Wow, it’s been a busy few weeks, but I finally got outside again.  I took a trip to the Swift river on Good Friday, and it was indeed a good day.  I expected a lot of crowds, but there was plenty of room down below the Route 9 bridge.  The flows on most Massachusetts rivers are still high, and I’m excited to check out my other favorite steams once the water levels lower.

Most of my success came from tight lining on a few popular stretches, as well as some not so popular stretches.  I ended the day down below the Cady Lane bend, and caught several trout on a dry/dropper set up.  I used size 24 griffith’s gnat/parachute adams, and tied the midge through the dry fly’s hook eye rather than the bend of the hook. 

One of many rainbows

The brook trout were loving a size 24 “Top Secret Midge”.  (which is not so secret anymore, because you can find tying videos for it on youtube)  For some reason, the rainbows and browns weren’t interested in the top secret midge, and were only taking a few of my custom ties.  All in all, it ended up being a 10-15 trout day, a mix of brown, rainbow, and brook trout. I felt like a lucky guy.

It’s spring, and there are sucker fish everywhere. The rainbows were trailing the sucker fish, so there’s probably good potential for egg patterns right now.  I hooked into one sucker on Friday, which I dreaded because my tippet isn’t strong enough for that kind of weight.  It ended up breaking my line towards the end of the fight, and I lost a good fly.

I recently gave into the hype and purchased some “sighter” tippet to try out when tight lining.  I can see how it makes it the line more visible as you’re leading flies through a run, but I did not feel that it improved my ability to spot bites from when I don’t use a sighter.  If I pursue this method any further, I’d much rather use a “marker” that is removable, which I’ve been experimenting with.  I know that some anglers have tied knots in their line to serve as a sighter and I’ve experimented with a knot of brightly colored line that is removable. 

As someone who fishes several techniques in a day, I can’t be bound to one system all day on the river.  I need to be able to switch techniques depending on the type of water and how the fish are feeding.  I’ve found that the sighter material can spook fish in clear water when you’re fishing dries or other methods, so I’d prefer a removable system.  I plan to write more about this as I figure out the best solution for me.  In fly fishing, there is a lot of pressure on doing things the “right” way, but I am a believer that everyone should fish in whatever way works for them.  Over the years, I’ve found that I can’t be a one trick pony if I want to have a successful day.

Here’s a great video on how to tie the Top Secret Midge:

Another Swift Rainbow