Hell, give me Greenwell's Glory and Campbell's Fancy, all wet and about size 12 and May on the Big River, and anyone else can have whatever else he wants. I won't need it" Sparse Grey Hackle on the Beaverkill River circa 1930
Well, there's a bright side to this crazy Spring and that is that we have been forced by conditions to fish "other waters" and those waters are not the marguee "names" or the "places-to-be-seen" but those hidden, quiet streams where you know you'll be the only one there. I've revisited some of these streams, caught some trout in a beautiful place and left feeling very good about it. I also feels good that these streams will probably have a good head of water going into the Summer so we can enjoy them longer. Take advantage of this condition. You will not have to throw weight to catch these fish.
The Flows
The Swift is up again going from 823 cfs on Sunday to 886 this morning. I am so sick of that flow that I'm staying away until the flow goes below 200. See you in September!!!!! (well, maybe not)
The EB, MB and the WB have been a godsend to us because they will rise quickly BUT then drop quickly and that's where the action is. The Ware ticked up since Sunday but still can be fished from the edges and the Millers is the Millers, high but coming down.
The Quill Gordons are still on stage with some Hendricksons popping up here and there. Look for lots of action on the Ware and the Millers.
A Brown Eel from the Farmington
Ken
12 comments:
Missed the Hendrickson Hatch where I fish the Farmington, but still did well swinging a tandem of Hendrickson soft hackle and Wet/emerger. They still have to eat!
The early summer fishing on all our rivers/streams is going to be outstanding!
Ken,
Hit the Swift today from noon to 4. The bass are hungry and in the Y pool. Caught two feisty ones on WBs. Also had trout hat trick - brookie, brown and bow - all on WBs at end of sinking line. Water coming down the Spillway is feeling a bit warmer than I'm used to. Lots of fish around including Bubbler arm and below the Y pool, but hard to get to :)! I know its not your thing right now, but i'll keep letting you know what's going on. I wish I lived closer to the various westfield branches, but I don't so the Swift is the most efficient spot for high quality water- 75 minute ride - when playing hooky from Boston area for part of a day. Go B's!
Paul
the only thing true is the apple trees are blooming its after mothers day and the stripers are in the Merrimack The rest of this spring (use whatever 4 letter word u want) Moosehead ice is still on and it snowed at winni last night. Global warming I don't think so. Fished the parker river in newbury some stocked fish above the dam and fish ladders but no searuns or white perch below. Strangest spring I have ever seen. Things can only get better. When your tying flies on May 14th in crazy patterns your making up, things need to get better fast.
Tincup,
Yes, too strange a Spring!!
Paul,
Do you have a photo of the bass?
Anonymous 7:55am,
I hope so!!
Ken
Hit the blue lines this evening, high in the Ware River watershed. My friend and I pulled in a dozen brookies, him with a size 14 caddis and me with a size 14 royal wulff. Evening rise was on, and it was a great hour of dry fly fishing.
Charles
Fishing chances at a premium lately, Ken, I tried the Bondsville Swift last evening fishing from a couple of perches near the bank I am familiar with. Nothing doing no matter how much split shot I put on the sub surface flies. I think I finally have it through my thick skull that I have to give up on it for a while until the flows come down. Meanwhile a friend of mine had a blast on a small freestone not 10 minutes from my house.
Best Regards, Sam
Sam,
This is the craziest year with a Quabbin overflow that is into its 7th month and smallies in the Y Pool. That overflow HAS TO STOP because it will be delivering warm surface water into the Swift very soon!!
Charles,
PERFECT!!!!!
Ken
how is the flow up at birch hill damn and bears den area is it somewhat fishable? i know most waters are still high
Ken,
The high flow has to stop. A steady flow of warm water over the dam this summer would not be good for the trout in the Swift. Smallmouth are a great game fish, but I don't want them prospering in the Swift.
I fished the Scantic River in Hampden for a couple of hours tonight and to be honest I didn't know how to fish it. I drifted nymphs through some deeper runs, tied on an elk hair caddis which got a half hearted hit at one point.
The water though flowing nice is not that deep and I felt like I was spooking fish whenever I entered a zone to fish. I salute those who catch trout out of small streams. It is a talent I need to work on.
Sam
I have been avoiding the Swift, but decided to make a trip out there today to fish the high water in the pouring rain today. I had the place to myself which was nice. I fished large, articulated streamers with my 6 wt, something I almost never do there. I was able to hook a very nice Brown and lost another. I found some big LLS, but couldn’t turn a head. It’s amazing how hard it is to wade in that current since at 55 cfs I can walk it in pitch dark and feel I know every rock.
I think we’ll see some negative things that could be problematic beyond potential loss of a BT spawning year. A lot of the trees and wood have blown out. I don’t know what it is like below Cady Lane, but I hope it isn’t too scoured. Also, the weeds are likely to be less this year. Lastly, as the summer begins the top water coming over the dam will warm. I heard smallmouth bass are in the y pool, that is not good either. Let’s get this back down to below 300 and it will be better.
Falsecast,
We had "water over the dam" in early July of 1999. The water was so warm that the hatchery thought they wound lose all the fish because back then they took water directly from the river. I'm worried about the BT getting eaten by the smallies.
Sam,
It's a good year for exploring new waters!!!
bigmster127,
I would guess it's fishable especially up in Winchendon.
Ken
bigmster127 - I was in the middle section of bearsden Thursday morning. It’s definitely ‘somewhat’ fishable where I went - upstream of Rezendes to the trestle, then below through first and second runs. The water was fairly fast and high, and I think I will wait until it comes down before returning, but there are some pockets, a few pools, and some nice looking seams to try. Mind you, it was my first time there so don’t have ‘normal’ to compare it to! I didn’t hook or see anything, but it looked really fishy and beautiful, so I didn’t mind at all. Cheers, Lewis
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