I seemed to be out of the loop with this LL Salmon thing on the Swift. It seems that some have been catching them with regularity but that was not the case for me until this past Monday when I took 5 out of the Flats above the Duck Pond. Now, I've had a few trips there within the last few weeks but no salmon until now which leads me to believe that the genesis of these fish is from a recent wash over from Quabbin this past Spring and not from spawning activity in the Fall of 2019. Why is that?
Let's hope that they learn to feed on tiny brookies and grow larger and can successfully spawn in the Swift.
Fly Rods
The quote at the top of this post makes so much sense. There seems to be a weird trend that states that one must go with the lightest rod possible if you are dry fly fishing. Well, common sense solutions get you in trouble more often than not. My first trout caught on a size 28 dry was caught with a 9 foot 5wt fly rod. The rod, slightly on the moderate action side, could lay out a very soft cast but also punch a line into a good wind. And with a 12 foot 7X leader it was a good small dry fly tool. It also gave me the distance that some of these fairy wands can only dream about.
Is there an "all around" dry fly rod? The answer is No but my personal choice for the Swift would be a 7 to 7 and a half foot bamboo coupled with a 4wt double taper line. The Millers would find me with 7 and a half foot to 8 foot 5wt matched to a weight forward line for the distance and for beating the wind which can be problem on that river.
I love Triangle Tapers when the conditions are good as in NO WIND. Other than that I'll fish a DT line.
The Drought
I don't think we're praying hard enough!!!!!
Ken
15 comments:
I echo the thoughts on rods. I am good acquaintances with some fairly accomplished regulars in Yellowstone Park and on the Henry's Fork...these are dry fly/ damp fly guys. Of the three I am thinking about not one uses a modern fast action rod. One of the finest fishermen I have seen cast a dry fly has a Redington Classic Trout in his rotation and is used regularly. The other rod is an ancient Leonard graphite. A good line and a decent rod are far more effective in rolling out a dry on a long leader than something super light super fast and super expensive. One uses an 8' 5 weight bamboo other than when he is chucking streamers and the third splits his casting between a moderate action 8' 4 weight and 8.5ft 5 weight Burkhiemers-definitely not fast action rods. These guys fish the wildly varied conditions of the Yellowstone area with these setups and are extremely good (as in a lot better than me) at catching larger wild trout on mostly dry/damp flies. Many think you need fast out there...nothing could be further from the truth.
BobT,
Well said! I have to smile because during the warmer months I use bamboo but in the "ice in the guides" season I use graphite because graphite holds up better and my "go to" rods are an 8ft 3wt or a 9 ft 5wt REDINGTON CLASSIC TROUT!! They cast effortlessly and are easily the best value in trout fly rods today. They were supposed to be the back up to some more expensive rods that I have but now they are the rods of choice.
Ken
On the Swift I use, almost exclusively, my 4 wt, 7 1/2 ft, T&T LPS II. This very light and sensitive rod can do almost everything and let's you cast under those overhanging trees. When I am throwing some bigger terrestrials or streamers, I use my 4 wt, 8 1/2 ft, T&T Helix. I never use a 5wt there, but I do on bigger streams like Housy and Millers.
FWIW I caught a LLS in the heart of Bondsville last week. It was mixed in with brookies and browns. Second one for me so far this year. Would be really cool if they could get established (I think).
.....glad you got your LLS. I agree with you about them coming over the spillway.
Brooksman,
Fellow commenter Sam also got some lls down around Bondville. They appear to be in the length of the river which is a good thing. I hope they establish themselves so we don't have to rely as much on clonebows.
Falsecast,
I think length is overlooked by many. You don't need to use a zero weight to catch trout on tiny flies. A 4wt works fine and many times the added length improves your options.
Ken
Are there still fish hanging out in Bondsville? I was below the second bridge this weekend and fished down to the little wooden gazebo thing they put in not long ago - I didn't see a single fish, not even a chub!
I was swinging a winged wet & a soft hackle, but didn't find any players. I was worried the heavier pressure cleared the place out.
I was looking on line and I didn’t see the Westfield on the list of rivers to be stocked this Fall. The Ware, Deerfield, Millers, Squanacook and Nissitisit and some others were on the list. Am I missing something?
Chuck
Chuck,
Try looking in the Western District, town of Chesterfield. It's there.
Andrew D.
There are still fish there. I usually START at the gazebo and go downstream.
Ken
Good to know Ken, as always thanks for a great blog.
Hopefully this rain and colder nights brings our freestones back to life! I miss the millers
Andrew D
Ken,
I did connect with a fair number of those little salmon last year, but not a one this year. Happy to hear that brooksman caught one recently though.
With regard to current fishing prospects, numbers of trout are diminished being it is catch and keep all the time (damn shame), but there are still fish to be had. Most that are rising hang out in spots that it is hard to get a fly into, and if you get a good drift in there, those fish are as finicky as any in the Swift. I could not crack their code tonight or previous outings there.
Sam
Bondsville does get hammered by folks who like to keep em but there are still fish there. Got a few on Friday but closer to Jabbish. Spoke to the self proclaimed guy in charge of stocking (nice guy) who said Swift should get more fish in the fall than in the July stocking.
Chuck is right. Westfield is not on the list for this Fall. https://www.mass.gov/service-details/trout-stocking-report
Kevin
Chuck is right. The current MA trout stocking report for this Fall does not show the Westfield for some reason. https://www.mass.gov/service-details/trout-stocking-report
Kevin,
Show me because I see it on the list unless I'm losing my mind.
Ken
Post a Comment