Good Bye To 2018 And Hello To 2019

A very nice read and guide to the Millers, thank you. Of course I have my favorite spots, many that coincide with yours. I am sure that I will re read your guide several times. The most important thing for me is, how to fish the spots, not necessarily where the spots are.- Reader comments about the Millers Guide 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE

First off, I'd like to thank the thousands of monthly readers who have been with this blog for over a dozen years. It seems that every time I hit the rivers I meet readers who say that they never skip a post. They also love the fact that myself and the comment writers will openly name rivers and locations and not act like it's a state secret. We all know the rivers so there are no secrets!! You have made this the most popular "owner operated" fly fishing site in New England

2018 was GREAT because:

The Flyfishers Guide to the Millers River just keeps rolling along. I believe that this year will set a record for copies sent to readers which is remarkable seeing that the Guide is 10 years old. Some have told me that it is just a fun thing to read and I appreciate it. Also remember that, unlike  other guides, this booklet is FREE. And it's an in depth look at this river and how to fish it and not a pedestrian listing of popular stocking points. Needless to say, it will remain available.

My Guiding Business is rolling along. Now, I've noticed fewer guides working the rivers this past year and that may be because this business is not for everyone. Frankly, I LOVE IT!!!! For ten years I've guided everyone from absolute beginners to seasoned world wide anglers and it is all very good and personally rewarding. Some may say that one doesn't need a guide or even a guide book. Just read the reader quote at the top of this post for the answer. Beware of the person(s) who say that they catch 40-50 trout an outing on a particular river.  That's ALWAYS a day or 3 after the stocking truck does it's thing. We all know that. 

NESN Exposure: This was very good because it highlighted the great fishing that we have here in Central/Western Ma (and my guide business) and in doing so we now have more friends of the rivers.  If you want to kill a river then don't support its passive use.  (high water releases for tubing and WW rafting are NOT a passive use!)

The "Newer" Rivers: I started out guiding on the Millers and then quickly branched out to the Swift and the EB. I tried to bring five new rivers on board for 2018 but the lack of available time killed that. So I further expanded my efforts on the Westfield West Branch, and the Middle Branch. These are the most beautiful intimate rivers who will find in Massachusetts and will make the EB seem crowded. If you want solitude then book a trip with me in 2019. Let's not forget the Ware River for great Quill Gordon and Hendrickson hatches in early May without the long drive to the Farmington.

Not an Equipment Blog If you absolutely need to know the skinny on the newest rods, reels, lines, waders and flies go someplace else. I don't endorse any company or their products with the exception of a  rod maker or the occasional fly shop. I endorse certain styles of fly rods and certain styles of fly fishing. I have a special kinship with fly fishers who fish the same rods for YEARS and don't ditch them for "this years new model". Flies must look like real insects and real bait fish and not pieces of costume jewelry!

It is not too early to book me for 2019.  I don't require a deposit so what's to lose!!!

P.S. The LL Salmon in the Swift will disappear by Summer just like 7 years ago and it will not be because they starved to death. The ones that find themselves down in Cady Lane will eat brook trout like the browns do but I believe that it's just not their environment!!

Happy New Year

Ken

Broken Rods Part 2 And A Simple Streamer

"Now if fishing larger waters I can definitely see the benefit of using a 9' or 10' rod (so graphite) to keep as much line off the water as possible, but for smaller or mid-size waters, or where I can wade further out, I think an 8'ish glass rod is fine. Now I do think that the best all-around nymphing rod is 10' 4 wt, but I generally grab the rod I want to use on a particular day and just make it work. " Comment found on the Fiberglass Flyrodders Forum. "and just make it work" is priceless!! He's my new hero!!! - Ken

As stated in a previous post there seems to be a rash of broken nymph rods within the last two years. Although most of the damage is caused by operator error one has to question the design of a rod that is longer than most and lighter than most. Are we reaching the end of reliable construction and design to reach the dubious longer/lighter goal? Maybe!

The fly rod industry has made quick use of the single foot guide (photo on the left) in nymph rod construction. There are a few advantages to single foot guides. First, a lot of the labor disappears because you are only wrapping one foot instead of two(advantage manufacturer). Second, and this is dubious, you have decreased weight by having only one foot and only half the thread and thread coating to add weight to the rod. Weight, by it's self, is a bogus argument. What should be of supreme importance is the balance of a rod, not the weight. My 4wt bamboo rods are heavier than  a 4wt graphite but they are effortless to cast and that's balance!!  My 10 year old Orvis Zero Gravity, (ok it's a shameless plug,) is a  9 foot 5wt that has perfect balance and wants to cast by itself!

Could it be that rod breakage may be the result of the lack of wall support that you get by wrapping only one guide foot instead of two?   Maybe!                                               two footed guide

Could it be that a snake guide has more clearance for the line to run though than for single foot guides? Again, maybe!

The quote at the top of the page is important.  You can make almost ANY rod work without a lot of hair splitting over length and weight. It certainly beats sending your rod back with a $50.00 check to get it fixed.  I just don't fish soft hackles but have spent decades catching lots of trout dead drifting weighted flies without breaking an "All Around" rod because I will not fall for the industry belief which is of creating a solution in search of a problem (that's called Marketing). Again, read the quote at the top of the page.  I'll make the rod work!!!

