MyFishFinder Forum
MFF US Northeast => Massachusetts => Topic started by: lowaccord66 on Apr 19, 2019, 09:13 AM
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Things are firing up. The large brown and the bright brown lacked elastomers and had intact adipose fins so likely wild to the river where they were caught. The rest were eager stockies.
(https://i.postimg.cc/8fFFVgSp/20190418-193538.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8fFFVgSp)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8JcchgsR/20190418-191128.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8JcchgsR)
(https://i.postimg.cc/BPW3trFQ/20190412-164743.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/BPW3trFQ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/n9t8nv8X/20190412-090602.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/n9t8nv8X)
(https://i.postimg.cc/kVVL8jqV/20190412-083114.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/kVVL8jqV)
(https://i.postimg.cc/vxvKMkLK/20190412-081105.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vxvKMkLK)
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Very nice Jon 🎣
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Nice work Jon.
Whats next after the long rod for you? Togs? My boats are uncovered and ready to go.
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I've been chasing some gold and turning it brown.
(https://i.postimg.cc/pyP9pb0P/Resized-20190414-083903-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/pyP9pb0P)
(https://i.postimg.cc/xqgXmx7M/Resized-20190414-083811-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xqgXmx7M)
(https://i.postimg.cc/fVSy6wbf/Resized-20190415-190552.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fVSy6wbf)
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Some real nice fish for the long rod. Fly fishing can be so relaxing.
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I've been chasing some gold and turning it brown.
(https://i.postimg.cc/pyP9pb0P/Resized-20190414-083903-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/pyP9pb0P)
(https://i.postimg.cc/xqgXmx7M/Resized-20190414-083811-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xqgXmx7M)
(https://i.postimg.cc/fVSy6wbf/Resized-20190415-190552.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fVSy6wbf)
What are those golden covered fish? I don't think I've ever seen one like that before.
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Things are firing up. The large brown and the bright brown lacked elastomers and had intact adipose fins so likely wild to the river where they were caught. The rest were eager stockies.
(https://i.postimg.cc/8fFFVgSp/20190418-193538.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8fFFVgSp)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8JcchgsR/20190418-191128.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8JcchgsR)
(https://i.postimg.cc/BPW3trFQ/20190412-164743.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/BPW3trFQ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/n9t8nv8X/20190412-090602.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/n9t8nv8X)
(https://i.postimg.cc/kVVL8jqV/20190412-083114.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/kVVL8jqV)
(https://i.postimg.cc/vxvKMkLK/20190412-081105.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vxvKMkLK)
Beautiful fish!
But what the heck is an "elastomer"? It sounds vaguely kinky.
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Great work Jon. I’ve yet to head down that way. Been focusing on the freestones while the flows allow. Got a nice rainbow in the middle branch of the Westfield this AM n had several other takes. It’s maybe the most scenic branch IMO. Stoneflies are the name of the game right now.
(https://i.postimg.cc/K1xPDs8L/2487-B700-C6-CF-4844-93-C4-7-EFF56-E67541.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K1xPDs8L)
(https://i.postimg.cc/tskhStsc/7-A7-D9012-E27-C-45-DB-A02-C-EA7098-E8-CFCE.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tskhStsc)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dDZjsyf7/CE52-A1-C7-E98-B-4-B60-91-D2-0-B35-DAC98824.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dDZjsyf7)
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Fish porn! Very nicely done sir!
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Beautiful fish!
But what the heck is an "elastomer"? It sounds vaguely kinky.
This should help...
https://www.nmt.us/visible-implant-elastomer/ (https://www.nmt.us/visible-implant-elastomer/)
In CT the stocked trout get an elastomer that allows fishery bios to determine what year it was stocked. On the farmington its important so they can differentiate trout that reproduced naturally vs. Holdovers.
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Beautiful fish, Thank you for sharing.
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This should help...
https://www.nmt.us/visible-implant-elastomer/ (https://www.nmt.us/visible-implant-elastomer/)
That's pretty neat!
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Nice job Pat and Mike (I'm ready for Tog, hit me up). I think they call the bright ones palmino's.
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I think they call the bright ones palmino's.
Yup. Basically a fancy rainbow
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Palomino it is. Just smoked the last batch for Easter. I'll hit you up. Going to do a test run for tog this week.
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Let me know Mike. Spent a ton of time out Saturday. Landed a 4/5lb bow and right as we were snapping a pic...did the accidental release. Was a clean specimen. Landed probably 20 or so in the rain between 2 rivers. Most on a #8 rubber legs.
Immediately before hooking up, looks shallow...both sides of those rocks are over the waders!
(https://i.postimg.cc/tnhhNjWD/imagejpeg-0-24.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tnhhNjWD)
Here's the botched bow pic...slippery hands!
(https://i.postimg.cc/HJfXWwD9/imagejpeg-0-25.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HJfXWwD9)
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I will let you know Jon. I fish a similar looking spot as well. That botched rainbow looks like healthy fish for sure!
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Smaller freestones are still fishing good even w all the rain. Hit up the middle branch of the Westfield on Saturday. It SNOWED the majority of the day but the fishing was on. Landed 4 fatty rainbows and missed several others. Big streamers were the ticket and you had to strip them back as fast as possible to entice a hit but the ones that were biting sure didn’t miss many meals.
(https://i.postimg.cc/kD9vt8FG/5-F5-DA42-F-4-D94-4-C5-B-B66-A-AF1-AFAD51797.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/kD9vt8FG)
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This seems like a fitting topic to add too.
Took my long rod out chasing trout this weekend and ended up catching about 20 crappie and 10 blue gills. All of the blue gills were over 9" and 2 of the crappie over 12". Mind you this is in RI (sorry no one exists in the RI forum) and any blue gills over 9" and Crappie over 12" are recognized for an award. Not what I was after originally but my game plan shifted quickly after realizing there was some potential for a ton of action. I must say that I had a blast with these species on a 4wt. These crappie are not at all slabs in my opinion but the blue gills were beasts. In the picture is a 13" crappie and a 10" gill.
(https://i.postimg.cc/4YvGZ0KP/LongRodC.png) (https://postimg.cc/4YvGZ0KP)
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That's an interesting day with the fly rod. I've never really targeted warm water species much with my fly rod. I'm curious what kind of flies and presentation you are using.
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Pat what are you waiting for? I love catching bass, crappie, gills on the fly rod. Great time and you dont really need to match the hatch at all.
Nice fish btw. I took a ride to granville but it was ripping.
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Pat what are you waiting for? I love catching bass, crappie, gills on the fly rod. Great time and you dont really need to match the hatch at all.
Nice fish btw. I took a ride to granville but it was ripping.
I've given it a couple half hearted attempts but always seem to resort to the spinning gear with those species. I did get a few bass while I was down in FL but it wasn't too exciting on an 8wt. In two weeks I'll be down at the cape wrestling with some schoolies on the 6wt with the 8wt on standby if there are larger fish around. Hopefully we get into them like we did last year at the same time of year. Goal for me this year is to get a pike on the fly. I found a few nice spots in the fall where they were eager to hit anything on the surface. Not sure what kind of leader to use since they were breaking the 40lb fluoro pretty easily. They inhale whatever they hit on the surface so even the heavy fluoro didn't matter.
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Smaller freestones are still fishing good even w all the rain. Hit up the middle branch of the Westfield on Saturday. It SNOWED the majority of the day but the fishing was on. Landed 4 fatty rainbows and missed several others. Big streamers were the ticket and you had to strip them back as fast as possible to entice a hit but the ones that were biting sure didn’t miss many meals.
(https://i.postimg.cc/kD9vt8FG/5-F5-DA42-F-4-D94-4-C5-B-B66-A-AF1-AFAD51797.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/kD9vt8FG)
Nice work Pat
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I have 2 great spots for pike with a fly. Let me know if you are around my parts.
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Thanks Jon.
Matching the hatch is not very important but they did want a large fly. Thy were not interested in anything small.
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Fished a farmington trib this evening. 400 or so cfs for a relatively narrow stream. Tough tight lining, not a sniff...but only an hr spent. Saturday the very end of the Farmimgton TMA hit 4000 cfs!
Mike I also have a good pike fly river nearby but my attention is quickly turning to nailing a slob striper on the fly. Its on the bucket list.
Pat I think they use tie-able wire for leader when fly fishing for them.
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It's been a fun week for these, this one ate this evening and fought like a champ. Hendricksons all over. Tomorrow will be fun!
(https://i.postimg.cc/3k5d4nV9/20190510-182701.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/3k5d4nV9)
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:thumbup_smilie:
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Nice work Jon.
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Thanks guys. Got a pile more last night but most were small. Caddis nymph did the damage.
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Hammered the trout this weekend. 4 wild browns to boot. 2 of which were very nicely sized! Landed 30 or so others between sat and sunday. Mostly on a frenchy.
(https://i.postimg.cc/sG5v8Fcr/20190518-080909.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sG5v8Fcr)
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZCFWxSnP/20190518-081613.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ZCFWxSnP)
(https://i.postimg.cc/phFThN3F/20190518-093332.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/phFThN3F)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Hrkk08fH/20190519-175251.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Hrkk08fH)
(https://i.postimg.cc/WqV2ddMB/20190519-181257.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/WqV2ddMB)
(https://i.postimg.cc/fJwzZ0WX/20190518-182241.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fJwzZ0WX)
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Love those wild browns. I'm going to try to get down there after work this week now that the days are longer. I'll shoot ya a text.
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I'm ready Pat and we'll go right to the spot I caught those. Its loaded. Funny thing is I brought Bogtrotter there too!
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I can attest it's a gorgeous stretch of water, although (if I recall correctly) we hit it sometime in early to mid April 2018, when it was still running high and cold, so, although we caught a few, it was not as productive as (I suspect) it would be at this time of year.
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nice work Jon!
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I can attest it's a gorgeous stretch of water, although (if I recall correctly) we hit it sometime in early to mid April 2018, when it was still running high and cold, so, although we caught a few, it was not as productive as (I suspect) it would be at this time of year.
I checked old notes and the flow was about the same. Some changes to how I fish that spot with the flyrod upped the anti. I think we could revisit it high and cold and do much better.
Im headed to that pool now...
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I checked old notes and the flow was about the same. Some changes to how I fish that spot with the flyrod upped the anti. I think we could revisit it high and cold and do much better.
Im headed to that pool now...
I hope you aren't using a 40 foot mono rig like a lot of the numbers guys do on the Farmy. Talk about glorified bait fishing. If you are nymphing with WF floating line then I'll need some pointers. I refuse to go to a 11-13 foot rod and 40 feet of mono and tippet rings and all that nonsense.
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I hope you aren't using a 40 foot mono rig like a lot of the numbers guys do on the Farmy. Talk about glorified bait fishing. If you are nymphing with WF floating line then I'll need some pointers. I refuse to go to a 11-13 foot rod and 40 feet of mono and tippet rings and all that nonsense.
This comment is why I dislike most fly fishermen. Who cares how someone chooses to catch? Also why let ideals stop you from adapting to catch fish...when at end of the day pat...fly line, mono rig whatever the goal is to only have tippet under water. How you deliver the flies changes a little. If I use a tapered leader and then add 10ft of tipet...same thing. Either works its just a matter of preference.
