Tools Of The Trade, A Good Year And Happy New Year!

"Fly fishermen are born honest, but they get over it." - Ed Zern

Last week Dave P wrote in the  comment section wondering how I deal with snowshoe hare.  This stuff can be difficult for the novice fly tier.  First, how much do I use for a well proportioned fly?  Second, what part of the hares foot is best to use?

The little homemade tool on the left will show you how much to use.  The late Ray Holden of Athol, a superb tier (how about a size 28 quill wing Royal Coachman), showed me a trick years ago.  Pictured here is a size 16 hook whip finished to a tiny dowel. The size 16 hook will capture the right amount of feather to make a single quill wing(see photo below)

It can also be used for deer hair and SNOWSHOE too.

The third photo is rather poor but it gets the message across.  If I haven't used snowshoe in a while I'll break out the "hook" and I'll know exactly how much to cut.


Now, what part of the foot is best???

The bottom photo shows a hares foot right side up.  You want to be interested in the sole and heel of the foot AND around the toes of the foot. This is the fur that FLOATS!!!  The stuff on the top of the foot has little floating properties.

Good Bye 2019

2019 has been a good year.  From salmon in January to great dry fly fishing in the summer to the brookie run this Fall, everything just seemed to come together.  Guiding and fly tying was up over the previous year but most of all this blog just continued to grow.

Without a doubt, this blog has the most page views and the most/best reader comments of any owner operated blog in New England.  And what's very cool is that readers visit this blog EVERY DAY and if they discover this blog on the web THEY COME BACK.  They come back

because this site will give you up to date flow conditions on area rivers, will let you know what's hatching and WHERE it's hatching such as Hendricksons in early May, Sulphurs in June and Tricos in August.  I will continue to highlight sections of rivers just to make it easier for readers and with over 1000 square miles of watershed that I report on I will not be causing any overcrowding.


So have a Happy New Year and try to fish more and keep reading this blog!!!

Thinking Of Dries Already

There's an awful lot of water within day trip range of my house- many miles of it-and, although none of it is exactly unknown or un-fished, there's a lot of it that's overlooked and gets damned little pressure.  I try to remind myself of that whenever I get to complaining about our declining and overcrowded fisheries. After all, most are declining because they're crowded, and they're crowded because they're on the short list of places where everyone goes. You know, the spots they'll tell you about down at the fly shop even if you haven't just spent five hundred dollars. - John Gierach

Size 20 Snowshoe Emerger

It happens at this time every year and maybe it's happening sooner as I get older.  I fish the tailwaters through the winter BUT I, like most, am really are looking forward to this winter to get over quickly so I can ply the waters of SPRING when winter disappears and insects begin to hatch and I can cast a dry fly.  That dry fly has become the EMERGER, half floating and half submerged and it works.  Here's my favorite emerger:

Hook - size 14 through 26 curved hook

Thread - size 12/0 olive (I like thin thread on dries)  The thread forms the body.

Thorax - brown or olive fuzzy  rabbit

Wing - Snowshoe hare OR very fine post wing material tied slanting backwards

Head - olive or brown fuzzy dubbing tied in just behind the hook eye

NOTE - The thorax and wing are tied in towards the middle of the hook to leave room for the head of the fly.  The head gives this fly the perfect insect profile.

This fly was born to float with little of no floatant outside of fumed silica.  Use any colors that you like to represent whatever insect is on the water.  In fact, you can color the snowshoe wing with a gray sharpie without hurting its floating properties.  I color the wing gray and use gray post wing material BECAUSE many mayflies have grayish wings.  This pattern was perfect last summer during the sulphur hatch on the Swift.

Fishing The Swift

Yup, there are still a lot of trout in this river and I had a good few hours this past Monday.  There were few rising fish but they fell for pinheads in the size 22 range.  Wring out those few remaining hours left in that 2019 license and don't forget to get that 2020 license soon.

Hope that you Christmas was a good one!!!


Ken

Sawyer's Pheasant Tail And My Millers Christmas Present

General shape and coloration, together with the right size, is of greater importance than an exact copy. My two favorite patterns, as I call them, are the Pheasant Tail and the Grey Goose.  The Pheasant Tail serves for the darker colored nymphs and the Grey Goose for the lighter ones." - Frank Sawyer


SAWYERS PTN

Everybody knows of this great generalist mayfly nymph and I use the "generalist"tag  because with just a tweaking of the general shape and coloration (read the Sawyer quote above) this little nymph will represent just about every mayfly in a river.

