When I occasionally stomach-pump trout these days, I’m seeing a clear pattern. They’re feeding on small bugs. That’s surprising to me. I read online about these major mayfly and caddis hatches starting to happen on our freestones. So, I would think that the fish would be full of bugs in sizes 14 to 18. There
Tag: swift river nymphs
Green Weenies
Stocking trucks are rolling early for you guys, and soon the main rivers like the Swift, Westfield, and Deerfield will be swarming with trout. Great time to bring any of your kids, younger relatives, or neighbors out… for anyone who hasn’t done much fishing and is looking to give it a try, now’s the time.
Nymphing at the Swift River
I fished the Swift for about four hours and landed nine trout, all on nymphs. Lost two others. A total surprise, as I had low expectations. Nearly all of the 11 trout took a Hare’s Ear variant, size 18. I caught fish both above and below Rt. 9. I was the eighth car in the
Variants
Part of the fun about fly tying, for me, is making variants. I will tweak a pattern to give it a slightly different look. A tweak can be major or minor, but can help attract trout I don’t think it matters much for most waters. But, it has made a big difference for me when