Of the three Westfield Branches the EB gets the glory (catch and release designation will do that) while the other two branches, the Middle and the West become undeserving handmaidens. One trip to the West Branch (WB) will change your mind. It is a wild and beautiful trout stream, period.
Let's compare it in size to the EB. The EB has a watershed covering 161 square miles, the WB only 94 square miles. The decades old average flow for the EB for today is 237 cfs, the WB is at 130 cfs.
One may think that the WB is much smaller then it's bigger sister BUT it fishes like a big river. First, it is nestled in a steep valley so it's not as broad and wide as the EB is in many places. Second, It doesn't have miles of riffles but has miles of beautiful flats with good depth to them. In between are POOLS that will make your mouth water!!! In the two mile section that I fished yesterday and today there was more deep holding water than the EB has from the Gorge down to it's two mile marker. I'm not kidding!!! Also, in these two days I saw only two other flyfishers!!! I was truly fishing alone!!
The fishing - Sunday I had six hits, broke off two BIG fish and just lost the other four. So I went back today, walked down a trail to this neat double pool that ran for 200 yards and took three good bows on a hornberg which was the fly that got the hits yesterday. Then the rain came and it was time to say goodbye and plan my next trip to the West Branch!
Ken
If the EB is getting a bit crowded for you on weekends then take a trip to the West Branch. Perfect water and solitude!
11 comments:
"Amen"
Gary,
Thank you! You should know!!
Ken
Always wanted to go, might have to pass up on the Swift one week end and head to the west branch. Any suggestions as for good nymphing areas?
need a trip and need advice salt has been great but the state of mass has been stocking trout in western mass bigger than the stripers I have been catching. Do I hit the bear den the swift upper lower or below candy lane or take a long trip out to eb or the Deerfield Need to get away from salt Last could be a 7 hour to the moosehead area looking for ideas from anyone Wed. thur. Thanks A week or two away from 10lbs and better at Joppa.
Agree wholeheartedly with your comments Ken. I was there both Saturday and Sunday and during that time period I saw 1 other fly fisherman whose only comment was it was too high to fish. I had luck with a Moby Dick and and a Stonefly and two other flies that I bought at B&G Sports. One of them looked like a Hornberg in a way but had a lot of green. Those flies worked !. I think all the reports on high water kept people away which was ok with me.Yesterday was great fishing there.
Ken, did you ever have an outing when a good mayfly hatch was taking place, you thought you had the right fly, in my case tonight sulphurs, and all you got were splashy rises to the fly but no connection?
Don't get me wrong, I had fun, but for the life of me I can't figure out why I didn't connect, especially on one nice trout that came clear out of the water when it missed or refused my fly.
Regards, Sam
David,
Nymph anywhere you want.
Tincup - That's why I'm bringing my 6wt to Plum Island in July. There are lots of small stripers everywhere. You should take a drive out here.
hockey_dad - The water didn't seem unfishable and I saw rising fish. Used a hornberg on Sunday with good results.
Sam - Unless I see adult insects on the water I will fish a soft hackle to rising fish. Sometimes I think that newly stocked trout can't handle a dun on the surface.
Ken
David,
Nymph anywhere you want.
Tincup - That's why I'm bringing my 6wt to Plum Island in July. There are lots of small stripers everywhere. You should take a drive out here.
hockey_dad - The water didn't seem unfishable and I saw rising fish. Used a hornberg on Sunday with good results.
Sam - Unless I see adult insects on the water I will fish a soft hackle to rising fish. Sometimes I think that newly stocked trout can't handle a dun on the surface.
Ken
There are some better stripers mixed in with all the micros. I have landed a few 26 - 30" fish on the fly rod and a few more while plugging in a different spots in the north shore area. That said, I made a trip out to the Farmington this weekend to get my trout fix, and it was a refreshing challenge to go more than five minutes between hookups. I'm looking forward to exploring some of the western Mass trout rivers highlighted on this blog in the near future.
Ken, there were adult insects on the water and plenty of them. Sulphurs flying all over the place too, yellow as could be. A beautiful sight especially when the sun hit them just right.
Regards, Sam
Gary Cranson,
Email me at: ken.elmer9@gmail.com. Ready to take you up on your offer. Ken
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