Home Waters

    

"As you've worked your way through a pool the lot you've been cast in life means less then how well you cast" - Mike Fitzgearld S.

A few years ago I took a trip to Montana because I just had to see, fish and feel those rivers that I've been reading about.  Now, I'm not one of those unlucky ones, trapped in some condo miles, or worse yet, hours away from the nearest trout river.  I"M SURROUNDED BY THEM! Not rivers of Montana standards of course, but good trout fishing none the less.  But going to Montana would be nice at least to see what it's all about.

I  had to take a flight from Hartford to Atlanta AND THEN take a flight to Bozeman.  The first thing I noticed was that at least 1/3 of the overhead carriers carried rod tubes.  God only knows how many rods went into standard luggage!  I then began to think of how many flights were to land in Bozeman that day and how many rod tubes would be unloaded.  I kept saying to myself - "It's a big state, don't worry"! (you know you're in trout country when guides are in the terminal holding signs with their clients names on them).

To make a long story short, the fishing was good, the rivers were beautiful and the mountains were beyond belief BUT I still kept thinking of my Home Rivers.  I found myself checking the Ma weather, the rainfall, the river flows and shooting emails back and forth with other trout bums.

I also remember that I hit the Millers the day after I got back.

    It was then that I really began to appreciate what we have here just like the Montana native who looks at the floatilla of drift boats and thinks "glad I don't have to travel to do that".

As you know we have the chance of hooking (but not necessarily landing) a 10lb brown on the Swift along with the best concentration of brookies in New England.

So, plan your trips but don't forget your Home Waters. My best fly fishing memories are from right here in Massachusetts!

The Drought

We need rain!  the entire state is on the dry side and with the exception of the Swift all the rivers are low.  The Swift flow has been on a roller coaster  ride over the last week with a 112 flow a week ago, a 53 cfs flow yesterday and now a 131 flow as I write.  What we need is about 3 inches of rain over 3 days!!!

Book Your Fall Trip!!!

Ken

Line Weights And Flies And A Lost Fly Box

"Every fly rod, regardless of its action or length, is capable of casting several different weight fly lines.  The rods casting potential depends on the actual weight of the line beyond the rod tip.  The weight of that length of line dictates how the rod will cast.  Although the taper of the fly line has some effect on how the fly is presented, tapers don't affect weight". - Jim Bartschi, Scott Fly Rods. 

Read the quote at the top of the page.  Those are the words of an honest man as were the words of another rodmaker, E.C. Powell I believe, from 50 years ago.  The conventional wisdom is that you MUST match the rod to the line as in a 4wt rod to a 4wt line.  That's good for starters but it's not the end of the game.

The weight of the first 30 feet of fly line is supposed to maximize the casting potential of that 4wt rod. But what if you are casting 40 feet?(5wt land) It doesn't mean that you have to go and buy a 5wt rod because your 4wt rod can handle it easily. Remember that some fly casters will overload their rod with a line that is one or even two weight classes heavier than the rods weight designation to cast for distance quickly.  They may sacrifice finesse but they get the job done.  Some line manufactures try to help them along by building their lines on the heavy side of the designation making a 5wt a "5.75wt".

What about casts shorter than 30 feet?  Nobody will suggest that you have  to rig up a 3wt for the occasion.  Your 4wt is fine.  In the last decade I've gotten into the habit of underlining my 4wt rod with a 3wt DT line on the Swift and the Farmington.  I can manage to get the distance I need  and still get the delicate presentation.  Lefty Kreh taught me that (not in person but in print).  One thing I will not do is rig a 3wt rod with a 1wt line if I need some real distance or if it's a windy day.  I can handle any tiny fly situation with a 4wt bamboo, a 3wt DT and a 12 foot leader.  I will be loaded for bear!!!!

Size 20 BWO Emerger                             

 

Make sure that you have plenty of these for August AND especially for the Fall.  Find yourself on the Swift, the Millers or the EB on a cloudy cool day and you will see these critters.

I tie mine with a new "secret sauce" as far as the thorax is concerned and I've dumped the Dun version and go with the emerger exclusively which is visible on the surface even when the the body is below the surface.  The wing material floats like crazy.

Size 20 DHE

Or use the finest deer hair that you can find and use this traditional wing material instead.  

Lost Fly Box - Someone lost a loaded fly box down in Cady Lane around the 3rd of this month.  Contact me if you find it and I'll connect you with the owner. - Ken

The Rivers

This tropical storm will really dump a lot of rain WEST of the Connecticut River which is GOOD as it will really recharge the aquafers which we really need for a good Autumn.  The EB and the Millers will be fishable for sure (once the water goes down.)

Ken

A Short EB Morning And This Fall

"A Master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which." Francois Auguste Rene Chateaubriand

The air temperature was 64 degrees at 7 am below the Gorge and I had the place to myself. I needed an intervention via a stimulator (something smashing a big dry fly) and even though the flow was around 420 I felt confident.

The first brown was a good fish but the second was a horse that rode off to the center of the pool and broke me off. Another brown and two rainbows came to the net. It was a good morning.

If you read the comments section of this blog you will see a number of comments about the good fly fishing on the EB. In fact, I'm beginning to think that this blog is the ONLY blog that covers this river on a regular basis. Same with the Millers, the Swift and the Ware.

