Ok, this past Friday I booked five guided trips for this Fall. I guess the rush is on and soon openings will become scarce. Do yourself a favor and contact me with a date, preference of a full day or half day trip and a river selection. Remember, I guide on the Swift (not just the crowded spots but the hidden spots), the EB of the Westfield, the Millers and the Ware River. All of these rivers are on the FALL STOCKING LIST and I know where to go. I require NO MONEY DOWN and there is NO CANCELLATION FEE! So contact me and reserve a date!!!
Saturday morning found me at Bradley airport at 7:30 dropping my wife off for her month long retreat at the Esalen Center in Big Sur. I waved goodbye and then made a bee line to Bondsville which took me about 50 minutes and gave me an appreciation for the miles that many of you put on in the pursuit of trout. In any event I was on the water by 9:00 am.
Some observations: 1. I would see only TWO OTHER ANGLERS in the 3 and a half hours that I was there which was perfect!! 2. Although the flow had dropped from 115 to 45 cfs since my last trip on Tuesday there still were many holding areas with knee to waist high depth. 3. I had left my thermometer in another pack but I could tell that the water was in the low to mid 60's and would stay that way because this section of the Swift is in constant shade. In short, this is a nice place!
I decided to start down at the Cabin Run (you'll know it when you see it) and work upstream to the Cul De Sac Pool (you'll know it when you see it). It was going to be a big dry fly day with stimulators and a few size 10 Wulff patterns. Launching these offerings would be a 6 foot Paul Young bamboo fitted with a 3 wt double taper. I found the value of the shorter rod last week when I kept getting my 7 1/2 foot Swift River bamboo caught in overhanging foliage. I didn't feeling like snapping a bamboo tip so the 6 foot rod was the perfect choice. I will tell you that this section is a good place for a shorter rod. A 9 footer will get you into trouble in Bondsville.
I caught trout in every run and pool that I fished. All were brookies, all were between 9 and 12 inches and all fought like hell!!! They were also free of any obvious hatchery scars although they probably were hatchery born because of the uniform size.There were a few in the 4 to 6 inch range which has always been the case but not in the numbers that you see at Cady Lane.
I ended the day at the Cul De Sac pool where I saw my second fellow angler. I decided to wait him out by taking a lunch break on a streamside rock because I REALLY wanted to work that pool. He was making some long casts over to some slack water and then after a while moved on. I always fish this lower section of the Swift from the left side facing upstream and this pool would be no exception. I got up to the head of the pool and worked the fast water and took more brookies which put me over the 30 mark for the day.
It seems strange to me that some fly fishers actually look down on these wonderful fish preferring to chase something non-native like a rainbow. I love to fish for all trout but brookies are my favorite. We are lucky to have the Swift!!
On the way home I drove past the usual hot spots. THE RIVER WAS PACKED!!! I guess some prefer shoulder to shoulder to solitude. I like solitude and it appears that my clients do to! The fact is many people hire me to show them uncrowded places and I'll introduce them to sections that have fish but no fisherman. Bondsville is a place like that.
Ken
23 comments:
This comment pertains to the EB. I saw on a forum someone posted asking if any other rivers other than the swift and Deerfield. Someone replied with the Westfield river. I can't imagine any branch of that is of cool enough water for trout. At 24 cfs people seriously can't be thinking of fishing for trout can they???
Lenny
Lenny,
I agree spot on!!! This is the worst drought that I can remember and to say that the Westfield is an alternative is crazy and made by someone who doesn't know anything, at least trout fishing!
There's a lot of bullshit out on the fly fishing web and that is a great example of it!!!!
Ken
The Swift is a God send this year, Ken. I know where nice trout live in other streams, but leave them alone until things turn around and hope they survive this miserable drought.
Meanwhile the Swift has the beautiful brookies which I caught a couple of tonight. In the stretch I fish in Bondsville there are a few good rainbows to be had, but you have to earn them tossing the dry fly amongst the brush piles and blow downs in the river. I caught one small brown last week which looked stream born to me being it was somewhat small and pretty silvery looking with few spots on it.
The bigger browns have become strangers for the last month. I imagine they are living in the weeds and brush piles, but I'll be darned if I can root them out. They aren't hitting in the usual runs.
Parachute Adams (Sam)
I value your comments and insights. My trip there last week took a rainbow but Saturday I could find none. That's ok because I love the brookies.
I've seen and had big browns landed and escaped in Cady lane. I KNOW that they are there in Bondsville. I just have to find them.
Ken
I know, or believe, there are big ones in Bondsville being there is plenty of feed and cover for them. Dace or fall fish are abundant along with plenty of cover for big browns to hide in. How one would root one of the big ones out, I'm not sure I know how. Maybe at night with a big streamer is all I can think of.
And the Swift is rising again!!!