Was Sawyer the first to use PT as a body material?? Not by a long shot.  G.E.M. Skues, the patron saint of nymph fishing, created a pheasant tail soft hackle a few years earlier but that creation must of bothered Sawyer.  His PTN was built to mimic the Baetis family of mayflies which tucked their legs up against their bodies when they were swimming. So, off goes any vestige of hackle to mimic legs and one has the killer, streamlined pattern that we have today.  (It's interesting to see how fly tiers just had to throw the legs back onto the PT over the years much as in the same way that tiers bastardized Carrie Stevens venerable Grey Ghost streamer which was  built to be streamlined with material on the sides  of the hook instead of the traditional (dumb) way of balancing material on the top of the hook shank.)

                                                                                   PTN With A Plastic Bead

I will sometimes include a plastic seed bead (found in craft stores) to mimic the head of the insect without adding too much weight to the fly. These beads come in a thousand colors and work well with hook sizes down to about 22.

You may also want to try this trick during hatch time.  Mayflies, when they are about to hatch, will send a lot of blood into their wing cases which will darken them considerably. You can imitate that by making your wing cases out of black duck quill or by making the pheasant tail wing case and then coloring it up with a trusty black sharpie.

Streamlined with legs tucked under

If you think that this is all too much to deal with then forget about the essence of this pastime (fooling trout with imitation insects) and just keep tossing your rainbow warriors, chartreuse mops and the rest of the junk flies.  But remember, it's not how many fish that you catch but how you catch them.

< Photo of Baetis Nymph from The History of Fly-fishing in fifty flies by Ian Whitlaw

Here's a gift for next year.  There is a spot on the Millers that is usually empty when the Kempfield, Occutt, Bridge Street and the Upper Trestle are being fished hard.  I know that last year I saw NOBODY there on some perfect June evenings and the fishing was great.

It is big, wide, of moderate depth and easily waded. Trout rise freely and are suckers for a soft hackle on the swing.

I'm going to divulge this spot but I have no fear of it being overrun. First, it's a big spot with lots of room for everyone.  Second, this gift may go the way of so many Christmas gift cards - thrown into a bureau and forgotten or maybe you're just too jaded by tailwaters to value it.  If you're smart you will not do that!!!!

Turn onto Arch Street in Erving, cross the bridge, bear right and keep going.

Good Luck and Merry Christmas!!!!!

Ken

Some Tying Suggestions

"Comparing the qualities of feathers from various birds we consider the feathers of the cock starling the most valuable of all to the angler. They have a rich glossy black, which no other feathers possess" - W.C. Stewart

The Dressed Up Ostrich 

I made up this fly a few years ago, probably to pass the time on a winter evening, and have fished it with success but it doesn't possess any soft hackle magic like the partridge and orange. Note: all SH work, some better than others.  This one just looks really good and is fun to tie.

Hook - size 12 to 14

Tag - orange floss

Body - olive floss

Thorax - fiery brown ostrich herl

Hackle - any shade of partridge

Starling 

The quote at the top of the post describes the bird skin on the right.  Starting is invaluable if you want soft hackles size 18 and smaller and starling is dirt cheap when compared to partridge.  Beware if you think that you need a gentle touch when using partridge wait to you use starling.  It's very fragile but worth it.

Now, the feathers in this photo don't look like the glossy black that Stewart describes but trust me, they are black!!

To the left are some size 18 Starling and Olive wet flies that get it done on the Swift when the BWO are getting ready to emerge. 

It's a good fly to have especially as the tail fly off of a larger fly.


Keep Fishing

The Swift flow is perfect right now so get out there and use up those last few hours on your 2019 license and don't forget to buy your 2020 licence!!!!!



Ken

Another Milestone And Fiberglass Rods.

"Hi Ken, No special message this time - just thanks again for your blog. I read every new post faithfully. Your sharing of your knowledge of streams, techniques, and patterns is much appreciated. Warmest holiday greetings to you and your readers. "John 

It blew right by me but this fragile experiment in  flyfishing journalism passed a milestone this past October. We met and crossed the 2 MILLION PAGE VIEW MARK.  And I use the editorial "WE" because it takes readership to accomplish this and readership to motivate me to continue with this blog.

Back in the early days (pre 2010) readership was slim but it grew organically by focusing on local rivers, fishing reports, stories and not falling into  the trap of bogus product reviews and bucket list dreaming.  There's enough of that out there.  Keep the flavor "local" and keep it coming!!!!!!

