I got out again today - - this time on the South Hoosic.
The weather was similar to yesterday - - except a little cooler (temps topped out around 47 degrees), a little cloudier and a little breezier, so I dressed almost as warmly as if it were ice-fishing season.
Water levels were elevated, but not roaring like they were on the North Branch yesterday.
I started at Cheshire Lake around 12:15 PM - - fishing below the waterfall that is the headwaters of the South Branch - - with no success.
I drove to Church Street in Cheshire, parked and hiked south along the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail (echoing the Algonquin name for the South Branch) before stepping into the current and wading downstream.
I fished the Jungle section of the river and caught an 11" rainbow.
Eventually, I headed back to my car and drove down to Cheshire Harbor, where I landed a 13" rainbow about half a football field below the roll dam there.
Then I drove to the Old Stone Mill in Adams, headed downstream and started fishing just above the roll dam a little above Elm Rock.
Although I didn't have any action above the roll dam, I reeled in a 13" brown at Elm Rock itself, and then another 13" rainbow below the waterfall just a little ways downstream from it.
After that, I wrapped things up around 2:45 PM, and headed home to help my wife rack and consolidate the two half-carboys of peach wine that have been sitting in our kitchen since August.
(Good thing, too, we freed up one of the carboys just in time to make our next batch - - cranberry wine - - sometime within the next couple of weeks)