I have never had a problem in telling my readers exactly WHERE on a river I've had success in catching trout. I've also known that I can write about a spot time and time again and even bring clients to it to fish and STILL fish it alone 90% of the time. This is particularly true of the Swift where some fish above route 9 time and time again and then say they are tired of the Swift without even attempting to fish the miles of water below. From the Duck Pond to Bondsville, the water is cold, the fish are there and the crowds are not.
Isn't Cady Lane getting crowded? The short answer is NO. I seldom have to share a section and often I see nobody. The fly fishers that I meet are kindred spirits - they enjoy the solitude too. Often I will ask a client "do you see anyone"?. The answer is always "NO".
So, try exploring this river.The old haunts will still be there but maybe you can develop some new ones.
UPDATE - One of my favorite sections of the Swift is from the Gauge down to the Pump House. This spot has been great year after year but this year it has been almost empty of fish. Now over the last few days I've seen bows working their way upstream through this section. I knew that the bows would start heading up river once the brookies started but this is early but much appreciated.
Check this spot out!!
8/15 - There is a report of a lost rod section from the Pipe section of the Swift. It's from a 0 weight. It you find it email me and I'll contact the owner. Thanks!!
Ken
13 comments:
Had a good day on the lower swift yesterday caught about a dozen brookies two nice browns and one 4 inch largemouth. Saw one other person over the course of 4 hours and they left right away. I'll take that over fishing elbow to elbow upstream any day. I haven't had any luck beyond the industrial park this year though perhaps the water is too warm downstream? Last year I caught trout all the way down to the ware river.
Ryan,
Good day on the Bondsville section and a 4 inch largemouth too. He must of come up from the Ware.
Ken
Ken
not to state the obvious (I think you do a good job of spelling things out) But is the gauge at the pipe parking lot and the pump house down by the pipe pool? Thanks for the great tips. Brought my 12 year old to Cady lane and fished brookies like no ones business. All to our selves. I have a little trouble with the soft bottom there so getting to far bank can be challenging while looking for the Big Browns!
If anyone found a section of a 4 piece 0 wt. Sage one rod in the parking lot for the Hatchery Pool or the path leading to the Pool, I can be reached at 508-321-1555. I lost it on Mon. Aug 15. Great blog, Ken.
Chuck
Ken
Hopefully the recent rains made even a small dent in the flow of our waters. I just wanted to mention that the day I was there was like something out of a Fly Fishermans Heaven. I was pretty much alone on the Campground pool and there were probably 20 fish rising consistently within a short cast, and there were many many more fish rising upstream and downstream. I will have to include the Farmington on my list of streams to visit regularly in the future, along with the Swift, and the Millers. The EB is long haul, but I want to get out there this fall too – any open dates in the fall?
Chico
Ken - thanks again for your time yesterday, Mikaela and I had a great time and are both looking forward to seeing you again soon.
At the top of y-pool where the bubbler riffles feed into the pool, Mikaela set up shop to practice what she learned. She caught two brookies and broke off a slab of a bow. Can't thank you enough, we will be venturing out next weekend also. If she keeps outfishing me like this I may need to take a few hours from you too!
What size soft hackles are you using? 16? Any point in getting some bigger and some smaller? I may buy some online to tide us over until you start to sell your home tied flies.
Thanks!
Alex
Quinneyfish,
The answer is YES.
Walk on the ribbons of sand down in Cady Lane and don't walk on the dark green weeds. They will suck you in!
Chico,
Good to see that you had a good day on the Farmie especially at the Campground Pool, a favorite of mine.
Alex,
Size 16 most of the time and size 14 some of the time on the Swift. Size 12 to 14 on bigger rivers also down to size 8 and 10 at times.
I'm glad you guys did well.
Ken
Need help from u or your followers. The margaree river cape Breton Island nova scotia I have an invite to have a week right on the river for salmon fishing, and golf in the rt 4 area. I will have rights to one side of the river on private property. The invite comes from someone who know nothing about the fishing just happen to married a terrific girl from the island and inherited the cabin. So I need some help been trying to do research but if u or any of your followers been there. Or can steer me in the right directions would be helpful. Flies etc. I already know licence cost, floating line only, barbless hooks catch release area. So type of flies tippet size fish size would be truly helpful 7 to 8 weight I would guess. Just looking for help. Don't mean to change your forum Ken
Bob (tincup)
1 blue charm size 2 to size 12
2 ally shrimp size 2 to size 12
3 black bear green butt size 2 to size 12
4 mickey Finn size 2 to size 12
5 general practitioner size 2 to size 12
6 cossaboom size 2 to size 12
and green highlander these flies are what i usually try first before any other flies!
Here are some recent Margaree salmon flies that someone said would work. Notice: no dry flies (green machines, bombers etc). That seems weird in low water conditions.
7 to 9 weight rods with floating lines. Some say sinking tips are legal.
Don't worry about changing the forum. You are an angler in need!!
Ken
Thank you
I've been fishing the Swift starting at the Ware confluence and moving upstream and I haven't seen another angler there yet this summer. The fishing: excellent. Plenty of brookies, some smallies, as well as some chunky bows and browns who aren't afraid to hammer size 12-14 flies. I did see a flush of mergansers as well which were quite beautiful.
Thanks for continually updating one of the most informative fly fishing blogs around Ken! I have learned quite a lot from it.
Cheers,
Gabe
Gabe,
Good to see that you are fishing and successful off the beaten path. Thanks for the good words about the blog!!!
Ken
Yesterday was my very first time flyfishing on the swift(or anywherefor that matter) i caught a small brookie and a lot actually came natural to me. I went up with a friend and had a blast the casting actually was pretty easy. I thought it was going to be hard but it wasn't, without any direction from my buddy i got out there and went to town. I enjoyed it so much i went today and got a nice 8'6" st.croix rod today, its awesome and i think i just found my new hobby. Ill be splitting my time between large mouth fishing at the oxbow and heading up and down the Mill, Swift, and Deerfield from now on.
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