On the Firehole I caught thirty-six inches worth of trout - in six installments - Arnold Gingrich
It's been a very good Autumn so far. We have had just enough rain to keep the rivers at a fishable level with the EB and the Swift leading the way and dry flies have produced great results. Many times Fall rains blow out rivers which ends the dry fly season. But this year the flows have been perfect, the temperatures have been perfect and the trout have been "looking up".
There was a late October day on the EB when a brownish/grey caddis began to hatch and that made my client change from a weighted possum nymph to a caddis dry. He took 10 additional fish. Another client threw an elk hair caddis into the skinniest water that he could find and took fish. On that occasion there was no real surface activity BUT the flows were low and trout could see anything on the surface. The fly of choice is something buoyant and something that can take a beating and that is a simple deer hair caddis. Sometimes I'll darken the wing with a sharpee but most of the time I leave it natural. It represents a caddis, of course, and a stonefly too. Might as well throw in a terrestrial insect into the mix also.
The brookies on the Swift love them too.
An EB Auction??
It appears that a public auction of Chesterfield town land is scheduled for November 15th and it appears that one of the parcels on the block includes river frontage on the EB. It looks like the land from the first turnoff to below the spot that I call the swimming hole is the spot. Now, who would want to build there? Nobody I would guest because it isn't buildable as I see it. I know that the town has spent a lot of effort "fixing" the dirt road (River Rd) this past month. Is something in the wind that could limit our access to this river?. If you know anything let me know.
Fishing has been great! BOOK ME
Ken
5 comments:
I've been doing the same thing with good results. Yes, skinny water will let them see that dry really well and it's not something they have to chase and the deer hair keeps it on the surface. If they see a hapless insect in the film they will not ignore it.
GW
Hi Ken,
Regarding the EB, I found this:
https://www.gazettenet.com/Chesterfield-looking-to-auction-off-part-of-Chesterfield-Gorge-36997789
Looks like the auction is going ahead, but it seems that any possible development is a ways off, but not impossible. At least it is now on the radar of various conservation groups.
Mike from Pittsfield
Mike from Pittsfield,
Thank you!!
Ken
Hi Ken, It was a pleasure to talk fly fishing with you on Friday and thank you for passing me your spot on the Swift. I did spend 45 minutes or so trying to coax a hit with only two very small brookies showing any interest. Despite a variety of well drifted offerings the big trout we saw stayed put, mocking me- this sport can be maddening sometimes. I moved down below the pipe and found a spot where I could see the swells of feeding trout just below the surface film. I was fortunate enough to land three Rainbows before needing to head home. The flies were #16 Elk Hair Caddis, #20 Tail Water Assassin and a #16 Stewart's Black spider. Crowded or not the Swift is a joy to fish.
Dean
Dean,
Good to run into you and glad that got some on the surface.
Ken
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