I had just spent the better part of a week up in Camden Maine on a non-fishing vacation when I came down with a rip roaring kidney infection that landed me in the hospital for 5 days and possibly a longer in-house confinement. I'll be back in my waders in no time and that is for sure. In the meantime get out there and fish and I don't mean the same old Farmy and Y Pool. The rivers were all PERFECT until we got the record breaking rain. Now they are "running through the bushes" but this will not last and it's a given that we will have great flows going into the Fall.
Trico Experiment
A few years ago I was rummaging through the fabric section of a Department store when I spotted this "veil" material. It comes in spool (1000+ flies) and is a stiff synthetic. It worked down to about size 18 but not smaller for Tricos. Well, I found a smaller size and it's great. Just remember to rough up the edges by rolling them between your fingers and making some micro slits with scissors. A sharpie will color this wing material easily.
July For The Record
It is officially the wettest July on record. We set that mark on 7/17. That date also had the single day record for southern N.E. Those waters also resulted in the drowning of 2 people on the Farmy. UpCountry said it right this past weekend: It's too high unless they turn the water off above the dam. Try not to be too macho and fisg some easier, safer rivers.
Ken
29 comments:
Was worried about you gone silent for too long. Glad to hear you are on the mend.
Get better soon. Lot's of good tying stuff in fabric shops if one uses their imagination!
Ken,
Get well soon. Jim
Get well soon, Ken!
John
Dear Ken,
I’m sure that I speak for all of your readers by wishing you a quick and complete recovery. Get well soon!
-Mike
Get well Ken. Hoping for a speedy recovery for ya. Thanks for all you do.
Get well Ken. Hoping for a speedy recovery for ya. Thanks for all you do.
Have been having a banner summer until the last deluge of rain...the White Mountains and Rangeley have been good to me...especially the last few weeks. Ants and Beetles have delivered more so than any season in recent memory-probably because I have tried them more. Just plain fur ants with a sparkle wing so I can see it(Glamour Madera 100M is a lifetime supply for a few $-available at any decent sewing supply place-pick the cord apart with a bodkin after you set it and you have a fine little sparkle wing thats not super ugly)...the Beetle is Harrops CDC version, for whatever reason the CDC beetle seems to produce way more rise activity than the foam or deer hair versions-its probably my confidence in it from my experience last summer in Montana. I was going to try my hand at the Farmington this week as I haven't been there in 10 yrs but its looking doubtful. I imagine the Swift is getting hammered this week and last.
Went to the Swift today, and so did everybody else, since the other major NE rivers are unfishable at this point; 15 cars on Route 9, so I drove to the Tree Pool lot. Worse than I had hoped for--I was the seventh car. From the Pipe to the Tree Pool, it looked like opening day back in the '70s. I did see one rise at the bottom of the pool, and no one was crowding that spot, so I cast a couple of times with no luck getting it. Pretty fast water right above the little riffle. Fished all the way down to the Horse Pasture, and as usual, there was not a soul in the entire section. Caught one fairly small bow and a small brookie--both on a #16 yellow wet fly, copied from your post a couple of weeks ago. Then hiked out--with even more people arriving. Blue lines and my half-weight for sure next week. Hope you are back in the water quickly.
Charles
Fell better soon, Ken. I hope you are back in your waders in no time. I bet this is the driest your wading boots have been in a long time.
Let's hope Quabbin doesn't overflow with warmish water this summer. That wouldn't be good.
Sam
Get better soon Ken.
I should have mentioned...glad you are on the mend Ken...but I am sure the trout thank you for giving them a break!
I'm late to the party, but best wishes for a speedy recovery, Ken. Glad to hear you are on the mend.
Tom from Boston
Ken - I wish you a speedy recovery. Nothing more important then your health! Good timing with most of the fishing being blown out too. :)
Andrew
Everyone,
Thank you for the kind thoughts and good wishes. Having a flood took the edge off of not being able to fish but it's something I wouldn't wish on anyone. As soon as the rivers come down a bit I'll be drop shotting and swinging soft hackles.
Ken
Take your time and get healthy, you're not missing anything. Out here in Westfield the river and small streams are swollen to dangerous levels! The Connecticut River is higher than it is during the Spring runoff yet the Swift is still over 100cfs, is this because the Quabbin is full to capacity?
Be safe all.
Jim
hope your health is aright Ken - praying to the river spirits on your behalf
Jim D.,
Quabbin was at 94% capacity on July 1. It may be over the top now or close to it. A simple ride to the spillway would settle that.
Falsecast,
And I was planning a long overdue Housy trip. O' well!!!
Ken
So who wears waders in July? Get better my friend there are more fish to catch.
Get Well Soon Ken! Mike
Get well Ken I'm sure that was no fun, glad to have ample water for a change should make august into September prime fishing on all of our streams
Gary,
You don't wear waders in July, even June!!! Thank you and we will go fishing soon.
Ken
Get well soon Ken. I never realized how often I check in with your blog until you went quiet for a few days. Great blog. We missed you. I'll be thinking of you as I bushwhack into my favorite little blue line with my 6' one-piece 4wt bamboo rod.
Willis
Get well soon Ken. I never realized how often I check in with your blog until you went quiet for a few days. Great blog. We missed you. I'll be thinking of you as I bushwhack into my favorite little blue line with my 6' one-piece 4wt bamboo rod.
Willis
Ken - The Housy is well over 10x it's normal flows. I was out there last weekend and didn't even try. It's wadeable below 800cfs and the evenings should turn on with this water.
I was at the Swift yesterday when they dropped the flow to 55 cfs, right while I was in the water. I could feel it going down. Suddenly, the fish found my black ant :)
See you out there soon!
Hope you feel better soon Ken, and thanks again for this wonderful blog.
Hope you feel better soon Ken, and thanks again for this wonderful blog.
Hope you feel better soon Ken, and thanks again for this wonderful blog.
Hi Ken, I've been wondering why your posts have been sparse. This post explains that...I hope that you are feeling better. Look forward to seeing some more posts and lower water levels.
Best,
Andrew
Post a Comment