More importantly ALL nymph fishing is glorified bait fishing...and also lets not forget why I fish...to catch. It stuns me to see so much resistance to doing something that works to catch trout.
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This comment is why I dislike most fly fishermen. Who cares how someone chooses to catch? Also why let ideals stop you from adapting to catch fish...when at end of the day pat...fly line, mono rig whatever the goal is to only have tippet under water. How you deliver the flies changes a little. If I use a tapered leader and then add 10ft of tipet...same thing. Either works its just a matter of preference.
More importantly ALL nymph fishing is glorified bait fishing...and also lets not forget why I fish...to catch. It stuns me to see so much resistance to doing something that works to catch trout.
It is different. The style that you describe I may adopt but the euro/czech nymphing thing is personal preference.
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Keep in mind pat I am not trying to get you to change. I had a guide tell me I was "cheating" the other day. I told him he must be bored to consider my fishing before his own.
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Keep in mind pat I am not trying to get you to change. I had a guide tell me I was "cheating" the other day. I told him he must be bored to consider my fishing before his own.
Funny stuff. Most guides want to put their clients on fish regardless. I'm always open to changes but I want to be able to fish a dry and nymph without needing a new rod/reel.
I poked fun at a guide on the housy for euro/czech nymphing and got a similar response to yours. He likes that it allows newer people to the sport to get more action. Yet he walks down to the river with multiple rods so he can fish dries and nymphs. To each their own.
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This comment is why I dislike most fly fishermen. Who cares how someone chooses to catch? Also why let ideals stop you from adapting to catch fish...when at end of the day pat...fly line, mono rig whatever the goal is to only have tippet under water. How you deliver the flies changes a little. If I use a tapered leader and then add 10ft of tipet...same thing. Either works its just a matter of preference.
More importantly ALL nymph fishing is glorified bait fishing...and also lets not forget why I fish...to catch. It stuns me to see so much resistance to doing something that works to catch trout.
I agree with this and I think the key word was adapting.
I LOVE jig fishing for bass and just about every other species on this planet. But, I still take 10 rods with me (6 spinning & 4 baitcasters ) when fishing bass tourneys. You ever try chucking a 1/8oz drop shot rig with 45lb braid and a 20lb flouro leader on a baitcaster? It doesnt work. Thats why I also have a spinning reel rigged with 15lb braid and 8lb flouro. Night and day. Same bait different presentation. Do what makes you happy.
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We need an on river session asap. I will do all three techniques. Ill use a mino rig, Ill use a euro rig, and Ill throw dries...same 5 weight. It takes one knot to change each system. I often do fish 2 rods but one is for streamers solely.
Lately ive been fishing a single 5w. 35ft of OPST 35# to 4 ft of maxima chameleon 15 to my umpqua sighter...single tippet ring then then varying lengths of tippet.
Mike you are on my wave length. All systems deliver the flies. All of the systems work! Some are easier and require less mending! Each system can achieve the same results...just done differently.
However...if Pat doesnt mend well I will catch way more! 8)
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We need an on river session asap. I will do all three techniques. Ill use a mino rig, Ill use a euro rig, and Ill throw dries...same 5 weight. It takes one knot to change each system. I often do fish 2 rods but one is for streamers solely.
Lately ive been fishing a single 5w. 35ft of OPST 35# to 4 ft of maxima chameleon 15 to my umpqua sighter...single tippet ring then then varying lengths of tippet.
Mike you are on my wave length. All systems deliver the flies. All of the systems work! Some are easier and require less mending! Each system can achieve the same results...just done differently.
However...if Pat doesnt mend well I will catch way more! 8)
I'm not great at mending but can catch some fish here and there. I know a lot of guys like the maxima chameleon but just an FYI if you hit it with a UV light it lights up like a christmas tree. One guide/fly tier that I follow stopped using it once he realized it. Seems like you wouldn't want that effect on line. On a fly its an attractant so I'm not sure why they'd design a line that does that. Right now I'm eyeing up Thursday as a day I think I can get down there after work if you are available.
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I agree with this and I think the key word was adapting.
I LOVE jig fishing for bass and just about every other species on this planet. But, I still take 10 rods with me (6 spinning & 4 baitcasters ) when fishing bass tourneys. You ever try chucking a 1/8oz drop shot rig with 45lb braid and a 20lb flouro leader on a baitcaster? It doesnt work. Thats why I also have a spinning reel rigged with 15lb braid and 8lb flouro. Night and day. Same bait different presentation. Do what makes you happy.
I've never used a baitcaster so I couldn't tell you. :P At this point I should just tie a line to a stick I'm such a neanderthal. LOL
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Thursday may work and yes you are a cave man. I will show you what I'm working with...Ill have a entire rig setup for you as well. Use it as desired.
As a side note the guy I picked up this rig from successfully fishes dry dropper rigs on it all the time. I haven't gotten their yet.
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I'm so new and oblivious to fly fishing I put a 4x tippett on a 4wt and a pheasant tail and slowly strip it in. Or I will toss a dry and let it drift. I need to learn the art of it more.
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I'm so new and oblivious to fly fishing I put a 4x tippett on a 4wt and a pheasant tail and slowly strip it in. Or I will toss a dry and let it drift. I need to learn the art of it more.
You just need to tag along with someone that knows what they are doing. I am not even close to a pro but I was self taught years ago. I then tagged along with a new buddy and learned even more. Sometimes you have to keep at it to figure things out on your own but sometimes you just need to stand back, watch and learn. feels good when it all comes together. Catching fish is a whole other thing. Great way to start is panfish to get your casts, and hook set timing down. I will be targeting some smallies in a few weeks with my 4wt, that will be fun!
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You just need to tag along with someone that knows what they are doing. I am not even close to a pro but I was self taught years ago. I then tagged along with a new buddy and learned even more. Sometimes you have to keep at it to figure things out on your own but sometimes you just need to stand back, watch and learn. feels good when it all comes together. Catching fish is a whole other thing. Great way to start is panfish to get your casts, and hook set timing down. I will be targeting some smallies in a few weeks with my 4wt, that will be fun!
Yup, I've pretty much taught myself through forums like this and reading online. By going on trips with friends to various place I've met plenty of people who have taught me a lot but never really had a "mentor" and my father isn't one for fishing. I've been lucky enough to be able to use a friends hunting camp up near the Salmon River and two other gentlemen were there when we arrive. Come to find out they are quite possibly two of the best fisherman I've met. The senior (both named john) was a guide for many many year so he's taught me a lot but those two consistently out fish the rest of us, doesn't matter if we are striper fishing or trout fishing, they can straight up catch fish. Now that I think about it I've met some great people because of this sports.
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I learned fly fishing at 7 and was very much into it. Read and studied it all. Tied thousands of patterns. Got out of it and back into it. Bit of a learning curve for sure.
Any of you want to meet up on the farmington by all means come learn along with me. Just have an open mind and willingness to catch.
Read Dynamic Nymphing by George Daniels!
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I learned fly fishing at 7 and was very much into it. Read and studied it all. Tied thousands of patterns. Got out of it and back into it. Bit of a learning curve for sure.
Any of you want to meet up on the farmington by all means come learn along with me. Just have an open mind and willingness to catch.
Read Dynamic Nymphing by George Daniels!
Someone's been in UpCountry lately.... ;D
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Someone's been in UpCountry lately.... ;D
I mean there really is no other spot. Granted I didn't learn about that book from them...but they have thousands of my dollars...
Only one brown last night....16-17" fought hard.
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Sadly it is probably the closest fly shop to me as well. BG has some decent flies but they jacked up the prices on them so I don't really go there much anymore.
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Upcountry isnt cheap either and while I use to enjoy tying...id rather spend the money and fish more. The tungsten perdigons are costing me. Let me know about Thursday. If you are not available I'm sticking to taking my sales team to happy hour. If we fish...that can wait!
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Upcountry isnt cheap either and while I use to enjoy tying...id rather spend the money and fish more. The tungsten perdigons are costing me. Let me know about Thursday. If you are not available I'm sticking to taking my sales team to happy hour. If we fish...that can wait!
I enjoy tying but I'm just not efficient enough to keep up with the amount of flies that I lose and unless I'm following a video I can only tie a handful of patterns. It is a winter thing for me. Helps keep me sane when it gets dark at 4-5.
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Yes. Losing flies. I do that a LOT. First move that allowed me to catch more. Risk the nymphs to rocks all day.
Soon though...June. Sulphur soft hackles. I won't be fishing a mono rig for those. Nice long casts and swings!
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Another doz or so last night. Nothing crazy big. Just lots of fun. Same fly combo that ive been using. The frenchy is killing it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Pp0kTc7V/20190522-190655.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Pp0kTc7V)
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Nice work Jon. I finally had a few hours to fish after work so headed up to the west branch. Got my first dry fly trout of the year. It was a chunky rainbow. Tons of caddis coming off the water n she crushed my hornberg. Moved downstream and got a nice brookie on a ausable ugly.
Forgot my net so the pics aren’t great.
(https://i.postimg.cc/7CwKCjHX/CED64-B77-4-D1-C-408-B-BA00-99-B4-A2362464.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7CwKCjHX)
(https://i.postimg.cc/0M3GC4sT/F821-FA89-8-E43-4-F63-AEFE-9-CCE833-FC943.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0M3GC4sT)
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Likewise Pat. See you tonight!
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Nice work Pat.
Have fun tonight guys!
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Nice work Pat.
Have fun tonight guys!
Thanks Mike!
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Good night of fly fishing. Nice to catch up Pat. Next time I think it would be wise to avoid a pool I've been hammering for a week. At least you know a new spot though!
Now its time for stripers...
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Good night of fly fishing. Nice to catch up Pat. Next time I think it would be wise to avoid a pool I've been hammering for a week. At least you know a new spot though!
Now its time for stripers...
Yup always nice to catch up. Too bad the fish didn't cooperate more but we got a few to hand. Once the freestones get too low I'll be doing more exploring down that way.
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Hit me up if you want company. Perhaps granville is in order?
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Hit me up if you want company. Perhaps granville is in order?
Even the MA section of the farmy drops like a rock. Been seeing good reports from there. I also want to hit the Housy now that its come down. I like the fact that you can get into smallies there too. 10 inch smallie will fight like a 20 inch rainbow.
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Friday evening fished for 4 hours. Landed 20. Mix of bows, browns and brookies. All tight lining. I had a giant bow on for quite a long time...probably 8-10lbs. I was doing well getting it to circle around me and then made a huge mistake....I tried to move it into soft water...got too close to the fast water and that bow took off never to be seen again. Better is we got the entire battle on tape so I can kick myself in the mid section repeatedly about that mistake.
I fished this evening. I was not focused and fished horribly. Poor choice of pools, bad fly selection, crappy haphazard drifts and best...no trout. Win some, lose some!
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Friday evening fished for 4 hours. Landed 20. Mix of bows, browns and brookies.
20 trout in 4 hours are some incredible numbers. Even with your skunking on your next outing, you're still way ahead of the game.
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20 trout in 4 hours are some incredible numbers. Even with your skunking on your next outing, you're still way ahead of the game.
