I twice hit the Swift with the flows up. It’s a bit different at 120 cfs vs. the usual 47 cfs. No dries worked, and so, it was a subsurface game for me.

I saw a few sulphurs hatch and fly away, and one day, there was a very strong midge hatch. They were hot, muggy, and languid days. The trout seemed a bit sluggish, too. Thankfully, I landed six each time, but worked many hours to get them. Weird-colored flies continued to fool a few trout, but dramatically less so. A tiny midge emerger was effective.

But, overall, it was quiet both times. Not many fish were getting hooked. One guy threw a streamer at the Y Pool, and it fooled one trout. One regular had good luck with soft hackles, hoppers, ants, and scuds. Another regular landed a few rainbows while using small midge emergers.

But, takes were pretty rare, and one regular said that the lack of action made it feel as slow as a February outing. That angler, who fishes almost every day, found much more luck away from the Y Pool.

If you fish below the Rt. 9 bridge, note that a huge tree fell a week ago, traversing the entire river. It has changed the flow quite a bit. Not worse, just different. Some trout are holding right below the fallen tree, but there are tremendous cross currents and back flows, making it tough to get a drag-free drift. But, there continues to be some huge trout in that area.

Have a great Labor Day weekend! Let’s hope for some rain to boost the local freestones. I’m hoping to hit the Westfield this autumn.