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Autumn On The EB
Monday, September 6, 2021
Gearing up for Fall
The Partridge and Magic Soft Hackle is available again! This killer pattern has a yellow body when dry but a sexy orange body when wet. It has worked here and in Europe and is just what you need for those Autumn Bookies and those egg stealing bows.
They are easy to order. Go to my fly page and use the order form for the Partridge and Orange. After you order email me and say you want the "Partridge and Magic" and I'll ship them instead. All my flies are the same price.
I've had a lot of orders come in already. Don't wait too long!! Ken
It will be different this Autumn. The last two years have gifted us low water levels. Although we could go into a super dry spell in September and October our groundwater levels are right up there and with the vegetation die back in the Fall the water will not be sucked up into the biomass but will stay in the ground and hence, the rivers. Btw, the last really wet Summer/Fall was in 2018 when Quabbin overflowed in October and spit out hundreds of salmon into the Swift. This year??? Maybe!
It also means a change in equipment. I NEVER cast weighted flies with my bamboo. so if I need weight I'll throw it with graphite or fiberglass. Glass is tough stuff and never breaks (not mine anyway). Kind of makes you wonder why rod companies haven't made a glass euro rod the way that those fragile graphite sticks are snapping.
Fall Flies (besides soft hackles)
Isonychia (Ames Photo)
Every so often you read where some expert casts a pall on Autumn fishing because "the flies are really small". Now, if you spend your time splashing away in a tailwater there may be some truth to it BUT if freestones are on your venue then you will be aware of the larger inects that are with us through the Fall. Take the Isonychia for example. This insect, best represented in a size 10 or 12, is found all over the EB. It hatches by swimming towards the shore and climbing onto rocks above the surface. This is a nighttime activity where the exoskeleton is all that remains by the next morning. It's the nymph that catches the fish and not so the dry. Leadwing Coachmen and Zug Bugs are the traditional imitations.
We will talk about Autumn Stoneflies on the next post.
Ken
10 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Why no 10-11' glass Euro rods? Weight my friend! My glass Wonder rod sticks are pretty heavy and I have a few longish ones I use for trolling and they are beasts.
In the early 20th century a 5.5oz fly rod was called a "ladies rod". The average fly rod weighed more than that. The earliest spey rods were solid wood and were heavy. With that said it's not the raw weight that kills a rod but it's taper and design that really counts. That's where "swing weight" comes into play. A heavy rod can be a joy to cast by someone who knows how to cast.
Its all relative to the consumer/angler...compared to what carbon weighs its tough for a lot of guys to make the jump to glass; its feels much much different...not better or worse just different. We are in a fortunate time where you can pretty much find almost anything you want be it new or used carbon, bamboo or glass. IMO Euro rods would benefit from the softness of a glass tip I don't think combining the two has been done since the EARLY days of Scott rods.
Another "large" fall fly that bears mentioning is the October Caddis - the nymph is well represented by a largish (#12) Partridge and Orange which is in my opinion one reason that fly works so well during the fall months.
Iso's and October caddis are a nice respite for the tiny bugs that will dominate hatches until spring...I started paying more attention to ISO's last year and stripping the nymphs toward shore particularly at the beginning and end of drifts can be very productive from now through mid to late October. A peacock and partridge is a solid imitation in size 12 2xl. Animating traditional nymphs works well too.
10 comments:
Why no 10-11' glass Euro rods? Weight my friend! My glass Wonder rod sticks are pretty heavy and I have a few longish ones I use for trolling and they are beasts.
Anonymous 1:02,
In the early 20th century a 5.5oz fly rod was called a "ladies rod". The average fly rod weighed more than that. The earliest spey rods were solid wood and were heavy. With that said it's not the raw weight that kills a rod but it's taper and design that really counts. That's where "swing weight" comes into play. A heavy rod can be a joy to cast by someone who knows how to cast.
Ken
Its all relative to the consumer/angler...compared to what carbon weighs its tough for a lot of guys to make the jump to glass; its feels much much different...not better or worse just different. We are in a fortunate time where you can pretty much find almost anything you want be it new or used carbon, bamboo or glass. IMO Euro rods would benefit from the softness of a glass tip I don't think combining the two has been done since the EARLY days of Scott rods.
BobT,
The great Charles Ritz did his best to develop a rod with a glass butt and a cane tip. I don't think it worked.
Ken
I would think the opposite set up might work better cane butt and glass tip??
Most new Euro rods (which are great for swinging wets BTW) feature soft tips and strong butts.
Another "large" fall fly that bears mentioning is the October Caddis - the nymph is well represented by a largish (#12) Partridge and Orange which is in my opinion one reason that fly works so well during the fall months.
Mike from Pittsfield
Autumn Stoneflies next blog. Yes!!! My favorite fly. I don't get to fish much these days but when I do it always brings fish (trout, chub) to net.
MDH and Brian Miner,
I've seen a blizzard of October Caddis on the Millers and good numbers on the EB.
Stoneflies next post!!!
Ken
Iso's and October caddis are a nice respite for the tiny bugs that will dominate hatches until spring...I started paying more attention to ISO's last year and stripping the nymphs toward shore particularly at the beginning and end of drifts can be very productive from now through mid to late October. A peacock and partridge is a solid imitation in size 12 2xl. Animating traditional nymphs works well too.
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