Jim some of these fish were recently stocked, couple wild and some holdovers. It was the third best outing for numbers on the fly rod this season....granted what I am after are the big wild browns. Which are reasonably elusive. The bycatch of stockies, some large is a nice treat while I continue to learn the subtleties of how those wild browns work. One of about 24" was recently landed! I want that!
The other night, the pool where you caught that rainbow was boiling with trout feasting off what appeared to be the surface....turns out it was caddis pupae. Apparently some of the better anglers are landing 30-40 a day drifting those flies.
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Friday evening fished for 4 hours. Landed 20. Mix of bows, browns and brookies. All tight lining. I had a giant bow on for quite a long time...probably 8-10lbs. I was doing well getting it to circle around me and then made a huge mistake....I tried to move it into soft water...got too close to the fast water and that bow took off never to be seen again. Better is we got the entire battle on tape so I can kick myself in the mid section repeatedly about that mistake.
I fished this evening. I was not focused and fished horribly. Poor choice of pools, bad fly selection, crappy haphazard drifts and best...no trout. Win some, lose some!
Sometimes losing makes winning so much better.
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Right on Mike!
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Where to this weekend Jon?
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Where to this weekend Jon?
Saturday is open. Sunday meeting up with Bogtrotter to do a tour of his neighborhood in search of willing trout.
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Saturday is open. Sunday meeting up with Bogtrotter to do a tour of his neighborhood in search of willing trout.
Don't be afraid to strip buggers on those freestones and although I've never fished the rivers he frequents, that caddis pupa you were talking about should work well also. Tons of caddis on the freestones in that area.
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Don't be afraid to strip buggers on those freestones and although I've never fished the rivers he frequents, that caddis pupa you were talking about should work well also. Tons of caddis on the freestones in that area.
Good advise Pat. I have a ton of sculpin patterns I can toss as well. Worse comes to worse Ill do an egg up top and a rubber legs below and slam those stockies.
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Tonight was better but not by much. I landed 2. One was around 20" and wild. I went to take a pic and broke my tippet. I guess I need a net! Perdigon on point did nothing, red dart on the tag got smoked.
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Nice work Jon.
Great report.
This forum has completely slowed down. Either people are fishing (which is a great thing) or people have moved on. Seem's like the same 10 guys on here.
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This forum has completely slowed down. Either people are fishing (which is a great thing) or people have moved on. Seem's like the same 10 guys on here.
This is true but at least this forum is pure fishing it seems all the other ones talk about politics and weed and everything besides fishing.
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Thanks. I think im skipping the evening hatch to drag myself to the ditch...
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Thanks. I think im skipping the evening hatch to drag myself to the ditch...
That's more like it!
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That's more like it!
Last weekend was no bueno...someone spot burned me. Upset. Going solo and meeting with local buddies. Ill never show another person around the canal ever again.
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Last weekend was no bueno...someone spot burned me. Upset. Going solo and meeting with local buddies. Ill never show another person around the canal ever again.
That blows big time. Sorry to hear that man. You give some people an inch and they take a mile.
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That blows big time. Sorry to hear that man. You give some people an inch and they take a mile.
If I say hey Mike heres my deal I am very concerned about the pressures stripers face so keep it between us id expect you to understand. Im not insecure about my spots and can travel anywhere I want to chase them...just a respect/loyalty thing.
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Last weekend was no bueno...someone spot burned me. Upset. Going solo and meeting with local buddies. Ill never show another person around the canal ever again.
Had that happen to a couple of holes I like to fish. It blows big time. I may probe around the canal Saturday night sunday morning if the seabass dont tire me out too much.
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If I say hey Mike heres my deal I am very concerned about the pressures stripers face so keep it between us id expect you to understand. Im not insecure about my spots and can travel anywhere I want to chase them...just a respect/loyalty thing.
Respect is they key word. I get tips and give tips but it's never someone else's tip.
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Respect is they key word. I get tips and give tips but it's never someone else's tip.
Just the tip. Ha! I just got back. Some fish on the east end but not for me. Time to hit the river before I lose steam.
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Well. I took some extra effort to get to a piece of Farmington I've wanted to fish for years. What a pay off. 3 hours of bow after bow. With a few wild browns and brookies mixed in. Nothing huge but certainly takes the sting out of a canal skunking.
(https://i.postimg.cc/PptsJJQD/20190601-103526.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PptsJJQD)
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Took a walk in the rain this evening. Caught 7 to 8 brookies, a few bows and browns too. Nothing huge. Good sulfur hatch helped. Fish were hitting almost every drift.
(https://i.postimg.cc/bZYBwzbz/20190610-190451.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bZYBwzbz)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dhWS7zmG/20190610-191031.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dhWS7zmG)
Interesting bit of karma...I sunk a #14 in my index finger releasing a fish. If it had a barb I would have had a bad time. Thankfully it was barb less. Thought that was worth noting.
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Interesting bit of karma...I sunk a #14 in my index finger releasing a fish. If it had a barb I would have had a bad time. Thankfully it was barb less. Thought that was worth noting.
Ouch! Glad you got the hook out without any problems - - and caught a few fish too.
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I had the afternoon off yesterday and hit up the east and main branch of the Westfield. Not tons of bug activity but figured the fish would be active before the storms. Ended up w 2 brookies, 2 bows and a nice brown. Brown was a beauty.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qg7VpLpW/45-CE13-A1-DF30-45-EF-AC06-888-CCA236548.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qg7VpLpW)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5QyZpxPf/74-EF9-BCF-C1-A1-4-BE1-96-D0-5409-E4-E342-CE.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5QyZpxPf)
(https://i.postimg.cc/BLMrx8Bh/F924-B3-CE-797-E-48-FE-9394-87579-A07-CB9-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/BLMrx8Bh)
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That is a beautiful brown Pat. Nice work!
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That is a beautiful brown Pat. Nice work!
Thanks. I actually tied on a dropper loop and got it on a wire bodied stonefly above my bugger. Barely felt it hit but saw a fish move so I set the hook and game on.
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Thanks. I actually tied on a dropper loop and got it on a wire bodied stonefly above my bugger. Barely felt it hit but saw a fish move so I set the hook and game on.
Yesterday in the rain, seeing the flash was the name of the game! I'm going to hit it after work. The sulfur hatch is outstanding. Ive been doing a lot of work with a perdigon on point with a Frenchy on the tag.
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Big bows this evening. Broke of a giant brown trying to grab its tail...probably about 20". Time for a net.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jL62vv7G/20190611-193244.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jL62vv7G)
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Took a walk in the rain this evening. Caught 7 to 8 brookies, a few bows and browns too. Nothing huge. Good sulfur hatch helped. Fish were hitting almost every drift.
(https://i.postimg.cc/bZYBwzbz/20190610-190451.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bZYBwzbz)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dhWS7zmG/20190610-191031.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dhWS7zmG)
Interesting bit of karma...I sunk a #14 in my index finger releasing a fish. If it had a barb I would have had a bad time. Thankfully it was barb less. Thought that was worth noting.
Nice catch Jon.
Sinking that barbless #14 is like what I do when I check my blood sugar every morning.LOL
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Nice catch Jon.
Sinking that barbless #14 is like what I do when I check my blood sugar every morning.LOL
Good to hear from you brother! I just changed my entire diet to hopefully avoid that routine!
Hope you've been well.
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Big bows this evening. Broke of a giant brown trying to grab its tail...probably about 20". Time for a net.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jL62vv7G/20190611-193244.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jL62vv7G)
LMAO! I see what you did there.
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LMAO! I see what you did there.
What's that? The hold?
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"time for a net" another thread going on that subject in the NH board.
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Great fishing last night...easy 24 or so landed.
(https://i.postimg.cc/56c5j729/20190613-182355.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/56c5j729)
Despite a crazy sulphur hatch I stayed sub surface and was rewarded over and over.
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Red loctite is cleats best friend!
(https://i.postimg.cc/94kwDnsY/20190616-131401.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/94kwDnsY)
(https://i.postimg.cc/qhnqzMsp/20190616-131344.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qhnqzMsp)
Yesterday was another double digit day:
(https://i.postimg.cc/jWndFdky/20190615-103053.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jWndFdky)
(https://i.postimg.cc/mhyMw89B/20190615-103524.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mhyMw89B)
(https://i.postimg.cc/XrmyJPRc/20190615-104626.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XrmyJPRc)
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Tremendous numbers! Nice pix too.
Happy Father's Day, from one father to another.
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Tremendous numbers! Nice pix too.
Happy Father's Day, from one father to another.
Thank you Jim and right back at you. Another dozen this evening. The last few on dries!
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Personal best Brookie and an amazing sunset. Insane bite. Fished 6 to 8 landed over 30...mix of brookies, browns and bows.
This one broke my previous pb.
(https://i.postimg.cc/wRQr9NMp/20190617-180936.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/wRQr9NMp)
Then is bigger friend showed himself.
(https://i.postimg.cc/rRjfBLZy/20190617-184604.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/rRjfBLZy)
(https://i.postimg.cc/phx74kVZ/20190617-202800.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/phx74kVZ)
I really need a net for pics...
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Great pics Jon. You fishing around where you brought me or venturing out to new spots? Seems like they stocked a lot of brookies this year, both MA and CT.
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Great pics Jon. You fishing around where you brought me or venturing out to new spots? Seems like they stocked a lot of brookies this year, both MA and CT.
18 miles or so south. Iso's coming off so they are moving a bit to nab the nymphs. Starting to get the instant hookups when the flies land. Iso's move fast when they hatch so the trout have been supercharged! Many of the brookies Ive caught are lacking the elastomers so either are wild to the farmington or the elastomer fell out.
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18 miles or so south. Iso's coming off so they are moving a bit to nab the nymphs. Starting to get the instant hookups when the flies land. Iso's move fast when they hatch so the trout have been supercharged! Many of the brookies Ive caught are lacking the elastomers so either are wild to the farmington or the elastomer fell out.
I've been seeing others on social media catching huge ones as well. Almost seems the further south you go in CT, the more wild trout there are, especially brookies.
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What's a social media? :)
Ill be out this evening after work. The bite should be exceptional.
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What's a social media? :)
Ill be out this evening after work. The bite should be exceptional.
Midweek fishing has been tough for me lately. You get out trolling at all?
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Midweek fishing has been tough for me lately. You get out trolling at all?
Na I have neglected to use my boat at all. My 9.8 tohatsu 4 stroke is for sale.
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Yesterday was a good night albeit a bit wet.
(https://i.postimg.cc/yk8MnVPV/20190618-190137.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/yk8MnVPV)
(https://i.postimg.cc/47GMcZyR/20190618-190426.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/47GMcZyR)
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Yesterday was ok. Fished new water and was rewarded with some fat rainbows and a pair of wild browns. Watch out for elitism from the dry fly crowd. They can be very overbearing.
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Off to the battenkill tomorrow. :)
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Off to the battenkill tomorrow. :)
The VT or NY stretch?
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The VT or NY stretch?
NY.
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We drifted 4-5 miles of the river...6 browns for me. One large one that took me downriver quite a ways!
(https://i.postimg.cc/dkBWptQF/20190623-110120.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dkBWptQF)
(https://i.postimg.cc/tZXk3Q3M/20190623-110043.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tZXk3Q3M)
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Nice looking fish!
It sounds like you covered quite a bit of water.