Instead of the goofy idea of carrying two rods with you when you hit the river carry a moderately fast 9 ft, 4 or 5wt rod and you will cover almost every situation that you encounter.

A Simple Streamer
I used this simple streamer in the Florida surf last March to catch pompano, Spanish Mackerel, blues and ladyfish.  It works for salmon and trout too.  The salmon and trout version is tied on a 4x long size 10 or 12 streamer hook with a black or pink floss body with 8 or 10 wraps of crystal flash left long to tie over the body. Then comes white craft fur for the wing and 2 strands of flash over the wing. Dirt simple and very effective! Keep the craft fur sparse. You can still see it as the trout/salmon smack it!!!

I hope that Christmas was good for you.  We only have 5 days left of that 2018 license to play with!!

Ken

Merry Christmas

 "Funny but nymph rods seem to have encountered an epidemic of breakage but the ultra long and ultra slim Tenkara rods seem to have avoided this. Maybe because you find very few weighted flies in the Tenkara world and weighted (bead heads in particular) flies are rod killers." Me

I guess that this December is one for the books. Unbelievable high water (and unbelievable LL Salmon) and REAL cold weather made this month one for the books. More unneeded rain today will blow up the Swift but that will not stop me from wringing out the last few hours on my fishing license. It's funny but my clients and I took more salmon when the flow was approaching 700 cfs then with this "calm" flow of 400+.Anyway, if you are curious about the "LL's" in the Swift just contact me and book a trip.

Thought I'd throw in a photo of the EB on a late afternoon in mid Summer.  It seems so far away. We fish through the Winter but we know what we really like.

Merry Christmas and Peace to all!

Ken

Why Rods Break And What To Do About It

"Remember, fairness is a human idea largely unknown in nature" - John Gierach


24 inch LL Salmon From The Swift

It was May of 2017 when the end came. The rod broke in mid section while casting a soft hackle on the Bliss Pool. I will say that it was a memorable occasion BECAUSE I was into my 14th year with that 8 foot, 4wt graphite rod and it was the only time a rod of mine broke while in the act of fishing! The rod was built by a club member and I won it in a raffle and its sweet moderate action made it my "go to" Swift River rod or whenever I knew that I would not be casting bead heads and such. ( I leave that task to the stouter rods). I put lots of mileage on my rods, easily more than the average angler, but I am careful with what I do. That's why I'm still fishing 10 year old rods (and catching fish!!)

Operator Error or Material/Design Flaw??

It's almost always operator error and I'm not taking about car doors, trunk lids or ceiling fans but the careless things we do while in waders. (I'll discuss design failure later) Here's a good list:

Candy Cane Rod -

You've seen this and you may be guilty of it too. You are bringing in a trout with your rod held at the high NOON position so that the tip is horribly stressed.  It will break then or 200 casts later and we will blame the rod company but it's really our fault. Now, years ago in the age of bamboo and fiberglass rods were always shorter so netting a trout was much easier. Now we have 10 and 11 foot rods which makes it harder to reach the fish with a net. The result is to Candy Cane the rod. Instead, hold the rod behind you as you extend your net atm so that the rod forms a sloping arc. That way you are fishing a "shorter" rod putting the fish closer to you.

Ultra long rods  can present problems for the short armed, vertically challenged among us.  One solution is to hire a gillie!!!

Death By Beadhead

Before beadheads came around we added weight by wrapping lead wire on the hook shank and then cushioned it with dubbing and wraps of material.  Then we began to see (well, I think so) an increase in breakage especially in the tip section. I knew a saltwater guide whose clients broke four quality loaner rods one season learning to cast clousers!!!  The beadhead fly can hit speeds of 200 mph on the cast! All it needs is to just touch the rod tip and you will have a broken rod either then or later when it finally fails. That's why that special rod of mine lasted so long - no beadheads!!!!

Seating Ferrules 

Make it a habit to check the seating of your ferrules during the day on a river.  A loose ferrule will weaken the wall strength of a graphite or glass rod.  AND DON'T TWIST THEM ON!!! Push together, push apart and that's it. Twisting will also weaken the wall strength and you may have a devil of a time taking the rod apart.

Don't Walk With The Rod Tip Behind You

Two fly fishers were walking along a river, one behind the other. The first one had his rod pointing behind him.  He suddenly stopped walking but the guy behind him didn't and rear ended him breaking the guys rod tip. The rod tip is the most fragile part of the rod and I want to know where it is all of the times. So, rod tips first!!!

Or Material Design Flaws And The Problem With Warranties 

As I said most rod failures are due to operator error but one has to take a long look at the design of many rods, especially the nymph variety. They are stretched out to 10 feet and over 11 feet in some models. They are incredibly light with sensitive tips and if what I see on internet searches is to be believed they have a fairly high failure rate. It appears that they just don't stand up to fly fishing.  Here is my suggestion: If you want a new rod then search the web for everything about it for breakage (those forums are loaded with info.) and if you see more than two complaints about breakage then find another rod company.