I thank everyone who has enjoyed reading this blog and for all of those readers who have made sincere, knowledgeable comments throughout the years on this blog's content. Again, thank you!!!!!  Rivers in this state such as the Ware, Swift, Millers, the EB and the WB of the Westfield will continue to be reported on throughout the year because of you!!!

Fiberglass

I know enough not to chance smashing one of my bamboo beauties in weather that will cause the tip to ice up and I won't fish any of the graphite "nymphing" rods in this cold season because of all the online evidence of smashed tips that one can easily find.  Regular graphite can get the job done (I've fished graphite in cold weather for 40 years and have only broken one and that was after 14 seasons of heavy use).

If you want a rod that is built to last try out a sturdy fiberglass rod in the 4 to 6wt range (I've also fished glass for years and have NEVER broken one in the act of fishing).  In my younger days I abused fiberglass in all kinds of silly ways but I never broke one.  The stuff is bullet proof!!  And it's not your "fathers fiberglass" but appears to have improved in feel and action while increasing the length to what we would never believe was possible just a few years ago.  I had the opportunity to cast one of the new generation of glass and it felt great.  Yup, I'm in the market for one!!!  I also have a 7.5 foot, 6wt Walt Powell blank that I built years ago and then stripped down because I didn't like the job that I did.  It may be a good winter project this year!

Fishing Right Now

The season is pretty much over as far as the freestones are concerned unless Gary is making some magic on the EB.  It's the Swift in central Ma right now and it's worth the trip especially if we get that winter day when temperatures creep into the 40's and midges and winter caddis start popping at the PIPE and the Y Pool.

I'll be there and so should you!!!

Ken

Polly Rosborough And His Fuzzy Nymphs

"Successful trout fishing isn't a matter of brute force or even persistence, but something more like infiltration" - John Gierach

If you started to tie flies in the 1960's OR if you like to study the trends concerning this wonderful past time of over the last half of the 20th century then you probably have heard of Polly.  His flies, such as the CASUAL DRESS and The FELDERMOUSE, have one technique in common - they are FUZZY and usually weighted. They also WORK as many anglers can attest.  They are buggy and that attracts trout as the great fly designer and trout magnet John Wyatt has proven with his creations which are very similar.






The above fly is NOT one of Polly's creations but incorporates his fly tying principles - make it fuzzy and buggy and drift it slowly!

Hook - Size 14 wet fly or nymph

Tail - pale grey partridge fibers (they move in the current

Body - it's all hares ear with olive making up the rear 2/3 of the fly and orange/red making up the thorax.  Use a dubbing loop to make it really fuzzy and then lash it down with fine (very fine) copper wire.

Hackle - grey partridge tied sparse

Now, Polly used lead wire a lot but I'm removing that material to keep it out of the environment. I don't use lead-free wire because it doesn't have the density to really make the fly sink and will just use lead free shot or a damn bead as seen above.

Fish this fly for an hour or so, catch some fish, and you will see that the fly looks like it's falling apart.  IT ISN'T!  It's just getting GOOD.

I don't have a name for this critter but will call it the BUGGY BUNNY (the bunny comes from the hares ear material and the buggy comes from the fact that it's BUGGY.

Polly tied great flies right up to his passing at age 95.  You can still get his books online and they are a great investment and great reading.

The Swift

Yup, it's still fishable although access to the PIPE, the Duck Pond and Cady Lane is still greatly limited. The Y Pool access via the parking area across from River Road is non existent. Use the main parking area but watch your footing on the hilly section because it will get icy.

I'm still guiding on this river!!!!

Ken

The State Of The Swift And Caddis Questions

"There are people in my life who sometimes worry about me when I go off into the fields and streams, not realizing that the country is a calm, gracious, forgiving place and that the real dangers are found in the civilization you have to pass through to get there." - John Gierach


I drove down to check out the Swift knowing that Belchertown received 21 inches of the white stuff. The question is has any of it been moved to accommodate parking for fly fishers?

Here's the rundown by parking area as of 9 am:

Route 9 Main Lot - It has been plowed as of Friday afternoon

Route 9 across the street - A small area that may accommodate three cars has been cleared

The lot across from River Road - It has not been plowed

All three pull offs of of River Road including the Gauge lot - They have not been plowed!

Enoch Sanford Rd (the cul de sac road the turnaround has been plowed but the fisherman parking area has not


As it stands the areas have very limited or no parking available. Now, here's where YOU come in. If you drive by these areas in the next three days and notice that snow has been cleared just email me at: ken.elmer9@gmail.com or text me at 978-790-4320. You would certainly be helping a lot of fellow anglers plan their weekend!!!

