"A very nice read and guide to the Millers, thank you. Of course I have my favorite spots, many that coincide with yours. I am sure that I will re read your guide several times. The most important thing for me is, how to fish the spots, not necessarily where the spots are".- Reader comments about the Millers Guide and the MAIN reason why I guide on the Millers which is SOMETIMES YOU NEED A GUIDE!!!
THEY'RE BACK and they came back with a vengeance. The wave of brookies are leaving their summer homes and are heading upstream. I took a beautiful 12 inch male in the gauge run and saw several others along with the browns. I have heard that the BT are scarce above RT 9 but that should change soon. So tie up some eggs, tie up some Partridge and Orange SH and get at it. Remember, don't walk on spawning grounds and that is everywhere you find clean gravel. Walk on weeds,leaves,sand or any debris to reach your location.
For the record - according to this blog the brook trout began their upstream march in 2017 on 10/22. It was earlier the year before and a week later this year.
Autumn On The EB
How are the other rivers doing? Well, here are the current flows for them as of 5:30 am on 10/29:
Millers - 949 and rising. I may have to write this river off for the season. Even with no rain for November the seasonal draw down from Lake Tully will fix that. (Thank you Bill from Tully for the info)
Ware - 167 and dropping. It's hard to believe that the flow is excellent here after all this rain. FISH THIS RIVER
The EB - 563 and dropping. And it will drop a lot with every dry day that we get. I'm looking at a flow of below 500 to hit some areas and a flow below 400 to hit most of the river. That will happen by mid week hopefully.
We have fished the EB well into November over the years and have had excellent catches. I remember client Van tossing a stimulator into the run on the right and having it smashed by a large hungry bow! Want to get in on the action on the Swift? Book me for a 3 or 6 hour trip. Want to explore the Ware? Same answer as above.
Ken
7 comments:
Ken
It's good to see the BT again. I wonder what their numbers will be.
Ted D.
Ted D.,
All summer long we saw few brook trout compared to the previous few years. A drop in population? New summer feeding grounds? We will see soon.
Ken
ok Ken Don't get upset because we have shared a sun rise or two. But I think we need more to preach to stay off the gravel and maybe stay away above rt 9 0r close the river for 2 to 3 months. Maine top rivers coming into moosehead lake does. Not that the fish are easier to catch, as you know they are just looking for spawning ground. Letsface it the mass fish and game don't care. Look at the deer doe permit system in the east giving close to 18000 permits so people can harvest every deer they see and the brag about it from an area which had few years ago. So my point is the F/G really don't care about swift river they will just put in more trout. The river now is a piece of coal now but a gem in the making with now spawning browns also its come so far from my days at u mass in the early 1970 as just a catch keep stocked river. So the native brookies did not occur over night but many many years in the making. Fish Game doesn't care but maybe we all should. I think we all would like catch and release all the way down thru Brownville or further. fly fish for some sections or barbless hooks. And I for one closure above route 9 October 1 to the end of spawning season say December 10th. God bless all give mother nature a few years of this and the coal would turn into diamonds. One boot step in the wrong gravel bed can and does wipe out over 25000 eggs.
tincup (Bob),
As usual, no offense taken but I will disagree.
First, this brook trout population has been growing for at least 10 years with the current fishing pressure. There is no indication that this activity has hurt the BT and the browns and the margansers will agree because it appears that they eat well.
Second, In this post I mentioned the correct method of wading a stream and that is only get in the water when necessary and walk on WEEDS, SAND and DEBRIS because trout will not spawn there. And don't walk on that clean gravel until at least March. (your closure of above RT 9 until December 10th wouldn't work because brookies are STILL on the beds and we would be scrambling eggs.
Third, I wouldn't describe the Swift as a "piece of coal" since it has this enormous reproducing BT population and an outlandish brown population that also appears to be self sustaining. It is a gem now!
P.S. We need 18000 deer permits in eastern Ma. Zone 11 (southeastern Ma) led the State again in harvest numbers. Archery had more kills than shotguns last year I believe. Deer are like squirrels in eastern Ma. Archery works really well in that crowded area.
Bob, jump out of the tree stand and we will fish the Swift!
Ken
Hi Ken,
Had a great day last Friday .Didn’t see any Brook Trout, started at Cady Lane and walked up to the pipe. Most guys said they hadn’t seen many either. However, I caught a huge Rainbow. I actually put a slight set in my 4 wt bamboo.
Thanks again,
Bruce
Ken, I recently read an article about a study of brook trout travels in a water shed spread amongst the border of New Hampshire and Maine. The electronically tagged brookies traveled more than imagined with one leaving head waters and traveling 75 miles to downstream waters, only to return to its original spawning habitat in the head waters. As a whole many left the headwaters to spend time in a big lake that was normally warm water habitat during the winter months.
When it comes to the Swift, plenty of wintering water both below and above Bondsville with not near as much traveling as those I read about in the article. I am glad to hear the brookies are moving up to spawn from wherever they spend their time.
Best, Sam
Sam,
I think I remember that study. They moved all over the place!
I think our brookies fooled us this past Summer. It was a real disappearing act they pulled.
Ken
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