My best hackle cape is not an eighty dollar grade A+ dry fly cape but a ratty little skin that I found in a discount barrel at a fly shop about twenty years ago. What make it my favorite cape is that it is the perfect webby cape with all hackles in the size 12 to 20 range AND it is the perfect shade of dark blue dun.
Hook - dry fly from size 12 to 20 (the fly in the photo is a size 20)
Body - olive floss or thread
Hackle - two turns of hackle
This fly, in it's smallest sizes, is a perfect imitation of those wonderful Autumn BWO that are found everywhere from the Swift to the Millers.
It's fished in the surface film or just below the surface.
So the next time you find yourself in your neighborhood fly shop check out the bargain barrel and maybe you'll find a nugget like this!!
River Update
Well, two rivers were stocked as of yesterday and those are the Swift and the Massachusetts side of the Farmington River (which is mostly an unknown gem) and the Deerfield . More should be stocked today and next week we could see the flood gates open, History indicates that rivers like the Millers will be stocked when the flows get down to the 500 cfs range. It's at 700cfs right now. The EB is at 322 as I write which is good BUT the Chesterfield Gorge road may still be unpassable due to snow and ice. I hope to check that out today.
Book a guided trip today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
10 comments:
Ken, any idea if the move of the TU gathering from the East Branch to the Deerfield is going to impact the stocking of the gorge? It seems to be getting less and less fish each year and IMO the TU stocking prior to the gathering was the healthiest dose of fish the river received.
On the EB at 9 this morning air temp 36 degrees water temp 36 degrees (that should tell you something) flow around 300 cfs. The river seemed dead no fish no bugs (I 0nly saw one little black stonefly in 3 hours), no other fisherman except for a very healthy looking otter. The access road is blocked by an 8' mound of snow and the road itself is solid ice and I WALKED in as far as the Bliss turn off. Oh and 2 nice ladies walking their dogs.
I think you should call that fly The Ragamuffin.
March is going out like a lamb. And I hope April doesn't give us a sucker punch.
In any case tightlines to all. Let's go fishing.
Patrick,
There should be no problem. The EB will be stocked
Gary,
You are a brave man!!! I guess that healthy otter has been feeding well!!
Bob O,
I hate this half winter/half spring bullshit!!!! Give me a 60 degree day with normal flows!!!
Ken
Hi Ken -
Curious what your thoughts are on the LL in the swift - will they stick around through the summer or do they tend to die off as the water warms?
Joe P.
As in the past the salmon will be a rarity by Summer. Where they go is the question.
The water from the Quabbin will be in the 50's this Summer but they don't stay around.
Ken
With regard to the salmon, Ken, I think it would make for darned interesting study by the DFW to electronically tag a few and see where they ended up.
I have related this story before I believe, but a friend of mine who lives near a brook that feeds Chicopee River drainage says his uncle caught a 28" fish out of the brook 20 years ago. I am guessing after a high water event.
Salmon are travelers and my guess is they head down stream as far as they can get to. I figure that 28" fish was a salmon, but could have been a big brown too that made its way up the brook.
Regards, Sam
Sam,
That fish probably didn't come from Quabbin since it is a rare event when it overflows. If it happened 20 years ago it may have been an Atlantic Salmon returning from the ocean. Most likely a big old resident brown.
Ken
Hi Ken,
I hit the Quinapoxet yesterday just to get a line wet for the first time this year. As in the past I got a holdover brown for my efforts in the rain. It still amazes me but the fish can make through the summer lows. Got to love the Brown's ability to survive.
Mike
Mike C.,
Those are browns for you. They can do anything!!!! Good work!
Ken
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