I don't fish the really famous Montana rivers much anymore and when I do I usually hit them at off times - between the major hatches when, as a guide once told me, "there are fewer rising trout but more rising trout per fisherman" - John Gierach
It's been a great October so far. The EB has been producing and the Swift has been getting it done. That leaves a few other rivers to report in.
The Ware is at a bony 10cfs!. To paraphrase Seinfeld "No trout for you". See you next Spring.
The Millers, from Route 2 (Farley Flats), looks like you could cross it without getting your feet wet but that's not the case. There are plenty of shin to thigh deep stretches all over the place and what's good is that the water temperature is in the 50's. This place needs some fish. The flyfishers are waiting as evidenced by the half dozen cars at Wendell Depot at 7:30 yesterday morning. P.S.- no reports of fish! If the Squannacook can be stocked when the flow is only around 12 cfs then why on the Millers? It certainly has the water and as a listed CR river it will have the flyfishers.
The Swift - At 126 cfs it's fine for standard flyfishing BUT not fine for brookie spawning. Two years ago high water kept most of the BT off their redds. We need to have the flow down to 50-60 cfs.
Fall Flies
All generalist flies should work all year long. The Soft Hackles do as do the Hares Ears and Pheasant Tails. But this generic little nymph is great in the Fall and Winter on the Swift but forget the Summer. My Possum nymph has all the right triggers to be successful all year but...Next Summer I'll really give it a workout!!
17 comments:
Yup, I was one of those cars at Wendell Depot (Ken, I introduced myself to you as you were leaving). As you suggested, I then went over and tried the upper trestle pool, but again had no luck. The water looked beautiful throughout, but no fish...
A note on the Millers off of Gulf Rd in Royalston. The parking area is not accessible due to numerous trees having been blown down from Wednesday nights thunderstorms. This was still the case as of Saturday the 10th.
Hello Ken, good fly fishing on the EB yesterday. Yeah, they were stockies but I still had fun.
The foliage was beautiful which set off the scenery of EB area well enough to just take your breath away. Not sure what I enjoyed more? My fly fishing successes, or just being in the gorge area during this colorful autumn. Good stuff!!
James T,
Good to meet you! We had the same luck or lack there of.
T.Neale,
Thank you for the heads up. Technically that parking area is in Athol so their DPW or Conservation Commission should start clearing it. On a side note I did some hiking in Athol a few weeks ago and went over a hill called Round Top, a favorite of mine during the years that I lived there. They always kept the trail clear but now it's a mess with a few years worth of blowdowns. Nothing ever seems to get done anymore. Maybe TU should clear out that parking area.
DRYFLYGUY,
Rainbows with a band as red as a maple leaf. Not too bad!!!
Ken
Hi Ken, Just curious what Scud sizes do you tie/fish on the Swift?
Dean
Dean F.
Sizes 14 and 16, unweighted, with micro shot 6 inches above the fly.
Ken
This is wonderful October indeed. Living is a city with a lots of going on is really frustrating. Compared to that, this is heaven. I feel relaxed just by looking at the pictures.
Hey Ken,I wouldn't exactly say October has been wonderful. Only three rivers in western Mass are fishable. They are not stocking any of the sweet freestones which is unfortunate due to the drought. Even southern Vermont is a wasteland ,no stocking there either. Cheers,Chet
PS We can still buy gear and lawn cast! LOL
Dean...I followed Ken's advice back in March before the spring stocking. Size 16 scud, unweighted (without a micro shot) and brought a 19-inch bow to the net. Certainly can't argue with his advice.
Best of luck,
Charles
Chet,
The EB has been stocked and I'm sure the Millers will be stocked after this rain. Maybe even the Ware. The Fall stocking is tiny compared to the Spring stocking.
Ken
Ken
My son and I got to Cady Lane at 3:30 Monday only two cars there. We picked up 6 fish between us, all on #16 partridge & olive. The brookies took as soon as the fly hit the water, rainbows and brown were on the drift with a small split shot.
Something unusual I noticed was the water temperature, I don’t carry a thermometer in my vest but the water felt warmer than usual when releasing a fish. Has anyone else noticed this? Im assuming the reservoir is much lower than normal.
Mike
Ken,
What color are your scuds?
"Doc"
The main branch of the westfield got some fish as well. Supposedly only rainbows but I got a chunky 16 inch bow that didn't fight much, a surprise brookie and the tiniest smallie i've ever seen on monday evening.
Doc,
The color in the photo!!
Mike,
Two things, we may be having the twice a year turnover where cold bottom water mixes with warmer surface water. Now, I was there last week in the early morning and the water seemed warm but was it was about 58-60 degrees as usual. The air temperature was in the 30's which made the water seem cooler.
Ken
Ken,
I traveled to the Swift on Wednesday and parked at the Cady Lane parking lot on River Road. I walked directly to the river and started fishing the first pool about 75 yards to the right (as you face the river). After about 40 minutes I saw three men in their early twenties standing on the very edge of the river. All three were carrying shotguns (not sure if they were .22's or .44's). All three were decked out in camouflage. They were hunting for ducks! I was mid-river, so they were no more than 25 feet away from me. When I heard one of them say something like "I don't feel safe walking on these wet, slippery leaves with my gun loaded: I could slip and fall and have the thing go off" I decided to get out of the river. Luckily, there were no ducks in that pool (they were there 10 days ago when I last fished) so I never saw or heard them fire. They walked away a few minutes later.
I'd never seen hunters anywhere near the Swift, though I've seen the sign that permits "hunting, trapping and fishing," I'm not going to start wearing bright orange, but from now on I am going to make myself more aware of my surroundings as I walk to and from, and along, the river. Just thought other bloggers may want a heads up.
As for the fishing, I had a good day: two 10-12" browns (recently stocked?) and over a dozen brookies, the largest being a beautiful, brightly colored, fat 14" incher. I took most of them on size 8 and 10 Grey Ghost streamers.
Tom from Boston
Tom from Boston,
"all three were carrying shotguns (not sure if they were .22's or .44's)" Those aren't exactly shotguns.
About 10 years ago I saw this guy in a kayak and with a shotgun down in Cady Lane that someone claimed was duck hunting. I saw him once and that was it. There are occupied dwellings along the river which would make much of it hard to find a legal place to shoot plus there's a lot of State property down there. My guess is that it's illegal. Does anyone have any info on hunting down there.
p.s. the browns were recently stocked.
Ken
As long as they didn't discharge a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling or road then they are perfectly fine to hunt there. It is the Herman Covey WMA and hunting trapping fishing and outdoor rec is allowed, regardless of town firearm bylaws. The hatchery is even within the WMA so as long as they follow the rules in regards to safe firearm use they are totally in their right to hunt there.
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