State Of The Rivers And Another Soft Hackle

"I think I fish, in part, because it's an anti-social, bohemian business that, when gone about properly, puts you forever outside the mainstream culture without actually landing you in an institution" - John Gierach

NOTE: THE WARE RIVER WAS STOCKED 9/28

It is September 28 and The Millers is running at 77 cfs (below normal), the EB is at 32 cfs (far below normal) the Swift is at 133 cfs (above a normal flow of 88 cfs) and the Ware is at 29 cfs which is normal.
What does this mean? It means that we are exactly where we were last year at this time. The Millers was stocked last year on 10/7 with a flow of 90 cfs. We are close enough!! The Swift was stocked on 10/3 (it should be stocked NOW!!!) and the Ware got its fish on 10/11 and the flow then is what it is now. The EB got stocked in mid October last year when it finally got some water.

If you're interested the DFW stocked the usual Cape ponds for the catch & freezer burn crowd but the Swift has to wait. Go figure!!!

All we need is a day of rain and it will fix everything. My usual group of "spies" will be texting updates on stocking AS THEY OCCUR and you will know about it ASAP. You'll also get the rundown on fishing location by location, a service that is always lacking on the net. If you like crowds or solitude just stay tuned!

BTW, read the comments over the last two posts about the BIG browns in the Swift. The DFW surveyed the river this past Summer and they used the word "enormous" when describing them. Also realize that this is not a "program" that produces big browns like in Connecticut. This is just HAPPENING on it's own just like the brook trout explosion of the past decade. Do we have something special here?? I think so!

The soft hackle fly pictured above is the Grouse and Flash. (I tie it with partridge which may be considered a grouse in some quarters. It makes no difference). Nick Yardley, the inventor, claimed that it is a good caddis emerger imitation. Actually it imitates any aquatic insect that is getting ready to hatch.

Hook - wet or dry in sizes 12 through 16

Thread - olive 6/0

Body - thin mylar strip wrapped around the hook

Thorax - optional (use something buggy if you tie in a thorax)

Hackle - partridge or starling

Wrap the olive thread around the hook shank and then the mylar. The olive color will show through.

Playing with my new smoker. Smoked chops, zucchini and potatoes. Almost as much fun as fly fishing!!
Ken

A Freestone Update, The Swift Is Stocked And Summer Evenings

"Fly patterns are like literature: endless variations on a handful of themes.  The good ones are the ones that work, for whatever reason, and the great ones are those that survive beyond their own generation." - John Gierach


What a difference a year makes!! Last year at this time the freestone rivers that I fish (Millers, Ware and the Westfield Branches) were toast. Now they are perfect!!!! The WB did well for me last Sunday and also produced this week. The EB worked well for Gary during a "dry fly morning" as he described it. I spent the week guiding on the Millers and we caught trout every EVENING.

I put the word EVENING in caps because it is important. There are those that still consider the Millers unfishable during the summer. They are totally wrong. If you want to fish during bankers hours go to the Farmie or the Swift but if you want some REAL summer fishing hit the water by 7pm on the Millers or very early in the morning (5am) on any of above mentioned rivers.

Also, try to stay clear of the tributary mouths. I have seen trout packed in where Whetstone Brook enters the Millers with guys fishing right on top of them. Connecticut has a law against fishing near certain brooks flowing into the Housie during the summer. So should we!!!

Flies To Use - Use any fly that you want BUT I would never be on the Millers (or any other river) this time of year without tan and olive comparaduns in 14 and 16, Soft hackles (of course) in partridge and Olive or Orange and my reduced buggers.

Another bit of conventional wisdom debunked is that trout stop hitting if there is lightning in the air. We had two good evenings shortened when storms began to approach but we continued to hook up. The trout didn't care but we did, getting off the water with plenty of time to spare.

The Swift - The regulations change below RT 9 on July 1 to C&R and that river should get some fish if it hasn't already. With the freestones running full I've had little time to fish the Swift but that should change this coming week. I'll keep you posted. Note: The Swift was stocked today (Friday June 30)!

I'll be chasing stripers from 7/8 to 7/15 and then guiding in the evenings through Labor Day. Want to try a new river during the best time of year? Contact me!

Ken

A Day On The Swift And Another Word On Emergers

"The term _Blue-Winged Olive" includes the Autumn emerger formerly called Pseudocloeon as well as Baetis, Diphetor, Acentrella, acerpenna, Procloeon, Centroptilum and others... What the winged stages have in common are their small size, a graceful taper, their apparent lack of a hind wing, and twin tails that they wag from side to side like a happy dog." Thomas Ames Jr. Hatch Guide For New England Streams

Size 20 BWO Emerger

First the Emergers - Bob Wyatt's DHE Emerger may be all that you need to represent that insect that is struggling to leave it's watery world and become airborne. But one thing that he does do is neglect the use of CDC which which is a MUST for the imitations size 18 and smaller. The little olives that play with us on the Millers every Fall are best imitated with a low lying, in the film pattern. Remember, trout will rise and break the surface for that emerger that is just under the surface and ignore the adult fly in the process. Emergers are easier to get to!!

The flies above are two styles of emergers. The tail end sinks below the surface but the thorax of loose dubbing and CDC floats the front end which gives this message to the trout: insect trapped in the film, free lunch!!!!

You can basically represent any mayfly species with this style of emerger. Along with Comparaduns I will not leave home without them.

Size 18 Crippled Dun

Now for the Swift - Last Friday was one of those days where it was warmer at 8 am than at Noon. The wind picked up and really made for some tough going for the few brave souls fishing below the gauge. How was the fishing? It was good! I picked up two bows up by the gauge run and then another in the flats below. I finally joined the crew down at the Pipe where caught one and dropped two. By Noon everyone had left.

Some observations - The fishing this Winter on the Swift has been very good. It is nothing like two years ago when snow, ice and brutal cold made the trout disappear. In fact, they seem to be spread out all along the river. There are also tales of some over sized browns being taken within the last two weeks. All you have to do is dress warm and pick a day that isn't windy.

Swift regular "Bill" told me of getting tangled in a long length of leader material that had 4 flies tied to it!!!. Needless to say that ultra Czech rig is totally illegal in this state. Two flies are the limit! We've never had to worry about fly fishers breaking the law. Let's keep it that way!!!

Ken