"The squeaky wheel gets the grease" - Anonymous
When the 2022 Fall stocking list came out around late August there appeared to be a glaring omission - the Chesterfield Section of the Westfield River (AKA " The EB") was not listed. The same thing happened about 5 or so years ago with low water being the excuse. But this river is different. There are many deep sections down in the Gorge that hold trout through the heat of Summer and October may be the best month for this river.
Well, I bitched about the EB being taken off the list and suggested that you could write a note to the DFW in support of a Fall Stocking. Well, guess what happened? According to the DFW report the EB got it's share of trout on Monday the 3rd!!!
Some may say that it seems strange that I am waving the pom-poms for stocked fish but we have to realize that October is the "last call" for fly fishing for many until next April and after this dry summer we deserve some "tight lines".
Go Fish!!!!
Ken
6 comments:
Hi Ken this drought seems to have really screwed our wild trout. On two streams I know well I’m not finding them in their usual spots and the Blue Herron’s look suspiciously well fed. Stocked trout might be it for a while.
For those watching a change of pace, the Cape Cod kettle ponds (also Fearing Pond in Myles Standish SF) have been fishing well. Mornings have been better than the afternoons, and gray days vs sunny days.
Picked up quite a few this morning, first using black and olive bead head wooly buggers. All but one were fly fishers, equally divided by belly boaters and waders. Everyone was catching and all but one practicing C&R. The takes have been mostly subtle-need to watch your line. Set when you see it twitch.
Mostly rainbows but several decent brookies and one large holdover brown as well as some LMB and bluegills (in Fearing).
Dean F,
Blue Herons eat other things besides trout. I've heard a story how one killed off all the chipmunks on someone's yard. Dumb hatchery fish would probably be a very easy meal!
Ken
Wish the heron’s could take care of my chipmunks!
Hi Ken, I can vouch for the EB being stocked - lots of bows from the Bliss Pool yesterday between 11 and 2. The flow was going pretty good ((>200 cfs) and the fish seemed to be spread out throughout the pool. The fish took the typical junk that recent stockers will - chartruese mop fly, Pat's rubber legs, and San Juan worms of various colors. Looks like most of the fish were small - 10-12".
Have you checked out the 3 Rivers Stocking of the Lamrey, Cocheco and Isenglass, I would think those rivers would be close to you now? They should be putting in fish about now - yes they are stockies, but they put in some NICE (3+ lb) fish in there! My favorite spot was Wiswall Dam on the Lamprey when I lived back eastern MA. Packers Falls just downstream can be good too - they get a herring run there too, great fun on the fly. It can fish there well into the winter months.
Today I hit a local "secret" small stream for a couple hours - got a few including a colored up 8" male brookie and a half dozen nice wild browns between 8-12". The fish were whacking a #12 olive parachute emerger. Frankly more my cup of tea than the clonebows on the EB yesterday, but the Chesterfield Gorge is worth visiting just for the colors right now.
Mike from Pittsfield
MDH,
Way to go!!!
Ken
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