So what's wrong with warranties? Actually everything!  Let's say you buy a rod for $800 and it breaks in half on the first day out (this happens, check the web). You send the rod back with $50 and wait for the repair or replacement. In the meantime you are saying things like "$50, that's reasonable".  Did it ever dawn on you that part of that $800 price tag may have been made up by factoring in the cost of the warranty.  Maybe you are paying on it twice! Remember, the rod companies are NOT going to loose money on you!!!

I like an honest warranty that covers materials and workmanship only. The fly fishing industry sailed over the Falls when it offered  "no questions asked about the dumb ass way you mishandled the rod" kind of warranty. Maybe we would appreciate the craftsmanship more and take better care of rods if they were not so easily replaced!


Still catching salmon on the Swift. Contact me for a trip!!

Ken

Slim Streamers And The Swifts Salmon

"Want What You Have" - Timothy Miller

This wonderful salmon season just continues week after week and should run right into the Spring. Eggs and such worked very well when most of the salmon were on their redds but that activity is on the wane. Soft Hackles (partridge and orange again) and nymphs will come into action as has the streamer fly.

I have a love/hate relationship with streamers.  They were designed and  built to imitate bait fish such as rainbow smelt and small trout but the great, old New England patterns missed the mark on that.  Let me explain.  Smelt and small trout are slender fish whereas many tradition fly patterns are robust. The great Carrie Stevens recognized this and developed the Grey Ghost Streamer where the feathers that form the body are tied onto the sides of the hook and not tied on top of the hook which created the slender profile.  Sadly, that slim profile began to leave us when Carrie did. Our tiers went right back to the old method.

Luckily marabou solves the problem! When wet it is slender as a smelt and has that lifelike action that a  fixed wing or bucktail cannot achieve.  Most of my streamer patterns of the last 30 years are marabou patterns.

Now, you see that my samples are bead heads and that is because of the 600 cfs flow of the Swift. Back in the winter of 2011/2012 I didn't use weighted streamers even though the flow was over 500 cfs and still caught fish.  I carry both styles.

Hint - almost all of the salmon caught on this pattern were caught on the drift/swing!!!!!

When tying this fly use very little material. If you think that you've used enough you have probably used too much.

I should name this pattern.  How about The Route 9 Smelt?


Salmon Update

As mentioned earlier the salmon are leaving the redds  and many of the fish that you catch will not be in plain sight as a few weeks ago. Be very aware of the calmer areas along the shore. Even big salmon need to take a break from this high current.  And don't forget the trout. They are all over the place!! It's funny how a 16 inch rainbow becomes just another fish when you have 26 inch LL's on your mind.



Book A Trip - Yes, I'm still guiding.  Book for the remainder of this year or next year!!

The Eastside Grill in Northampton has always been a favorite of mine BECAUSE of their Cajun entrees.  Sunday evening I had their version of Jambalaya which was perfect for that cold day. It was as good as their Chicken Etouffee which has always been a personal favorite.   Long live Cajun Food!!!


Ken

Attacking Conventional Wisdom And A Swift Update

"Another common reaction to this rig is, “Why not just use a spinning rod?” That’s fair too. I’ve tried it, but it’s actually much less effective and a lot less fun. Retrieving by hand and using a long rod allows for more versatility and efficiency of presentation." Trout Bitten  (Mono rigs explained - (retrieving mono by hand is fun?? I saw a guy on the Farmie with a  limber 10 foot rod, a tiny spinning reel spooled with 3x fluorocarbon, tossing meal worms and catching one trout after another and he made it look dumb ass easy!!! That's how you fish mono) Ken

It seems that many pastimes that we seek pleasure in begin to develop "mindsets and truisms" that are hard to dislodge from our brains. Fly fishing for trout has had its share. "Don't bother to fly fish for trout until the leaves on an apple tree are the size of a mouses ear" was a nugget that was in print but thankfully died out 40 years ago. Another clinker is the notion that you need 7x or better 8x on the Swift. We put that theory to sleep back in July of 2015 Right here (make sure to read the comments on that 2015 post)

Fly Line First, Fly Rod Second

A client made an astute statement a month or so ago and that was that he would settle for a 2nd rate rod but never settle for anything less than a first rate line. It makes sense! It also means you have to keep that line in tip top shape with regular cleanings. That's something that I've really started to do.

Casting Lessons

The best fly fishing advice I can give is instead of shelling out $800 for a fly rod just get one for half that, put $200 in your pocket and spend the remaining $200 on casting lessons. Let's face it, I see a lot of expensive rods that are in the hands of people
who don't yet have the skills to use them to their full potential. Solution - invest in casting lessons with a qualified instructor
and I don't mean in the parking lot behind the tackle shop or going to a weekend long fly fishing school where you are in a class and not one-on-one. George Roberts here is a very good instructor and will help change your fly fishing life!

