The Millers On Memorial Day Weekend

The gauge in S. Royalston read 400 cfs at 10 pm Friday night and 400 again at 4:30 Saturday morning. The cloudbursts that hit my neck of the woods overnight spared the Millers Watershed and although a I would have liked hitting the lower river THAT flow was still too high.

Off to The Bears Den!

We had "brown trout skies" (overcast) when I met Brad at Pete and Henry's at 7am and then drove down the short road along the river to our destination - the stretch upstream from the trestle which includes that big beautiful pool and the riffles above. That's where I took "the brown". If any brown could be considered a "native" it would be this fish. First, it was almost black instead of brown, a sign of spending considerable time in the Millers. Second, ALL fins were intact especially the pectorals that were as large as oars. Third, it was about 16 inches which is the largest brown that I've caught in this section that fits the above description. That's important because I've caught more 4 to 8 inch browns in this section than anywhere else on this river. The DFW doesn't stock 4 inch browns in the Millers. This is an area that holds native browns!!

We spent 3 hours working that part of the river and did OK with the chunky hatchery browns (no rainbows). Then I took Brad to the Bears Den epicenter - Rezendes. We took a short upstream hike to the riffles below the trestle, found a somewhat safe section to cross the river and then fished downstream through that beautiful piece of water until we were across from Paul's house. The place is full of browns and not a rainbow to be found.

One note about crossing that section of river. At 400 cfs it is an adventure and I will recommend it only for those with a wading staff sturdy legs. I was at my limit in a few places.

Now let's stop here and let me ask the question - where was everyone?? This is Memorial Day weekend and all day long we saw only 3 people in the water and one going in as we were leaving after 7 hours. It was almost as empty as it was 20 years ago. Yes, the flow was a bit high but still wadable and it is loaded with browns.

As I write the flow is still at 400 but it will come down. You have no excuses!!

Ken

Update - EB and the Millers And Damselflies

The EB has been GREAT! And it's going to get better because we are entering the damselfly season. Around the end of May and certainly by early June we will see the damselfly emergence. Consider a warm sunny day on this river. By noon you will start to see trout activity VERY close to shore and that is because this quick swimming nymph is ready to head towards the shoreline (or rocks and limbs close to shore) to emerge. The trout follow this nymph and will intercept them in very shallow water. The chase can be very abrupt and noisy and sometimes if you are ten feet out in the river the noisy action will be BEHIND you. This happened to an angler that I was guiding on the Millers a few years ago. Standing ten feet out from the grassy island at the head of the Millers Kempfield Pool this angler almost jumped out of his waders by the very noisy hit right behind him. We changed flies and took browns in VERY shallow water where the browns were chasing damsels.

The Millers has lots of damsels. The EB is loaded with them. I've seen HUNDREDS who had just emerged and were drying their wings in just a few hundred yards of river. It's incredible how a 3/4 inch nymph can become an inch+ long winged insect but it happens.

It's the nymph that we are interested in. Although it doesn't really look like a damselfly nymph this pattern works: Tie an olive wooley bugger in a size 12 with clipped or undersized hackle. For added effect tie on a set of bead chain at the head. The nymphs have BIG eyes and the bead chain will get this fly down.

I actually saw a Millers brown land it's head on the shore trying to grab one of these morsels.

The Millers is calming down with the Bears Den at a very fishable level and the lower C&R right behind.

Go Fish

Ken

The EB And Some Open Dates

The EB is perfect!! The fish are there and the flows are very fishable. I spent about two hours there this evening and took 4 bows on a size 8 orange and partridge. That's right - a size 8. I've been waiting since January to throw that large fly into the riffles and runs of that river because that's where it works best. In fact, I spent the two hours just working one 30 yard stretch because it was just too beautiful to leave. The Bliss Pool and Slant Rock will be there for another time.

My favorite river?? Maybe.

I have some open guiding dates: Sat. May 24, Sat. June 7, Mon, June 9, Sat, June 14. These are for day long trips on the Millers, EB and the Swift and every time I do this I book up quickly. First come, first served. Just EMAIL me to grab a spot.

Look for the Millers to get down to the 600 cfs range by this weekend if it doesn't rain. I like flows below 500 at this time of year but.....

Ken

Millers, Swift and EB Update

OK, It's time to start fishing until the ice begins to form next Winter. It's almost May so there are no excuses except when the water levels go nuts as they have on the Millers. We will have more rain within 24 hours of this writing so watch the gauges on this blog especially for the Millers. To get a good read on the EB check the gauge reading for the WEST BRANCH OF THE WESTFIELD. It is dam free and a few miles from the EB. The gauge isn't effected by a dam. If the water is dropping on the West Branch then it is dropping in the C&R section of the EB!!

