The enormous increase in the number of anglers in recent years has made it necessary that all true sportsmen should consider the interests of others as well as their own. On a good sized stream one may fish after several fly-fishers without much diminution of sport. I have waited half an hour after nine had passed and had a very fair day". Theodore Gordon, circa 1900
I won't complain too much about 2020 except for a few minor issues.
The summer long drought was a killer on the freestones from mid June onward and by Labor day we were getting a little tired of tailwaters and their crowds and prayed for early autumn rains which we got in the nick of time. It appears that the DFW didn't spread out the fall stocking on the Millers because it appeared that all the trout that I heard of being caught were caught in one place.
The EB recovered nicely from the dry spell and fished well right up to Thanksgiving.
The EB and the Millers can easily make through the summer with one rainy day a week. A flow of 200 to 300 cfs will work on the Millers and about the same for the EB. I will also fish the WB of the Westfield and the Ware well into July if the flows are good. (We have a lot of good freestones around here!!)
The All Around Rod
It's not a Euro-nymphing rod, that's for sure! It's almost hard to believe the many tales of these rods breaking. Maybe the design limits of graphite don't extend to the 11 foot, 3wt range in a reliable way. (I must say that I like casting a fly line and not a 20+ foot leader and I want one rod that will do it all AND I don't want to be saddled with a rod/fly setup that will only work with sufficient current.) On intimate streams like the Swift, with enough overhead foliage to cause concern, I will work a 7 to 7.5 foot bamboo rod and I can make it do anything. It's perfect for that river. For the Millers and the EB an 8 foot to 9 foot graphite rod that is fairly fast in the tip will get the job done on those rivers regardless of the type of fly that you have on.
I once read about this flyfisher who sold off most of his rods except for two. Someone asked him if he had found himself in a situation where he could of used one of those rods that he sold. "No, I just take one of the two rods I have left and MAKE IT WORK". I love comments like that. I guess it's called "mastering your Tools". Remember, it's not the fly rod that will make you a better fly fisher. It's YOU!!!!
Happy New Year,
Ken
P.S.
Thanks for all of the pageviews that this blog has. We are well over 2 million. And thanks for the comments that you write in. Our comments are not the namby pamby variety but have some real meat on them.
13 comments:
Hi Ken. Great observations about our local rivers.
I do have a comment about choice of equipment. I agree with the premise of the rod operator being the factor in successful fishing. However, I am also a proponent of the fly fisher having confidence in their gear, which in turn instills confidence in the fisherman.
I just finished a 7 1/2' 5 wt bamboo rod late this fall and fished it twice before the weather turned cold. I did well with the Brook trout on the Swift. Was it me, the rod? The bamboo felt so good and it seemed I could do no wrong. I felt confident.
Just a thought to add to yours. And a shout out to Tim C.
Thanks.
Jeff J
Jeff J,
There's always a lot of love when fishing bamboo but if one doesn't know what they're doing the rod will not make a difference. John Gierach once said that a guy could have a top of the line rod but STILL get out fished by someone with a rod that has the action of a broom handle.
There are flyfishers who constantly buy new rods but never really get any better.
Ken
Hi Ken,
Recently I found myself in a compromising situation and wondering if it were really worth fishing without my usual terminal gear. 40 minutes from home, waders on, I realized I’d forgotten my vest at home (took it out of the car to restock and oops!). I did have my fly rod, but no tippet, no forceps, no clippers, no net, and none of my usual flies.
Took a chance. What the heck… I’d a couple of extra boxes of smaller flies in the trunk. Tucked em in my waders and figured to fish with the leader on my reel till I’d run out of tippet.
Had a great couple of hours, fishing flies I’d long ignored on tippet that got shorter with each fly change (which weren’t too many). Still the trout were compliant. My beefs were having to use my teeth to clip off flies and tippet ends, and cold hands from releasing fish without forceps or a net in 30 degree weather.
I learned this: even in challenged circumstances, presentation factors high vs. types of gear and flies. And I went away smiling at the lessons I’ll not soon forget.
Happy New Year.
Bob O,
I did the same thing about a month ago, on purpose. I wanted to go minimalist, no tackle bag, one box of flies, one spool of tippet and everything in my fishing jacket. I wouldn't do it while guiding but on a solo trip? Yes I would.
Ken
The long and short of it is that a 10'Orvis 4wt and 8'WInston 4wt take care of all the local trout fishing needs for me, top to bottom!
this comment is not relevant to the current topic but it is relevant to a recent topic on the blog that I couldn't locate through the search feature but its about river access fees, crowding etc...it seems even the biggest rivers in MT are facing the same issues our smaller MA and New England Rivers face at times. A lot of people (more non-fishermen than fisherman) using the resources but not contributing through any type of fees...an article from the Missoulan :
https://chiwulff.com/2020/12/30/interesting-look-at-river-users-in-the-paradise-valley-this-past-summer/
IMO its well past time that a conservation license should be required by all fishermen boaters and swimmers in our inland lakes and rivers. It would pay for maintenance of access points and other conservation minded endeavors-even a $10 yearly fee for non-fisherpersons would go a very long way. If its not appropriate don't worry about posting it I wont be hurt lol.
BobT,
This is very relevant! I've long advocated for a mandatory trout stamp and a user permit for kayaks and rafters. Your conservation license makes sense!
Ken
Happy New Year Ken! The old Ted Gordon quote here reminds me of speaking with an older woman once on the quinapoxet who asked if the river still held trout and explained how her father had fished the stream circa 1910 thought that was really cool. Hope 2021 goes better then this year for everyone!
I go the minimalist route in the blue lines--wet wading, a mini box or two of flies, a small disk of 6x tippet and a small rod. My daughter and her husband gave me a generous gift certificate to a well-known VT fly shop that I frequent on vacations. I don't "need" any rods, reels, waders, vests, boots, clothing, or flies (please don't tell my wife I said this about flies). So, I went into the shop thinking "what on earth am I going to buy?" Wandering around, I found a TFO Lefty Kreh 5 foot half-weight rod paired with a 0-wt reel. Not something I would have bought, but if you hook into a 6-inch wild brookie with it in a clear, small backwoods stream, it's all the fish you will ever need. Happy New Year to all.
Charles
Charles,
Here are your marching orders for 2021: I want a 12 inch Swift brookie on that jewel of a rod in 2021 with photos!! Happy New Year!!!
Paul Fay,
2021 HAS to be better than this year. Just keep fishing!!
Speaking of quotes, my favorite is from Roderick Haig-Brown: “I have fished through fishless days that I remember happily without regret”.
"I am not against golf, since I cannot but suspect it keeps armies of the unworthy from discovering trout..."
Paul O'Neil
Happy New Year Ken!
This is really a great article about fishing.You have shared very useful tips which i like it a lot.
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