Fly Line And Rod Weights

" I own a 4wt but I'm thinking of going to a 3wt" is something I hear all of the time. The truth is that the 4wt that you own will cast that 3wt line just as far if you have good technique and the same is true for all line and rod weights.  I have a 3wt but constantly pair it with a 2wt line when faced with skinny water on the Swift. My 4 wt get loaded with a 5 wt line on the Millers if conditions are windy or I'm tossing larger flies. All of this works because line/rod weight is an arbitrary thing where a lot of elements come into play: How far is my cast going to be? How short is my cast going to be? What size fly am I casting?  Line weight is measured in grains over the 1st 30 feet of line and the manufactures range can vary by 10%.  One brand of fly line builds all of their lines on the top end of the scale for that weight for better distance! (that's only if you can cast). Of course none of this applies to euro nymphing but only to fly fishing.

Fluoro vs Nylon -

Fluoro has a higher specific gravity but its effect on sink rate is negligible.  Fluoro has better abrasion resistance  but who cares if you're not dragging clousers through rocks and sand while fly fishing the surf. My salt water leaders are usually 6 feet of straight 8-10lb nylon which I change every outing. M

uch cheaper that fluoro!


The Swift - 

It seemed like everyone caught at least one salmon yesterday. My client did it the old fashioned New England way by swinging small streamers instead of tossing eggs.  Many of the salmon have left the redds (or got swept off them) and will now chase streamers and soft hackles. Beware- the hits are vicious.

The temperature at 9am was only 23 degrees but rose to a balmy 34 by noon. We were totally comfortable out there dressed in fleece layers and hoodies. We had some ice in the guides early on but that passed quickly.  It was a good day!!

This action should last right through the Winter so contact me for a trip!!

Wild Fish

Almost all mortality of trout caught on flies or artificial lures is due to rupture of the respiratory filaments of the gills or puncture of the carotid artery in the roof of the mouth. Because of their greater penetration power barbless hooks are more prone to puncture the carotid artery. Large treble hooks often cause the least mortality because, unless the trout is quite large, the hooks cannot be engulfed into the mouth.” Wild Trout Symposium 
           
                                                                               

Massachusetts flyfishers are truly fortunate to have a gem like the Swift River. First, it's a tailwater. Second, it has a large native brook trout population. Third, it has a population of outsized brown trout and fourth, Quabbin sent us a gift in the form of LL Salmon via the spillway. Add the hatchery bows and one could say that we have it all!!!

Now, some may say that the brook trout numbers were down this year. I don't buy it. Sure, I was like everyone else spending the Summer down in Cady Lane looking for Salvelinus Fontinalis and like everyone else I was concerned but by November 1st there were hundreds of them! They just found a different place to hang out this past Summer. "But I don't see them on the redds like other years" is the lament and that may be because of the high water conditions. I found a bunch of them yesterday below Rt 9 and they were spawning. (I didn't fish for them).

The brookies have fed the expanding brown trout population to the point where 5 to 10lb browns are fairly commonplace. During the summer of 2017 the DFW sampled the river from Rt 9 to the Gauge and they were amazed at the number of BIG browns in that stretch.

In my not-so-humble-opinion we probably have the best self sustaining trout fishery in central/southern New England.

The Salmon

The salmon are at the very tail end of their spawning. Where just two weeks ago it seemed that all available spawning habitat had salmon now they have mostly moved on. I'd really like to know the survival numbers for these fish. They came over the spillway in 2011 and were gone in a year. In any event we should have good winter fishing. Small smelt streamers, soft hackles and venerable hares ear will work.

Be Careful

As I write the flow on the Swift is 587 cfs!! The only time that I can verify anything over 500 in this century was for the Fall of 2011 and early July of 2009. (that's right and I wrote in this blog about it on July 31, 2009) Needless to say you must watch your step out there! The one place that remains the same is the good old Bubbler!!!!

The Quote At The Top

What the author of that statement failed to mention is the real danger with jig hooks which are becoming all the rage lately. They almost always hook the trout in the roof of the mouth. Just nick that artery and that trout is a goner!!

Ken

A Sunday, A Tuesday, Over 400 And Double Taper Lines

John D. Voelker once said, “Fly Fishing is a magic way to recapture the rapture of solitude without the pangs of loneliness.” Any fly angler knows what he was referring to. Fly fishing allows for men (and women) to find peace in a chaotic world where we are often in sensory overload with the constant sounds and sights of bustling cities. Flylords Mag

Where's The Pipe?                                                                   

There were already 8 cars parked at the Rt 9 lot at 6:45 on Sunday morning which was too much for me. I do get tired of fishing the same place for too long and even the draw of salmon wasn't enough to get me back there. "Let's try the Pipe." First, I was the only one there which was good. Second, the 370 flow on Sunday morning put the Pipe UNDERWATER. This will happen about every three years or so but it has never killed the fishing. You just fish DEEP.

Wading was difficult to say the least. No, I didn't cross over and stand on the shore but got out in the current but only about 10 feet out. I used a size 12 partridge and orange and roll cast into that seam and managed 5 bows in that crazy flow. The fly was about four inches above the slip shot sinker which did the trick. A scud did nothing. (sometimes I play with the idea of fishing one fly pattern all year long and that would be a P&O SH)

My good deed for the day was informing two lure tossers that the trout that they just caught had to be released which it was. They actually thanked me for enlightening them!!!