A Simple Caddis

The caddis fly has always bugged me (pun intended) and many other flyfishers.  I have been on the Millers, a great caddis river, in mid May and have seen a zillion adult caddis flies hopping around in the stream side bushes BUT see very little surface activity.  That's because a good number of immature caddis do not rise from the bottom of  the stream to the surface but crawl along the bottom and then emerge on the shore, dry their wings, and then fly to the bushes. It is a good strategy to fish any of the subsurface patterns available and save the dry versions for egg laying time.

                                                                                                                                     DSM Caddis

You guessed it! A soft hackle fly dressed a bit stouter such as my DSM Caddis will fill this bill nicely. Just change the body color to match the insect if you like although I really don't think it will make too much of a difference.

When To Fish The Dry

Most of the important (big numbers) caddis of Spring will hatch/lay eggs during mid day hours. By late Spring this activity takes place during the low light hours of  morning and evening, just like mayflies!

I don't like traditional dries that are supposed to imitate caddis because they look like a cartoon version of the insect and are too complicated for their own good.  I like things simple. The above Simple Caddis is a breathtakingly easy tie:

Hook - standard dry 12 to 16

Body - fine dubbing of grey, tan or olive

Wing - (here's the tough part) use very fine deer mask hair and not a lot of it.  Don't make the wing too long either.  The neat thing is that you can color the wing with a sharpie if you like to get that grey or brown color of some of these flies. It may not be necessary but it's fun to do!!!!


Ken

San Juan Worm Reviewed

They say you forget your troubles on a trout stream but that's not quite it. What happens is that you begin to see where your troubles fit into the grand scheme of things and suddenly they're not such a big deal anymore. - John Gierach

Yes, this fly does catch trout although most don't want to admit that they actually use it. I have used it with success BUT I have a problem with the way that it is tied. It's tied by lashing the chenille at the mid point to the hook. Some add a bead at this point because we just have to add a bead to anything that doesn't float. In any event this tying method causes the chenille to kink and fold over on itself. Aquatic and earthworms don't fold over on themselves but just wiggle around as the current moves them.

After looking at countless pictures of standard tied SJW's I found a photo of a length of chenille tied to the hook at the end. This made sense even if the tier had a bead attached. I ditched the beads and tied some up. The chenille moved in the current in a very natural way and the Swift Bows approved. I guess I was looking for something to do because I tied a few with tiny glass/plastic beads for eyes but I dumped that idea a while ago because the beads kept falling off after a fish or three. Now I just use black thread at the "head" to make it look like a head.  

I don't worry about "short strikes" just like a bass fisher doesn't worry about them with rubber worms. The trout just inhale them!

 I like the way it looks. BTW, I always use micro chenille.

This is what happens when you are forced by Winter to spend early evenings thinking about fly fishing instead of actually doing it!! Actually it was fun!

Yes, it snowed as it does every winter.  Is fly fishing done for the season??  Your answer is found in the last 12 years of this blog and that answer is NO!!!!  It's the perfect time to book a three hour trip to a spot on the Swift that you've been meaning to get to. The air may be chilly but the water is actually nice.  This past Saturday I guided a gent who had NEVER caught a trout on a fly.  He took three and one was a beautiful brookie closing in on a foot long.

Book Me!!!!!

Good Winter Flies

Fly-fishing is solitary, contemplative, misanthropic, scientific in some hands, poetic in others, and laced with conflicting aesthetic considerations. It's not even clear if catching fish is actually the point.John Gierach

Over the years I've narrowed down my fly selection to ONLY WHAT WORKS on a reasonable basis.  No, I don't carry a thousand flies (I know someone who does) every time I hit a river.  I have a tailwater bag with tailwater flies and a freestone bag with a freestone selection.  There is some crossover but not a lot.  Some #22 BWO are in the Freestone bag when they start popping up on the Millers and that lonely Wooley Bugger is in the tailwater bag in case I go head to head with a monster brown on the Swift.


Does this selection change with the seasons?  Of course it does.  No ants or beetles on the Swift in January and forget about a sulphur hatch for that matter.  My BEST flies are subsurface and they are small!



Swift River Serendipity

A good red color that the trout can see and the white wing tag makes it work.


BUZZERS - 
Black body, copper rib and that orange wing case make this a dependable fly from the Bubbler to the Pipe.

The Good Old Scud

Use it year round but especially in the late Fall and Winter.  It's the shell back that spells FOOD to a trout!!   

There are more but I have to have these flies with me when the snow begins to fly.