I took a chance to drive to where last weeks 50 degree day had little or no effect. It's still February where I went. This stream has a name but I'm not going to divulge it. You will hear enough about the BIG THREE as the season goes on but this place can't take an onslaught. There are places on the EB and Millers where NOBODY fishes and we will get into those places soon enough.
This place - Native brookies and some native browns make up the mix with a small stocking from the DFW. It's stocked??? Heaven help us but in the last five years that I've fished this stream I have seen NOBODY!!!!! It is truly under fished and in a beautiful spot that will let you dream about meandering streams somewhere in the foothills. Note: you are in the foothills!!
Small stream tactics mean a lot here. Dump the idea of 40 foot casts and selective trout sipping insects that one may think don't exist. You can work this water quartering downstream with nymph/soft hackle but the most fun is to work upstream with a dry fly, blanket casting every likely holding spot.
I said that a few Spring days hadn't broken Winter's grip here and it hasn't. Snow is still over a foot deep a few yards from the stream edge and cakes of ice over two feet thick dot the shore line. Some spots looked inviting but even though I had waders, boots,rods reels and flies I decided to give those survivors a break. It's been a hard Winter for everything.
This is a rural Massachusetts spot never found by sightseers or maybe even fly fishers. It's a gem. I will not advertise this spot BUT I will bring someone here if they what a secret spot.
Ken
P.S. The photos were taken today, March 20 which happens to be the first (partial) day of Spring. That was this morning and now at 2:20 pm it's snowing!! What a Winter!!!
12 comments:
Wild trout, no anglers. It truly is a gem.
Ken,
Browns aren't native to MA, unless I'm mistaken. So are the ones in there just reproducing from some that were stocked or transported?
Scott
Scott,
I beg your pardon but after over about a 130 years of having brown trout (a European transplant) in this country I tend to call reproducing (that's what they do in this stream) browns the same as reproducing brook trout = native trout!
Let's split hairs - Brook Trout are not "trout" but Charr therefore there are no native "trout" in Ma.
All reproducing browns (I call them native) are the result of stocked fish. They may be the only reproducing trout in Ma.!!!
Jesus, I hope I haven't started a giant thread on this nit picking!!!
Ken
Brk TRt,
Thank You!
Ken
Gorgeous stream Ken. Hard to believe such a nice piece of water doesn't get fished but that's great! Like most others In the area I've got cabin fever and another weekend tying flies instead of fishing!
Dave
Good points Ken! Anyways, nice to see some reproducing and wild trout in these small streams.
Scott
Dave,
Hang in there. Spring will be here by July!!
Ken
Thanks for the update....looking forward to taking my kayak to the Swift boat ramp and fly fishing for trout and Bass South of there. I was lucky enough to be in Pueblo, CO March 1-14 for work. Fishing the Arkansas River below the dam and up in Bighorn Sheep Canyon and Coaldale were unreal. I'll be planning another trip out West someday. The hidden gems you describe here should remain that, secret.
Fished the deerfield up near fife dam this weekend, didn't catch anything. Few more weeks.
I expect we all may have some little 'blue lines' which are secret favorites. I know I do. Some are the streams I cut teeth on drowning worms, where now an elk hair caddis drifted down the riffles ia bound to result in a little brookie, or a pheasant tail sunken into a logjamb might produce something extraordinary. This year I'll pour over the topographic maps and set my sights on some new gems while waiting the thaw.
Josh,
Your question to Brad didn't post for some reason but the answer is simple: Rio doesn't make a Triangle Taper. That's the property of the Wulff brand.
Ken
Ken,
Thanks for the response. I ordered some Wulff triangle last night, excited to try it out.
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