Tuesday Morning Two things would keep the crowds down and the first was the weather (snow/rain mix) and the fact that it was a Tuesday! Again, I was the only one above RT 9 which is a real rarity these days and now I had to deal with a 409 flow!!!  So, on go a brace of #12 P/O and a good rainbow slams it. (they fight harder than the salmon). Next was a 16 inch brown and then after a hour came the salmon.

There are redds all over the place from just below the power lines right up to the Y Pool.  Don't walk on them for the next three months!!!

Double Taper Lines
My favorite style of fly fishing on the Swift is during the skinny water of Summer and Fall (not this Fall) which requires small, unweighted flies, long leaders and a gentle cast whether you are fishing on the surface or below.  These are the conditions that send euro nymphers off to other waters and that's where the venerable double taper design comes into play. The Double Taper is built for stealth fishing unlike a weight forward and it  especially shines when one roll casts which is a real asset on the Swift.

Another fly line design is the Wulff Triangle Taper which actually outshines the DT in real skinny water conditions. It is a roll casting machine! I rig up either a DT 3F or a Wulff 2wt to either a bamboo or graphite rod between 7 feet and 8.5 feet and toss tiny flies all day. These lines never see the Millers or the EB where a 4 or 5wt weight forward is the logical choice but they see the Swift and the West and Middle branches of the Westfield. which are perfect for them.

Book Me

You have a few hours left on that 2018 license. Yes, I'm still guiding and if you want to get into some salmon just contact me!!

Ken

Thanksgiving Ramblings, Another Winter Fly And Split Shot Strategies

Note - net found recently on the Swift. Email me to recover the net. KEN
"I don't know about you, but I can get tired of fishing in a crowd, even when the fishing itself is real good.....I can even be sociable and have made some friends along trout rivers, but to me a large part of fly fishing is the quiet and solitude" - John Gierach, Fly Fishing Small Streams

This four day Thanksgiving event has been the longest that I have been out of my waders since last February but I needed to relax a bit plus this unbelievable early season cold spell cinched it for me. Wifey and I made a mad dash to Manhattan on Wednesday morning (no traffic to speak of), had a Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat (apologies to Arlo Guthrie for stealing his line) at my daughter-in-law's place and then shot over to the Village that evening for chuckles at the Comedy Cellar! A different Turkey Day for sure but we loved it!!

Swift Serendipity

Yes, you can fish this fly all year long but it really shines when there's snow on the ground. It is an unabashed knock off of the Serendipity. That's accomplished by ted and rusty brown for the body AND ditching the hair wing for white turkey flat.  Some may say that it imitates a reddish aquatic worm but I think that's a stretch.

It has been with me and on this blog for over 10 years and will stay with me.  There is no weight built into this fly, no lead and no garish bead but it gets deep with split shot about 4 to 6 inches from the fly.

SPLIT SHOT RIG

Split Shot is becoming my go to weight method. It has many advantages over the weighted fly. First, a fly with split shot hovers just above the stream bottom and is pushed around by the currents, suggesting LIFE more accurately than with a weighted fly. Second, You don't loose too many of these flies on snags or pick up weeds as with bead heads as any regular on the Swift knows.  Third, when you it's time to fish an unweighted fly you just pop off the shot!!

I used to pinch on the shot about 4-5 inches above the fly but I would still get the occasional hang up and that was almost always because the shot got wedged in a crevice or between to objects.

That was solved with the rig on the right >>>
Tie on the fly with a surgeons knot with a 5 inch tag. Pinch on a shot about a 1/2 inch from the  end of the tag but not hard. You want it a bit  loose so if the shot gets snagged in a crevice a tug will make the shot slide off and all that you have to do is attach another instead of tying on another fly. I think it's called a slip shot rig in some circles.

The Salmon - What To expect

Back in 2011, when the salmon last made it into the Swift, we saw very little spawning activity and that may have been due to the 400 - 500 cfs flow back then.  They are spawning now so avoid the redds.  It will be interesting to see how successful they are. What about after the spawn? Years ago we caught them on small smelt imitations drifted near the surface. We caught them on size 26 dries,  soft hackles, hares ear nymphs and on tiny midge larvae.  In short, we caught them on EVERYTHING and that activity lasted right through the Winter and into the Spring.

Don't forget the Rainbows!!!

Ken

A Winter Fly, LL Salmon And Happy Thanksgiving

"If people don't occasionally walk away from you shaking their heads, you're doing something wrong" - John Gierach

I like scuds especially on the Swift.  In fact, it may be the only place where I fish them. All of that weed cover especially far below Route 9 must be the home of millions of these creatures.  Even in a weedless section like the Bubbler Arm the trout know what they are and attack them.

It seems that I usually fish them only in the Winter and why that is I cannot say except they seem to work better in the Winter.