The Millers - The annual stock of browns is scheduled for May 2nd. Before that moron from Winchendon howls about me talking about mentioning STOCKING when I have said that I will not LET ME JUST SAY that I have worked long and hard to get AND keep browns in this river for over 25 years. I'm also proud of this accomplishment, having scheduled the event for 5 years and have mentioned this event over the last 7 years that I've written this blog. It's the reason that the Millers fishes so well through the season. BTW, I'm told that TU is continuing to work this event again - very good!!!

The Swift - Lots of fish. I've seen them, caught them and my clients have done the same. If you are getting zeros above RT 9 then fish below RT 9. You can't really see the fish there soooo it's going to be harder, I guess.

The EB - Go fish!! As mentioned above you have to check the levels of neighboring rivers for the next few weeks. It really begins to hop by mid May!!

The guy in the photo - that's Charlie from Evening Sun Fly Shop on the Millers!! Spend your money there!!!!!!! You'll get a great deal and will be shopping local!

Ken

Millers And EB Update

A hard,snowy winter can mean a hard,wet spring and that is what is on the table for the Millers and the EB. Two days of 70+ degree weather ended with 2-3 inches of hard snow this past Tuesday night and that was followed with two days of 40 or so temperatures and a stiff, cold wind. Things will get better and hopefully soon.

The Millers and the EB are roaring. As I write the Millers in Erving is charging along at 2740 cfs. Divide that number by 6 and you get a high but fishable flow. That number is a long time away. The EB has a reading of 1170 BUT that is below the flow control dam in Knightville, miles below Chesterfield Gorge. They will hold water back for flood and canoe racing concerns which will make it seem like a reasonable flow in the Gorge when it may not be and then release water which makes the gauge go crazy down below when the Gorge flow is actually nice. Get it? Anyway, a good way to know what the flow is in the Gorge is to check out the flow for the West Branch of the Westfield. Find the Median Flow and multiply by 2.5. It usually works. 500 cfs is fishable on the EB.

The Millers has a tendency to hold its water for a long time. Check my site for the stream gauge sites and when the flow drops below 500 go to spots that will fish ok in high water. One spot is the Bridge Street Pool (check the photo) on the lower Millers in Farley. It's a classic riffles/pool setup and found on my Millers Guide.

The Eb, if we stay a little dry, will begin to drop steadily and be fishable soon.

There's always the Swift!!

Ken

One More Fly Pattern For Those Caddis

About 20 years or so ago I read an article in either Flyfisherman Magazine or Fly Rod and Reel Magazine or some other fly fishing magazine about a neat way to tie quill wing caddis flies that don't fall apart after a fish or two. This is the last of the articles that I've seen about this style of tying.

Let's face it, those old enough to remember the battle with quill wings (the style hasn't really carried into the new generation that much)remember how the wing would separate quickly. There was a solution with spray adhesives that didn't really work too well. This method works!

Take a turkey feather (used in the photo)and place it on a table face side down. Take some CLEAR scotch tape and stick it to the under side of the feather. Then cut out the taped feather segment that you want to use in the shape that you want. Then start tying your caddis or alder pattern on the hook size that you want. I use a buggy body with a darker thorax (check the photo again) and will add antennae on for suitable patterns. Sometimes I use a clipped palmered body under that quill tent but not often. I a week or two we will see a billion caddis on every bush bordering the Millers. This fly looks like those caddis. It looks like other caddis too. Try it out!!

The Millers - Toooo high

The EB - Toooo high

The Swift - just right!!!

Ken

Spring Is Here - As Usual

Ok, it's April and things are just the same as they have been for the three rivers that I cover. There was an exception back in the early Spring of 2010 when we were casting for and catching holdover browns that were rising to henricksonsons on the Millers in very late March. Not this year for sure. The Millers is roaring and and so is the EB. That leaves the Swift, of course.

The Swift fish are scattered. Around the PIPE there are few fish but this is in the general regulation section where the catch and keep crowd enjoy there current regulations. Sure, they have worked over this section and this is a sad situation for the vast majority of anglers (fly fishers) who fish this section. Catch and release year round?? Why not!!

Above RT 9 the fish are scattered but they are still there but not in congested areas. You have to hunt for them. I've managed a few after work this past week but it isn't that easy. From the power lines to the downstream bridge have produced but the trout seem sluggish and not very interested. This will change once we get temperatures in the 50's and 60's and the trout decide to play.

If you have done well on this river in the past week then good for you!!! You deserve it after this Winter!

Ken