GW
I have often wondered what a mouse pattern swum over the surface at 2AM might produce? SMASH.
The flow on the Swift was back up for sure today. Lots of active fish and the big bows racing up and down numerous runs from the Gauge to well below Cady Lane. They shoot from out of no where when you pick up a fingerling brookie. The same fish hammered a 3" then a 5" brookie I was reeling in to release. It slammed into it several times stunning it, grabbed it sideways, shook it then swallowed it whole. Both times while still hooked up to my line. The second time it swallowed the fly and the brookie then snapped my line. Anybody try enticing those big browns twitching a big brookie streamer?
TC
TC,
I did last June and had a BIG brown grab my marabou streamer but I lost him.
B.
You're not the only one. One guy I met planned to to the same thing. I tied up a mouse pattern but haven't launched it yet.
Ken
Hit the swift yesterday for the first time in a while. It was my first time on the Cady Lane stretch. It took a while to spot fish but once I did they were numerous. I saw a couple of big bookies but I just couldn't get in to position for a cast maybe next time. Wading was a bit difficult with the higher water and all the weeds.
I finished my day in Bondsville (near the industrial park). I had just over an hour and caught nothing. I am not sure I gave it the best efort. I was still programmed for sight fishing like the upper swift.
Mike C,
DON"T step on the dark green weeds along Cady Lane. They will really suck you in!!
The yo-yo flows have a tendency to move the fish around. A friend of mine got sunked at Bondsville yesterday but got a dozen in Sunday's lower flow. I hammered them Saturday in low water.
Ken
Of course it goes up when I move back in! Others may have different experience with the high water but it seems to me less fish below cady lane look up when it goes up. But I will say this, it has the same effect it does on the Deerfield when water is released, and it'll get the big boys to mozy around
Lenny
Ken,
I had a few scary moment with the dark green weeds. The water was fairly deep in some spots.
I will give Bondville a shot another time. In the past I have done ok upstream of depot road near the old mill and up stream. The random tent in the woods is a bit creepy though.
Mike
5 or 6 summers back, there was a guy living in a tent for at least the months of July and August. I haven't seen anyone since, though I haven't been in that section since a trip back in June this year. I don't think I would want to be there after dark. In the spring 2 or 3 years back, the town had posted no trespassing signs at the beginning of the trail that branches off to the old mill ruins but they did not last too long. Always been curious as to why they did not totally remove all the old mill remains.
Al
Looks like yesterday was not the best day to try out Bondsville. With the Millers still low, I took the drive. After looking around, stepped in by the industrial area below the island. Hmmm, I said after an hour. Was this the spot Ken mentioned? No luck. Moved up to the slow water and netted a few chubs. Maybe some other time. Lots of construction on Rte 181 out of Belchertown. I returns via Cold Spring Ln.
Btw, best part of the day was watching a Mink make his way upstream on the shore. Not expected behind a warehouse area. Nice.
Al,
Last night I walked past a guy walking a bike loaded with "stuff" on the path to the Pipe. Hmm.... The Bears Den section of the Millers has had "campers" and their semi permanent structures just beyond the trestle above Rezendes. That situation is all over the place.
Bill,
As I said earlier the high water may have put a damper on things down there. My friend, who did well on Sunday, got skunked on Wednesday. Good to see the mink!!!
Ken
With regard to Bondsville area I fish, Ken, I have had some success throwing dry flies, mainly parachute adams and deer hair caddis amongst the brush piles, blown down trees and such. Right now you almost have to hunt them and not be afraid to lose some flies in the debris. In that area a good number of fish I suspect have been taken out and those that are left have gotten educated, but they can be had, especially if you see them rise and you know the zone they are hitting in. I haven't caught fish in large numbers lately, but I don't care being something is always happening to keep me interested and I am always happy with getting rises at the dry fly whether I connect or not.
Regards, Sam
Billy,
I was fishing the other industrial park near the gas station. I have been there a few times still haven't cracked the code.
Mike
Although not Bondsville but still the swift, I made my way to the tree pool for the last 30 minutes of light from cady lane. I'm standing right next to the downed log area at the tail end of the pool and there's a thump literally TWO FEET AWAY from me. Was it a rise? No it was a mf beaver!!! Thing had to have been about 40 pounds! That was a wild experience.
Lenny
Beavers can be intimidating. I had one stare me down on the Westfield a few years ago. Your beaver may be the one working on a large tree opposite the pipe. When it comes down it's going to change things considerably.
A tree came down at the tree pool last night I'd guess (not the actual overhanging tree) but on the near bank. Didn't look like it was the work of a beaver but then again I didn't really inspect it. It's a serious obstruction almost reaching the opposite bank
Lenny
I'll be guiding that stretch Saturday and I'll check it out. I believe we have the right to remove it.
Ken
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