There are all kinds of methods used in the creation of this fly but this works for me:

Hook - scud style size 12 - 16
Body - fuzzy  Australian Possum ( slight olive cast)
Carapace - thin plastic strip
Rib - ultra thin copper wire

I add no weight to the body with a bead but fish this with a micro shot about 8 inches above the fly letting it bounce along the bottom. It works well!

Schedule A Salmon Trip
You heard it here first as far as the salmon are concerned!!!  Other "sources" have not even mentioned this fishery which is too bad for their readers.
I've caught LL Salmon on every trip since they came over the spillway and today I took two more brute salmon and two high flying bows in two hours. The Swift is loaded with salmon and eager bows and so far conditions have been great even with the high water. The snow didn't bother us and temperatures in the 40's felt fine.  Just contact me for a 3 or 6 hour trip especially on weekdays when the hordes have thinned out!!!
20 plus inch salmon from the Swift

I thank everyone who has read and contributed to this blog over the past month.  Your input counts and I value it.

On that note I wish all of you and your families a peaceful and joyous Thanksgiving.  The best to you!

Ken

Rating The Rivers 2018, Snow And Salmon

LL Salmon On An Egg

What a screwy year.  Two years of summer drought followed by one of the wettest summers on record. It didn't stop me and others from getting our waders wet and doing what we like to do.  I was able to guide and fish most of my favorite rivers until late September when the constant rain blew out the freestones and left us with the Swift. (not a bad option!!!)

Which brings up a point.  This blog reports on approximately 5 river systems and their conditions and recent fishing success.  I know whats happening because I was there. I've also been the recipient of some great fishing reports by readers. They are not afraid to share reports on rivers AND of locations on rivers.  This is something that you don't find much in the land of flyfishing blogs which may list many rivers but never report on them. In fact, this blog may be the only constant river report in Massachusetts. I know that it gets more page views by far than any other owner operated fly fishing blog in New England.

Now For The Rivers

5.  The West and Middle branches of the Westfield River (22 trips, guiding and solo)

I'm lumping these two beautiful rivers together because they are close enough that a six hour trip will give you plenty of time to fish both.  The topography of West Branch (WB) reminds me of a miniature
Deerfield without the float tube theme park scene.  The Middle Branch is a tenkara playground and where it flows into Littleville Reservoir you may run into great dry fly fishing.  Rainbows love the place.

4. The Ware River (26 trips, guiding and solo)

A very good Spring considering the ice jams of last January and what it did to the river.  It's still my top spot to be in May for Quill Gordons and Hendricksons and it held up right through June.  I was hoping for a banner Autumn but the flows killed that.  BTW, the Ware river has a high percentage of dry fly caught trout in my experience.  It's a dry fly river!

3. THE EB (East Branch of the Westfield river) 28 trips, guiding and solo)

The EB had a good Spring and a steady Summer and I was praying for enough rain to insure a Fall stocking.  I prayed too hard but we still caught trout in heavy flows.  Because of the conditions we had to WORK for our fish which is always more satisfying than catching 50 stockers in two hours. BTW, I've always seen big stoneflies in this river but not like this past August and September.


2. The Millers River  (54 trips, guiding and solo)

Last years top river looked like it was going for a repeat and then Mother Nature destroyed it. The Millers hasn't been at 400 cfs since early September and has been over 3000 twice. Last years Autumn dry fly action was unbelievable. This year = Nothing. It would have been #1 but.......

1. The Swift -  (62 trips and counting)

Ok, it's a tailwater and probably a bit unfair but what river offers trout habitat all summer every year? What river has a population of MONSTER BROWNS that are probably stream born and not swimming along with eye tags? What river has a stream born population of brook trout in outrageous numbers (this years numbers appear to be down but they are still higher than any stream in Southern New England. I've seen hundreds of brook trout in the past two weeks) and let's not forget our extra bonus of LL SALMON this Autumn.  That's why this river has been written up in national fly fishing magazines and has become a destination for fly fishers from all over the country.  That's why it's NUMBER 1!!!!

I wouldn't mind seeing a Trout Stamp purchased to fish this river and with the proceeds going into protecting this resource!

We got about 10 inches of wet snow last night.  That will not stop us.

I found this trash up at the Y Pool Tuesday morning. The dope was dumb enough to have dropped it on the shore and now we are on to him.  Keep an eye out for this bullshit especially with the brookies, salmon and browns in the middle of spawning.
Put the Environmental Police number in your phone.  (it's on the front page of this blog).


Ken

It's A Salmon Year

"Fishing in rainy conditions may make fishermen seem crazy to the great mass of unimaginative people, but then few fishermen care what they think." - John Gierach

It POURED yesterday and the Swift broke the 200 cfs barrier (245 as I write) and hasn't stopped which was probably the reason that I spent three hours without seeing a soul.  It was worth it!! The two bows were nice and the stray brookie or 3 looked great but I know what I was there for: LL Salmon!!!

As stated in a previous post I'm staying away from the redds as best I can and have had fun swinging soft hackles as if they were an Atlantic Salmon fly AND IT WORKS.   I managed two on the swing.

The fish in the net was about 24 inches long and managed to stick its head through a small tear in the net up to its pectorals. It's a big tear now. Note to Self: Get a new net!

