Well folks, this damn drought has reduced our trout fishing to the few tail waters that we have. The Swift is flowing at about 100 cfs which is high for me but great for a lot of anglers. The Farmie is low and the UpCountry website recommends not fishing below the Church Pool until we get rain and a decent flow. (I find that a bit hard to believe that the water temperature would rise that quickly. The little Swift holds it's mid 60 Summer temperature range right down into Bondsville.)
So let's concentrate on the Farmie and my favorite dry fly on that river. The Needhami, also known as the tiny Hendrickson, is a mainstay on that river. It looks like a Hendrickson with it's body color and slate grey wings but it's a size 22 to 24. Mid to late Summer is prime time for the Needhami but I've only seen true high numbers of this insect on the Farmie although I believe I saw some at Les's Pool on an EB summer morning a few years ago.
Hook - size 20 to 24 standard dry fly
Tail - one or two strands of crystal flashBody - synthetic brown dubbing
Wing - ultra fine slate colored synthetic wing post material
Summer Sulphur size 18
7 comments:
Ken this drought is really starting to suck, it has forced me onto warm water. I’m pulling my Salmon streamers for Largemouth and I’m using up my best trout flies on Bluegills. Also I’m having strange thoughts- ls skipping the mortgage payment so that I can afford gas for the hour drive to the Swift wrong?
Ken, I really like these two flies that you put and described in this latest post. The Needhami, I have all the materials excluding the hook sizes. I never tied anything smaller than sz20, but maybe I'll try tying something smaller? The wing post material that you refer to I'd have to substitute with gray EP fibers that I use for wings when tying EP Adams dries. EP fibers would help it stay in the surface film.
The Summer Sulphur, I love the looks of that pattern, and I tie something similar though slightly larger (14-18) that I use late spring and early summer. Yours looks like a great pattern and size with the certain shade of yellow along with its streamline profile and that sparse hackle, love it! Your summer Sulpher looks way better than mine ever thought of looking. Both of these patterns look like they are hitting on all cylinders. Good stuff....Phil
Ken your summer sulphur does a great job of imitating a female trico the in early morning. So does a size 20 or smaller BWO. Caught some nice ones Browns on the Farmy last week using those flies. Occasionally the browns will go for something a bit bigger in the AM. The browns are very selective right now, especially the the reduced flow giving them more time to look at each offering, but if you catch the trico hatch right the browns are willing to take chances.
Dean F.,
Don't skip the mortgage payment!! Tie flies until we get some rain!!
DRYFLYGUY,
Two years ago that fly ruled the Swift during the Sulphur season. I fished it before the main hatch but then continued fishing it during the hatch. Right in the surface film.
Brookie Addict,
I'm beginning to believe that pattern comes in 2nd to the size of the fly.
Ken
Thanks for the pattern. Have tied up 1/2 dozen and looking forward to trying them on the Farmington. I usually just fish a small G.Gnat when trying small flys as I figure it looks like a bunch of different edibles to the trout.
Hey Ken,
You rarely mention the Deerfield, which is in your geographic range and a tailwater with lots of stocking and some trophy wild browns. Do you not fish there? Any reason not to recommend that river? Hard to wade maybe?
Anonymous,
It's a sore subject with me. I used to fish the Deerfield 30 years ago before the State allowed the whitewater rafting companies to own permits to ruin the place. The rafting companies and the Appalachian Mountain Club got the flows that they wanted and fly fishers, the traditional users, got nothing.
Three years ago I went back to where the Cold River joins the Deerfield. It was a trash heap of water bottles. I've been told that spot is now a favorite swimming spot for the rafters and tubers.
I'd like to remember that river as it was and not as it is!!
Ken
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