Really, the only thing a psychiatrist can do that a good fishing guide can't is write prescriptions" - John Gierach
It was only 55 degrees on September 1st as I rigged up a 3wt bamboo to play with the Swift's bows, brookies and salmon. With the 58 degree water the fleece I brought felt good. Only a week ago it was 90 and humid. The seasons are changing and we can't avoid it and why would we? September has the most comfortable weather (cooler and usually dry), less of the biting insects and a dusk that comes early and a dawn that comes late plus plenty of insects, aquatic and terrestrial, to keep us and the trout happy. (don't believe the naysayers who think that the trout food is too small in September. I like small trout food!!)
I stationed myself in the flats above the Duck Pond where bows, brookies and LLS have come to the net as of late but this morning started off as a complete dud. The #14 partridge and orange, usually as reliable as Tom Brandy, was totally ignored. Now, I could not see any insect activity and the rises that I saw were sporadic at best.
Well, let's do what has worked before. Go down to Cady Lane? No, throw on a size 18 partridge and yellow. In my final hour that fly resulted in 8 nice brookies (6 to 8 inches) and two rainbows plus one that broke me off. Some of those fish were taken on the same fly in a size 20. The technique was the classic wet fly swing which is deadly. Have at least 12 feet of leader in 5 or 6x and cast it down and across the current mending as needed. You will be imitating an emerging insect perfectly.
P.S. - For the first time in two weeks I didn't take a LLS.
Brookies And The Fall
Have you noticed that the brookies are starting to color up? By mid October they will be migrating upstream to their spawning ground and every brown and bow will be trying to get into the act of robbing eggs. Book me if you want to fish this Fall.
Ken
11 comments:
Fall on the Millers may be underway; went out late yesterday and couldn't keep the smallies (8 of them in an hour) off my hopper, but did manage to coax a brown up out of the depths. Plenty of water, too. And to add to all of this, a bald eagle flew right over me. We live in a great area.
Charles,
One good rain storm should lift this river up. It will be cool enough to fish going forward less evaporation should help the flow.
Glad that you saw that eagle!!
Ken
Ken, I've fished below route 9 but am not familiar with the duck pond, where is that?
Ken I would just like to say thanks again for all the info and the excellent topics of discussion reading the blog and comments is part of my morning routine, what a great community we have here! Early fall fishing is gearing up and I couldn't be more excited !
I saw an Bald Eagle fly directly down river above me in Bondsville as well, it was so cool.
-Andrew D
Ken - fyi I did catch a smaller LLS below rte 9 today. It was able 4 inches. Nice hatch today. No shortage of people hatching too. :)
Paul Fay,
I enjoy doing this blog. We have a loot of good readers out there.
Andrew D,
Starting to see more osprey too
Falsecast,
People hatch!! (Funny)
On the EB at 6:15 this morning 60 degrees and foggy no one but me fishing. Started with a #14 P & O fooled 2 bows, then put on a #10 blue & black SH fooled another bow, lost the fly on the bottom, so I decided to change tactics and fish on top, cut off the fluro tippet and tied on a nylon tippet and #14 hopper of my own design. landed 2 more bows and lost 2, I stop fishing at 9:30, the fog had burnt off and the sun was getting high. The river is in great shape after the rain almost perfect flow and cooler water.
Gary,
Thank you for the report on the EB. If the trout can make it through this awful summer they will make it through any summer!!
Ken
Went to the EB last night around 6pm and fished until I couldn't see. Got a few bows on a tan hopper. It's definitely fishable right now, and I didn't see another person fishing.
Way to go Joe!!
Ken
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