Where are they?  They are everywhere!  Its a small stream so you should be able to find them.  Just  walk on weeds or sand and not on gravel.

This perfect  condition comes once a decade.  Don't miss it.

Ken

The Salmon Are Back And A Mystery Fly

"Flyfishing is solitary, contemplative, misanthropic, scientific in some hands, poetic in others, and laced with conflicting aesthetic considerations.  It's not even clear if catching fish is actually the point." - John Gierach

You knew it was going to happen on the Swift as soon as the overflow started. Surface swimming LL Salmon would follow the current over the spillway and end up in the Y Pool just as in the Autumn of 2011.  I first saw evidence this past Wednesday as huge fish (bigger than the usual trout) began to bat around the Y. I got this photo from reader Hunter of this fish that the angler thought was a large brown.  It isn't!  Sunday my client and I cast for about an hour for some HUGE fish that were cruising the surface with HUGE dorsal fins that reminded me of sharks.

Back in 2011 we caught these fish on everything from tiny smelt streamers to hares ear nymphs right down to a size 30 larvae patterns.  One particular streamer pattern was the Goldie.  Contact Dan Trella for details.

The Swift flow is 192 cfs as I write on 11/12 at 5:45 am and with Tuesdays rain it will continue to go up.  The Bubbler Arm will be a sanctuary for trout hunters because that flow will not be effected by the spillway.  The PIPE is half submerged and may go underwater for the first time in about 4 years.  It appears that the usual brookie spawning spots are effected by this extreme flow.  I know of two spots that have not been effected (that means lots of spawning trout) but I will not fish them this year under these conditions.

Brookies And Blue Wings

 The incredible BWO hatch down in Cady Lane continues unaffected by the rising water. Yesterday around 1pm the water was littered with thousands of size 26ish mayflies which didn't give a damn about rising water or the cold wind/temperatures. Now, this area is fairly empty of it's larger brookies that have headed off upstream to the dance leaving the sub 6 inch fish to provide some entertainment.  THERE ARE THOUSANDS of these fish in that area which bodes well for the future. The question is: where were they last Summer???

Name That Fly


I got this email from reader David L. this weekend:

Hi Ken, 

What is this cone head streamer thing? I pulled it out of a tree while rescuing my own fly on trophy stretch of upper Connecticut. I have since caught several huge fish on it. Good down deep in big water conditions. Can't figure out how to buy more.

Any help appreciated. Couldn't figure out how to post the picture in your blog to get reader help. 

Lets solve this mystery!!!

Next Post: River Wrap Up!

Ken

A Sad Sight And "Natural" Flies

"If I fished only to capture fish my fishing trips would have ended long ago" - Zane Grey

In the Fall of 2017 I was primed to fish this one section of the Swift and that second were the large gravel flats found below the Duck Pond. For the past few years this section had been the the TOP brookie spawning area on the river, period. Hundreds of brook trout built redds and many,many rainbows and browns patrolled the area for the stray eggs.

In late September of 2017 scouted the place out and was dismayed/shocked at the weed growth that had taken over the flats. Needless to say, brookie spawning in that spot was abysmal! I was hoping that 2017 was a freak year. It was not!

The above photo was taken on Wednesday. All of the prime gravel beds are under a sea of green and instead of hundreds of BT I saw 3!
There were a few "open" areas but the increased flow probably makes them unsuitable. Two years ago you saw very little weed growth.

The weeds seem to start at the Duck Pond and head downstream. Above the pond there is very little growth.

Natural Flies

I wish that I had coined the label "Junk Flies". You know, the garish, glitzy, bead headed monstrosities or those squirmy wormy creatures in day glow radioactive colors. When I fish I want the trout think that my fly is the real think and not something to strike out of fear. I get more satisfaction out of catching a trout on a nymph like the one in the photo then catching six on a san juan whatever.

The Weekend

The Millers - 3010 cfs

The EB - 1150 cfs

The Swift - 144 cfs but still very fishable. It is really the only game in town so to speak. If the expected rain on Friday is lighter than the forecast the EB may be fishable by early next week which is not too late for this river. I've had good late November days on the EB. The Millers?? See you next May!!!

Ken

Over The Top And The "Dark Season"

Over the last decade or so, as the growth in the number of fly fishermen has plateaued, it’s become harder and harder for the large wholesale fly companies to grow or even maintain their sales. As a way of combating this, the introduction of new fly patterns is something they’ve come to rely on. The same is true for many fly shops and independent fly tiers. At all levels of distribution, new flies represent both monetary incentive and reward. How well they catch fish isn’t nearly as important as how well they sell. - Hatch Magazine

                                                                                                 

Well, it had to happen with the two months of steady rain that we have had. The Quabbin finally crested the overflow arm and began to flow into the Swift. The  photo to the left was taken at 9:30 am on Saturday November 3 and although it's not a lot of water it can be enough to change the strategy for this river. Fridays' heavy rain blew the river from 55 cfs to 100 overnight. Much of that increase was due to the RAIN hitting below the dam and not from the overflow but the overflow may keep everything higher than it's been for a few months. The river leveled off  but it may not drop to that "sweet spot" of 55 cfs for a while.  Wherever it lands I hope that the BWO action doesn't stop early.  It's been the best in years.

