Campground pool looking upstream in the early morning fog
This past Friday afternoon, I had just made the turn for the Hawes American Legion Campground. I checked in and headed to camp 12. A nice enough camp with plenty of space and for the most part pretty level ground. I would be waiting a few hours until my friend Scott would be arriving. The weather wasn’t awful; a light rain was falling, with a slight coolness. Not cold by any means; helped by me wearing every fleece that I happen to own.
So I suited up and headed for the Campground Pool. Somewhere in the woods I made a wrong turn and ended up at Hawes Pool just north of the Campground Pool. So I decided that I would start my weekend of fly-fishing here. I tied a size 20 BWO (Blue Winged Olive). On my second cast it produced a very, and I do mean very, small Brook Trout. I thought to myself not a bad way to start the trip.
I had worked my way down to the Campground Pool and found two fishermen; fishing in a kayak, I made some small talk and found out that the men had been planning this trip for some years. They were older, and it seemed to me like it was a trip of a lifetime. I thought to myself this is what fishing is all about; getting out with friends and trying to reel in the big ones. It wasn’t long until Scott showed up, so we decided to set up camp and get back in the water.
Upper end of Greenwood Pool, where the water runs deep and fast
Saturday morning found us in the Greenwoods Pool; it had produced for me the week before. There is a nice riffle at the head of the pool, with a very deep section and a long wide flat; A GREAT POOL! The water levels are really low and my guess is the trout and especially the larger ones need the oxygen. So off we went to the head of the pool just down river of the riffle. I had noticed some Pumpkin Caddis flies on the way in. I tied one on that was similar but not exact. A nice brown came to the net, despite the difference.
The fishing had been very productive; Scott and I made it past Riverton all the way to the Hogback dam and back. We finished the day back at the Camp Ground Pool, where Scott proceeded to reel in two very large trout; large enough to make the trip worthwhile. I’ll be looking forward to the next time on the Farmington. I shutter to think, that snow will be on the ground and ice in the fishing pole guides. It still will make for a great time on the Farmington.
Look for a post on the Swift River this week.