"Forgiving Others is easier when I remember that I am human and stupid too - Justina Chen
Note: The Ware was stocked on 3/17. Skip the Swift for once!!!
We can thank the Fran Betters for creating the basics for this style of tying and Al Caucci and Bob Nastasi getting it out to the masses. They created the Comparadun pattern, a hackle-less dry fly in the early 1970's that sent the traditional hackled Catskill style of flies on a downward slide in popularity and basically took over my fly boxes! It is the style of dry fly that I have used to catch 90% of the rising trout that I have caught. (hoppers, beetles and a few Wulff patterns are all of the hackled flies that I use and not that often)
One can go online and easily find the pattern and materials used but the main ingredient is the wing material. The fine hair from a deer mask is the most popular. I've heard that the hair from a Florida coastal deer is great but I've never used it. Shoeshoe Hare's foot fur also works although it doesn't give us the nice sharp profile that deer hair does. (that's why I can't stand the "Usual", a truly ugly fly)
Deer mask and snowshoe hare work great from sizes 12 through 18. CDC is a great wing material for this style in sizes 20 and under BUT very fine poly post wing material is better! It's more durable and quickly cleans up after releasing a fish. Now, why does this pattern work? These wing materials know how to float and the allow the body of the fly (the most important part) to ride down in the surface and not be obscured by wraps of hackle. It's simplicity allows it to represent any mayfly from early season Hendricksons to late season BWO's in the dun stage.
This style works great for emerger patterns as demonstrated in Bob Wyatt's great book "What Trout Want: The Educated Trout And Other Myths".
Most of my Millers Trout over the decades that rose to one of my offerings rose to an olive comparadun in Sizes 14 through 18. Same for the EB. I tie the emerger patterns on small scud hooks without tailing material.
Note: when tying very small dry flies (28-32) keep your bodies SPARSE. Too much material means too much weight and water absorption plus too much material gives your flies that "squashed bug" look. Remember, size and profile are what counts. Thread or fine quill will do the job.
Google up "Comparadun" and view the hundreds of photos and videos. I don't post videos by others on this site. It's a boundary thing I guess but I will direct you to them.
Booking It
Lots of action on this front and lots of anglers wanting to learn new water especially in Central Ma. I still have plenty of open dates but if history is any indication they will book up. Schedule your trip now. If you spend most of your time hitting the Swift let me show you the Ware or the Millers. You deserve it!!!
Ken
Ken
13 comments:
Any idea if they have delayed stocking due to the Virus?
How was this weekend on the Swift? Looking to take advantage of quarantine and get out there tomorrow.
Anyone get out to the Swift this weekend? How were conditions?
Anonymous 9:54
Are you serious?? Check the stocking reports for Monday.
Anonymous 10:30,
Probably a lot of the same old, same old. I'm in Florida as I write. I hope my house sitter doesn't get corona virus.
Ken
I hope everyone who reads this blog takes the warnings seriously and stays well. That said, yes, I am fishing for sure.
Falsecast,
Of all the outdoor activities that we can do fly fishing may be the safest. We can easily stay 20 to 30 feet away from EVERYONE although it may force some to give up the PIPE and the Y POOL all together.
Ken
" Shoeshoe Hare's foot fur also works although it doesn't give us the nice sharp profile that deer hair does. (that's why I can't stand the "Usual", a truly ugly fly)" Spot on review of the Comparadun, however most trout I have fished over don't object to the Usual! Comparaduns, Usuals, and some Adams Parachutes make up a successful play list IMHO.
Ken,
Have not had a hit, not one, since mid January, but I keep casting when opportunity allows. I Saw a few rises tonight, but not as many as should have been considering the decent caddis hatch going on. Small midges too. Loved seeing those rises, but my offerings were ignored, though I thought the drifts were pretty good. I enjoyed seeing a few families walking the path with their youngsters getting fresh air and spending time together.
Be Well and Stay Healthy,
Sam
.....and that may be a rare good thing that comes from this crises. Stay safe! - Andrew
Anonymous 10:53,
I agree, the Usuals do work but they still look like a pile of dryer lint to me.
Sam,
Back in the day the trout season didn't open until the third Saturday in April. At least now we can fish, sometimes unsuccessfully, all year.
Falsecast,
Keep fishing.
Ken
Sam..
I go about once a week and have only managed a nice brown a few weeks back. The rises have been far and few between. I really wonder if the couple that keep everything they catch have put a large dent in the fish population?
Anonymous, I believe they and others have depleted the number of fish in there. Sadly I think brookies are depleted also having caught my last one of those in mid January. Usually they take up the slack when action is slow, but I have caught zero brookies since then. Too bad that Bondsville isn't catch and release at least part of the year.
Best, Sam
Last thing I will say about this, the old man part of the couple told me how many trout he and his sprinting accomplice had taken out of there. Way too many. I heard the story twice about the 21" rainbow taken out of a most unlikely spot. No way to get a fly into there, but a treble hooked lure just might connect, not necessarily in a sporting way. I have kind of had it with the Swift. Freestones in my future, small ones too.
Sam,
If you think the "old man" and his accomplice are going over the creel limit then make a call to the DFW Law Enforcement with their description and/or plate number. It works.
Ken
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