The Bubbler Arm will be the least affected but this rain. There is no increase in the release so it should be fine.

What to expect - the overflow may last for months meaning that there may be some LL Salmon taking the plunge as in 2011. There was a lot more water back then so we will see. It also means if that if the overflow continues through the Winter and Spring we could have some SUPER dry fly action on that arm on warm March and early April days. We always have. My concern is if we have too much water downstream it may hinder the brookie spawning. Again we will see.

The Dark Season

I'm a traditionalist which makes me lean towards freestones and the best time to fish freestones is on a Spring or Summer evening. Insects are hatching and trout are rising and I am in heaven.  Sadly, those days are gone until late March where we will have longer days without balmy temperatures for a while.  Until then the tailwaters will have to do.

The Quote At The Top

I found that quote to be fairly accurate but a bit limited in scope.  If the number of flyfishers have "plateaued" then it would effect all parts of our game and not just flies.  There are many more types of rods now than "back in the day" and I believe that it is an attempt to squeeze every $$$ out of us by creating  a solution in search of a problem. We now seem to need a rod for every situation instead of a rod for all occasions. The industry is turning many of us into gear heads.  I still fish 10 and 20 year old rods and never felt undergunned or handicapped.

Ken

Big Brookies

Hi Ken - 

Was out on the swift for a bit Monday and had some luck with your partridge and orange size 16. There were 4 cars where we usually meet so I tried up at the Y pool and got one bow at the log just before the pool and then another in the pool. Never would have had the knowledge or the confidence to do this without your helpful teaching - much appreciated and many thanks !  - Client Comment

The Swift brookies seem larger this year with two in the 12 inch plus range plus other large brookies being spotted. The run hasn't reached Rt 9 yet (I have spies there) but it will. Remember, STAY OFF THE GRAVEL!!!!!!!

The brookie in the net was taken with a size 26 BWO snowshoe emerger. There has been a large steady hatch of this insect over the last few weeks with duns running down to size 30 (they say). I think that they are larger than that and I've been using 26 and 28 size flies and catching fish. Size 24 in that pattern took an 18 inch brown and hooked a larger one that threw the hook for my client. Dry fly fishing in October??  Don't miss it.

Some don't like fishing over these tiny flies but it is really a blast and a challenge. You should try it!!!

The "Other" Rivers



Just as soon as things were getting good the rains will come again. The EB is at 399 as of 7am 11/1 and will go up by tomorrow evening and then rise some more on Saturday. The Ware is at 288 and that will increase. The Millers? Forgetaboutit!!! The EB and Ware should be fishable by next Tuesday!  The Swift, as usual, knows how to behave with a nice skinny flow of 50 cfs.

The BWO Emerger

The magic is in the wing material because it will float the front of the fly while the back end sinks. I will use snowshoe hair OR very fine wing post material.  Olive thread and light olive dubbing for the thorax right down to size 28 and then no thorax on smaller sizes.  They are easy to tie but a bitch to tie to the leader in low light!


Happy November

Ken

The BROOKIES Are Back!!

"A very nice read and guide to the Millers, thank you. Of course I have my favorite spots, many that coincide with yours. I am sure that I will re read your guide several times. The most important thing for me is, how to fish the spots, not necessarily where the spots are".- Reader comments about the Millers Guide  and the MAIN reason why I guide on the Millers which is SOMETIMES YOU NEED A GUIDE!!!

                                                                                                 

THEY'RE BACK and they came back with a vengeance. The wave of brookies are leaving their summer homes and are heading upstream. I took a beautiful 12 inch male in the gauge run and saw several others along with the browns. I have heard that the BT are scarce above RT 9 but that should change soon. So tie up some eggs, tie up some Partridge and Orange SH and get at it. Remember, don't walk on spawning grounds and that is everywhere you find clean gravel. Walk on weeds,leaves,sand or any debris to reach your location.

For the record - according to this blog the brook trout began their upstream march in 2017 on 10/22. It was earlier the year before and a week later this year.

Autumn On The EB

How are the other rivers doing? Well, here are the current flows for them as of 5:30 am on 10/29:

Millers - 949 and rising.  I may have to write this river off for the season. Even with no rain for November the seasonal draw down from Lake Tully will fix that. (Thank you Bill from Tully for the info)

Ware - 167 and dropping. It's hard to believe that the flow is excellent here after all this rain.  FISH THIS RIVER

The EB - 563 and dropping. And it will drop a lot with every dry day that we get. I'm looking at a flow of below 500 to hit some areas and a flow below 400 to hit most of the river. That will happen by mid week hopefully.

Book a November Trip

We have fished the EB well into November over the years and have had excellent catches.  I remember client Van tossing a stimulator into the run on the right and having it smashed by a large hungry bow! Want to get in on the action on the Swift?  Book me for a 3 or 6 hour trip.  Want to explore the Ware? Same answer as above.




Ken