THE ORANGE FLY July 2, 2009 - Sulphurs have been hatching by the cash register this week as anglers are observing significant numbers of this unmistakable insect on many local watersheds. This hatch is no doubt the most prolific and celebrated event on the Swift River in Belchertown as anglers are permitted to shed their size #20-#28 nymphs, emergers and dry flies and revert to a more manageable size #16-#18 sulphur adult or spinner pattern. Look for adults to emerge in intensity during the early afternoon to early evening (depending on weather conditions) time frame with the consequent spinner fall to follow within a few hours post hatch. One interesting aside is the fact that some anglers are illustrating preference to lighter colored adults (almost to the point of a light cahill or PMD), while others are more confident in more traditional sulphur-orange mimics. While we're on the subject of the Swift, we have been assured by a number of individuals that the traditional early July stocking will take place on schedule in spite of the work being executed on the "bubbler" valve. The watershed in general has been fishing satisfactorily from the Rt. 9 Bridge to the dam, as many anglers are hunting-up pods of fish adjacent to heavily structured areas. It's no secret that many of our more formidable watersheds in Central New England are suffering from high water flows. I will assure you that this will only be a temporary situation and bodes well for the initial few weeks of July. The consensus around the shop is that water levels and water temperatures are 2-3 weeks behind normal, which should insure for some pretty decent angling on the Millers, Deerfield and Westfield Rivers in the interim.
James Doyle files this report from the North Country…
Good fishing and safe
wading, |
"A
buddy of mine, Scott Morrison and I headed up to the Baker River
Valley in NH for some fly fishing fun. We managed to persuade a
handful of beautiful brook trout, including some natives, into taking
some small (#16-18) bead head nymphs on Jackman Brook Friday night. We
hiked out 2.3 miles to a backwoods pond in the White Mountains on
Saturday but did not stay late enough to hit the caddis hatch and they
were not interested in our wooly buggers so we didn't get any fish
there (however the place was beautiful). On the way back home
yesterday, we stopped at the Newfound River and sight fished for some
good-sized trout about 50 yards below the dam at Newfound Lake. We did
not get any trout, but I managed to land a heck of a fighting small
mouth bass using one of the TFO pro series rods I bought from you two
winter's ago at the closeout sale. The rod did a masterful job
fighting this fishing as it repeatedly leap out of the water. I must
admit it was quite an adrenalin rush corralling this fish and I was
glad I was using a 5-wt rod. The bass hit a black cone head wooly
bugger (#6 or 8) with some flash."