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Beautiful fish Jon. Curious what you drifted in? Was it a fiberglass/aluminum drift boat a raft style? I've been looking at raft style ones but they sure aren't cheap.
Canal was no fun this weekend. Spent about 20 hours on the water and I saw two 20 inch fish landed. Amazing how the crowds thin out as soon as the reports calm down.
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This Pat:
(https://i.postimg.cc/yJNvcYfJ/20190623-131918.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/yJNvcYfJ)
Nucanoe. Worked well. Very difficult river to fish and wade. Lots of it looks fishy but only certain spots hold them. Overall there's a lack of structure and few bugs. Saw only one rise. Despite reports of them taking small nymphs the #8 rubber legs was the ticket.
Heard the fishing there froze up. Nature of the beast. 10 years ago there was always bass there.
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Very neat. I never really use my kayak in river systems. I might need to give it a try.
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Canal was no fun this weekend. Spent about 20 hours on the water and I saw two 20 inch fish landed. Amazing how the crowds thin out as soon as the reports calm down.
Spent close to 20 hours on the canal since Friday and Friday was the last day with fish caught. Lost a nice one Friday evening. Saturday morning shoulder to shoulder and my buddy next to me got one around 20lbs on a jig. Only fish caught out of the 200 people I could personally see on Saturday. Sunday was nonexistent.
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Spent close to 20 hours on the canal since Friday and Friday was the last day with fish caught. Lost a nice one Friday evening. Saturday morning shoulder to shoulder and my buddy next to me got one around 20lbs on a jig. Only fish caught out of the 200 people I could personally see on Saturday. Sunday was nonexistent.
Guess the west end blew up on Saturday morning, like 430-8, but obviously I was closer to the other end. I fish it when I'm heading that way so hopefully I can time it right next time. Not to high jack the thread but I'd advise staying away from St. Croix Mojo Surf Rods. My buddy was using one rated from 2-6oz and threw a 5oz jig to only have his rod snap right in half. The top half went flying in the water. It looked like it broke where the bottom section of the rod starts and the top section begins. That's the 5th one I know of breaking in the last 2 years. Just an FYI for those looking for a surf rod. Things are garbage IMO.
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Guess the west end blew up on Saturday morning, like 430-8, but obviously I was closer to the other end.
Well I can tell you that is a lie. I was fishing from the rr bridge to the bourne bridge cape side from 2 to 8 am saturday and nothing but small bluefish eating plastics and that 1 20lb out of all those people.
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Guess the west end blew up on Saturday morning, like 430-8, but obviously I was closer to the other end. I fish it when I'm heading that way so hopefully I can time it right next time. Not to high jack the thread but I'd advise staying away from St. Croix Mojo Surf Rods. My buddy was using one rated from 2-6oz and threw a 5oz jig to only have his rod snap right in half. The top half went flying in the water. It looked like it broke where the bottom section of the rod starts and the top section begins. That's the 5th one I know of breaking in the last 2 years. Just an FYI for those looking for a surf rod. Things are garbage IMO.
6th. Same thing happened to a buddy. I told him not to buy it and he did anyways. Hate to say I told you so moment.
Anyways...after fishing the Battenkill and being rather frustrated despite positive results I fished from 5-8 on the farmington and tightline bows browns and brookies. Landed roughly 15 but nothing huge.
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Nice work guys.
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Really nice brown Jon 👍
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Thanks guys! It was a pain to get him. 1200 cfs waist deep...almost knocked myself over just to stand close enough to the current break he was in. :)
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Next generation...we got out in the afternoon. The town pond was lackluster and only had some bass follow. Gills where nowhere to be found.
(https://i.postimg.cc/hfkWtLx1/20190630-153748.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hfkWtLx1)
It took some waiting but an average afternoon of 4 trout turned into over a dozen when the iso hatch kicked in.
(https://i.postimg.cc/yDRPF8PR/20190630-202357.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/yDRPF8PR)
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well that's not good to hear. I have a st Croix on its 3rd year now at the canal. but its rated 3-8 so hopefully it'll hold up better
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the first rod I bought for down there was a tsunami, not sure on the model but it was around 150-$200. it didn't even last one trip.
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Nice work Jon!
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Nice work Jon!
Thank you Mike!
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the first rod I bought for down there was a tsunami, not sure on the model but it was around 150-$200. it didn't even last one trip.
I've got the lowest price Tsunami they have (triumph I believe) and I'm on about my 7th year using it. Its a haul from here so its only used a dozen times a year at the most but its held up to fish to 45lbs and countless snags in the darn rocks.
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Nice job Jon. I unsuccessfully tried in MA on both Saturday and Sunday evening. Saturday I broke off a big fish in the Chesterfield gorge but it was the only one I hooked. I moved down stream and couldn't believe the amount of trout rising but I tried everything in my box and couldn't get them to hit. Soft hackles, emergers, dries, nymphs and they just weren't interested in what I had to offer. Sunday I went back and there wasn't a fish to be found. The flow had dropped and I think they went elsewhere. Either that or the beaver or swimmers put them down. Westfield branches are low so I'll prob be transitioning to tailwaters. Smallies are already showing up.
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Some smallies by me as well. They were slamming both iso's and sulphurs. I stayed subsurface and caught most of them on a caddis nymph.
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No hatch tonight and a much slower but satisfying bite. Fished 2 miles or so...landed 19 nothing huge. Couple of really nice looking brookies.
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No hatch tonight and a much slower but satisfying bite. Fished 2 miles or so...landed 19 nothing huge. Couple of really nice looking brookies.
Odd they were hatching up near Riverton. I got out for a little over an hour. Needed to get out after a brutal monday at work. Got some small rainbows on CDC emergers. Switched to streamers and had a huge brown follow my fly but wouldn't commit. Same spot I broke off that monster last year. He might be a permanent resident of that area.
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Odd they were hatching up near Riverton. I got out for a little over an hour. Needed to get out after a brutal monday at work. Got some small rainbows on CDC emergers. Switched to streamers and had a huge brown follow my fly but wouldn't commit. Same spot I broke off that monster last year. He might be a permanent resident of that area.
Im all done with up there until fall. The numbers where I have been fishing have been 15-20 a night. Hard pressed to get action like that where you fished. Bailing from work early to take advantage of the cloud cover. Got a little crazy and have 40 tungsten jig flies on the way. Ordered some higa sos's that I am excited to try.
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Im all done with up there until fall. The numbers where I have been fishing have been 15-20 a night. Hard pressed to get action like that where you fished. Bailing from work early to take advantage of the cloud cover. Got a little crazy and have 40 tungsten jig flies on the way. Ordered some higa sos's that I am excited to try.
Yeah if I have time I head further downstream but I'd rather have 30 more minutes of fishing versus driving. Still tons of fish up that way from what I'm used so I'll take it.
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Yeah if I have time I head further downstream but I'd rather have 30 more minutes of fishing versus driving. Still tons of fish up that way from what I'm used so I'll take it.
So funny. That's why I fished south because I didn't have to commute home burning time. Now that changes in early August. Moving. Will be 10 mins from the Housatonic fly fishing zone.
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So funny. That's why I fished south because I didn't have to commute home burning time. Now that changes in early August. Moving. Will be 10 mins from the Housatonic fly fishing zone.
Your moving out even further west huh? Closer to them lakers I like it! :P
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Your moving out even further west huh? Closer to them lakers I like it! :P
Further away from the masses, yes. Further from the lakers but thats alright. Ill take a longer drive to have peace and quiet.
Out this evening. Double digits so far. Grabbing a sandwich now and then back at it until sunset. One large brown ran me across the river and hung the tag. Oh well. Yesterday I hung my point fly and the tag got smoked and the trout pulled the point fly out. Win some, lose some.
Last fish of the evening was a giant sucker. Shame because I thought I hooked a massive brown!
(https://i.postimg.cc/v1XhgSc5/20190702-182658.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/v1XhgSc5)
(https://i.postimg.cc/tZMzDZdT/20190702-172837.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tZMzDZdT)
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Another solid evening.
(https://i.postimg.cc/SXvBkkp0/20190710-200202.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/SXvBkkp0)
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Well done!
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Thanks Mike!
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Thats a beauty Jon. I can't seem to get the big ones to hit something on the surface. Got a small bow and decent brookie on a white CDC emerger. Threw a solid 10 different dries and they'd only hit the emerger once I twitched under the surface.
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Thats a beauty Jon. I can't seem to get the big ones to hit something on the surface. Got a small bow and decent brookie on a white CDC emerger. Threw a solid 10 different dries and they'd only hit the emerger once I twitched under the surface.
You and I both! Why I have stuck with the euro nymphing...I suck at dries.
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Nice brookie. But I like the brown even more.
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Nice brookie. But I like the brown even more.
Me too Jim. I appreciated that fish after having done the same drift quite a few times with one fly, I switched and boom a couple drifts later he smashed it.
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Beautiful fish, Can’t wait for my surgeries to be over so I can try and learn how to fly fish.
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Beautiful fish, Can’t wait for my surgeries to be over so I can try and learn how to fly fish.
Let me know happy to help.
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Fished 3am until 3pm yesterday. Caught many fish. Two were memorable:
Wild both in nature and how it fought:
(https://i.postimg.cc/K4CZnQBf/20190727-092628.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K4CZnQBf)
Then mid-afternoon I broke off on a rather large brown fishing 6x, so I switched to 5x and landed this a few minutes later, Not wild but large!
(https://i.postimg.cc/dhqgdTHn/20190727-123614.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dhqgdTHn)
There was also a hot clam bite:
(https://i.postimg.cc/PL6LhZc7/20190727-093519.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PL6LhZc7)
*I had thought throwing giant mice flies in the dark was more of a novelty....I was wrong. Buddy I fished with landed a brown over 20" last night.
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Nice job. I particularly like the "clam bite."
I've caught mussels on bait, but never on a fly. Nice going.
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Beautiful fish Jon. Nice work.
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Nice work Jon!
Did you boil or steam the clam?!?!! HAhaha
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That was my buddy. He's an expert clam catcher!
Thanks guys. Turns out the new rod was worth the money spent!
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New adventures in long rodding. Mousing. It works and I had a photo worthy participant on last night...that was lost after a brief battle. Boy do they try to kill these things. 0/3 on hookups last night after a couple of hours.
(https://i.postimg.cc/gLzc2n8V/20190731-204854.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gLzc2n8V)
(https://i.postimg.cc/CdhwDnnD/20190731-204528.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CdhwDnnD)
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Nice job getting out there. I am sure we will see a photo soon.
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Interesting. I have heard of mousing, but never seen it in action.
On a fly (?)/lure (?) (neither term sounds quite right) that big, I imagine whatever fish that would try to hit it would have to be huge.
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The first trout I hooked last night stopped my 5w dead in its tracks. Smaller trout will hit at them depending on the size. The ones I am after are in the 18-20" class.
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The first trout I hooked last night stopped my 5w dead in its tracks. Smaller trout will hit at them depending on the size. The ones I am after are in the 18-20" class.
