Sentience
07-25-2002, 12:54 AM
Well, I am so glad that it has come to Reel Time sponsoring a freshwater New England Forum. I really want this to take off as I like trout fishing as much as saltwater. New England may not be Montana or Wyoming, but there are still many places to catch beautiful fish in charming, breathtaking areas. I will ferociously defend our waters in this argument!
They say that you first try to catch the most fish, then the biggest, then the hardest. The Swift River in the summer helps us all in New England as far as the latter two are concerned. If you are in some sort of contest as to how many fish you can catch, maybe the Swift is not for you. At any rate because of its bottom drawing tailwater status the Swift's temperature stays constant throughout the season. This means that I have to make the drive from Boston more often than in Spring or Fall to fill that trout shaped hole I have in me. The trip does not seem to get any shorter, especially the Mass Pike to Rt. 9 part, but it is always worth it.
Lately I have fished some lesser known Vermont mountain streams and caught some gorgeous and plentiful native brook trout. As wonderful and relaxing as this type of fishing is, it always leaves me with the urge to land bigger trout. Thus I have visited the Swift three time in the last two weeks and I was not let down.
All in all I have caught some nice fish in cool summertime water but they have been as a result of patience and trial and error. I have also been sent back to the tying bench a few times as well. I usually land two or three fish in the 14-16 range and they usually are brook trout because I was taught if you wish enough and believe with your heart you will get what you want. Brook trout are the most beautiful things on Earth.
Anglers say they are getting their share on pheasant tail nymphs, usally dead drifted. I am not the greatness, nor most enthusiastic nymph fisherman, so quite frankly I have not caught anything on a nymph in the past few weeks. But silouhette beetles tied in size sixteen have worked out just fine. Smaller emergers, usally dark gray or rust colored, have produced somewhat as well, although I think these lucky chances may have just been the result of presentation and inexplicable random thought process of Swift River trout. What always seem to give you a trout or two are greenie weenies, or any inchworm type fly, tied around size sixteen.
The Swift River rewards patient summertime anglers even if its trouts' fickleness is sometimes exaggerated. How can this be true you ask? Well the only way I can explain this hunch is to point out the gin clear water. Most of the multiple inspections and rejections are not noticed on a muddier river. On the Swift you notice every last movement. This can be both thrilling and frustrating.
The thing I find most frazzling about the Swift River has more to do with the crowds of like minded anglers than the choosy trout. In the end though, I suspect that choosy trout leads to choosy anglers - most of the people I meet on the river are so nice. What a great thing to do on a New England summer day while you are waiting for the other rivers to cool off and the stripers to come back.
They say that you first try to catch the most fish, then the biggest, then the hardest. The Swift River in the summer helps us all in New England as far as the latter two are concerned. If you are in some sort of contest as to how many fish you can catch, maybe the Swift is not for you. At any rate because of its bottom drawing tailwater status the Swift's temperature stays constant throughout the season. This means that I have to make the drive from Boston more often than in Spring or Fall to fill that trout shaped hole I have in me. The trip does not seem to get any shorter, especially the Mass Pike to Rt. 9 part, but it is always worth it.
Lately I have fished some lesser known Vermont mountain streams and caught some gorgeous and plentiful native brook trout. As wonderful and relaxing as this type of fishing is, it always leaves me with the urge to land bigger trout. Thus I have visited the Swift three time in the last two weeks and I was not let down.
All in all I have caught some nice fish in cool summertime water but they have been as a result of patience and trial and error. I have also been sent back to the tying bench a few times as well. I usually land two or three fish in the 14-16 range and they usually are brook trout because I was taught if you wish enough and believe with your heart you will get what you want. Brook trout are the most beautiful things on Earth.
Anglers say they are getting their share on pheasant tail nymphs, usally dead drifted. I am not the greatness, nor most enthusiastic nymph fisherman, so quite frankly I have not caught anything on a nymph in the past few weeks. But silouhette beetles tied in size sixteen have worked out just fine. Smaller emergers, usally dark gray or rust colored, have produced somewhat as well, although I think these lucky chances may have just been the result of presentation and inexplicable random thought process of Swift River trout. What always seem to give you a trout or two are greenie weenies, or any inchworm type fly, tied around size sixteen.
The Swift River rewards patient summertime anglers even if its trouts' fickleness is sometimes exaggerated. How can this be true you ask? Well the only way I can explain this hunch is to point out the gin clear water. Most of the multiple inspections and rejections are not noticed on a muddier river. On the Swift you notice every last movement. This can be both thrilling and frustrating.
The thing I find most frazzling about the Swift River has more to do with the crowds of like minded anglers than the choosy trout. In the end though, I suspect that choosy trout leads to choosy anglers - most of the people I meet on the river are so nice. What a great thing to do on a New England summer day while you are waiting for the other rivers to cool off and the stripers to come back.