"Something to think about - If you fish the wrong fly long and hard enough it will sooner or later become the right fly" - John Gierach
It's been a horrible July if you are a Northeast flyfisher but it's been a great July if you like to kayak which I don't. As I write the rivers are at this level:
Farmington at Riverton - 1170 cfs (too high)
Millers - 1910 (way too high)
Westfield - 1050 (too high) wait until it's at 500
Ware - 318 (high but ok)
Swift - 48 cfs (absolutely perfect, for me anyway) Try to hit this river on week days and the earlier the better to avoid the kayak crowd. If weekends are your only option then get there VERY EARLY (before 8am) before the fishing is ruined. You can always go above Route 9 but it gets crowded early.
I included the photo of the big brown just to remind you that the trout are still there. Now, here's a question - does the Swift produce bigger browns than the Farmington? I think yes. We know that it's a much better brookie fishery and a better bet for quality fishing while the Farmie is running high!!
Go Fish
Ken
11 comments:
Tried my new 2wt at the Swift last week. Hadn't fished below Rte 9 in over 20 years. Lots of CT plates and speaking to some anglers they admitted being forced off the Farmington (like me). Took one 10" bow on an ant and it really put a bend in the rod! I will be back and try to find those Brookies as that is what I went for.
The same thing happened back in the 90's when the Farmington blew up. I guided CT flyfishers for two weeks. They loved the Swift. BTW, below Rt 9 is the best fishing on the Swift.
Ken
do you really believe the kayakers ruin the fishing? i have found that the fish almost always return to their position after the kayak has passed. i think saying they ruin the fishing is a little bit of an exaggeration.
Anonymous,
Yes I do!! I'm not talking about a stray kayak here and there but the flotilla of kayaks that crowd out the lower Swift on weekends starting at mid morning. I've seen 20 to 30 of them splashing their way upstream and I can hear them long before I see them. I've pulled guided clients out of that section because it became UNFISHABLE. They are having a great time at our expense and always leave with the dumb question "catch anything"? We PAY to fish that river while they pay NOTHING to use it!!!!! One kayak is one thing but many kayaks is a different story. They should pay a fee!!!
Ken
Ken - you are spot on! Best fishing is below the bridge, but the kayaks are a nuisance. I fished the Cady Lane section a week ago Saturday and flotilla is an understatement. At a minimum, I observed groups of 2 or 4 and they politely floated by in “stealth mode”, behind folks that were fishing. Then there were the large groups (literally 2 groups x 20+ people) blaring music, talking loud and floating right through prime fishing areas. While the fish seemingly always returned, it just made for an unpleasant experience. It’s understandable why so many don’t venture below the bridge. I’ve gone back since with my buddy Jeff J, who’s an avid reader and contributor to this blog. We had enough of the kayaks and headed straight to the Y-Pool which was a bit congested for a Wednesday afternoon. Love the Swift, but hoping the river conditions improve elsewhere, so we can try some other venues and avoid the crowds.
If we could only find an easy way for the kayak crowd to use the river below the lower Bondsville bridge. Summer water temperatures in the riffles of Bondsville are much higher than I can ever remember, 69F on Thursday. The fish could use the break from us and we could use a break from the kayakers.
Mike
I was there on Friday too…I actually had the Y pool to myself for a little bit. All in all a very hot and slow day. I haven’t been out in a few weeks and was expecting Sulphurs , but saw very few and not much of hatch unless it was very late. Any news on how the hatch is going there?
Mike,
Good to hear from you! If they could stay below the canoe launch things would be fine.
Ken
I agree with Ham Onfly above, warmest Bondsville water since I've been fishing there. I couldn't get a reading lower than 72 last time there so I didn't fish. The below 50 cfs flow during this hot month doesn't help. Some years when the Connecticut River is low, 120 cfs solves the problem, but that's not happening this summer.
Sam
I was driving home from PA and stopped by the Swift on Thursday, 7/27. The rain had stopped so I gave it a try. I was the only car, which sometimes should be a hint. The Y-Pool was vacant of anyone. A few sporadic rises. I tried above and below the waterline with no success. I put on a bushy caddis which seemed to draw the attention of a few brook trout. As expected, activity picked up ~8.15. It was good activity for about 15 minutes then it ended as quick as it started. There was no noticeable hatch so guessing spinners may have been on the menu. Waiting for the terrestrials to become a menu staple. Shout out to Tim C!
It's the same deal on the Farmy with the floaters. I agree it should be pay to play and all watercraft inflatable or not should require a registration.
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