Thursday, September 26, 2019

Soft-Hackles On The Farmington

Autumn is moving into position in a fine way. Some of the turning leaves are brilliant and a sense of excitement is growing as we move closer to that "glorious season"...A recent outing on the Farmington river when that taste of fall presented itself in many ways. The early morning chill was evident. I was prepared with a flannel shirt to help temper that cold sting. The chill would ease as the sun took hold and it turned into the perfect day. I have been fishing streamers the last couple of visits to the Farmington especially early on. The success of my efforts have not come forth as of yet, but I'll continue that "streamer first" plan for I know it will work.



I tied on a soft-hackle and stayed with them the rest of the time. I did change colors and sizes but the soft-hackle was the style of fly. You can see pretty clearly the seam created between the fast water and the soft water. I love fishing such places. Varying currents make a soft-hackle come alive. Sometimes the fish hold in the soft water but most times they are in the fast water.


A brook trout taken in the slack water. Several more came from that slick.


In fast water I'll cast the soft-hackle upstream and mend. This gives me a few yards of a nice natural drift before the hackles collapse.


This rainbow who has been in the river for some time grabbed the fly just as it hit the water. It ran and it jumped multiple times. It stayed in the fast water which made the battle a little tougher. In the end a truce was formed and a picture taken and off it went.


Back to that seam again. Same method, a soft-hackle and a brook trout. The fly was cast into the fast water and drifted into the soft water. On the third cast I saw the fish come out of the fast water and move to fly. At the last moment it backed off and returned to the fast water. Several more casts later he did the same thing only this time he grabbed the fly....strong fish.


When he finally came to hand I was taken back at the size of him. A true survivor and a gift that does not happen often. Back into the river he went and a "thank you" was given.












10 comments:

  1. A wonderful post, Alan. The picture of Bill Shuck looking so happy will bring a smile to a lot of faces today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mike,
      Thanks
      Mike, he has the look of contentment. A beautiful location.
      Thanks to Ray Tucker for the photo.

      Delete
  2. Ooooh, big water, big fish. Very nice.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mark Kautz
      Thanks
      Mark it's big water that needs a filling. It has been light in the rain bucket as of late.

      Delete
  3. Some nice "rod benders" there Alan! Work those seams! My fingers are crossed for streamers success.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Matt Harding
      Thanks
      Matt they did bend that 3wt for sure. The streamers will be magical in short time.

      Delete
  4. Congrats on the great outing on the Farmington, Alan! Beautiful fish came to net. I think your streamer strategy will pay off for you in the near future.

    For the first time in a while I had good action on my Swift zone last night. Like you I had something else in mind starting out, but switched to partridge and orange soft hackles. Numerous hits, some connected, and not a one brought to net. Nice to have them on though after a bit of a drought lately.

    Best, Sam

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sam
      Thanks
      Sam like I told Matt the future will be "streamer paradise" soon. I was pleased with the day for sure.
      Sam it seems we think alike, soft-hackles. They save the day for you last night. A trout hooked doesn't have to come to hand to make your day a success. Well done.

      Delete
  5. Alan
    I really enjoy fishing the Hackle, especially in the fast water areas I encounter on the Sipsey. There is no mistaking the hit. Color does play a big part on the Sipsey and I suspect the same is true for the Farmington.
    Beautiful trout taken on this trip; how many miles do you have to fish on the Farmington before the water temp gets too warm?
    Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill the subtle movements of the hackle is what draws the strike, but color of the body can be key when fishing pressured trout. They can be very selective.
      Right now I would say the entire river from Riverton to Unionville can be fished. That is probably 12 -15 miles of water.

      Delete