Prob that same SOB thats broken my line twice now. If the water is warmer the stockers will hit mice in the middle of the day.
http://flyfishingcts.blogspot.com/2019/03/mouse-eaters-and-salamander-larvae.html (http://flyfishingcts.blogspot.com/2019/03/mouse-eaters-and-salamander-larvae.html)
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Prob that same SOB thats broken my line twice now. If the water is warmer the stockers will hit mice in the middle of the day.
http://flyfishingcts.blogspot.com/2019/03/mouse-eaters-and-salamander-larvae.html (http://flyfishingcts.blogspot.com/2019/03/mouse-eaters-and-salamander-larvae.html)
Going off topic a bit, but I have become a big fan of that blog westernmas, and thanks a bunch for letting us know about it!
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On the mouse bite, my mother’s cousin lives in northern Idaho, and I’ve just found out he’s quite the fisherman. Talking to him the other week he told me about his experience “mousing” where he lives and in AK where lived years ago. Between this thread, and his comments I think I’m going to have to give it a try.
He did also mention that under the right conditions he has a mouse pattern and technique he said is killer during mid day. He said he saw one get mowed down by a trout, copied the color and movement and he stumbled upon a repeatable pattern.
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In between I use big sculpin patterns that dont sink much past the surface film. They get smoked. Ill be out for a bit tonight!
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Going off topic a bit, but I have become a big fan of that blog westernmas, and thanks a bunch for letting us know about it!
No Problem! He might not even be of legal drinking age and I've learned a ton from him.
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Its cold in the water tonight. Needs to be darker.
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Did a little night fishing yesterday. I was rewarded with one possibly wild brown.
(https://i.postimg.cc/0r4ND9Zv/CF16-E6-D9-5-ED3-4-BEA-8-F66-9-E449-B8-D60-D2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0r4ND9Zv)
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Nice work Pat!
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Great job Pat. About an hour before you started I ended in that spot with a decent rainbow. Euro nymphing has been a bit more difficult lately with the smaller bugs. Still picking away at them but the double digit evenings have been replaced by 2-5 fish.
(https://i.postimg.cc/H8tLcsvj/20190808-184119.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/H8tLcsvj)
(https://i.postimg.cc/tsc4Vckd/20190808-170113.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tsc4Vckd)
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...mousing to commence 2am Saturday morning.
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CHOMP!
(https://i.postimg.cc/MfzvyZBv/3-A329-A25-374-D-4581-B914-541277-A7-DF6-C.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/MfzvyZBv)
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Night time is the right time Pat. Nice work. Sure beats the canal crowds!
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Nice work Pat!
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How'd you make out last night Pat?
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How'd you make out last night Pat?
VERY slow. Personally I think the full moon makes things worse when it comes to night fishing. I had a few blow ups but didn't connect on anything. I did land one bow before dark on a streamer but overall very slow. I was talking to one gentleman who had driven up from NYC to fish for the day. I had told him I was going to fish into dark and he was nice enough to give me a mouse fly. I tried the far bank with the downed trees up in Riverton and flooded my waders a bit when i got off the log. I was quite soggy so i was off the water by like 930.
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I fished for an hr yesterday and landed 9 on this black caddis nymph.
(https://i.postimg.cc/r0MFQfsd/20190810-081633.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/r0MFQfsd)
I also received some more euro nymphs from a friend that does particularly well on the Farmington.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zb62qchv/20190815-200810.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zb62qchv)
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Nice collection there Jon! Nice work on the fish as well. Back at the salt tomorrow.
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Impressive numbers for such a short time, particularly at this time of year.
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Impressive numbers for such a short time, particularly at this time of year.
They cut the flow so I found some deeper pools that would normally be more difficult to nymph and get down. The beauty of it is I got to watch many of those trout eat. They were slashing at both the ice caddis pupa (top fly) and the caddis nymph. Not a bad way to kill an hour while I waited to grab those nymphs.
In other news I moved to Kent CT and have hit the housy in West Cornwall. Unfortunately its a bit warm for trout but the smallies are happy to eat a streamer...and I got cleanly cut by a couple pike!
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Today was good. Also weird. Fished 6 to 10. Cloudy and some showers. Had double digits in the first hour, mostly bows. One big brown and a surprise double bluegill attack. The purple haze was getting the job done.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Yvnz3ZRr/20190817-091112.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Yvnz3ZRr)
(https://i.postimg.cc/GTCFtCLQ/20190817-070459.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/GTCFtCLQ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dkmB81SX/20190817-063104.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dkmB81SX)
(https://i.postimg.cc/1g06ddcV/20190817-091329.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1g06ddcV)
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Rainbows, browns and blue gills . . . Oh my.
Catching sunfish in the same waters as trout certainly is odd.
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New home...new home river. The housy is big!
(https://i.postimg.cc/4nn6L0MQ/20190908-115414.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4nn6L0MQ)
Found smallies no issue but trout have been elusive. Lots of river is closed near the tributaries until 15 September...perhaps then I'll start dinging trout.
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Nice to see you are back to fishing. It's been a while since I have seen a fresh report from you.
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Looks like a nice change of scenery. The trout will start hitting as the water cools down. Nice thing is the variety that the housy offers. I wish it was closer! Pike fishing should be heating up soon.
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I’ve yet to run into a swimming thing that fought harder than a river smallmouth. Pound for pound they’re tough to beat, just not as good looking as their cold water friends.
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Nice to see you are back to fishing. It's been a while since I have seen a fresh report from you.
I've been out a bunch actually. The farmington has been low, running less than 100 cfs in areas.
I've been catching 5-15 trout an outing depending on duration...usually 2-3 hrs. Black caddis tungsten nymph with a pupa on the tag has worked very well.
I did notice a ton of trout rising on the Housy a few nights ago, but was totally tied up in smallmouth that I couldn't convince myself to change leader setups to throw dries.
Wiggles I'd agree except the larger wild browns. They don't roll like stockies and fight like mad!
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I did notice a ton of trout rising on the Housy a few nights ago, but was totally tied up in smallmouth that I couldn't convince myself to change leader setups to throw dries.
SMH. :whistling:
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SMH. :whistling:
There are enough dry fly fishermen out there. ;D
(The smallies were hitting poppers hard)
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There are enough dry fly fishermen out there. ;D
(The smallies were hitting poppers hard)
LMAO! Boy I hope Joe doesn't read this. Hahahahaha
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Wiggles I'd agree except the larger wild browns. They don't roll like stockies and fight like mad!
I haven’t been lucky enough to set into one of those yet. I did get two teeny tiny browns the other night, that I’m convinced were wild.... or someone is stocking fingerlings in one of my local rivers.
When does your season close down there for trout? You offered to take me out last year, and I would love to take you up on it once I can get my schedule in order.
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It doesn't on two of the rivers I fish! Both of which just received fresh batches of pellet heads.
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It doesn't on two of the rivers I fish! Both of which just received fresh batches of pellet heads.
Yup there are management areas that you can fish all year round. Probably the best managed river that I've ever experienced.
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Caught another dozen or so last night. Most of the fish I caught were in the fastest water I could find. Lots of fish rising at dark not sure on what.
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Caught another dozen or so last night. Most of the fish I caught were in the fastest water I could find. Lots of fish rising at dark not sure on what.
Smallies?
I'm trying to get down to the farmy this evening if work cooperates.
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Trout. Ill be out as well but south of where you normally fish. I caught a few wild browns mixed in with the bows last night. Black caddis nymph...similar to a purple haze.
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Trout. Ill be out as well but south of where you normally fish. I caught a few wild browns mixed in with the bows last night. Black caddis nymph...similar to a purple haze.
Unfortunately takes too much time for me to get down that way. I'll be up near Riverton if you want to meet up. Prob stay until 830-9 and chuck some mice once it gets dark.
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Unfortunately takes too much time for me to get down that way. I'll be up near Riverton if you want to meet up. Prob stay until 830-9 and chuck some mice once it gets dark.
Ok Ill ping you. Will fish south first then aim to meet you near/at dark. Do you know where Ovation is? Couple miles south of Woodshop...confirmed mice attacks there.
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Fished for 3 hours. Not sure if it was the warmer weather but the bite was slower even fishing different pools. Even so, landed 10 bows. Nothing huge. Purple haze took most of them. Frenchy nailed a few as well.
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Nice work Jon!
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Nice work Jon!
Thanks Mike!
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Went out last night. Landed 10...one wild brown was decent around 18". Flow was up a bit which was nice. 130 cfs. Praying for 1000 cfs. I like big water.
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Great numbers for this time of year.
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8 landed last night, couple of browns. Flow went from 68 cfs to 158. I think it took the fish a bit to find new lies. Swing was the ticket once the "hebes" started up. Small #16 olive nymph was being crushed on the swing.
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8 landed last night, couple of browns. Flow went from 68 cfs to 158. I think it took the fish a bit to find new lies. Swing was the ticket once the "hebes" started up. Small #16 olive nymph was being crushed on the swing.
Nice work as usual Jon.
I will let the ocean rest this weekend. Although - I have a bass tourney on Sunday.
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8 landed last night, couple of browns. Flow went from 68 cfs to 158. I think it took the fish a bit to find new lies. Swing was the ticket once the "hebes" started up. Small #16 olive nymph was being crushed on the swing.
Good to hear that the flow is up. I was there Sunday evening up in Riverton and it was still a trickle. I stuck with the hopper dropper style rig but was using a big foam ant instead of a hopper and rotated the dropper. I got one stocker bow on the ant but nothing on the dropper. My girlfriend stuck a beauty of a wild brown using a size 10 bugger like fly. She's finally starting to get independent when on the river minus tying tippet to the leader she can handle herself. Funny she picked a fly that I deemed garbage and then she nails a wild brown.
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Its been like fishing a blitz down near work. So many trout on the surface. I swung a small hares ear and a larger olive lively legs nymph and caught a few. One bow was pushing 17" and fought like a champ. I need to stop crossing the river at night...
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More fun last night. All on the swing. They wanted nothing to do with euro...
(https://i.postimg.cc/06TXNs73/20190917-180148.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/06TXNs73)
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Keep given em' hell Jon!
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Last night was rough. There was a solid hatch but the trout were in a funk. Very few were nailing the spinners falling and only a few were hitting emergers violently. Usually this equals excellent nymphing for me. Not the case last night. I managed a single brown on a #8 rubber legs before calling it a quits. I have a couple hours after work today to redeem myself.
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Last night was rough. There was a solid hatch but the trout were in a funk. Very few were nailing the spinners falling and only a few were hitting emergers violently. Usually this equals excellent nymphing for me. Not the case last night. I managed a single brown on a #8 rubber legs before calling it a quits. I have a couple hours after work today to redeem myself.
Good luck! Go get em' man!
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Will do! Need to hit a different stretch of water!
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Skunked! I sure wish I set up my other rod and swung wet flies...oh well!
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Fished the Farmington yesterday from 6 to 10am and caught a half dozen. Picked up my daughter and later we did a mission from 5-7 on the housatonic...caught a dozen bows and a nice brown. I think they were eating fall sulphurs. Was nice to finally get on some trout near home.
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Congratulations on getting in some quality fishing time with your daughter!
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Congratulations on getting in some quality fishing time with your daughter!
It was nice Jim. She made a little holding area where a bow would sit for a bit before she let it go. Good stuff. More to come this weekend!
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It was nice Jim. She made a little holding area where a bow would sit for a bit before she let it go. Good stuff. More to come this weekend!
Nice work Jon!
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Nice work Jon!
