Tiny
and Terrestrials
July 20, 2005
-It's no secret to fly
fishermen that are long in the tooth that mid-summer angling offers many
challenges. With the traditional hatches of spring now a distant memory
the focus is on land based insects, diminutive caddis and microscopic
mayflies.
The well-armed flyrodder
would be well served to consider black ants (both winged and
conventional) #16-18, cinnamon ants #16-18, black beetles $14-#16,
crickets #14-16, and grasshoppers #8-10 as traditional summer fare.
These land bred insects become even more important during periods of
high wind or rain events particularly when prospecting meadow lined
stream and rivers.
The more traditional
summer forage includes blue-winged olives #22-28, trico spinners #24-28,
needhami spinners #28-30, and summer caddis #18-#20. Pepper in the
occasional sulphur #16-18 and isonychia bicolor #12-14 and you should be
good to go.
SWIFT RIVER
After suffering through some pretty high water conditions throughout the
spring and early summer the Swift has reverted back to more typical
summertime flows. The water level is very low making for easy access and
some pretty fare fishing conditions throughout the entire system. The
river is a tailwater and generally fishes best from early July through
the end of October. As of July 21st here are some readings from some of
the more popular Massachusetts watersheds with holdover potential…
- Swift River (West
Ware)… 36 cfs
- Deerfield River (Charlemont)… 178 cfs (but varies due to water
releases)
- Millers River (Erving)… 913 cfs
- Quinapoxet River (Holden)… 23cfs
- Stillwater River (Sterling)… 33cfs
As is evidenced most of
the watersheds are in summer form and are in constant need of
supplemental water.
ON THE GO
Many of the more serious anglers have taken to the roads this summer in
search of fly fishing Valhalla. Peter Williams and his wife of North
Grafton are returning to Iceland for some Atlantic salmon fishing. We
are in the early stages of helping Bob Shay and his bud Doug plan a fly
fishing adventure that will take the duo throughout north-central Idaho.
They will be fishing the Loscha, Selway and Clearwater systems while
using Three Rivers Resort in Lowell, Idaho as a base camp. This is a
trip we have enjoyed on many occasions and are happy to lend a hand with
some of the arrangements.
Good fishing and safe
wading,
JB
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