"If someone asks me whether I prefer fly fishing with a "dry" fly or a "wet" fly, I answer simply that I prefer fly fishing and put the accent somewhat suavely on the word "fly". - Malcom Whitman
Last year my blog recorded the first rush of spawning BT on October 28 (that's historically late)and they were still going strong on November 20, 2020.
Is there something wrong?? Maybe, maybe not. I know that nobody questioned the outrageously high number of spawning brookies over the last 10 years but nature works in cycles, giving us good years and off years for reasons that we may not understand. It may be worth our while to study brook trout in that river instead of color coding clonebows and then trying to find them.
My BW
I used to be a disciple of CDC but not so much anymore. Here are the reasons:
1. If you are catching fish your CDC will have a short lifespan. It just doesn't hold up.
2. silica powder or gel is the only floatant that will work on that stuff.
It was once said that CDC worked because it came from "benign" waterfowl, ducks, geese and such and not from predator birds (BS) and that the feathers floated because of waterproofing oil that is on the feather (more BS)
Instead of CDC I use the finest, thinnest, poly wing material available. I use the gray shade on almost all my small dries because most small wings are close to that in color.
Very fine poly wing material cleans up and keeps it's shape better than CDC.
Keep Fishing!!!
14 comments:
I saw a ton of Brook Trout staging below Rte 9, but very few above. I think everything is late this year. I did come across what I believe is a Brown Trout Redd. There were 4 very large Browns on it, including one spectacular fish. I won’t tell where it was, but my guess is they are trying to spawn. I have to say I never catch Brown trout parr in the river, however.
Falsecast,
The DFW says spawning of browns in the Swift is a rarity if it happens at all. I've caught 4 and 5 inch browns in the Millers so why not the Swift? I've seen browns working over what appeared to be redds on the Swift. The DFW should be looking into that question.
Ken
For what it’s worth, the ‘shock team’ from DFW says the brook trout “DO NOT SPAWN UNTIL DECEMBER IN THE SWIFT”. I know this is not totally correct as I have seen them on reds numerous times in November. However, maybe they are partially right and the spawn will be later this year.
B’town Jim
I don't put much faith in what the DFW says, especially in MA. Their priority is not about restoring/improving wild fisheries, but rather keep pumping out clownbows so they spend their budget and receive have full allocation for the following year.
Has DFW ever provided a clear, concise breakdown as to how much of their annual budget goes to river restoration vs. stocking? I would love to see it, but I'm sure it's well disguised. There are plenty of wild browns in the Swift. I've heard enough legitimate stories from flyguys about the browns to know they are there and many so large, its clear they wild and self populating...
Charles K Fox in his volume "Rising Trout" quotes in the Night Fishing chapter a certain L. James Bashline who writes,
"With all types of trout fishing the outstanding fact that seems to emerge time after time is the inability of the fisherman to predict anything with any degree of accuracy."
Seems appropriate as we discuss the brookie spawn. My observation is: they were late this year, and not as many, it seemed, as previous years. However the population of fall browns seems greater.
Thanks for sharing your shift from CDC to poly. I wonder if coloring the poly with a sharpie might be of value?
Ken,
I don't speak for everyone who fishes Bondsville, but I don't catch near the numbers of brook trout I used to prior to the high water of '18 - '19. I don't know if that high water event is the reason, but there don't seem to be as many as before.
I have been catching a few rainbows here and there of late. Most pretty small in the 11" - 12" range.
Sam
Sam,
It was about 6 or 7 years ago when I fished Bondsville on a summer morning with dries and took 27 brook trout! I've never had a day like that since.
Bob O,
I use gray poly but it may be good to get some white poly so I can color it with any color.
Btown Jim,
I've seen brookies dropping eggs in early November and when I worked at a trout hatchery years ago we stripped eggs and milt in November. The DFW folks are a bit off on that one.
Annonymous 8:57,
They may be closer to being fish farmers than wildlife managers. The last thing they may want is a reproducing strain of trout in this State or a fish with better holdover potential. They would be out of jobs.
Meanwhile, Connecticut is soliciting public comments for their draft Wild Trout Management Plan. That we have wild trout to fish for in Massachusetts is in spite of the state's management (or lack thereof), not because of it.
I fished the Deerfield last month and enjoyed a great Saturday evening with 4 decent fish in the net, and lost three more after vicious strikes. All on soft hackles (thanks Ken, learned that here).
I was at Fife brook on Sunday morning at 5am but they had released the water in full, very disappointing. So packed up and arrived at the Swift at 8:30. It was soo crowded and only saw a fish or two. Left a couple of hours later after an overall good weekend
I find it funny that browns have a hard time spawning on the Swift, when they have such an easy time on so many marginal rivers. Go figure !
Just learned that MA. Coldwater Fisheries Project Leader for MAF&W, Adam Kautza will be the guest speaker at the next Greater Boston TU Meeting on 11/22. Will be very interesting to see what he has to say about any significant wild fish populations in MA (aside from the Hoosic) and what they are doing to help improve river habitat.
Speaking of wild trout, the Deerfield Chapter of TU is sponsoring a study of the wild rainbows in the Deerfield River - please contribute if you can. There are rumors that "they" may consider discontinuing stocking on the upper Deerfield, based on the results of the rainbow trout and (ongoing) brown trout spawning studies.
Mike from Pittsfield
No one wants to acknowledge the fact that on every nice day the river is arm to arm with people now? Parking lots full etc. Covid and the influx of new fly fisherman has done these fish no favors. We have brookies all year long in the river it's a shame no one wants to fish for them except for the only time we should be leaving them alone. I was up there last weekend. In no less than 10 instances walking from the parking lot up to the Y pool there was someone standing on one redd fishing to an adjacent one. This happened last year as well. We should be ashamed of ourselves, when these fish are gone we will know who to blame. These fish are a treasure and should be protected during spawning season like they are just about everywhere else. These fish have no chance if we are standing in redds fishing to fish on other redds.
Juice,
Everyone acknowledges the crowded conditions on the Swift BUT it's only crowded in certain areas as your trip to the Y Pool suggests. Most water is hardly touched.
I've been preaching the "don't walk on the gravel" sermon for years and it's starting to pay off. Remember, the brookie population on the Swift has grown over the past 15 years with no additional angling restrictions. what I consider an "off" year may be just part of the cycle.
Ken
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