Thanks Mike! Have the evening free. Two rods rigged for 5pm! Let's go!
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Thanks Mike! Have the evening free. Two rods rigged for 5pm! Let's go!
Good luck Jon! These shorter evenings along with work and family obligations have been a recipe for lack of fishing on my part recently as well. Been picking up a few fish here and there but they've all been abbreviated outings.
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I think we are just in that stage of life. LOL
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Mike I think we all know when to double down and when to be family guys. I tried to take a shot of a colored up wild brown yesterday and let it slip into the water!
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Had a pretty good slip and fall after one decent brown. Sore. Called it a night early.
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Had a pretty good slip and fall after one decent brown. Sore. Called it a night early.
Happens to the best of us. Glad you are okay and still managed to avoid the skunk.
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One of those rocks that the cleats couldn't get traction on. Bent the handle on my hardy. Better than breaking the Thomas and Thomas!
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One of those rocks that the cleats couldn't get traction on. Bent the handle on my hardy. Better than breaking the Thomas and Thomas!
Ouch! Glad you are ok.
Keep at it!
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Low flow but was able to nail a couple last night.
(https://i.postimg.cc/NLFLRzzp/20191014-180710.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/NLFLRzzp)
(https://i.postimg.cc/QFGtGxxy/20191014-181123.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QFGtGxxy)
(https://i.postimg.cc/V5JLJbJh/20191014-173130.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V5JLJbJh)
Fell in again last week....filled the waders. Cold and wet!
(https://i.postimg.cc/JtzKZR8v/20191010-180457.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JtzKZR8v)
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My employer doesn't celebrate Columbus Day >:( but I got out a little early and shot down to Riverton. Was the water chocolate milk where you fished? I don't know if they had a water release or if it rained really hard in the morning but I couldn't believe how muddy the water was. I got a decent rainbow tossing a 4 inch articulated streamer. Forgot the nice buggers on the tying bench.
Still sitting on the vise......
(https://i.postimg.cc/nXCJ0f6P/1375-AD91-AF09-4-F8-A-97-BE-42-CCACD21-BD1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/nXCJ0f6P)
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Looks good Pat. No the water was not muddy where I was. They have hogsback really low right now and that water is a bit off color. The sediment must be dropping out in the first couple miles. Water clarity was clear 18 miles downstream.
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This ones eyes were bigger than it's stomach:
(https://i.postimg.cc/gwn54df3/20191020-150501.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gwn54df3)
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This ones eyes were bigger than it's stomach:
(https://i.postimg.cc/gwn54df3/20191020-150501.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gwn54df3)
Housatonic or Farmington?
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Busted out my fly rod on one of the cape kettle ponds and wreaked havoc on the stockies. I counted 25 bows brought to hand all on drys and buggers. Was sight fishing the whole time too watching them chase a quickly stripped bugger.
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Busted out my fly rod on one of the cape kettle ponds and wreaked havoc on the stockies. I counted 25 bows brought to hand all on drys and buggers. Was sight fishing the whole time too watching them chase a quickly stripped bugger.
Sounds like fun. Can't beat a streamer bite. I did the same up in Riverton on Friday but caught a 1/5 as many. All tank scrubbers so not pic worthy.
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Housatonic or Farmington?
Farmington. The housy went from 200cfs to 4000cfs...
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Still at it and will be out tomorrow.
Pair of decent browns caught on the "sex dungeon"
(https://i.postimg.cc/TLkCC7NX/20191123-151716.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/TLkCC7NX)
(https://i.postimg.cc/6TmMZPGr/20191123-152008.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/6TmMZPGr)
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Nice browns!
Glad to see someone else is still out there fishing the streams this late in the season.
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Nice browns!
Glad to see someone else is still out there fishing the streams this late in the season.
Thanks Jim. They didn't photo well in my hand, both were very respectable at least in my opinion.
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Started yesterday at 6am. Bad idea. 15 degrees. Water was 44. Felt warm wading in. Lots of icing on the guides.
Once the sun came up the streamer bite got started.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jnRmFC81/20191201-105228.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jnRmFC81)
(https://i.postimg.cc/CBrkWQJV/20191201-103620.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CBrkWQJV)
Bumped into this guy too:
(https://i.postimg.cc/RJfhXsDd/20191201-130327.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RJfhXsDd)
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Is that Sasquatch?
Nice work fishing Jon! 2 more weeks in the woods for me and then some local cast and blast trips.
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Impressive action for this late in the season.
As for the subject of the last photo, he does indeed appear somewhat "Squatchy."
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Haha that would be me. Too funny. My Instagram handle is Patsquatch413. Long story short I’ve got some chest hair.
Got into a few as well. First tiger trout I’ve seen in a while.
(https://i.postimg.cc/p52vSWrr/DFDB473-A-06-A1-4-D49-ADFC-2-D0074-FA4-FCF.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/p52vSWrr)
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Sweet!
I love tiger trout.
They're a real rarity in my neck of the woods, and I've only caught a couple in all my years of fishing, but they give one helluva fight.
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Sweet!
I love tiger trout.
They're a real rarity in my neck of the woods, and I've only caught a couple in all my years of fishing, but they give one helluva fight.
My understanding is that they are a rarity in the Farmy as well. I don't think they have stocked them for at least two years. I fully expected it to be a small wild brown. I'm not sure if it is possible for them to be born naturally.
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My understanding is that they are a rarity in the Farmy as well. I don't think they have stocked them for at least two years. I fully expected it to be a small wild brown. I'm not sure if it is possible for them to be born naturally.
It is very rare, but definitely possible for it to happen in the wild.
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It is very rare, but definitely possible for it to happen in the wild.
Yup they are. I haven't caught one all season!
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My understanding is that they are a rarity in the Farmy as well. I don't think they have stocked them for at least two years. I fully expected it to be a small wild brown. I'm not sure if it is possible for them to be born naturally.
I remember reading once that the odds of a natural tiger trout are extremely long. I think they’ve found like 2 Confirmed natural tigers in the entire history of the mass fish sampling survey.
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Someone told me once (I don't know if it is true) that the DFW does not stock tiger trout in the Western District because the refrigerated trucks cannot get out that far from wherever the hatchery is - - so that any tiger caught in the Western District is (presumably) wild.
Personally, I only know of one person (who, I should add, was not me) to catch a tiger trout in the Western District.
The only ones I've caught were in the Pioneer Valley District.
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Someone told me once (I don't know if it is true) that the DFW does not stock tiger trout in the Western District because the refrigerated trucks cannot get out that far from wherever the hatchery is - - so that any tiger caught in the Western District is (presumably) wild.
Personally, I only know of one person (who, I should add, was not me) to catch a tiger trout in the Western District.
The only ones I've caught were in the Pioneer Valley District.
I'm not sure if I believe this notion. Aren't there hatcheries in the western MA district? I've only caught a few in my life but one was out of the Chesterfield Gorge which I think is technically the western district. There is however a possibility that it swam up river from the pioneer valley.
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all tiger trout in the state come from the sandwich trout hatchery down the cape. they do stock them in the major ponds out west like onota.
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got a couple browns in the swift on my first attempt at tying flies. wolly buggers worked for me while people were getting skunked on those tiny size 30 midge and nymphs they like to use.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jCzQfghp/Screenshot-20191201-102113-Messages.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jCzQfghp)
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Congrats on the tie and catch. Good looking fish, never liked those size 30s either.
We have a fly tying thread buried in here somewhere that we need to bump up now that it's cold and dark.
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Nice brown! I can't bring myself to use those tiny flies too often either. This time of year you can typically entice them with streamers like buggers but that isn't always the case. You don't need a size 30 but typically smaller is better once winter sets in, like blood midges, zebra midges, etc. in sizes like 18-20. You can also tie a small midge in front of or behind a bugger which helps with short strikes. When the midge is in front it makes it look like a bait fish chasing after a midge.
Winter tends to be the only time I really sit down and do any tying. The rest of the year i'd rather fish.
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Fished last Sunday. Couldn't buy a fish on a midge. #8 rubber legs continues to dominate. It is egg pattern time.
Unfortunately the last rain pushed the flow from 470 to 1900 cfs. I expect that will happen again this weekend.
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got a couple browns in the swift on my first attempt at tying flies. wolly buggers worked for me while people were getting skunked on those tiny size 30 midge and nymphs they like to use.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jCzQfghp/Screenshot-20191201-102113-Messages.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jCzQfghp)
Big stonefly imitations work well this year. Nice brown. Is that OPST lazar line I see?
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Nice job keeping at it low!
My last day hunting is Sunday. You still going to keep fishing the moving water, or is the hard water calling your name?
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Nice job keeping at it low!
My last day hunting is Sunday. You still going to keep fishing the moving water, or is the hard water calling your name?
1 hr left of work and I will be in the river. Forgot my simms fleece pants...need to buy them again.
Z I have been testing my skills catching trout on the fly rod later and later into winter. Im itching for ice and most of my stuff is ready but I am mins away from the Farmington so I take advantage.
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[Z I have been testing my skills catching trout on the fly rod later and later into winter. Im itching for ice and most of my stuff is ready but I am mins away from the Farmington so I take advantage.
[/quote]
I'm amazed you're still able to catch trout on the big rivers.
More power to you.
Given current conditions in my neck of the woods, I'm afraid the only productive open water fishing I'll be able to do for the foreseeable future is likely to be on the little brooks.
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Bailed from work during the ice storm. Results 6 bows 2 browns. #8 rubber legs on point, blood midge on the tag.
(https://i.postimg.cc/ThLGKkdK/20191217-132647.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ThLGKkdK)
(https://i.postimg.cc/0KmLcBjZ/20191217-141857.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0KmLcBjZ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/9rH3rCgk/20191217-141849.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9rH3rCgk)
Cant decide between the river or ice fishing for Christmas eve.
Jim water temp in the stretch I was in was mid 40's, very bearable.
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Jim water temp in the stretch I was in was mid 40's, very bearable.
Nice job.
It wasn't so much the cold as the water levels (which were roaring when I posted) that I was referring to.
Plus the fact that fishing in the "big" streams out this way declines precipitously after November - - partly because most of the stockies have been caught or otherwise died, and the trout that remain become (relatively) inactive - - although fishing for brookies in the smaller streams is generally more dependable.
I know from reports by others that the Swift River (i.e., the one near Quabbin) does a good job of "holding over" into the winter, and I gather from your report that the Farmington (or was this the lower Housatonic?) does so as well, but it always leaves me surprised (and a bit envious) to hear of others catching multiple trout on larger streams into the depths of winter.
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This was the Farmington Jim. It helps that its a bottom drawn tail water. So the temps stay moderate.
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This was the Farmington Jim. It helps that its a bottom drawn tail water. So the temps stay moderate.
Same is true for the swift. They stay at pretty stable temps for most of the year. Days that get into the 40s you will start seeing winter caddis crawling up the snowbanks. Those are the days the trout should become more active. Jim, the housy in Lee fishes well in the winter but most people I know are throwing very small midge flies. A small piece of a worm might be able to do the trick but I've never personally fished it in the winter.
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Fished today from 3 to 5...1 decent brown on a midge. Broke the tip off the thomas & thomas on a cast. I guess that's why they reinforced this year's version of the contact. Its going back to them and the rest of my long rods will be taken out of the truck and put away until spring.
