Well Monday I took another stab at fishing the Farmington. My last visit was pretty good with the exception of high water. Just a note, I say high water and that's from my perspective, there's a great deal of anglers that would find flows as such to be just fine. As you can see the river was pushing some water and I was not attempting tossing a fly here, so I moved to several locations until I found some water that was more acceptable.
Upon entering the river I glanced up and down looking for rises or any insect activity and what I found was nothing. The only things flying were moths and the only rise was a fellow snorkeling. In the next hour or so I fished several soft-hackles and streamers and received all "no thank yous" from the residents. I tied on a Bomber and was soon tangling with some brook trout.
These guys were all over that Bomber. Did I ever tell you how good a fly the Bomber is?
Later in the morning I saw several of these. They look just like something I saw on the "X Files"
So after seeing one of Fox M's creatures I tied on a big dry. On the second drift this very strong lady rose an took the fly. She was strong and those head shakes I can still feel. The hook set held and soon I had the pleasure of taking her picture.
The fly is not a creature from the X Files but a fly called the Cinberg from the Catskills.
Yes you did tell how good the Bomber is; works in VA as well. Thx for all the good stuff you send our way.
ReplyDeletegerry
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Gerry I have used the bomber with success in SNP. I would love to know where else you have fished it?
No specifics, just general areas.
I'm waiting until the rivers drop a little bit but I will get you a report on how the Bomber does in Colorado. In the meantime, keep it up!
ReplyDeleteHoward Levett
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Howard it's tough fishing high water levels, especially the way I go about it. Today I may try a stream with more kinder flows.
Wonderful fly. Killer photography!
ReplyDeletespike
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How are things in the land of "Voelker's Pond"?
Alan
ReplyDeleteBeautiful sunny skies, and a real solid brown! Nice. I am jealous.
TROUT1
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Pete it was a good day once I found some water I could wade...not complaining about the flows for it's way better than last years drought.
Hi Alan,
ReplyDeleteI am off to Snowdonia in North Wales for a long weekend soon. Local to where we are staying there are several mountain rivers and streams with lots of fast runs and pocket water. I have been tying a Welsh pattern, the Coch-y-Bonddu, and a few high floaters for these tumbling streams (Bivisible, Deleware Adams, Spirit of Pitsford Mills & Royal Wulff)along with the usual klinkhammers and cripples, I had never thought to try a 'Bomber'! Your post has got hankering to tie some up before we go!!!!!
Alistair
Alistair
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Wow my friend, I hope your trip is a success, well any time you can toss a fly is a success. I'll have to look up this pattern Coch-y-Bonddu, and I hope the materials are still available to tie it.
Tie up a bomber or two and give them a try, we all would love to hear how they perform.
The Coch-y-Bonddu is a very old pattern. It translates to 'Red with a black stump (or a**e!) and it is meant to represent the little black and red beetles that live on the mountain moors and heaths. The recipe is:
DeleteHook 14 - 16 dry fly
Tag gold tinsel
Body peacock herl
Hackle Coch-y-Bonddu (which is a furnace hackle with a black outer edge as well as a black centre).
I will try and get some bombers tied up and keep you posted on how they do.
Alistair
That's a super cool looking dobson fly Alan! Mature Helgramite - both life stages definitely look X files ish! Fish love em, on the occasions they can eat them...
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun day afield!
Hibernation
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Will they certainly are big, and are sort of alien like.
Agreed... They also scare the tar out of you if they "accidentally" fly into the back of your neck :) Feels like a small bird has gone crazy!
DeleteGreat fish and love the Bomber myself. That is a great shot of the Dobsonfly.
ReplyDeleteRalph Long
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Ralph I figured you for a Betters fan. Have you ever tied a Dobsonfly?
Alan
ReplyDeleteOh how l would love to fish this tailrace; this post gets me fired up for next caney fork trip------when the generating slows, really quality trout taken-----thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill I think if you were to fish the Farmy we would never be able to get you away from it.
Alan, that bug does look like something from the"X-Files".
ReplyDeleteLovely looking water and fish. The hen brown looks like she's been grazing on a good paddock!
Here in OZ the Coch-y-Bondhu and Red Tag were popular beetle imitations before the Humpies came along. I still use both as well as the Humpies. That Cinberg looks very buggy.
Kindest Regards,
Steve.
Steve Hynes
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Steve I was really impressed by the size and spunk of that fish. So you have some experience with this fly.
I don't fish the Humpy, I guess the Bomber wins out.
Alan -I'm glad to hear that you were able to fish the river under more moderate flows. I will have to put those Cinbergs you gave me in my Farmington fly box! I don't recognize were that top picture was taken but it looks like some great pocket water to drift a bomber in with a dropper nymph
ReplyDeleteMark Wittman
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Mark the fish do look-up and find that Cinberg to be a healthy snack.
Mark that section is upstream from wher yo encountered the beavers.