The fly fishing on the Millers has been unreal in May and June, only two days old, is off to a great start. Let's face it, a freestone has a special charm that a tailwater can only dream about. Both are dependent on stocked fish but tailwaters were created by the hand of man and are about as natural as an artificial Christmas Tree! Freestones change with the seasons and present natural challenges that you will not see on a tailwater unless they turn the water down to a trickle like they do sometimes. I fish tailwaters in the Winter and in bone dry Summers but my heart belongs to rivers like the Millers, the EB, the Ware and the WB. This weekend my client caught browns and bows up and down the Millers. Yesterday morning I took 3 browns in an hour with my CDC soft hackle casting to rising fish.
Summer Start Times
To take advantage of the coolest time of the day I will start guiding sessions not only at 8 am but at 7 am or even 6 am if you request it. 8 to 2pm can become 7 to 1pm or 6 to noon. Three hour sessions can go from 8 to 11 am or 7 to 10 am or from 6 to 9 am. Evening start times do not change. This will last until mid August.
Saltwater Tips
Last March I mentioned that I was doing some corrosion tests on freshwater hooks that I used in the Salt. From a total rinse to no clean up at all all the hooks are still strong and sharp. I did the same test with a cheapo cast aluminum fly reel and had no corrosion. Frequent commenter BobT wrote about how his father fished for stripers with an old Medalist and performed minimal cleanup on it. He also mentioned seeing photos of baseball great Ted Williams bonefishing with a medalist and Rodney Flagg always used one on Joppa Flats stipers. There's a lesson here: don't get oversold when you want to get your feet wet in salt water fly fishing. BTW, the cheapo reel is a Cabelas Wind River that set me back $30. I landed good sized stripers and blues this past year and that drag doesn't miss a beat.
More Saltwater tips
Try to avoid using stocking foot waders. If you fish the surf and tidal streams your boots will load up with SAND and you'll never clean them up. Wade wet or get a cheap pair of boot waders = problem solved.
If you fish tidal rivers or the surf go with a FULL SINKING LINE instead of an intermediate sinking line. An intermediate will work in sheltered bays, flats and small tidal rivers but will not get it done when the tide is roaring or the waves are crashing. Even a clouser will be out of the strike zone if an intermediate line is your choice.
Dump any thought of a tapered leader!! You will not need it. I use 6 feet of straight 12 to 15lb mono
and it has never failed me. I've thought about a 25lb shock tippet but until I lose a fish I'll pass on that.
A 9 foot 8wt will suit 90% of your New England striper needs. The Newburyport area has been the home to a lot of schoolies in the 16 to 24 inch range lately. That's when I break out the 6wt (full sinking line of course) and have a ball. There's a guide in that area that uses a 4wt!!!!!!!
This has been a good Spring. Don't miss the rest of it. Book me! I have 6 rivers to choose from!
Ken
28 comments:
Had a good morning on the EB until it got a little to busy for me but that comes with the territory caught 3 bows and missed one nice brown sometimes they get the better off me lol this weeks rain will hopefully help with water levels as it was a little on the lower side in my opinion
Dalton,
We do need the rain!
Ken
Ken to u and all your followers Has anyone gone from righty/lefty to lefty/righty. Got an injury and very painful to cast right handed. When to a pond to try and cast lefty, Not good. any help would be appreciated. Tincup
By the way I could at one time hit baseballs and golf balls both as a switch hitter.
tincup,
Lefty Kreh had an injury which forced him to switch. I can cast short casts on small streams that require no quick false casting. My advice would be to see a doctor while practicing with your other arm.
Ken
I had an injury a couple years ago forcing me to dare I say....use a spinning rod in the salt. I could still fling trout fly rods but no way on salt rods. I have always kept a saltwater spinning rod just in case it was too impossible to cast flys; flinging plugs is fun too. I got my first striper this year on a plug because of wind...but back to fly fishing: I would ABSOLUTELY recommend a stripping basket for saltwater wade fishing...I would rather not fish than fish without one...the reason becomes apparent by your third cast...Fished the East Outlet of the Kennebec this weekend...fishing is getting really good and they've started taking Hendricksons and Caddis and wading conditions have been perfect. I'll be in Western MA next weekend-this is prime time!
tincup- remember the winter of 2015 ? it seemed like I was shoveling every day but I was also Xcountry skiing every day so that was a lemons to lemonade opportunity for me. Towards the end of February though shoveling, roof raking and the skiing took its toll and my right shoulder was killing me. Went to my internal med guy and he bent my shoulder and arm every which way and finally he said you don't have a tear but you've got to back off from what you are doing and you may need physical therapy.