This Fall

Check out the brook trout in the photo. It's a Fall brookie in spawning colors from the Swift River which is the premier BT stream in Ma if not New England. If you want some of this action contact me for an October or November trip. BTW, I still have some September openings for the Millers and the EB. September is great. The sun is not as intense, the temperature is comfortable and you don't have to be on the river at dark unless you want to! Book Me!!!!!

Ken

Debunking Conventional Wisdom Again

We cannot imagine a color that we have never seen before. We only know the colors that we have "seen" or the colors that others believe we should see".

Lefty Greh said it all when he said that "there's more bullshit in fly fishing than in a Texas cattle yard." It is still a wonder to me how many of the 'young'ins" to this sport didn't recognize the brilliance of this man and left his passing last March as a non-event. But Lefty knew how to cut through the dogma (BS) that is beginning to envelope this gentle pastime and to get to the truth of what we want to do. My July 8, 2015 post exposed this.

Tiny Tippet is For Subsurface Flies

Think twice, or if you have to think three times about using 7x or 8x  or 9x when fishing below the surface.  You don't need it. As one of my readers commented on that July 2015 post said he never uses anything less that 5x on sunken offerings because he ties his size 28 and size 30 flies  on LARGE eyed hooks so he can use 5x tippet.  He claims that he doesn't spook any trout and doesn't have to play them out until they are half dead. I back this up totally!!!

Tippet Size On The Surface

If the tippet is below the surface it makes no difference to the trout. The trout either can't see it or doesn't know what it (tippet) is. But if dry fly fishing and the tippet is lying on the surface it will create "spots" of light to penetrate below the surface and alarm the trout. Use leader sink (saliva) to coat the last foot of the tippet and the tippet will sink, breaking the surface tension  and becoming almost invisible to the trout.  Case in Point - Twice over the last four decades I've left my nippers back in the car or at the tent. The last time was this past week at the Farmington. Now, I was faced with leaving the water to retrieve them or go on fishing. I tied on the sub size 20 dry fly but had an inch of tag material after tying on the fly.  I soaked the tag end with saliva and CAUGHT FARMINGTON TROUT just like I had before with Millers trout on a size 16 dry. There was a lot of leader material around that fly but it was below the surface which made it a non problem. The short lesson here is that BELOW the surface you really don't need ultra fine tippet material, period, and I don't care what the manufactures or their reps say. There's too much evidence to the contrary!

BTW,

We like to rhapsodize about how trout are becoming "leader shy". That looks good in print and leaders on the surface, as mentioned earlier, can spook trout BUT why don't we consider HOOK SHY trout.  Let's face it, in our C&R waters many trout have been hooked more than once but they don't seem to be shy of that pointed piece of steel sticking out of an artificial fly's butt but we think that we have to go from a 6x to 7x on that #16 pheasant tail nymph to fool them.  We, experts that we are, never consider that!!!! Consider this: present ANY fly, in a natural way, and the trout just may take it!

FARMIE BEAR

He showed up around 4:30pm for cocktails but couldn't produce a valid I.D. I tossed him out!!

Ken

Three Days On The Farmington, Book Ma. Rivers This Fall

" All trout rivers have elements that are the same as any other trout river. Some sections are a hundred feet long and across. Some only 20 feet long and across. Some are less. We seem to gravitate to the bigger rivers when we should learn to fish the smaller rivers."  ME

I just spent three days camping on the Farmington River and working some of it's "famous" pools and some of the "not so famous" pools/runs. It was a good time!

First off, I'm getting a bit "long in the tooth" to be thinking of sleeping on the hard,cold ground but a good air mattress (I wasn't on "the trail" where an air mattress was impractical) but in a campground with lots of space and had a good sleeping bag. I lived the John Gierach life for three days and it was fun. Being woken up at 5:00 am to birdsong is wonderful and camp breakfast, although spartan, fit the bill.

Where I went -

Name it, Greenwoods, Spare Tire, Central Riffles, Church and above BUT center stage went to the Campground Pool. It became my favorite in 2003 because of a massive ant fall (any pool would of worked that 3 day stretch) and a perfect dawn in 2008 when a size 22 olive emerger ruled the early morning and the evening and on numerous seasons before and after. It's my favorite spot on the river, populated from 10 am to 5pm and fairly empty before and after that.
If you want a full blown book on this river then buy "A Guide To Fishing The Farmington River" And Buy It At Upcountry Fly Shop in New Hartford Ct. I tell you where I do well but they tell you everything that I don't know unlike other online sites.

I took dozens of fish here with only the first being on a subsurface fly. Everything else was taken on size 24 sulphurs, size 24 Neddhami's and as it got dark a size 14 light comparadun. Most were 12 to 16 inches, good for rising fish, with one brute hitting 18 inches. I wasn't looking for a "feed a family of four fish" but just steady action to good fish, like 3rd round NFL draft picks. We all like 3rd round draft picks!!!!!

I spend far less time than I should fishing here. I live only 45 minutes away. Note to self: fish here more this Fall!!!!

I'm booking up this Fall and also these August evenings.  Don't wait.  Any email does it.

Ken