THE MIGHTY WARE May 14, 2010 - These things run in cycles, or so it seems. It may be hyperbole taken to it’s extreme but every angler that entered the shop this past week seemed to be fishing the Ware River, or one of it’s many tributaries. The
watershed got off to a sluggish start this year mainly due to elevated
water levels but has come into its own during the previous few weeks
with the stability of the water table. Both the east branch and west
branch (Hubbardston) above Barre Falls Dam has been producing impressive
catches of rainbow trout in the 14-15 inch range. Most anglers have been
having success with nondescript bead headed nymph patterns (zug bugs,
prince nymph, hare’s ear and pheasant tails in #14 and #16) as the
watersheds reputation was not built on it’s prolific early season
hatches particularly in it’s upper stretches. You would do best to
compliment this array of nymphs with darker wooly bugger patterns in #8
and #10. While
you may witness sparse hatches of Quill Gordon and Hendrickson/Red Quill
during the early spring, the signature hatches of the main branch of the
Ware River is certainly Light Cahill (#14, mid May to early June) during
evening periods, March Brown (#12, late May to mid June) during evening
periods and the spectacular Hexagenia (#8, late June through early July)
after dark. The Hex hatch is the most prolific and impressive mayfly
hatches I have ever witnessed. The inhabitants of the river will often
lay dormant throughout the heat of the day conditioned to the fact that
these insects would make their initial appearance just after dark and
continue hatching for about an hour.
Experienced
amateur entomologists will recognize that while Light Cahill is often
witnessed hatching over riffle areas where favorable oxygen content
exists, both March Brown and Hexagenia prefer slower glides with a
rather silted stream bottom. Both of these latter hatches are
unmistakable and often so intense that they will encourage every trout
in the watershed to take part in the feast. Two
smaller tribs that are worth prospecting (and have been consistently
fishing good) are the Burnshirt River and Canesto Brook located off Rt.
62 just west of Barre Falls Dam. Unlike the Ware, both rivers possess
characteristics more typical of small New England freestones. Both have
a more riffle-pool-riffle geography that invites a dead drifted nymph or
soft hackle. You will often find yourself absent of any competition,
particularly during mid-week periods, as many anglers will often neglect
these productive watersheds in lieu of more popular, heavily promoted
rivers. We would encourage you to give them a whirl, you may be
surprised. Good
fishing and safe wading, |
