" Almost all mortality of trout caught on flies or artificial lures is due to rupture of the respiratory filaments of the gills or puncture of the carotid artery in the roof of the mouth. Because of their greater penetration power barbless hooks are more prone to puncture the carotid artery. Large treble hooks often cause the least mortality because, unless the trout is quite large, the hooks cannot be engulfed into the mouth.” Wild Trout Symposium
3/31 = The Ware Has Been Stocked
I was on the phone with Charlie at Evening Sun Fly Shop discussing the stream flows for our area rivers. Our greatest fear is that we slide into another summer drought like the last two years. So far things look good on the rivers that I fish and write about. Here's an up to date summary:
Swift - 47 cfs, Median Average = 48 cfs
Millers - 737 cfs, Median Average = 1400cfs
EB - 1110 cfs, Median Average = 856cfs
Ware - 250 cfs, Median average = 350cfs
I am concerned about the Ware River being 100 cfs below it's historical average. I should be concerned with the Millers but one good rainy day (tomorrow) will fix that river for sure. Remember, it's still March and much can change in a month.
And The Farmington
The guys at UpCountry do a great job with their twice a week updates on that river. The flows are very good right now with a Farmy flow above the Still River of 206cfs and a Still River flow of 319cfs. Add them together (525cfs) and you have that perfect Farmington flow range of the mid 500's. And it's been stocked also so it would be worth your while to plan a day there. I am planning a late July/ early August trip of a few days to catch the Needhami hatch. It's a favorite.
I used to fish the Farmy years ago more often then I do now. I think I'll spend more time there this year fishing and writing about some favorite spots which are a bit out of the way. Someone should do it.
Quill Gordon Soft Hackle
I think I finally got it right!
Size 14 dry fly hook
body of brown uni-stretch floss
rib of very fine copper wire
slant grey hen hackle
This fly doubles as a good hendrickson emerger pattern too.
Read my quote at the top of this post. It warns that a major cause of trout hooking mortality is caused by puncturing the carotid artery in the roof of the mouth and a good way to do that is to use jig hooks or any hook that rides with the point "up". Nick that artery and that trout is dead!!!
Ken
14 comments:
Nice soft hackle. Do you put a thorax on the fly? I don’t see it in your materials list, but it kinda looks like it might have one.
Chuck
Chuck,
Good eye!! It's got a thorax of natural rabbit
Ken
Going to tie up a few for the spring hatches. Should work well.
The wild trout coalition is really promoting large treble hooks as being safer for the trout? They aren't engulfed in the mouth, so what... they hook the fish on the outside of the head, possibly in the eye? Meanwhile, in saltwater fishing there is a move away from using treble hooks on plugs to protect striped bass, which are obviously much larger and hardier than trout. Single point barbless hooks have often been required on catch-and-release waters (the WTMAs in Connecticut for example) to protect fish. The competition-style barbless hooks with longer points designed to hold fish in the absence of the barb do seem like they could cause real damage, but is a standard hook with the barb crushed really worse for the fish than the same hook with a barb? I have always felt that large hooks (streamers, big nymphs & dries) have the tendency to do the most damage, while smaller hooks tend to penetrate only skin deep.
For whatever it's worth, I remember reading a good article debunking the need to use jig hooks for nymphs to avoid snagging the bottom, since nearly all nymphs, weighted or unweighted, tied on standard or scud hooks, tend to ride hook up anyways. Of course, in rougher waters, everything tends to tumble around and the position of the hook when it is eaten by the trout is outside of our control.
Who knew "caught" trout mortality could be directly related to a hook to the upper mouth artery. I had NO clue.
Brendan,
I crush down the barbs on hooks with the idea that the little "bump" left over from the barb may help hold the fish until I realized that the hook would just fall out of it's mouth and land in the net. On Treble hooks - I've never seen a fish hooked on the outside of the head before with one but hooked myself good with one. Weighted flies tend too ride hook up but not unweighted flies.
Ken
While we're on the subject of fish mortality, I noticed that they stocked the main branch of the Westfield River yesterday. I can't help but wonder how many fish will survive after being raised in a controlled environment and released into water flowing at almost 3000 cubic feet per second.
P.S. I didn't even know what a Needhami was until I started fishing the Farmington last year.
I have plugged for stripers for many years and trebles snag a lot of fish, I have seen many times in a feed where 1 of 3 or 4 fish are snagged not caught. Mostly its a body snag but a gill plate snag is always fatal...unless you change to single hooks(which I have for years). the real mortality is caused trying to get the damn thing out of a fish's mouth. You have to look at the whole spectrum of treble hooks not just the ones that are hooking in the mouth or snagged but also the removal process which can take a lot of time and keep the fish out of water way too long.
I think long spear comp hooks are far more dangerous than a standard jig hook, I personally don't have to land any fish for any reason other than to say I did...its all about the hook up...all the rest is gravy so I just use regular barbless hooks for the most part.
For the people who don't want to chase hachery trucks The parker and mill river in the rt one area is full of searun brook and brown trout Fish on an out going tide be careful wading to the little marsh out steams muddler minnow edson tigers and shrimp type patterns working best Yes 3x and hang on there fish are big And no bugs this time of year. However some great white perch and i got a 3 foot eel the other day. Thank god i got him close because it would have been a 20 pound searun brown if it broke off. So much to do this time of year however if you ever want too find a area that like taking a guided fishing trip search out these tidal rivers creeks with no other individuals maybe except me (i have a blue chevy silverado and if there i will help anyone. As soon as the apple trees bloom the shad and stripers will be back
Bob O and Tincup,
Thanks to both of you. Those tidal creeks have me thinking!
Ken
That quote doesn't tell the whole story,obviously.Most hooks in the couple of bows .browns or brookies that I land are usually in the boney park of the jaw. Using a barbed hook just imbeds itself into that bone and ,I think the cartlidge around it and that's when you have to use heavy machinery to remove itAnd mostl likely will injure the fish.. And besides we're not trying to hold the fish most efficiently ,to take home to cannibalize!We just want to play with the fish,not hurt them. Cheers,Chet
Tincup I have been looking into these rivers for sometime now, I think I remember you shared a comment last year or so explaining access and fly selection on the Parker, I just moved to cape ann in October and would love to check out these rivers any tips or if you ever want to fish let me know faypaul1125@gmail.com Paul Fay
Hope i can use to respond to Paul if not allowed just remove. Best during full moon new moon cycles or tides that are higher than normal. These flood sometime the entire marsh which removes a ton of food into the small creeks or cuts. You can fish with small canoe kayak or just wade and jump or walk around creeks using a small canoe you can cover more creeks. The fish hold in areas where water dumps into the rivers the lower the water the easier it is to see fish. I use the canoe to move up river getting out to fish the next creek. Need to be careful because of the marsh mud. A oversize muddler minnow with a lot of yellow green brown marabou. The head the size a little smaller than a dime. I will send you a private message with some pictures. tincup
Tincup,
You can use this blog to respond at any time.
Ken
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