A GREAT SUMMER

August 31, 2004 - If you're not finding an abundance of trout this summer your not really looking in the right places. This has been the sentiment of virtually every trout angler we've spoken with over the last few weeks here at the shop.

Veteran longrodders John McCarthy and bud Vic Dennet have been making frequent sojourns to the Swift and are finding a diverse number of combatants. Granted many of the trout taken have been the garden-variety native brookies (3-6") which are prevalent throughout the system, however the more corpulent rainbows have also been obliging the duo. We all have our "secret weapons" but small emerger patterns (18-22) and the dreaded hare's ear nymph (18-20) have been accounting for the bulk of their catch. It would be a good idea to supplement your fly box with a midge pupa (20-22), Griffith's gnat (18-20), black ant (18-20) and maybe a caddis dry (elk hair or henryville) (18-20). Terrestrials such as crickets, ants, and beetles tend to perform better during periods of high wind or inclement weather.

Daylight hours provide for some challenging, technical fishing situations requiring lengthy leaders (12-14' tapered to 7X) while dusk offers the opportunity to employ more "normal" size flies. A dinnertime angler may score well with Letort crickets (10-12), Letort hoppers (10-12) or possibly even a streamer or two (buggers and leeches being the most popular).

The entire watershed from the Y-pool (north of Rt.9) to Cady Lane is holding fish and the prospects for a memorable late summer season is evident. The river is NOT effected by waterfall as is the case with many of the freestone systems and will provide excellent opportunity in the case of a severe rain event.

SEPTEMBER
Setember has always signaled the beginning of the blue-winged olive season. While they are generally present throughout much of the year in one form or another, it is late summer when they become particularly abundant and the focus of surface feeders on virtually every watershed. If I were to venture out on the Deerfield, Millers, Farmington or Hoosatonic it would be a priority to inventory a selection of size 18-24 drys as well as an emerger or two in similar sizes. I have encountered this insect as late as Thanksgiving Day on the Orcutt Brook section of the Miller River and to this day it remains one of the largest mayfly hatches I have ever witnessed in central New England.

AN ANGEL
Fly anglers are so smitten by the recent House of Hardy ad campaign featuring the "Hardy Girl" that Cortland marketing director, Russ Darr, is making the poster available for purchase. If you feel the need you can obtain your copy ($6.95) by visiting www.hardyuse.com.

Good fishing and safe wading,
JB