" I knew by now that one of the pitfalls of falling in love with old bamboo fly rods was that there was no end to the number you could collect. You could rationalize this in various ways. You could say, for example, that going on a fishing trip with only two rods was like playing Saint Andrews with only two golf clubs." - George Black
We were after rainbows that were slurping in sulphurs which really didn't happen. There were fits and starts of a sulphur hatch but the brookies (good size with one around 14 inches) would beat the bows to the prize, at least that was our going excuse.
One of my clients dropped a good bow on a size 14 Partridge and Orange (what else) but then took a brown of about 14 inches on the same fly AND then had a subtle hit that took off like a rocket. It was big and somewhat the color of a brown but then as my client stopped its upstream charge I saw, as it turned, that it was a smallmouth bass!! It fought like a demon and when it got to the net it was a full 15 inches and with a weight guessed at 2 to 2.5lbs. It was FAT and really a great break from from the usual fare. I take back everything bad that I ever said about their presence in the Swift.
BTW, the fly was a size 14 Partridge and Orange again.
Brookies continued to be caught but finally a good bow came to the net courtesy of an Ed Engle midge that I fonld in one of my Ed Engle books. I can't remember the name of the fly but the secret sauce is a BLUE mylar body. I threw on an olive thorax and some black starling on a size 20 hook. Engle swears that this is his favorite midge pattern and that's good enough for me.
Fall Fishing
In less than 60 days we will be in October and that is, along with November, my favorite times to fly fish in central New England. The weather is balmy with the heat of summer is a memory and the rivers are usually in great shape. Also the DFW throws in an autumn gift with another stocking. I book up quickly and that has already started. Pick a date, no deposit required, and we will be all set.
Best.
Ken
9 comments:
As long as the smallmouth don't reproduce in the Swift.
Ken, as I always do, I love reading your blog posts. But selfishly, this one particular one happens to be my favorite. Reason being, you increased the font size in which it make it a hell of a lot easier to read.
All in all, the fall fly fishing season are my favorite time of the year as well. Cooler temps, fall colors and fly fishing. They all go together just like wine and cheese.
Tight-lines....PHil
Hi Ken,
I have not been fishing much lately, but got out for a few hours yesterday afternoon. A Partridge and orange soft hackle with a couple of BB shot 6" above yielded three nice rainbows, two of which came to net the third made for its release after an impressive jump. The hits were very subtle, just a hesitation of the line that I pulled up on just in case the hesitation was caused by a fish and not bottom.
Just about done fishing, I noticed a fish splashing on the surface repeatedly downstream of me. I went down to investigate and it was a rainbow that kept coming to the surface until it finally splashed its way further downstream not to resurface again. I can't figure out what that behavior was all about unless it was one of the fish I hooked previously that thought it was still hooked. I can't believe I fatally wounded either of the two that came to net considering the relatively quick fight and keeping them in the water within the net as the barbless hook came out on its own. Water temp was 65 degrees.
Regards, Sam
Hi Ken I observed a decent size smallie in the mix @ the y pool a month or so back, I cant stress how much fun these fish are on the flyrod in fact I learned to use a flyrod casting for small mouth in NH over two decades ago and it never gets old, great target for beginners to fly fishing. With fall approaching I always love to tell people to target those blue lines and often overlooked fisheries when they cool off a bit but BEFORE the dfw restocks again. That is the time to find those fish that have moved into cooler streams for refuge from the summer heat and also spread out from the usual stocking spots! Early fall means one thing for me and that's tramping thru the squannacook!
Phil,
Good to hear from you. I'm looking to Fall and increasing the font size.
Sam,
Don't think that you fatally wounded a bow but probably two bows chasing each other. they do that a lot.
Paul,
Those blue lines need some rain quickly. Some of them are very low.
Ken
wow, never knew a small mouth would take a partridge and orange!
Hmm, I might have killed the smallie.....most definitely don't want those in the swift
Falsecast,
Smallies went over the top in 2009, 2011, 2019 and 2020 but no population has developed in the Swift, thankfully. That said, remember that C&R means all species are released.
brothergreg13,
That partridge and orange will catch anything!!!
Ken
I know and I would not like to kill any fish unless I was eating it, but glad to hear they aren't reproducing. Smallies would really ruin the Swift, probably permanently.
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