That was the beginning of 2 yrs of craziness: working on it myself, 5 months of PT, orthopedic doc visits( 3 cortisone shots), pain medicine specialist ( more shots)2 MRI's @ $250 out of my pocket.Nothing worked. Finally I just started working with a physical trainer ( 6 hour sessions at $55- my own cost) at the gym on stretching and strengthening and slowly tried to get back to my old activities; it's been 2.5 yrs and I can fly fish again, cut the grass again, Xcountry ski again, etc.
My friendly advice: find a a good personal trainer, tell him/her where your shoulder hurts and what your goals are then slowly try to stretch and strengthen and give it time. It can work !
hockey
Hi Ken,
Your suggestions on SW tackle were right on the money - a 6 wt is perfect for smaller estuaries, and an 8 wt is sufficient for bigger water, beaches, etc. And, as you say, keep your leaders simple, although I tend to use a ten-foot leader and clear intermediate line for flats like Monomoy.
For sinking lines, I fish Jim Teeney shooting heads rather than full-sink lines because you only have to put the 30-foot head in the air to shoot a really long cast. This helps if you're fishing a beach with a high berm behind you. As an aside, I also found shooting heads easier to toss some years back when I had to fish left-handed for a season because of a shoulder injury. (I was then - and still am - a lousy left-handed caster.)
I also agree with you that folks spend way too much money on SW reels. As you say, cheaper reels are fine as long as you can palm them. The main problem I found with my cheaper reels was that the drag tended usually conked out once it was wet, and you needed to be able palm the reels. But I prefer palming anyway.
The only "expensive" freshwater or saltwater reel I own is a workhorse 1990s Ross Gunnison, which I bought on sale - before they became "classics." It has a sealed drag that stays pretty consistent, wet or dry. I only needed a this reel once when we ran into a blitz of 30"-plus blues in the shallow surf at Herring Cove. The blues took off at high speed in all directions in the knee-deep surf. Each of us landed over a dozen choppers before they moved on. In wild confusion, my clumsy attempts to palm the reel got my fingers wacked by the revolving handle, but the Gunnison's big drag knob could be tightened or loosened without any risk to my fingers.
Sorry for the long post, everybody, but Ken's observations are always wise and fun to read.
Headed out to WMass for the summer and looking forward to some of the good fishing you've all been enjoying.
Cheers,
John
Hi Ken-TV is programmed for the show af 6pm. Took the ride from Medfield, Ma, up the Pike to Rt 20 and saw a few guys on the main stem. I stopped at a few spots but didn’t get any hits. Headed to the East Branch and wanted to try the back gate. Hiked in about a mile and fiahed a section that was holding trout but they won. I was using a golden hornberg and then a price nymph. Although, I didn’t catch anything, a beautiful yoga model was doing her poses while getting photographed. (Maybe that’s why I didn’t catch anything. I was watching the show whilst false casting). You never know what you’ll encounter in the river...
Chris
Hi,
I was diagnosed with something called SLAC wrist a year ago. Was somewhat optimistic when I learned that I only was at stage 2 until I learned that there is no stage 3 or 4. I have various braces from Pro Care that I religiously wear when fishing or in my shop building chairs. After playing organized hockey for more than 45 years I had to give that up. I’m not giving up Flyfishing! I switch hands regularly when drifting flies and make short casts with my left hand. My fishing trips usually last 5-6 hours or until the discomfort makes me stop. I generally don’t fish two days in a row. I agree with Ken- see a doctor and do it soon. If I have done so then years ago I would be writing this comment.
Perk
BobT,
I used a spinning rod in the salt this last March in Florida when the onshore wind was crazy. I tied on a deceiver to the end of a heavy sliver spoon with 30 inches of mono. The blues ignored the spoon but grabbed the deceiver. Once I could see the deceiver at the top of a wave when a blue smashed it. I set up a spin caster with that rig and he got a blue with it. Lesson - MAKE DUE WITH WHAT YOU HAVE. I have a really appreciation for hard core spin fishers who work the surf with lures that they make!!!!
