This past Friday and Saturday we were blessed with extraordinary weather for December. Just my luck I had both days off from work. I thought to myself a trip to the Farmington before my licence runs out and next year I have to pay 80$ or a short trip to the Swift.
I picked the Swift, and it turned out, I think in my favor. I parked at the “Pipe” parking lot around 11 am, and instead of working the Pipe section which can be crowded and I do mean crowded; I decided to work below the crib dam. I had seen a few tan caddis flies on the banks; they had worked the week before so why not this week. I tied on a Elk Haired Palmered Caddis and sure enough I had a small brookie in my palm. Sorry about the Pun; anyways in short order I reeled in two nice rainbows that followed.
I decided to move up stream right below the dam. A really nice pool and no one in sight. After a few casts a huge rainbow attacked my caddis and broke the tippet. I shouted out Dam; again sorry about the pun. I Looked in my fly box to pull out another caddis, I had many, but not a olive color; so instead tied on a BWO size 20. I was thinking that the color was more important than the type. After a few casts I had a twenty inch rainbow in the net. It was the quickest fight that I’ve ever had. The bow hit my fly directly up stream from me and then proceeded to drift right at me I quickly grabbed my net and like that the fight was over. Not more than eight seconds had passed from the bow taking the fly until he was in my net. Now I had one thought, man I wish I had my camera!!! It’s a Nikon Cool Pix it’s one of the medium bodies, not exactly one that you might stow in a vest easily. Maybe for Christmas I might get a smaller camera, who knows?
So Saturday found me in the same section with flurries in the air instead of bright sunshine like the day before. I thought tan instead of olive. I tied on a elk hair palmered tan caddis with almost the same results. Four large bows about fourteen to eighteen inches long in about three hours. Fly fishing in December with nothing rising and catching eight trout all on dries. I can’t wait to get out again! Maybe the Farmington.
Tags: Blue Winged Olive, Crib Dam, Elk Hair Caddis, Swift River