DEERFIELD REDUX

September 4, 2009 - Good pal Jack Varley, of nearby Princeton, once again contracted Tom Harrison, of Harrison Anglers, to float the Charlemont section of the Deerfield River. Harrison was honest enough to cancel a recently scheduled trip with Varley due to poor fishing and rescheduled this week with the improving water and weather conditions.

Jack files this report…

"Tough day, few fish moving. Low water and a cold front - fished the Shelburne stretch and took out just below The Bridge of Flowers. Hooked 3 fish, landed 3 fish, good ones (all rainbows) from 13" to 17." The biggest came 100 yards upstream from the Bridge of Flowers. One on a Wooly Bugger when I lifted it at the end of a drift, two on "waked" hopper patterns ("Fat Alberts") that Tom says he really hadn't seen. First one Tom said "a fish followed your fly right after you mended it." I said "I'll strip it again, what the hell..." Bang! Gotta go again soon - there's nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as messing, simply messing about in boats..."

THE SWIFT
A couple of loyal customers stopped by the shop recently and are enjoying stellar fishing on the Swift River in Belchertown using dissimilar tactics.

Bob Cikota has been directing his effort in the vicinity of the bubbler discharge in close proximity to the "Y-Pool" while employing a fly that he discovered on page 78 of the autumn edition of Fly Tyer Magazine. In my opinion it's nothing more than a modified edition of the highly successful zebra midge, using a bit of dubbing in the thorax area.

On the other hand, Bill Theurkauf has been enjoying his success with size #20 primitive scud patterns, a fly that often is neglected, yet we highly recommend, particularly during the late summer and early fall season. When building this pattern try a variety goose biots for tails (to match dubbing), olive, cream or tan dubbing for the body, 4-mil clear plastic for a carapace, and complete with a mono cord or flymaster plus thread rib. A pretty simple fly to construct, yet very, very effective. Just ask Bill.

RED BROOK FAMILY DAY FUNDRAISER
The Red Brook Family Day will take place on September 13, at Red Brook Farm (1009 Red Brook Road) in Bourne, Massachusetts between 10 AM and 3 PM. This event - cookout, bucket raffle and silent auction - is sponsored by Southeast Chapter of TU as well as the 4000 member MA/RI Council of Trout Unlimited and it's associated Trout Unlimited Chapters. The funds raised each year (for the past 15 years) at Red Brook Family Day are used to support the Trustees of Reservations owned 218 acre Theodore Lyman Reserve and the restoration of Red Brook and its population of native, sea-run brook trout.

FIVE BUCKS - All you can eat BBQ!! Hot Dog, Hamburgers, BBQ Chicken & Italian Sausage!

For more information you can call Warren Winders at (781) 878 1074, or email: redbrook@verizon.net.

Good fishing and safe wading,
JB