Patrick Perkins,
Thank you and I hope rincup reads this!!
cpf383,
Sorry your fishing was interrupted by a yoga model (not really sorry). 10 years ago I saw 2 naked, sparse brown hackle nymphs on the EB. Almost went off the road which is hard to do when your going 5 mph!!!
Ken
Hope the show was good - I just saw this this AM, and was in BD on the Millers last night enjoying the river literally to myself, as well as the one bear and one deer I saw and a stout number of trout. A few browns, but amazingly, about 10 brookies. At first, I had a glimmer of: "Wholly smokes are these wild" because they were in great shape, full fins, no wear, and colorful... But after the first 5, and all were within 2-4" of each other (10-14" was probably the spread) it seemed more likely that they were stockers. Hopefully they survive the warm summer to come.
That said, no mouse fish last night, but plenty of fish crashing emerging caddis. Made for a fun night of swinging wet flies...
On the EB at 9AM this morning, a little rain and cool but the fishing was good. Fooled 2 bows and 2 browns with a #16 nymph which was the end fly on a tandem rig,swung through 2 of the bigger pools on the river, the water was higher,quicker, and dirtier after the rain and I think 2 flyes were better than 1. I seldom use a tandem set-up but when I do most of the takes are on the bottom fly. I had the river to myself, I saw no one, naked or otherwise. Oh I have been fly fishing the salt for over 15 years on beaches,estuaries,river mouths,from Groton CT to Portland ME, no boat just trekken. I still don't know why anyone would use a stripping basket.
Well done Ken..Jim
Really nice NESN show Ken. Wish it was longer!
Will,
Probably stocked brookies out of Priest brook? And it's good to see a bear in the Bears Den!!
Gary,
I need to go to the EB some evening soon.
Jim W and Anonymous @ 6:37
Thank you!!!
Ken
John Strucker,
Very good comment. Thank you!!
Ken
Hi Ken, nice show last night. Your becoming quite a celebrity between you co-staring on Chronicle a few years back and last nights airing on fishing N.E. I enjoyed them both.
Thanks for sharing.....Phil
DRYFLYGUY,
Thank you!! It's been a while since I've seen your top notch comments on this blog. Always enjoy hearing from you!
Ken
I missed the ESPN appearance. What was the name of the show it was on? Maybe I can find a rerun or online version. (If I succeed, I will post a link.)
Cheers,
David
Ken, I was not able to watch that show. Do you know if NESN will be airing it again? I'd love to see it.
Separate subject, my mind keeps replaying connecting with the brown I lost on the Farmington a little over a week ago. What a blast to have on, the likes of which I've never connected with before. Ever have a fish on that got off that haunts you a bit?
Best, Sam
DRYFLYGUY,
Thank you!! It's been a while since I've seen your top notch comments on this blog. Always enjoy hearing from you!
Ken
Sam,
They all haunt me!! As far as the show goes just check the listings. Also it should be on youtube in a week.
David,
"New England Fishing"
Ken
So, here is the video page URL for "NE Fishing": http://newenglandboating.com/fishing_season/new-england-fishing-season-2/. It says that each episode is uploaded there one week after its original airing. So the episode with Ken should be up by this Sunday or so. I look forward to seeing it!
Cheers,
David
the fishing on the millers river last night was excellent caught 13 a mix of good size rain bows and some chunky brown trout too. the fish were all caught on arch street and most of browns were caught on kempfield power station millers river!! they were a rising and they definitely were fighting. these cooler temps and recent rain have helped too. can you post videos on here and how? thanx, every body enjoy this cooler weather and get out there and do some fishing while its here
bigmster,
The best fishing in years!!!!!
David,
Thank you!
Ken
Had a nice walk from Gulf Rd. to the pool above the Gorge on the upper Millers last evening. The fun didn't stop there. Reeled in three very nice Rainbows (two 12's and one 14 all with great color) and hooked what I think was a Brown. Quick glance as it spit the fly out at me. All in all a good night.
Quick word of advise. Heed the warning in the guide to not access the pool just below the Gorge from the trail. It might look as though it can be done and it can be done but not without a price to pay :)
sounds like someone did some wet-wading lol
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