What a difference a year makes!! Last year at this time the freestone rivers that I fish (Millers, Ware and the Westfield Branches) were toast. Now they are perfect!!!! The WB did well for me last Sunday and also produced this week. The EB worked well for Gary during a "dry fly morning" as he described it. I spent the week guiding on the Millers and we caught trout every EVENING.
I put the word EVENING in caps because it is important. There are those that still consider the Millers unfishable during the summer. They are totally wrong. If you want to fish during bankers hours go to the Farmie or the Swift but if you want some REAL summer fishing hit the water by 7pm on the Millers or very early in the morning (5am) on any of above mentioned rivers.
Also, try to stay clear of the tributary mouths. I have seen trout packed in where Whetstone Brook enters the Millers with guys fishing right on top of them. Connecticut has a law against fishing near certain brooks flowing into the Housie during the summer. So should we!!!
Flies To Use - Use any fly that you want BUT I would never be on the Millers (or any other river) this time of year without tan and olive comparaduns in 14 and 16, Soft hackles (of course) in partridge and Olive or Orange and my reduced buggers.
Another bit of conventional wisdom debunked is that trout stop hitting if there is lightning in the air. We had two good evenings shortened when storms began to approach but we continued to hook up. The trout didn't care but we did, getting off the water with plenty of time to spare.
The Swift - The regulations change below RT 9 on July 1 to C&R and that river should get some fish if it hasn't already. With the freestones running full I've had little time to fish the Swift but that should change this coming week. I'll keep you posted. Note: The Swift was stocked today (Friday June 30)!
I'll be chasing stripers from 7/8 to 7/15 and then guiding in the evenings through Labor Day. Want to try a new river during the best time of year? Contact me!
Ken
17 comments:
The farmie you say well folks better hurry, seems like Conn is in trouble. Next year they will be staffing there 3 hatcheries with 9 people due to budget cuts, 3 per hatchery, at present there are 7 in each and 1 honcho (who is leaving). Stocking the state may go from 650k to 350k (trout) and 1 of the hatcheries may close, trouble in paradise. Oh this week they have or will be stocking 2000 large browns for the holiday weekend in the upper C&R could be the last time.
Gary,
That's very interesting! Those Farmie browns better start reproducing quickly!!
Contact me about Cady Lane!
Ken
ken,
The millers has been great but I've been blown off the river early twice this week by T'storms. Up until I had to leave the fishing has been great.
GW
Thanks as always, Ken. What would we all do without you?
Seriously doubt CT is going to let the Farmie cash cow slip away. Wonder why MA doesn't try the same approach with the Deerfield River? Too big a river? No resources? No imagination?
Anonymous,
The Farmie and the Deerfield are two different rivers. One generates electricity and the other doesn't. Improving the Deerfield would be a tall order with the flow conditions that exist there.
Ken
Ken
Fished wendell depot above the train bridge this morning. Hadn't been there in a year, water was high and coffee colored. Different than last year, nice to have water. Nothing in the big pool, but fish were up stream in the small pools between the runs. went up as far as the first island. The more i explore that river, the more i wish i lived closer.
best
Joe
I fished the Farmy for the first time yesterday. 8 swings and misses on various dry flies with no connections with the rising trout, one of which looked to be good sized.
I fell in love with that river and look forward to my next visit there. Wading was tougher than I expected and I am sore as he!! today. What a workout!
Sam
Joe,
Glad that you liked the Millers this morning even though the flow doubled over night.
Ken
Sam,
I think I lost your comment but I'm glad that you hit the Farmington today. It's a great river that I only get to visit on days from late November till late March. Someday.....
Ken
Might sound odd to some, but I hope the Deerfield doesn't see the same management as the farmy. It's already fantastic and I like how not too many people fish it and the work you need to put in to catch fish. I still fish the farmy from time to time but each time I'm reminded why I stay away for so long- crowds. Go to the drive in on a summer evening and youll be flanked by fishermen more often than not. The farmy is great, but having to work to get away from crowds is something I hope I never have to experience on the Deerfield
Lenny
Lenny,
That's a good point! The Farmie is a crowded place and I don't like crowds either. I fish it in the Fall/Winter because it's the time of year that I have the most free time AND there's fewer people. It's like the Y Pool for me. I haven't been there since February and even then there can be too many people.
To some, fly fishing is a real social event. The more people to chat with the better.
Ken
Got to pick your times and places if you want solitude on the Farmington. I have found that early mornings, or drizzle, or a 3 minute hike off path will thin the fishing herd. Undisturbed fish are also a bonus! Hmm, kinda like a lot of spots I fish.
On the topic of "solitude vs. crowds" ...
Although I have a number of fishing buddies, because I'm single/divorced I have more time to fish. So most of the time I go fishing by myself and also often find myself the only fisherman on some river or pond where I enjoy the solitude, the tranquility and the necessity of figuring things out by myself.
On the other hand, while I certainly don't like it if some fishing spot is so crowded you don't have room to fish, I don't mind encountering other fly fishermen. On the contrary, I've really benefited by the "social" aspect of fly fishing. I have learned a helluva lot fishing next to the regulars and locals, and I've enjoyed exchanging fishing lore and even flies with many a fisherman. One of the pleasures of fly fishing for me is meeting a stranger on the river and leaving as friends.
Herm
P.S. Fished the Swift on Friday. The sulphur appearance was weak but various ant patterns worked pretty good.
Friday my brother and I had the place all to ourselves, the stretch we were fishing. I had good action, but no connections. My brother netted some good ones. I will be back.
You can find solitude on the Farmington or the Swift but you have to look for it. That is never the problem with the Millers, Ware or the EB, large rivers that have a popular spot or two but go largely unfished. (It's always been a mystery to me why Bondsville on the Swift is such a lonesome place. Too close to the C&R?? Can't see the trout swimming
between your boots?)
It seems that I know a lot of the regulars on the rivers that I fish and may even share a run them them BUT NOT OFTEN!!! It seems that they are a lot like me: find an empty place to fish and then socialize at the parking lot later.
Ken
I do agree you can find solitude on the Farmington. But when I run into crowds on a Wednesday that's where I draw the line. To each his own though.
Lenny
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