"If the Mayflies are the aristocracy of the flyfishers insects, then the Caddisflies are the working class. The drab, earthy Trichoptera cannot compete with the colorful Ephemeroptera for sheer majesty, but when it comes to satisfying the appetites of hungry trout it is the caddis that bear most of the load". - Thomas Ames, Jr. "Hatch Guide For New England Streams"
Millers River Smallie
It will be only about a month until I hit the coast for my annual chase after stripers. It is always fun to go after these guys whether they are schoolies or monsters although I have to say that chasing stripers in the 20to 35 inch class can make the day for me especially when you can catch dozens of them. Add bluefish and the seasonal shad and we have plenty to cast to in the brine.
But what about other FRESHWATER fish? Let's face it, many in the flyfishing community look down on the other species and that is a shame! When I was a kid I cut my flyfishing teeth on pickerel, largemouth bass and crappie (known in New England as Callico Bass) and anything else that would hit a fly. Now, I still pursue other species but they have to live in an environment that I like: flowing water (rivers) or deep clean lakes. That means that I like SMALLMOUTH BASS which I consider the most underrated fish that swims.
My top Millers River smallie was about 16 inches and weighed in around 2.5 lbs. I took that bass at the head of the Kempfield Run on a size 10 stonefly nymph. I caught a 14 inch smallie under the bridge at the Orcutt Run on a size 14 comparadun in the late afternoon that I thought was a good brown trout. I've caught many over a foot long over the years. The largest that I've seen on the Millers was caught at the Bridge St. Pool and was a brute that tipped a hand held scale at 4 lbs!!
My favorite river fish is the brown trout followed by brook trout and then smallmouth. Our big reservoirs like Wachusett and Quabbin have great smallie fishing that lasts all summer and remember, smallies are not stocked fish. THEY ARE WILD!!!!
I am getting sooooo tired of clonebows!
Ken
12 comments:
Fished under three of the Rt 2 bridges this afternoon, got one small but chubby brook trout on my second cast and nothing for the next 3hrs. Water was low but not bad. Oh well.
Anonymous,
That seems to be the story on our rivers this April.
Ken
Ken,
I'm with you on the clonebows. I've worn out the Ware and thankfully caught bows through out the Church street section and in the pocket water at Gilbertville. They are spread out well beyond the bridges, so hiking up or down is nice to get rewarded and frankly a bit surprising given some of the fish I hooked up with in Gibertville.
Not complaining about nice chunky rainbows, but its disappointing when you see tons of caddis emerging and some juicy quill gordons coming off like an Orvis video, but no rising trout. The fallfish were right on them and those were fun to catch, but the slow learning bows sat on the sideline. Drift a mop fly and rubber legged nymph and the bows are on it. Fun.....kind of......but would be great to get stocked trout that acclimate to the insect environment quickly. With the next stocking of browns and some more time in the rivers, hopefully the trout will challenge us with more surface activity.
Good to see you on the water at the Ware last week. Really hoping the lower Millers gets stocked soon.
Mike B.
Mike B,
I like Gilbertville too except it's as bad as the Milllers Bears Den to wade!
I took a few bows swinging a SH which is the closest I've gotten to the a surface strike this month. The flow has been low and the bugs are there. The last two years the QG's were eaten up by the bows. This year.....?
Ken
Totally agree about smallies; and interestingly, I caught my smallie about that size in the exact same place last summer. Air born all the way to the net. I have to admit that I never mind what decides to hit my flies; it sure beats a zoom meeting.
Charles
Ken,
You had me at smallmouth! :) ha ha ha.
Seriously, those things are a blast. I love going to the millers in the summer with a few hair bugs, and maybe a big wooly bugger and just catch smallie after smallie.
But I'm also the weirdo at the quabbin and Wach willing to fly fish for smallies or any other species interested in eating. It's a BLAST. Ditto the salt. And Ill fish eutrophic lakes too for LMB's, pickerel etc... I used to fish the Orange to Athol section of the millers for Pike too tossing big streamers.
The salt here and in Florida is great... As is fishing little farm or park ponds for bass, crappies and sunfish.
Trout are a blast, I love fishing for them... But man, there are so many fish to catch and strategies you can apply and learn from some species which may help with others, it's amazing. For example, the wet fly swing and dangle for trout has caught me so many saltwater fish from Snook to stripers... And the two hand retrieve used for saltwater fish, has caught me salmon on streamers in the quabbin and wachusett.
FUN for sure. Thanks for reminding folks of the fly fishing variety we have right out our doors here in MA.
Heck, even the Ware - pretty fun bass fishing come summer :)
Keep well
Will
Charles,
I totally agree! Smallmouth will surprise you by their hit regardless of their size and their fight. If someone thinks that it is only fishing for "dinks" then put on a larger fly and fish the deeper runs and the holes of the Millers.
Will,
You are right! I love trout but there are so many other great species that are not targeted. A client of mine, last summer, took a very good smallie in the Swift that must of come over during the high water of last Spring. I thought at first that it was a good brown but it was a 14-15 in smallie. I don't want to see smallies below route 9 but it was a great fish and hit a #14 partridge and orange and provided more sport than the bows that were meandering around.
Ken
Will,
I used to fish Wachusett decades ago on the Tahonto School side for smallies. A 6wt floating or sinking line and a very slow retrieve always worked through the entire season.
Ken
Ken,
No action today on the usual suspect nymphs. Tried a dry-dropper set up a friend of mine has success with, but I didn't enjoy fishing it and rerigged.
I remembered that you were getting action on the partridge and orange. Son of a gun the first cast with the P & O connects with a hefty stock bow. Caught one more on the P & O then nothing doing after that. I was happy to connect with the two and headed home.
Sam
Sam,
The P & O is a 400 year old miracle fly!!!!!
Ken
Is the EB at Westfield gorge open for fly fishing?
It's always open for fishing except the water may be a bit high.
Ken
Post a Comment