Every once and awhile you get a break from the usual and today was that opportunity. My client was Gary and he is a DRY FLY MAN. No buggers or beadheads for him but only the real thing - the Dry Fly! And I'm not talking about a namby pamby # 18 parachute but good old freestone dries and even more. I'm talking about # 12 parachute Adams's, and a monster which we call the Chernobyl Shaving Brush. The Orcutt bows and browns loved these oversized critters. And why not! Big caddis were in the air and big stones have in fluttering for days. Give them what they want.
The Kempfield section was even better. We took another 4 browns and bows on large caddis dries and missed even more.
I will say that the Millers River is the BEST river right now for the wading fly fisher in Massachusetts.
All of the rivers are fishing well (Swift??) and it should continue for those who are early risers or are not afraid of the dark through the Summer.
Don't miss out!
Ken
15 comments:
Ken,
I had the same experience on the Millers this past Tuesday. After being off the water for nearly three weeks, I finally got back out there and was interested in checking out a section of the Millers I have never fished. I saw you in the upper trestle pool with a client and kept heading upstream. There were lots of bugs in the air: caddis, what looked like hendricksons, some BWOs and the rocks were covered with stonefly casings. Interestingly, there was little to no surface action in my new favorite spot, but I tied on a chubby Chernobyl and started casting. The rhythm of my slow action T&T heirloom tethered to a big dry fly felt so relaxing - it had been too long. Within the first few casts, I had my first brown and they just kept coming. The strength of the strikes and fights were impressive! For most of the hook ups, the browns were absolutely slaughtering and inhaling the fly. There were numerous acrobatic, porpoising like strikes - so fun to watch. It was even more interesting that all this action was coming from significantly below the surface as in no, and I mean no, fish were visibly working the top of the water column. I even tied on a hackled nymph pattern as a dropper 18" down and caught my one and only rainbow of the day which as a piglet. As is often the case on the Millers the smallies got in the act too and put up some nice fights. Can't wait to get back out there.
Paul
On the EB at 7AM this morning, air temp 50 water temp 49 and the early season here is over (I think) the trout are getting smarter, double digit days could be over. Fooled 2 nice bows this morning in a popular spot (that I had to myself) but I had to work hard to get them. 1st with a #14 pink squirmy wormy (?) 2nd with a #14 hares ear nymph (haven't used one of those in a long time). When there stubborn show them something different. Be back in the same spot tomorrow morning, I like to work hard.
Paul,
I remember seeing you walk past us going upstream. Funny, but we also fished a chubby chernobyl yesterday. A good fly.
Gary,
Yes, it is getting tougher on the EB. Client had to work hard for 2 fish.
Ken
Props to your client for getting action on bigger dry flies. If trout are looking up and are hungry, look out for action. Nothing like seeing a trout hit up top.
Bondsville Swift report, it is fishing pretty good with some dry fly action in the quieter zones with sporadic rises to caddis, and sulfurs. I saw one gypsy moth land in the stream and got eaten as it drifted down.
Subsurface, hare's ear and pheasant tails continue to produce. Even with weight tied into the fly, a split shot seems to be needed to get action.
Sam
Thank you Sam!
Ken
Ware could use some rain as im sure most rivers could as well. It was a so so night on the ware. The risers i saw..i got. But there weren't many rising. Intried one constantly jumping fish for 45 minutes. Left him alone for 45 more minutes and took him on a white mayfly. It was hard to pinpoint the right fly as a variety of large to small flies were all over. No matter what section of the Ware i fish, theres always a beaver....pissed off beaver. Pray for rain or its over soon.
Back from Florida for some trout fishing. First trout trip since last October. Went to the Swift as it as already noon when I got out. Surprised as there was one person person at the Y pool. Water had just dropped from the 130cfs to the normal 50cfs. Swung a partridge and orange soft hackle with good success, sixteen hookups with ten to hand in four hours. Felt good to be able to stand in the water again, around my home in southwest Florida it is not recommended.
Joe C,
Good to hear from you!!
You did very well at the Y Pool or anywhere on the Swift. It's been slow at least by the Pipe. Some success by the Y Pool but not like years gone bye. Been fishing the freestones which have been red hot. Where in Florida were you. I fished the east coast around Melbourne during March. Lots of fish!
Ken
Some amazing days on the Millers recently. Can anyone tell me what this is?
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Ki7D3vXqtRlGLUM1B0GQRqgY0yczyxLF
It was well over 2 inches long! Dragonfly? Must be something big. Mike
West coast, North Fort Myers, bought a home there. Three miles from salt. I fish mostly from Pine Island up to Boca Grande. Redfish and Sea Trout fishing is great. Have yet to go an hour south to the Ten Thousand Island area. However I still think trout.
went to the millers again got some really big rainbows of arch street and 1 big brown down lower. this is definitely the best year ive had on the millers in years. im loving the air temps and its suppose to continue through the week hoping for more rain though. was going too hit power station but it was really busy there, may go tonite
Had a chance to get to the Millers last night...hit the upper trestle and one angler had a good spot in the pool so I went up around the corner so as not to crowd him. At the next pool I patiently waited for some surface activity...it was around 6:45. Few fish started working sporadically around 7, some caddis, stones and mayflies were working nothing dominant; but it seemed to be caddis that were attracting attention...saw a couple leapers and worked into position and tied on a #16 Missing Link. Took three in the next hour 1 very nice brown, a solid rainbow and another smaller brown...I targeted 3 and got three; I was pleased and moved down the the larger pool...not much happening it was around 8:30 so I headed for the car and up to my sisters house in Shelburne Falls. Had a banner day on the Deerfield with my brother...lots of surface activity this morning.
Looking for some experience here...on a straight hook, fishing with a zlon trailing shuck on a fly is fine. Fished a commercial sulphur emerger yesterday with emerger (curved) hook. No matter how much i drenched the fly and zlon, the body would just not sit properly on the water. The zlon always made the fly ride on its side. Nice looking fly but frustrating to watch it not ride with the body and trailing shuck ride subsurface. Anyone have this problem? Solutions?
Sounds like fly tied for a fisherman and not fishing...there are a lot of those around now. you might try trimming some fibers off the tail to 3-4 fibers at most and shortening it...keep the floatant off the tail
Ill give the trimming a shot. Fished with a straight hook its no problem.
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