"I've heard people say that any trout here without an adipose clip or an elastomer tag/dye mark is wild, and that is completely inaccurate. Most of the trout stocked in the Permanent Catch & Release/TMA are indeed marked by the state (about 10,000), but the other well over 30,000 stocked trout are NOT marked in any sort of way." Upcountry Fly Shop setting it straight for the Farmington,5/17/17
I'd really like to see a resurgence of this fly, weight or no weight.
Study the map to the right. Red means a serious low water condition, Orange means the flows are below normal. First, we haven't had a lot of rain in the last month but at the same time we didn't have the rapid snow melt of years past. The short story is we haven't had much rain and may be looking at a drought. The long story is that this condition could be totally gone in a month. We will see. (Note: the cluster of red dots belongs to the screwy Deerfield and the Connecticut Rivers, forever burdened as hydro rivers.
Your Trip
All of the rivers are being stocked as I write. I can put you onto some famous rivers and some that people really don't know much about. It seems that most of my clients don't want to be fishing shoulder to shoulder and I can really understand that. So we will go to spots where you have plenty of river to fish without gangs talking about equipment, technique, hot flies and whatever. Book a trip with me to find out-of-the-way places on famous streams and then great spots on the lesser known streams. After a trip you will know where to fish in the future!!!!
"Make hay while the sun shines" the old saying goes and that means fish the Millers when they have held water back for the Canoe Race and before they release it. At 3:30 yesterday (4/12) the Millers had dropped from over 1100 cfs to 700. That's still high but perfect for my old reliable setup: a 9 ft 6wt with 6wt full sinking line. This was the standard high water, Springtime rig back in the 70's and would still be popular today if the tackle industry hadn't convinced us that sinking tip lines and other toys were better performers. The goal in fishing heavy flows is to get the fly down and a fast sinking line and 4 feet of 3x leader is all you need. The fly itself doesn't even need to be weighted and contrary to to conventional wisdom this line is not hard to cast and certainly casts better than anything with split shot! You can nymph with it and you can swing flies with it as long as your rod has some zip to it.
I tied on that hybrid Hornberg, now referred to as the "Kozman", and began to pick up fish at the Bridge Street Pool. Three bows and a brown (holdover?) and another three that were dropped. Not a bad 1.5 hours and I enjoyed this "old school" session.
As I write (5:30am, 4/13) the Millers is at 600 cfs and should drop during the day SO FISH IT IF YOU CAN!!!! This time Saturday morning this river will be north of 1500 cfs and that flow will last at least a week. Hit it today and use a wading staff!
Ken
20 comments:
Ken,
Yes, there is a drought in western Ma but you are right in saying that it could be over quickly. We don't need another 2016.
Welcome back, Ken!
Hope to get out to the freestones over the next few days.
I've had good luck with a streamer like the bead head Hornberg pictured in your blog, especially early in the season in the EB. Tied on a #8 hook (#10 for the MB) it's been a good big fish producer.
Some slight differences in the version I use. It features a black tungsten bead and a small bunch of red feathers for the throat. No body necessary - just bare shank, but sometimes I wind on silver tinsel. I use both lighter and darker wood duck-dyed mallard for the wing. I've heard this version called "The Heron" and attributed to Dick Talleur.
(I used to use an English seatrout wet fly also called the Heron for browns on Scorton Creek. But it looked nothing like this weighted Hornberg. With palmered, folded dyed mallard over the body, I thought it looked like a grass shrimp. BTW, never caught any Scorton sea-runs on it, or anything else for that matter!)
Best wishes to all,
John
John,
I've just tied up some of those hornberg flies with nothing on the body but tinsel which seats itself better than a body of dubbing. They worked well!
Ken
Bondsville report from today, Ken. Small caddis, #16 I would say, were flying around and plenty of them at that, with plenty landing on the water. Nothing going for them. Threw every fly under the sun today, but nothing doing. Water is still cold, but improving, mid 40's in my estimation. Brookies are still missing in action. Where in the world are they?
Sam
Sam,
Was at the Ware Saturday afternoon, saw many caddis, stoneflies and a quill gordon or two in the air but no fish. The Swift has been slow. I have a feeling that these stocking reports are not that accurate. Also, where are the browns. I've seen that some semi trout waters around Boston have received ALL THREE SPECIES or trout so far. Central and Western Ma??? Not yet.
