"All a trout really needs to know is that anything that moves is either food or danger. If it's big and moving, it's probably dangerous, so flee. If it's moving and small enough to eat, chow down. They can learn from their mistakes to a certain extent, but to a trout, if something looks like a bug and acts like a bug, it's probably a bug. It's a good thing, too, or we'd never catch them".- John Wyatt
10/7 Lost Reel on the Swift. A Lamson Litespeed G5 reel. Email me to return to the owner.
The fish are there and not too stream wise as of yet. A big catch day may not be the result of your piscatorial prowess but being in the right place at the right time. Who cares, in three months it will be fishing under different conditions so fish now as daylight wanes the thermometer drops!
Things I'd Like To See
1. I'd like the flow on the Swift to be reduced from the 125 cfs done to a historical 60 cfs soon. We need rain for that. I like 60 cs because it gives the brookies the perfect environment to build their redds. It was only about two years ago that the Autumn flow was too high and many of the favorite spots held no fish. Besides, the low flows produce great dry fly (BWO) fishing, the high flows not so much.
2. Make the entire Swift catch and release. I called the EPO's a week or so ago for bait fishing and chumming violations. The EPO I spoke to said he was down in Springfield but would get there asap. I got the make of vehicle but not the plate. I think these guys are spread too thin. The typical violator will play dumb, thinking you could still keep fish. Total C&R makes that hard to do.
3. Am I hallucinating or are there more bamboo roads on the Swift in the last few months? I guided two people with exquisite bamboo rods three weeks ago. Then I met a fellow who wanted to show me the cane rod that he had built from scratch (splitting the culm) and it was a wonderful work of art!! And on this past Sunday a met an angler who had an OLD bamboo rod (reinforcing wraps the full length of the rod) BUT it was a fast action which would pair with a 4wt DT and perfect for the Swift. Now John, who I guided this past Tuesday, showed me a 7 1/2 foot Orvis impregnated rod that was maybe 60 years old and was in unused condition. It was labeled for a 6wt but would easily cast a 5wt or a 4wt with ease, just adjust your casting stroke. It is a beautiful rod!
It is very good to see "believers in the cane" as they say. Bamboo, in the trout weights, beats graphite any day as long as we don't have ice in the guides and ice in the guides is rare during the April to mid November trout season.
BOOK ME
It's beautiful out there!!!! A frosty morning will not kill you but a mid morning start would work too. My calendar is filling up for October and November will soon too. I guide 7 days a week because I love it and it's fun for you too.
Book Me
Ken
6 comments:
Ken,
It would be wonderful if the entire Swift was catch and release, at least part of the year. I think it is a shame that such a great resource, one of the best trout streams in New England, doesn't get patrolled better by DFW.
I have never seen once an officer checking for license or creel / stringer limit.
Regards, Sam
Sam,
It ought to be CR/no bait all year. Splitting the seasons only adds confusion to some and excuses for others. The vast majority are CR flyfishers anyway. These trout are not here for the freezer stuffers!
Ken
Good morning Ken, I'll second both Sam and your comments. Catch and keep is fine in my view on stocked warm water rivers since the trout won't last anyway. On cold water I would support more C&R. Most anglers these days are there for sport and more trout in the water means more chances for all of us. As for the EPO, I got checked for the first time ever last October during the Salmon run on the Still Water. I was told by them they had a report of a person taking salmon and illegally selling the eggs stream side so they were checking everyone. Other than that day I've never even seen one on the water. At least now with cell phones we can make it tougher on these guys.
Respect the fish,
Dean
Dean F.
Good point. Cell phones can be the game changer against poachers. The last time I got checked was the Spring of 2019 on the Ware River. EPO's can get all the violators they want by just hanging out on the Swift.
Ken
It seems like the state biologists pockets are lined by interest groups. Just look at the striped bass stocks and the regs they implemented this year. Yet the stocks are so depleted they don't change any commercial regs (outside of no comm. in the canal) and then have to extend the season bc they can't fill the quotas. IMO this state has no interest in what's best for the fisheries, just their pockets. There's little money in trout so they don't care what happens to the stocked fish.
Ken
My son and I got to Cady lane about 3:30 Monday, only two cars. We managed 3 BT, 1 brown and 2 Rainbow one of which was hefty. All were caught on a size 16 partridge and olive. The brookies hit as soon as the fly hit the water, brown and RB were taken on the drift with a bit of split shot.
Something we noticed that seemed very unusual was the water temperature, while releasing a fish I couldn’t help but notice how warm the water felt. I don’t carry a thermometer but it was noticeable to touch. Has anyone else noticed?
Mike
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