After a late breakfast at the newly reopened Coffee Liberation Front ("Where Che Guevara gets his morning cuppa"), where An I had a dark roast coffee and a tort bomb, I drove down to Chicopee (listening to the first of nine CD's in set about American Indians called "1491"), parked in the gravel lot on the lower end of Granby Road and hiked down the hill to the river.
An absolutely gorgeous day - - sunny, warm but not oppressive (80 degrees) - - and the stream levels were just a tad below ideal.
I fished between the dam and Davitt Memorial Bridge, and then below the railroad trestle (about a half mile downstream from the DM Bridge) from about 11:30 AM to 3:30 PM.
During that time, I caught one 11" dace, a tiny (5") rock bass, a dozen sunfish (only two of which were good-sized), a dozen small-mouth bass (with the smallest 4" and the largest 15") and a 16" tiger trout (which I really wasn't expecting, and landed next to the dam) - - all on worms - - plus a 17" shad (my first one ever!!!) on a spinner bait.
While not a "win," I also hooked into a 20" small mouth which jumped three times and then caused my line to separate at the hook.
(I'm not quite sure how I feel about that. My knot may have cost me the bass - - but then, on the other hand, it was good enough for me to land the tiger trout a few minutes earlier, and if it hadn't given there, my line might have just snapped further up).
I also saw two beavers, three herons, a few turkey vultures and innumerable ducks and geese.
After breaking for a late lunch (a ham salad sandwich, some homemade red wine, and an orange), I drove to Arnold's Meats and stocked up on rabbit and ground wild boar.
Then it was back to the river above the DM Bridge to pick some mulberries (which I'm hoping to turn into wine) growing by the shore.
Next, I drove back home (listening to the second disk of "1491"), scarfed down some pizza and headed off to shoot some pool and finally returning home to watch some TV and type this account before getting some well deserved rest. (Phew!!)