Ken
ken fished the river shawsheen where I saw the stocking the week before. Worked 3 pools with floating line and mostly green and black nymphs, and soft hackle sparrows in brown and black. Not a hit or fall fish, changed to a sinking line using a brown sparrow took 3 bows the leader length only 2 feet of 4x. Water is not high but 43 degrees Fish all took as if the fly was stuck on bottom, no one else fishing at all this was Friday. Fished it as slow as I could and the same pool where I pounded it with the floating line. My thoughts on the stocking reports is this . They can say its stocked but like I saw first hand one or two net fulls dumped in is not a lot of fish. And if you get the truck chasers quickly at the spot well we all know what happens. Like all hope this weather turns soon
Because the Millers was high and the Fife Brook damn was running full speed ahead on the Deerfield, I made the trip out to the West Branch of the Westfield between Chester and Huntington yesterday. The flow seemed perfect, but this was my first time on this stretch of the river. There were insects in the air but no risers. I was nymphing all day and saw no signs of fish anywhere on the river. I've been fishing recently "stocked" spots on multiple rivers and haven't run into any fish yet; it's been a weird beginning of the season!
I stopped by the East Brach (main stem, if that suits you better) on the way home. People were there fishing but the river was running a little too high to wade in the places I like to go.
Hi Ken,
You probably already know this, but the bubbler arm has really come alive the last week or two. Either they threw a lot of fish in their recently or everything in the Y pool has decided they want to feel some “flow”. I hit last Wednesday and the Thursday before that and 4-5 rainbows and a 3-4 brookies each day with at that many each day that we’re hooked and lost. I got everything on #20 black zebras and #20 pheasant tails. In some of the shallower areas had some but Limited` luck swinging small bead head pheasant tails with no additional weight. It is such a pretty spot particularly when the sun gets high in the sky lights up parts of the stream. Hope to see u out there soon.
Best,
Paul Howard
Brook_trout,
The EB isn't usually stocked until the 3rd week of May for the TU camping party that weekend. This glorious C&R section has to WAIT for fish until the trickles around Boston get there "catch & keep" allotment.
Tincup (Bob),
They are stocking fewer fish this Spring than in years before. Everyone is saying "where are the fish"??????? The Swift, below Rt 9 and one of the most popular sections in the State, has nothing. Must keep the bait boys and the fair weather anglers happy I guess by stocking that "classic trout water" (Joke) in eastern Ma.!!!!!
Ken
Glad that you used a sinking line. It worked for me!!!!!
This spring has been a bit weird with the cold & warm oscillations in temperature. As such, the fishing has been fairly streaky. I've found small streams in my area more user friendly than larger rivers. Still, I've picked up a few stocked and holdover bows in larger rivers by fishing low and slow. It will get better in a couple weeks.
Take care,
Ashu
only brought and ended up using it because of your post comments also the ivory soap worked great
i was wondering if the millers river fishing association was going to do another stocking weekend again this year? went to bridge street section on friday night and got 7 rainbows on joes flies.
but i went down from bridge a little ways.
Ashu,
Very low and slow brought me some bows and what appears to be a holdover brown on the Miller this past week!!
bigmster127,
I don't know anything about that group except that their website has been dormant for months. Do they still exist or are they asleep? Who knows.
Bridge Street and that area RULES!!!!!
Ken
Ken--Good to see a word or two about the Hornberg. I've fished the Hornberg for years and it's one of my old favorite and reliable patterns. In northern New England it's a prominent and well known pattern tied in a wide range of sizes and variations. In southern New England it's not that popular. I've always fished it dry on the drift with the retrieve bringing it just below the surface. Never thought to weight it and fish it deeper in the water column sizes. Have to tie and try a few weighted ones. Thanks for the tip!
Ray Bondorew
Author of "Stripers and Streamers"
Ray,
Glad that you are still using the Hornberg!!!
Ken
Ken- regarding the Hornberg; if you are fishing the Connecticut Lakes Region it is the " go to fly". For the streams and rivers up there tbere is no fly that is recommended as much. If you complain to a local about the fishing they will invariably sboot back " have you tried a Hornberg "
Hockey,
I think that some fly fishers, such as ones in northern New England, have a good sense of tradition and know what works. In southern New England it seems to be the quest for the "hot new fly", the hot new rod, and the hot new technique. I don't think that much of that adds up to much!!!
Ken
Agreed. Thanks
Oh my Ken...you finally tied a few weighted bead-headed hornbergs. I was smiling like a proud parent when I saw this blog entry. Coincidentally, I was just up in New England 2 weeks ago and was wondering why the fishing was not that hot. If only I knew that everyone was tying these puppies up and slinging them that week, I would have changed up my game :)
I hope this pattern keeps your lines tight for many years to come. It is my "go to fly" out here in Montana as well, its not just a New England spring thing. Keep up the good blogging!
-Kozman
Kozman,
Your version will be referred to as the KOZMAN going forward.
Ken
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