"The caddis at the farmy yesterday were tiny and unfortunately I didn't have anything in the box that they seemed interested in. Fishing pressure there this spring has rivaled the cape cod canal during a new moon or the salmon river during the salmon run." - Recent comment by a reader
This is the season that I dream about - calm, warm evenings on a trout stream. And make that a quality freestone river too. I had a few hours to kill after visiting my oldest daughter and her family and a stop at the Millers was in order.
There's a bit of a decades long ritual here - get to the river in the very early evening to make some swings with a soft hackle while keeping an eye open on the parts of the river where the shadows have begun. As the shadows lengthen you will see the occasional soft rise of a trout as it lines up for dinner. As the sun hides behind a western ridge there will be enough trout rising to make it interesting.
For years I would arm myself with dries and fish them when the trout began to "look up". Not so much anymore. I'll stay with the soft hackles being that they are the perfect emerger and that is what the trout are after when they break the surface. Only when I see that parade of "little sailboats" will I make the move to a dry. Sometimes when it gets dark you can't see the fly or even the rise form but you can feel the STRIKE. BTW, I took 2 browns and 2 bows all on a size 14 soft hackle!
The Rivers
You guessed it, the rivers are coming down with the lack of rain that we've had but they are still fishing well. The Swift may even dip below 200 cfs this week. The Millers and the EB are perfect right now but the Ware, still in ok shape, could use some rain. That's what's in store for Friday.
BOOK ME
Things are good and busy after a corona start to the season. Book me and let's flyfish.
Ken
10 comments:
Sounds like a fantastic evening on the river Ken! Dont give up on your quest for the worlds greatest dry - it's creating a beautiful fly!
Hibernation,
I soft hackle can almost be a dry fly. I'll call it a "damp" fly.
Ken
Hi Ken,
Why not dress a soft hackle with some form of floatant, like frogs fanny, and fish it like a dry? Anything wrong with that? What do you think
Anonymous 10:39,
I've tied a dry with CDC wings and partridge legs a few years ago. It floated well and caught some trout but was more of a novelty.
Ken
Hi Ken,
I've been exploring the WB and have had some nice mornings along Rt 20 in Chester and Huntington. I saw on a blog back in 2018 you mention a spot named Trout Rock. Any hints on helping me find that spot? Thanks for giving me the push to get out of the usual spots!
JoeS,
The rock, with a trout face painted on it, is on River Rd (Old State Rd) on the left while driving downstream.
Ken
Hi Ken,
It was "lights out" on the EB at the Gorge yesterday. Arrived about 10 am and found a young couple fishing the Bliss Pool, so I headed downstream a ways to near the gate. Immediately was into fish, fat brookies and hefty chunkbows. After getting a half dozen in the net and missing or LDR maybe twice that many, I headed back to the Bliss pool in the early afternoon to find it empty, with rising fish. I couldn't figure out what they wanted on top, but it didn't matter. Every second or third drift got a take, and I got another dozen or so to hand over the next couple hours, and at least that many LDR and missed. Super quality fish, it is hard to get those 15-16" leaping bows all the way to the net, and the brookies were all fat and dug deep and fought hard. Got fish on a variety of flies: pink SJW, bright green soft hackle, Pat's rubber legs, #20 red and white zebra midge - the last having the most success. On the way out I hit a downstream run and, as icing on the cake, got a hefty brookie to eat a stimulator. Not much was hatching - a few caddis - but lots of stoneflies crawling out on the rocks. Best day ever for me on the EB - I figure it's all about "time on the water" - if you keep at it long enough one day you will hit it just right, yesterday was one of those days.
Best,
Mike from Pittsfield
MDH,
GOOD DAY!!!
Hey Jack C. - does this sound like an overrated river to you? Not to me!! You have to put in the time at the right time to get results.
MDH, I've done well since my super Monday (17 fish) and then did well after that and so did you!! Good job!
Ken
The Swift's brookies are already working their way upstream. Took many little ones at the Pipe and a lovely colored small male in the bubbler stretch. Lots of fun.
Bob O,
YES, I saw MANY above Route 9 and that's much more than last year. A "bumper crop"??
Ken
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