally harvesting in a catch and release area.
Bob O,
I always value your opinion but the section above Route 9 in a strong sight fishing area where fish are targeted. I can see some foul hooking and break-offs in the area around the pipe but slower water and fish in the wide open can be too much to resist. I can't go along with the theory that a trout will release or spit out an egg pattern and that fly then snags the side of the trout. It takes a bit of force (heavy current or the snagging motion of an angler) to accomplish that.
Keep an eye out for suspicious activity.
Lennie,
Good point!
Ken
If any of you are out on the swift Tuesday afternoon / evening, and see a guy in an olive shirt with a green, tan and black "Ohio University" cap and gray sling bag - that would be me, say hello!
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