It felt like the first week of April instead of the last Sunday in January. 41 degrees at dawn will do that.
I was rigged up at 7:30 am and was surprised that when I drove past the Route 9 lot to find NO CARS. I drove another 1/4 mile to the DEFAULT parking area and I was the first car. So far so good! When I made my way to the infamous Y Pool I was the only one there and that continued for a bit over an hour and a half. I would of thought that the balmy temperature would have clogged the place but not so.
I fished this pool, like I said, before another angler made his entry and that was almost an hour and a half. The result was 4 bows, two on a swift killer bug until the rising trout went over to the winter caddis where I took another two. Then that stopped and I switched to a Size 24 sparkle emerger which resulted in another two and another half dozen dropped fish. Bill, a regular, talked me into a size 30. Two more hits and then I had to leave.
Hats off to the young guy below me who did what has to be done to take about 6 fish within an hour on dries!!! Good work!
Where Are The Fish?
That seems to be the most popular question asked on the Swift this month. I think it's safe to say that the extreme cold that we had earlier in the month sent the trout in search of DEEP water for some added warmth. That's where you'll find them. A mild February will move them around.
Charlies Place March 4th.
Mark your calendars for Sunday March 4th as I will be at Charlie Shaden's Evening Sun Fly Shop from about 11am to 1pm giving a presentation on the Millers and the Westfield branches. BTW, Charlie has mentioned that he has a great supply of Hungarian Partridge skins at the shop. This is good news because this bird is becoming a bit scarce.
Ken
9 comments:
Ken,
I knew I should of hit the Swift Sunday!!!!!
GW
Amazing it was dead for you (in terms of fishermen/women) this weekend. I'd hoped to go, and ran into to many "daddy duty" things. Figured it would be HAMMERED with that weather. Surprised thats not the case.
GW and Will,
I went through a few decades of daddy duty also. Loved it but I enjoy this time too! I left at 11am and it was still a sparse angler hatch!!!
Ken
I'm thinking that Super Bowl Sunday may be a good bet for small crowds at the Swift or Hangover Monday may be better.
Al H.
Ken will you be tying at Charlie's too? I attended a few years ago and you did.
Mark
Mark,
That can happen. Give me a pattern if you like and I'll do it!
Ken
Will,
Ran into old Bill today (Tuesday 11 am) as I was leaving and he said my early outing spot on Sunday was crowded by early pm. NOTE: get there early for a good location at the Y Pool. I had one and it worked. Today (Tuesday) I fished with an otter!!!!! He scattered everything and I had 1 to the net and another dropped fish. F'N cold with the wind off of Quabbin. Spring will come!
Ken
That's awesome Ken. Glad you were at it again - it was Raw today for sure. Makes sense, the angler hatch is like a late winter BWO hatch - has to warm up a bit to get started :)
Ken I'd love to see the Swift River Killer Bug. Thanks!
Mark
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