I fished all three branches of the Hoosic today
It was sunny and hot (about 87 degrees at its height, and around 82 when I finished) atnd the streams were disturbingly low.
I fished the Main Branch in Williamstown and North Adams from 1:30 to 3:30 PM - - behind the Spruces, then by the Ashton Avenue bridge, then the Treet Cleaners basin and finally the Central Radio basin - - but couldn't get a hit for love or money.
Next, I tried the North Branch in North Adams from 3:40 to 4:40 PM - - from the roll dam to Eclipse Mill dam - - and once again, got nothing.
As the smallest and steepest of the three branches, the North Branch has the least water even under normal conditions - - but today the stream levels were pitifully low and slow.
I saw a rise below the sand bar island at one point, and even cast toward it, but was unable to elicit a response.
Even perching precariously on the roll dam and throwing a line across the waterfall didn't seem to do the trick.
In desperation, I drove to Adams and fished the upper end of my milk run along the South Branch.
Fortunately, this last ditch effort at least partly made up for my double-skunking on the other two branches, so that I was able to land two nice (15" and 16") rainbows in a relatively short time (from 4:55 to 5:15 PM).