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Fished today from 3 to 5...1 decent brown on a midge. Broke the tip off the thomas & thomas on a cast. I guess that's why they reinforced this year's version of the contact. Its going back to them and the rest of my long rods will be taken out of the truck and put away until spring.
That had to hurt... I would assume a company with that reputation is going to at least soften the blow on a replacement?
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That had to hurt... I would assume a company with that reputation is going to at least soften the blow on a replacement?
Lifetime warranty. For the 900 bucks the rod cost I'd certainly hope so.
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No time to ice fish today so I'm picking up the new Thomas and Thomas, sending the old one back and doing some indicator fishing.
Pat I will have an extra euro setup for you to try!
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I hope you crushed them Jon! I would take you up on some euro lessons.
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I hope you crushed them Jon! I would take you up on some euro lessons.
I did not. Some nonprofit guy was in line at the shop before me and the tax exempt paperwork took forever. I dropped my kid off with her mom and was right near the river...I decided ice fishing was what I was after...drove home and did neither.
Mike you are on. Lets talk about this before April.
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I did not. Some nonprofit guy was in line at the shop before me and the tax exempt paperwork took forever. I dropped my kid off with her mom and was right near the river...I decided ice fishing was what I was after...drove home and did neither.
Mike you are on. Lets talk about this before April.
You know it man. Its your gear and your time, let me know when you are free and I will make it work.
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Didn't feel like ice fishing in the warm weather so I took the new T&T for a test drive.
(https://i.postimg.cc/YGbwXzwm/IMG-3145.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YGbwXzwm)
(https://i.postimg.cc/n9rfN9HS/imagejpeg-0-49.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/n9rfN9HS)
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Nice work and beautiful fish!
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Nice fish 👍
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Nice fish. Way to take advantage of the balmy weather.
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Thanks guys!
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Big stonefly imitations work well this year. Nice brown. Is that OPST lazar line I see?
if it's the fly line your talking that is cheap tactical anglers line. better than what came on the cabelas combo.
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Ah...I tightline and use spey line instead of flyline and thought you had the same setup.
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Let's get this party started.
Fished right next to my office at lunch, caught 3 in about 30 mins.
(https://i.postimg.cc/67MWgzSC/20200309-123739.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/67MWgzSC)
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Let's get this party started.
Fished right next to my office at lunch, caught 3 in about 30 mins.
(https://i.postimg.cc/67MWgzSC/20200309-123739.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/67MWgzSC)
Hey Jon, why do you smell like fish? LOL
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Wow, that's an impressive performance, particularly this early in the season.
Remind me - - Is work closer to the Housatonic or the Farmington?
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Wow, that's an impressive performance, particularly this early in the season.
Remind me - - Is work closer to the Housatonic or the Farmington?
Next to work. A co-worker walking on lunch took a couple shots.
(https://i.postimg.cc/nCDgTm3T/imagejpeg-0-61.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/nCDgTm3T)
(https://i.postimg.cc/yDh5CH4Z/imagejpeg-1-9.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/yDh5CH4Z)
I returned after work and landed 4 more:
(https://i.postimg.cc/D4bjjVPm/20200309-184550.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/D4bjjVPm)
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Are they hiring? ;D
Nice fish!
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Are they hiring? ;D
Nice fish!
Thanks Z!
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Let's get this party started.
Fished right next to my office at lunch, caught 3 in about 30 mins.
(https://i.postimg.cc/67MWgzSC/20200309-123739.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/67MWgzSC)
Very nice fish
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Very nice fish, Are they hiring?
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Very nice fish, Are they hiring?
We are always hiring!
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Nice work Jon. Can't wait to make some casts without having to deal with iced up guides.
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Wild brown from yesterday.
(https://i.postimg.cc/06ZR6LgT/20200322-172404.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/06ZR6LgT)
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That’s a beauty!
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I got out on Saturday and Sunday as well. Saturday I explored some new water. I knew the Westfield would be running high this time of year so I drove up well past where I typically fish. I knew the stocking trucks had been there earlier in the week and the flow would be more manageable. I did a lot of exploring and found some very promising spots but there weren't too many fish around. I finally connected on a fat rainbow using an olive bugger but it slipped out of a hole in my net before I could get a pic.
Sunday I fished a little closer to home and had the same results. One rainbow on a chartreuse woolley bugger. Def a stocked fish as its front fin was pretty beat up.
Only pic I managed...
(https://i.postimg.cc/kBLhpXjt/08-BF6-B22-79-A3-4008-A3-D2-532152-DE55-C9.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/kBLhpXjt)
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Nice fishes, lowaccord and WesternMass.
I tried some of the local streams and ponds in my neck of the woods yesterday, but, alas, without any success whatsoever.
I did see my first salamanders of the year, though.
It was the first time I held a spinning rod (as opposed to a jig stick or tip up) in my hands since December.
The streams were cold, fast and high, but not as turbid as I had expected.
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Thanks Jim. Fished this evening. Got skunked. Water was 200 cfs and cold. My type of social distancing.
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Got out all day yesterday. Found a pod of stockies and let them have it. 12 hrs fishing 2 hours of catching. Double digits all on a pair of pheasant tails.
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Got out all day yesterday. Found a pod of stockies and let them have it. 12 hrs fishing 2 hours of catching. Double digits all on a pair of pheasant tails.
Sweet. That's quite a total, even if you did have to put your time in to do so.
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Only got out for an hour tonight but must have found a pack of fresh stockers. Landed about a dozen on a sculpin snack streamer. Was nice to take a break from euro nymphing and touch actual fly line.
(https://i.postimg.cc/wyPzx0ct/IMG-8453.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/wyPzx0ct)
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Classic pic Jon. Nice work on the stockers.
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Classic pic Jon. Nice work on the stockers.
Gf took it. Did a good job. You cant see me I'm a mile from there!
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Found a group of rainbows ignoring the social distancing rules this evening. It took about 2 hours to spread them out between the euro setup and my streamer rod. I did them a favor!
Pat if you need easy target practice Ill tell you where.
(https://i.postimg.cc/v4xg5L8P/20200403-173759.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/v4xg5L8P)
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Found a group of rainbows ignoring the social distancing rules this evening. It took about 2 hours to spread them out between the euro setup and my streamer rod. I did them a favor!
Pat if you need easy target practice Ill tell you where.
Work has been eating up a lot of my time but I just learned that the deadline for the project that I'm working on was extended to Sept. 2021 due to everything going on in the markets. Hopefully I'll be able to get down there after work now.
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Found a group of rainbows ignoring the social distancing rules this evening. It took about 2 hours to spread them out between the euro setup and my streamer rod. I did them a favor!
Pat if you need easy target practice Ill tell you where.
(https://i.postimg.cc/v4xg5L8P/20200403-173759.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/v4xg5L8P)
Nice! Great to see. Gorgeous bow.
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My daughter joined me today.
(https://i.postimg.cc/4KNqHmqs/IMG-8490.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4KNqHmqs)
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Sweet!
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Great shot! Congratulations.
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My daughter joined me today.
(https://i.postimg.cc/4KNqHmqs/IMG-8490.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4KNqHmqs)
Good Dad Jon She looks like she is enjoying your quality time together. :thumbup_smilie: :thumbup_smilie: :clapping:
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Averi will be dawning some kids waders soon enough. We're very much in getting her interested in fly fishing mode.
This weekend was another slay fest...although all stocked fish they were fun...even caught a 1 eyed breeder...
(https://i.postimg.cc/w1d4ntHV/IMG-8504.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w1d4ntHV)
(https://i.postimg.cc/6yBGSwgZ/IMG-8506-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/6yBGSwgZ)
(https://i.postimg.cc/mz27944C/IMG-8480.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mz27944C)
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Note for Pat....
Hendricksons this weekend...
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The way the weather is right now (at least up my way), you may be fishing in the snow.
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The way the weather is right now (at least up my way), you may be fishing in the snow.
It was just snowing here. The water temp on the farmington is a surprising 50 degrees!
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The freestones have been a grind but got a nice brown at the Swift and nabbed another bow later in the day on the west branch of the Westfield. Not a bad way to spend Good Friday.
(https://i.postimg.cc/bZZPrfqh/09-B9-C5-CD-ED6-B-4309-B29-D-2-BD8-BDAE7813.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bZZPrfqh)
(https://i.postimg.cc/2qC1g54w/74078-A29-4293-4-FD1-85-D0-58558-C8-E641-C.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2qC1g54w)
Interesting find while doing some exploring. Guess the sewer grate wasn’t cutting it.
(https://i.postimg.cc/gwRPyywt/AF994101-E4-A7-4699-9-B6-F-0-D0-B743-A253-D.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gwRPyywt)
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Good stuff Pat!
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6am to 7pm yesterday....lost count of how many...got a really bright tiger trout:
(https://i.postimg.cc/DmPRdDx7/20200426-092917.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/DmPRdDx7)
(https://i.postimg.cc/DS9CKdxC/20200426-082055.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/DS9CKdxC)
Had a good day. Taught my buddy how to euro nymph and he proceeded to catch a trout on his first drift.
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Beautiful fish guys!
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Great fish! I love those tigers.
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6am to 7pm yesterday....lost count of how many...got a really bright tiger trout:
Had a good day. Taught my buddy how to euro nymph and he proceeded to catch a trout on his first drift.
Nice work getting your buddy addicted. How were the crowds? I drove over the bridge heading out in my yak and it might as well have been the canal during a new moon phase.
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Nice work getting your buddy addicted. How were the crowds? I drove over the bridge heading out in my yak and it might as well have been the canal during a new moon phase.
No crowds. Fished the entire 21 mile stretch. Was moving up and down the river all day.
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Braved the weather the last couple of days. Moved a bunch of fish but only managed to land two smaller trout. What they lacked in size they made up for in beauty. Rainbow was one of reddest of bows I’ve ever seen in person.
(https://i.postimg.cc/NysMZ5Vn/B452-AB21-6450-48-A4-B7-B3-F9-F3-CC95-DC0-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/NysMZ5Vn)
(https://i.postimg.cc/sQ8gBKXF/B4736136-6-DBC-46-B8-99-F2-4-AD43790-A015.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/sQ8gBKXF)
(https://i.postimg.cc/BjGtchC4/F0-B78508-8746-4417-BE71-C7-FFCAB065-BE.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/BjGtchC4)
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Nice bunch of fish.
You're right about the brilliant colors on that rainbow. Is that supposed to be some mating thing, or does it stay like that all year long?
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Nice bunch of fish.
You're right about the brilliant colors on that rainbow. Is that supposed to be some mating thing, or does it stay like that all year long?
No idea Jim. That’s the first one I’ve seen with those colors before, especially w all the red in the belly.
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Good stuff Pat. Text me if you are around today im going to put some numbers up from 1-sunset.
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It was a slay fest yesterday. Mostly rainbows. Probably landed 25 or so by sunset. Zebra midge in gold was a killer.
Bad pic, fat bow.
(https://i.postimg.cc/G4jz01XW/20200510-151444.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/G4jz01XW)
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Nice work Jon. I only had a small window to fish so stayed up my way. Got my biggest rainbow so far this year. Caddis has been the key up here. Tons of cased caddis on the rocks.
