PAX
09-03-2002, 09:51 PM
As promised, here is my first contribution to the freshwater board.
On Labor Day, an international crew tried for the first time ever, its skills with Swift river trouts. It was, Bjorn from Island, an avid Salmon fly-fisherman who thinks trouts are baitfish ;) , Steven from Scotland, who does not mind spending seven hours in a 52 degree water with leaking waders and under heavy rains, it reminds him of Scotland and myself, Patrick, from France. Steven and I are Squannacook river fan. In May, we caught a ton of brown on dry flies there. Then I switched to saltwater fly-fishing chasing stripers. It was our first real freshwater outing since early June.
We arrived at the Swift around 7:30am. Walking our way to the Y pool we right away spotted trouts in the current. Water was crystal clear. Excitation was gaining us. We started to walk faster to the pool. When we arrived it was exactly as I expected it: beautiful. We immediately spotted trouts rising in the overflow branch of the Y. Steven decided to give a shot at the overflow. I tried the pool and Bjorn tried the main stream branch. From where I was, I could see the fish and some of them would rise to tiny “bugs”, probably size 18 or 20. First deception, despite all the reading and preparation we did, the tiniest fly we had was a #16. I tried a couple different patterns but nothing. Also tried foam beetle and nymphs. Nothing. Steven and Bjorn were experiencing the same. I gave up my spot and went to the East side of the overflow by crossing the overflow way upstream. I probably spent an hour there and it was the most beautiful but frustrating trout show I ever witnessed. Brook, rainbow and brown trouts of all size were cruising the area sipping a bug here and there. I tried again several patterns. Had trouts following my offering and turning back at the last second. Everything we read was true. These fish are so well educated that they know the difference between a real fly and yours. We kept grumbling as a size 18 or 20 would have probably helped. The top of the frustration was when a guy came, took my first spot, did two casts and hooked a fish. Per Steven he had an indicator and was probably fishing a wet fly of some sort. Unfortunately the fish broke off. We decided to regroup to the car and assess the situation. While I was crossing the route 9 bridge I looked downstream and saw a guy landing a fat rainbow. We briefly chatted and he said he had been catching a few on a black woolly bugger. So we had been trying to go for tiny flies when all they wanted was big buggers. :confused: We tied black WB and worked our way downstream. At the pool with the captive ducks, I hooked a tiny brookie: My first Swift river trout ever. My bugger was maybe a third the size of the fish. I carefully released the fish ordering her to get bigger and come back for a future fight. Steven stayed in the bridge area with Bjorn downstream from him. I went back to the road, headed downstream and cut through the trees and brushes to reached the river. Walking downstream I reached a pool that has kind of an overflow on the left side when looking downstream. There is a big log in the middle. I did a cast making sure my fly would swim close to the log. Sure enough I saw a silver lightning jumping on my black WB. The trout gave her best fight. It was a 15.5 inches fat rainbow. In the meantime Bjorn and Steven had both lost a fish. We regrouped again at the bridge. We briefly spoke to a fellow fly-fisherman who advised us to give Cady Lane a shot. The parking area at the bridge was packed at this time and a lot of fly-fishermen where heading upstream from the bridge. We headed to Cady Lane. I spotted a few fish upstream from the hatchery. First cast, one strike, one miss. Second cast, second strike, second miss in a row. Then nothing. We walked to Cady Lane, spotting mostly small fish sipping bugs but never had a taker anymore. It was now 3:00pm and time to head back to Boston. We had a blast for our first time on the Swift. We were lucky, as the rain never really came. This is a beautiful river with beautiful fish. :) I was a very humbling experience but we will be back a little more knowledgeable and better prepared.
There was a lot of people there mid afternoon, anyone of you guys?
Patrick
On Labor Day, an international crew tried for the first time ever, its skills with Swift river trouts. It was, Bjorn from Island, an avid Salmon fly-fisherman who thinks trouts are baitfish ;) , Steven from Scotland, who does not mind spending seven hours in a 52 degree water with leaking waders and under heavy rains, it reminds him of Scotland and myself, Patrick, from France. Steven and I are Squannacook river fan. In May, we caught a ton of brown on dry flies there. Then I switched to saltwater fly-fishing chasing stripers. It was our first real freshwater outing since early June.
We arrived at the Swift around 7:30am. Walking our way to the Y pool we right away spotted trouts in the current. Water was crystal clear. Excitation was gaining us. We started to walk faster to the pool. When we arrived it was exactly as I expected it: beautiful. We immediately spotted trouts rising in the overflow branch of the Y. Steven decided to give a shot at the overflow. I tried the pool and Bjorn tried the main stream branch. From where I was, I could see the fish and some of them would rise to tiny “bugs”, probably size 18 or 20. First deception, despite all the reading and preparation we did, the tiniest fly we had was a #16. I tried a couple different patterns but nothing. Also tried foam beetle and nymphs. Nothing. Steven and Bjorn were experiencing the same. I gave up my spot and went to the East side of the overflow by crossing the overflow way upstream. I probably spent an hour there and it was the most beautiful but frustrating trout show I ever witnessed. Brook, rainbow and brown trouts of all size were cruising the area sipping a bug here and there. I tried again several patterns. Had trouts following my offering and turning back at the last second. Everything we read was true. These fish are so well educated that they know the difference between a real fly and yours. We kept grumbling as a size 18 or 20 would have probably helped. The top of the frustration was when a guy came, took my first spot, did two casts and hooked a fish. Per Steven he had an indicator and was probably fishing a wet fly of some sort. Unfortunately the fish broke off. We decided to regroup to the car and assess the situation. While I was crossing the route 9 bridge I looked downstream and saw a guy landing a fat rainbow. We briefly chatted and he said he had been catching a few on a black woolly bugger. So we had been trying to go for tiny flies when all they wanted was big buggers. :confused: We tied black WB and worked our way downstream. At the pool with the captive ducks, I hooked a tiny brookie: My first Swift river trout ever. My bugger was maybe a third the size of the fish. I carefully released the fish ordering her to get bigger and come back for a future fight. Steven stayed in the bridge area with Bjorn downstream from him. I went back to the road, headed downstream and cut through the trees and brushes to reached the river. Walking downstream I reached a pool that has kind of an overflow on the left side when looking downstream. There is a big log in the middle. I did a cast making sure my fly would swim close to the log. Sure enough I saw a silver lightning jumping on my black WB. The trout gave her best fight. It was a 15.5 inches fat rainbow. In the meantime Bjorn and Steven had both lost a fish. We regrouped again at the bridge. We briefly spoke to a fellow fly-fisherman who advised us to give Cady Lane a shot. The parking area at the bridge was packed at this time and a lot of fly-fishermen where heading upstream from the bridge. We headed to Cady Lane. I spotted a few fish upstream from the hatchery. First cast, one strike, one miss. Second cast, second strike, second miss in a row. Then nothing. We walked to Cady Lane, spotting mostly small fish sipping bugs but never had a taker anymore. It was now 3:00pm and time to head back to Boston. We had a blast for our first time on the Swift. We were lucky, as the rain never really came. This is a beautiful river with beautiful fish. :) I was a very humbling experience but we will be back a little more knowledgeable and better prepared.
There was a lot of people there mid afternoon, anyone of you guys?
Patrick