"Controlling micro drag is far more important than reducing the diameter of your tippet, which can never be completely invisible" Thomas Ames Jr. in Hatch Guide for New England Streams
"Your average dry fly leader that is "homemade" has at least a half a dozen knots over its length. I hate knots because they catch debris and are weak spots. I tie flies but not leaders except to add more tippet." Me
Swift Serendipity
First, I'd like to thank those who have jumped at the chance and booked their Spring and SUMMER trips. Best days and times always go first so don't wait too long. Also, I thank those who have ordered flies from me in the last week. My inventory is good and shipping is fairly quick. Again,don't wait too long.
I like this variation of the Serendipity. I never liked the deer hair wing buds because I felt that it made the fly a bit too buoyant. The turkey flat wing sinks it quickly and that bit of white gets the trouts' attention. RED has been the best color for me and winter has been the best season for this fly and I don't know why.
I am a big fan of Davie McPhail, period, and my favorite fly of his is the McPhail Buzzer. This chironomidae fly just seems to represent those aquatic larvae that live in a tailwater environment(also in freestones). It's a simple tie with the key being the bright red/orange gills at the head of the fly. I used to tie this critter with the "red gills" below the fly but I've changed this. This fly will tumble in the current so it doesn't matter where the gills are. I tie them on the top of the fly (where the wingcase would be) and it MAKES NO DIFFERENCE as far as the trout are concerned. It works all year round (the Pipe and the Bubbler) and you should have them. They have worked on the Millers when we have that THING called "behavioral drift" . Lots of dorsal fins and tails but no obvious hatching flies. This larvae will move in mass downstream up by the surface and the trout want them! Sizes 16 through 22 seem to get it done.
I'll be at the Marlboro Show this Friday walking around. Say "hi" if you like!!!!
Ken
12 comments:
Hi Ken - I hope to be there Friday - if you see a really handsome guy (bahhh ha ha ha) wearing a "Ohio University" hat, that would be me.
On the ice jam images. I think it was via the T and G that I saw the images. But I'm pretty sure if you search "Ware River Ice Jam 2018" or "Ware Airport Flooding 2018" on youtube, you will find images/video. Same approach but "millers River Athol Ice Jam 2018" should work - I've seen video during the evening news on NECN as well, so perhaps their site???
Unrelated, but do you remember probably 25 years ago when the sand bar below the rail road tressel up stream from the Wendell Depot bridge pool was so big that you could safely wade from there over to the gravel bar on the route 2 side of the big pool? I miss that - made fishing that 2A side current from the tressel out a lot easier :) The question becomes - do you have any idea how long ago that connecting bar washed out? I know it's been a long time... But every time I think of that stretch I get curious.
Will,
I saw the ice dam photos on the net. Awesome!\
I can't picture that spot. Is it the upper Trestle Pool?
Ken
Here's a high five to all the species that survive that environment. Hope to see them in the spring. And sometimes i think my life is tough...
Ken,
I'm spacing the "official" name of the pool... But it's that space from the new Wendell Depot Bridge upstream to the rail road bridge... That rail road bridge splits the current via the big middle support "island" and on the down stream side there was a big sand bar. It's still there, but a lot smaller than it once was.
Will
More neat flies and especially like your explanation of why they work. Thanks
Will,
Ok, I recognize it now. I think it fished better years ago.
Anonymous 5:21,
Thank you very much!
Ken
Hi Ken,
Kudos to you for writing your consistently generous and intelligent blog. Despite being an "old dog", I learn valuable tricks and tips from you every time I read your blog.
Minor disagreement about hand-tied vs. knotless leaders. Although I've had OK luck with knotless leaders for line weights 5 and higher, for me the butt ends of commercially-produced knotless leaders are too thick for 2, 3, and 4 weight line tips.
I tie my own leaders for my lighter lines, using the 60/20/20 formula recommended eons ago by A.J. McClane. I use stiff Maxima for the butt and the step-down segments and soft material for the tippet. This formula seems to give me much better turnover for all casts, but especially for the roll casts needed for small streams. It's also really sweet when you have to make a mostly-leader cast in close quarters.
I can tie a serviceable 12-footer with just 6 knots, but I agree that the knots do pick up weeds and glop. It's a trade-off I'm willing to make - occasionally stopping to remove the weeds in exchange for better, more consistent presentations.
Although this leader formula seems to work especially well on the short, slow cane rods that I prefer for our Berkshire brooks and small rivers, I also find it performs better on the faster 5-weight graphite rods I prefer for bigger, windier water.
Just my 2-cents.
Warmest wishes, and see you on the river!
John
John Strucker,
First, thank you for the excellent comment. I appreciate it!
I went through a phase some years ago with hand tied leaders. It's an early season set up I have used on larger, weed free freestones such as the Millers and the EB but on the Swift I have found that knots pick up that slimy weed that we get on tailwaters like the Swift and that devilish condition that we get in October which is the "pine needle hatch". One client of mine, a well traveled flyfisher, insisted on his hand tied leaders for the first half hour that we fished the Swift. It was about every third cast that I had to pull the pine needles off of his knots. We switched leaders to knot less and then we had to only deal with the pine needle problem every 10 casts or so and that was cleaning his fly of needles. (I hate pine needles) When I guide on the Swift I know my clients will pick up that slime as I do but more if the leader is hand tied. I am constantly checking the fly and leader and I usually find something attached. Having fewer knots means less leader and fly cleaning.
I can't stand fumbling around with equipment adjustments while fly fishing.
I have fished larger freestones in the Spring with nothing more than 6 feet of 4x to get the weighted fly down by the bottom and it has worked. I break out the 12 foot commercial leaders during lower water conditions for freestones and the Swift.
To each his own as the saying goes.
Ken
Hi Ken- you're only going to be at the fly fishing show on Friday ? I will be there either Saturday or Sunday and was hoping I could meet you.
Gary- I am going to start a contract at MA Mutual soon and will be there for 6 months. Maybe we could hit the Westfield when I am out there.
Hockey
Probably my favorite youtube video during the winter. Certain parts remind me of the Swift with trout rising in still water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIx3cDFHyu8
Best Regards, Sam
Hockey,
Something came up that kept me away Friday and I'll be doing something else Saturday and Sunday.
Sam,
Certain parts do look like the Swift except for the crowds. Two more months till SPRING!
Ken
Finally got to fish the Swift. Thanks for all helpful resources you supply on this page..... Had a good morning on the river and couldn’t get over the quality of fish the Swift has to offer! Thanks
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