"I fish because I love to. Because I love the environs where trout are found, which are invariably beautiful, and I hate the environs where of people are found, which are invariably ugly". Robert /Traver
I guide on five different Massachusetts rivers and this is one fly that works on all of them BUT on one river size really matters. Size 16 works on all of them but really works on the Swift (the Swift is a tailwater and tailwater insects tend to run smaller). Sizes 12 and 14 fill the bill on the larger freestones like the Ware, Millers and the EB.
They work all season but work best in the Fall on the Swift during the brookie spawning run. Those egg stealing bows can't get enough of them.
The Rivers
As of 8/28-
The Ware - 79 cfs- a very fishable flow. Go upstream from the bridge especially in the shaded pools around the bend. It's always good.
The Swift - 51 cfs - It's been at 51 cfs for a few weeks now. Spread out and don't forget the Bubbler Arm
The EB 593 cfs - I think this reading may be on the high side due to flood water release just above the gauge. The Gorge section is probably lower than that. This place was fishing very well before the last flood. just be careful.
The Millers - 904 cfs and dropping. It's dropped 556 cfs in three days and that is great. We should hit the magic 500 number by Sunday afternoon.
Book A Fall Trip!!
Ken
8 comments:
I think I remember you writing about larger sizes of SH working on one of the rivers. Do you still use larger sizes?
A.L.
The SH possibly the most effective fly off ALL time, mayfly emergence, caddis or even diving female stones can all be effectively represented by soft hackle flies and different presentation technique, don't be afraid to slowly strip them in after your drift, an old timer showed me this and thought it to represent net building caddis that move up and down current on a thread of silk anchored to a rock, who knows but the trout like them
Paul Fay is accurate on his comments re: the Soft Hackle. A great technique to entice strikes with this fly is to employ the Leisenring Lift. The Swift brookies seem to succumb to this end-of-drift maneuver.
A.L.,
Yes, I use larger sizes of SH up to size 8 on bigger river like the Millers and the EB especially when the stoneflies are hatching.
Ken
Great advice, as always. I tied a couple of #16 partridge and orange flies, and headed to the Swift today. Caught two very nice rainbows in the stretch below the "bench" in just 90 minutes. Never switched the fly.
Charles
Charles,
It's the fly you don't have to switch!!
Ken
Any advice Ken on fishing the bubbler arm? It's always gave me fits.
Great article as usual!
Unknown 2:44,
I fish the bubbler arm by starting at the bridge and slowly working my why upstream walking and looking for trout. When I see one I make a mental note about where it is (next to the big pine or next to a log). I do this until I get up to the riffles and then start working my way downstream with a small, size 20 or less, nymph paying attention to the areas where I saw the trout. Sometimes there are so many trout in that arm that you can just fish it anywhere.
Ken
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