It's November 18th and after a beautiful springlike Thursday (mid 50's) we are going to be blessed with a Friday and a Saturday with temperatures in the mid 60's!!! GO FISHING because days like these will be a memory very soon.
If you fish the Swift you will find fish everywhere especially in the riffles where the bows and browns are behind the brookies I know of two 20 inch brook trout taken this week!! The fly pattern may almost be unimportant with soft hackles, eggs and meatballs all catching fish.
The Millers - It's not over yet. This warm weather will drag the water temperatures out of the low 40's which will turn these fish on. Last weekend it was cold and the trout were sluggish. The best fishing should be from mid morning to 4pm. No need for an early start. Where to go?? Fish Erving Center downstream from the bridge and the Kempfield Section especially around the bend. The flows have been behaving and it will be fun!!
I'll be fishing in an hour and you should too!! Tell me how you do!
Ken
13 comments:
Ken, if you run into them again, see if they have a photo they'll let you post. I'd love to see a photo of the 20" brook trout if anyone happens to land one. If they couldn't manage a photo, that's understandable.
I had either a large brown or brookie break me off the other day, and was disappointed I couldn't get a closer look. There was a flash of orange/yellow during the fight, and I could tell it wasn't one of the big bows.
TROUT,
Just threw the big brookie photo on the home page. Lenny is sorry for the poor quality but you get the "picture", an 18 to 20 inch BT for sure. That's not his first!!
Ken
Thanks for sharing, Lenny. Love seeing those trout in their fall colors.
Hopefully, I'll make it out sometime soon and connect with one of those brookies. I've caught some in the 12-14" range, but not quite 18-20". Nice to see the wild fish doing so well.
Trout,
You're welcome!
Lenny
Ken,
Spectacular trout, and love the report. I do recognize one of the spots in that picture, and that's a nice run. Sounds like the Swift is on fire with big fish - very nice.
Always appreciate your posts and insights..... thanks.
Jim
Thank you Jim! There are really no secret spots on the Swift. These spots are mostly empty BECAUSE everyone has to fish the same old places.
Ken
Ken,
Here's a report on November 19 Millers River fishing.... I knew it was going to be a great day when on Route 2 I saw my first Christmas tree truck loaded with vast numbers of trees and I heard the first Christmas song of this season on the radio. Does Alvin and the Chipmunks count? Oh well. I fished Orcutt between 11 and 3 and had six rainbows on. Two made it to me, the others I lost. The air temp was in the high fifties and the sun was brilliant. The water flow was fast but not outrageous. The flow on the USGS website showed around 275. Orange and partridge was the snack of the day. Amid constant sounds of hunters shooting at prey from the neighboring woods this was a perfect setting. Ken, I have to work on playing and landing larger fish such as are in the Millers. I may call you. Happy Thanksgiving to you, Ken, and to all readers of this blog! Bruce
I fished the lower Swift today, but nothing much doing It was plenty cold, but I was prepared and the temps didn't matter to me. Tossed soft hackles and nymphs sub surface, and even tried an elk hair caddis on top thinking I might get an unexpected hit from a trout looking upwards. Got some good floats with it, but no interest I'll get them next time!
Bruce,
Good that you had a good day on the Millers. That warmer air did it's magic!! Also, that constant shooting that you heard was most likely from the Orange Gun Club right up the road.
Playing and landing fish - First, the bows in the Millers are the same size as the bows in the Swift - same source. Second, most lost fish are due to rod and line management. Let's assume that your knots are not giving out and that the tippet is breaking or that the fish pulled the hook out. If this is the case then you probably are not positioning your rod correctly after hooking. The rod should be at 10:00 o'clock. This forces the fish to fight against the flexing of the rod. Holding the rod at 9:00 o'clock will just let the fish snap your tippet or get hung up on some obstruction. Holding the rod at 12:00 o'clock only flexes the tip and can break it.
Line management - play your fish off of the reel, especially the big ones, if you want to land more fish. Pulling in the line with your hand just creates a slack/tension situation that can lose a fish.
Try not to let the fish get below you in heavy water. Keep the rod up and steer it in the other direction. Try to force the fish to fight on the surface. This keeps it in one place and tires it out quicker than letting it run at will.
If knots are letting go then practice your knots. It tippets are snapping then practice the above hints and/or go to a stronger tippet. 4x and 5x are all you need subsurface on the Millers. I know one local who uses 3x.
It's almost impossible to catch me on the phone most of the time. Text and email work.
Ken
Had a nice day on the Swift yesterday afternoon. It was windy and cold, but the fish were willing. When does the fishing slow down on this river? I assume there is a water temperature at which the trout become dormant.
Johnson,
Glad that you did well yesterday.
Being a tailwater the fishing should hold up through the winter unless it gets brutal like 2015.
Ken
Thank you, Ken.
Bruce,
You are very welcome!!
Ken
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