(https://i.postimg.cc/wynLgR76/33-BFD790-2-BDB-4-CAB-B838-B87-A50-AA7757.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/wynLgR76)
(https://i.postimg.cc/HJZbvhm8/FF223091-6-E27-4190-B16-E-0-D4-B0-E49-B28-D.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HJZbvhm8)
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I've been seeing a lot of cased caddies bear me as well.
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Nice looking fish gentleman!
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I've been seeing a lot of cased caddies bear me as well.
They seem much more prevalent in freestones this time of year. The ones on the westfield have a tan body with dark brown or black head but on the farmy they seem much more green. Swift and Farmy tailwaters it seems to be scuds, midges and few mayfly nymphs that are around now. Jon would know better about the Farmy, I haven't been down there in over a month.
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Our cased caddis came in heavy about a month ago. Recently I've been fishing the hendrickson hatch.
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Lots of browns this morning.
(https://i.postimg.cc/7GpkbCvG/20200516-063747.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7GpkbCvG)
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Sweet!
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Nice fish Jon 🎣
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This morning was a bit slower than yesterday. Water dropped quickly after the storms.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Y4bmZbtt/20200517-080111.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Y4bmZbtt)
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Cool to see the color variations in those browns, it’s crazy how different they can look
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Cool to see the color variations in those browns, it’s crazy how different they can look
The lighter one was stocked the bottom one was wild. Ill try to take a pic of the elastomer they put in the stockies next time I am out.
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After healing (most of the way) from a nearly accident last Monday I hit the Farmington from 5am to 12. Had a guest approach from Pat which was fun. 5 to 9 am I was already approaching 30 caught and released, a majority being rainbows. Mixed in a few browns and brookies. Caddis were hatching all morning so a caddis nymph helped me average 10 or so trout an hour!
(https://i.postimg.cc/8jjv8Bcr/20200525-064830.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8jjv8Bcr)
(https://i.postimg.cc/F1Kdcgjn/20200525-071142.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/F1Kdcgjn)
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That rainbow looks like a fatty!
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Glad to hear you're on the mend, and that the fish are biting.
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Nice catching up Jon. That euro rig sure does crush. No luck in the evening up in the gorge. The water is already running much lower than I'd like.
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Glad to hear you're on the mend, and that the fish are biting.
Thanks Jim.
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The Farmington has been predictably good as of late averaging 30 or more Saturday and Sunday Mornings. So last night I took some time to fish close to home and hit the Housatonic. Im glad I did. Numbers were much lower but I landed a handful of wild browns, and battled a large one for quite a while before being broken off. There was quite the spinner fall, making the trout go nuts. A good pod of them was nailing the spinners off the surface but I was unable to wade to them. Caught one bonus smallmouth as well.
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Nice work Jon. I need to get out that way and give that a go.
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The hot weather and humidity gave me a hunch that fish might be feeding on the surface at night. I got to the farmy at 9pm and to my surprise, which seems to be the norm on the farmy this year, there were several people in the spot I wanted to fish. I sharpened my elbows and tied on a mouse pattern. A couple of dozen casts later and the mouse got sucked underwater and landed a beauty of a wild brown in the 18 inch class. I had a few more short strikes after that but called it at midnight. Pics are bad bc I was swarmed by bugs as soon as I turned on my headlamp.
(https://i.postimg.cc/CzX9LFzy/C3-BA529-A-26-D8-4798-9548-CA5-C633-B9-E34.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CzX9LFzy)
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The hot weather and humidity gave me a hunch that fish might be feeding on the surface at night. I got to the farmy at 9pm and to my surprise, which seems to be the norm on the farmy this year, there were several people in the spot I wanted to fish. I sharpened my elbows and tied on a mouse pattern. A couple of dozen casts later and the mouse got sucked underwater and landed a beauty of a wild brown in the 18 inch class. I had a few more short strikes after that but called it at midnight. Pics are bad bc I was swarmed by bugs as soon as I turned on my headlamp.
(https://i.postimg.cc/CzX9LFzy/C3-BA529-A-26-D8-4798-9548-CA5-C633-B9-E34.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/CzX9LFzy)
:clapping:
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Way to go Pat. Let's plan a real mission soon and I'll join. I have spots people are too afraid to visit at night!
There are definitely more people fishing.
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Way to go Pat. Let's plan a real mission soon and I'll join. I have spots people are too afraid to visit at night!
I'm game. I'm gone this weekend but I'll shoot ya a text when I'm back.
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Gonna try it this weekend on the Deerfield. Any tips?
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Gonna try it this weekend on the Deerfield. Any tips?
Yes here:
https://troutbitten.com/2018/07/11/night-fishing-for-trout-part-one-people-places-and-things/ (https://troutbitten.com/2018/07/11/night-fishing-for-trout-part-one-people-places-and-things/)
Dom is a really good dude and his site has helped my game tremendously. Then I fished with him...it was unreal how much I learned.
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Gonna try it this weekend on the Deerfield. Any tips?
I like to shorten my leader and increase my tippet strength. I was using 12lb fluoro last night. Only other suggestion is that most mammals aren't good swimmers so I try to slow my retrieve down if throwing a mouse. I'm def no expert so experiment and see what works.
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I like to shorten my leader and increase my tippet strength. I was using 12lb fluoro last night. Only other suggestion is that most mammals aren't good swimmers so I try to slow my retrieve down if throwing a mouse. I'm def no expert so experiment and see what works.
Great, thanks!
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Yes here:
https://troutbitten.com/2018/07/11/night-fishing-for-trout-part-one-people-places-and-things/ (https://troutbitten.com/2018/07/11/night-fishing-for-trout-part-one-people-places-and-things/)
Dom is a really good dude and his site has helped my game tremendously. Then I fished with him...it was unreal how much I learned.
Thanks! I'll be sure to check this out.
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Thanks! I'll be sure to check this out.
Anytime. I think you'll enjoy the reading there.
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Speak of the devil. One of my favorite blogs also wrote a night fishing article. Specific to bass but some of the techniques apply to trout too.
http://flyfishingcts.blogspot.com/2020/06/black-bass-after-hours.html (http://flyfishingcts.blogspot.com/2020/06/black-bass-after-hours.html)
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I like his blog but I find nothing in that post that is relevant to trout at night.
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I like his blog but I find nothing in that post that is relevant to trout at night.
When he discusses fly size. "Big flies come to mind far too often when night fishing is brought up, regardless of species. Though low light conditions routinely make predator fish drop their guard and feed on larger prey, that's doesn't mean small to medium sized presentations won't fish better. Never underestimate a well tied and well presented Woolly Bugger for bass at night."
He's written very similar things when writing about night fishing for trout. Large Iso or Hex flies will only be about 1.5 inches long, max. They typically struggle to get to a rock and shed their exoskin. Another reason to slow down your retrieve as well. A black size 6-8 weightless woolly bugger might be a better offering than a 2-3 inch mouse.
Like this one at the church pool Monday night. Pics were tough with the fog on the water.
(https://i.postimg.cc/75Rpk1dw/13-B776-EE-4-C6-A-4-A39-BB42-2-D456-AF2-F515.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/75Rpk1dw)
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Gotcha. Read Dom's stuff. Goes into greater technical depth. The interesting cross over is the big bugs. Dom will sometimes swing large wet flies in tandem. I haven't tried yet but it sounds amazing.
I've had a couple nights where mid sized muddlers get smoked near surface. All this talk I really need to go now!
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Finally took out the long rod again yesterday evening. First spot was well downstream of anywhere that I've tried before and the water was warm and low. My buddy pulled out two tiny smallies so we moved upstream to colder water. A bunch of old timers were tossing tiny bugs on the surface per usual, without much luck, PER USUAL, but I know they get bent out of shape if you start fishing subsurface near them so I went upstream to the faster broken water. Fish were slashing on the surface and there was a lot of bug activity so I threw on a size 14 hornberg and proceed to smash on fish. I landed 5, one small wild brown, while the rest were bows and lost about the same amount. Felt great to get a bend in the long rod again, especially on the surface.
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Nice! Sounds like a blast
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I was going to go tonight but my g3's are leaking and my Freestones are too.
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I was going to go tonight but my g3's are leaking and my Freestones are too.
IMO, for the price they should be bomb proof. I've been using my Redington Sonic Pros lately (you've seen my SIMMS lol). Half the price and I can't tell much of a difference.
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IMO, for the price they should be bomb proof. I've been using my Redington Sonic Pros lately (you've seen my SIMMS lol). Half the price and I can't tell much of a difference.
Im buying the g4's and sending both the g3 and the Freestone back. Good news is simms has taken care of me in the past and its particularly easy to get them to do it when you buy another pair. Can't have enough waders.
By the way...the "warmer" water section you fished fishes particularly well this time of year...just like it did last trip...but its my way or the highway! Euro....
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By the way...the "warmer" water section you fished fishes particularly well this time of year...just like it did last trip...but its my way or the highway! Euro....
Like Avon and Tarrifville? We fished near the old bridge pilings and the water was moving so I'm sure trout are there but it was tough wading and water felt a tad warm for that time of day at least.
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Like Avon and Tarrifville? We fished near the old bridge pilings and the water was moving so I'm sure trout are there but it was tough wading and water felt a tad warm for that time of day at least.
Oh no. I never go past Wood N Tap on RT 4. Speaking of...check those riffles out the next time you pass....no one fishes them.
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Night time is the right time.
(https://i.postimg.cc/3yC4MT7m/20200816-201140.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/3yC4MT7m)
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Nice fish! Do you usually nymph for them at night, or what’s your preferred technique? Depends on The water?
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Nice fish! Do you usually nymph for them at night, or what’s your preferred technique? Depends on The water?
I'll let Jon opine on his night tactics. But I've heard that night fishing is best on super hot and humid days. I'm sure last nights new moon might have helped too.
I was slinging eels in the canal last night and managed to pick up a couple 24-26 inch stripers but the ditch seems devoid of bigger stripers this year.
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I was fishing a Sulphur hatch that usually cranks up right around dark. I was tightlining as per usual running a #16 tungsten caddis on point and a #18 sulfur nymph up top. I caught a few wild browns that I didn't take shots of because they fought for quite a while in warm water. The bow gave up quickly.
As evening fades into night I switch to streamers or a mouse pattern. I haven't done it yet but swinging large wet flies works too! This time of year I used to throw large Sulphur dries when I couldn't even see and catch them on top. I lost interest once I started tightlining because I usually catch more than the dry fly guys.
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Rainbows have been decent lately. Catching a noticeable amount of small wild browns.
(https://i.postimg.cc/SXtbSjXH/20200821-191330.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/SXtbSjXH)
Chased some smallies this morning. Nothing huge but caught a half dozen. Have to love river smallies. They put quite the bend in my 5w.
(https://i.postimg.cc/185d8sZS/20200823-083425.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/185d8sZS)
(https://i.postimg.cc/jLRg1t2f/20200823-080422.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jLRg1t2f)
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Rainbows, browns and smallies . . . Oh my!
Sounds like a great multi-species day or two on the water.
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The two pics from this morning were from the stretch of the housy that I had intended to show you.
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Looks like a beautiful run!
Fortunately, there's always next year for you to show it to me.
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Looks like a beautiful run!
Fortunately, there's always next year for you to show it to me.
I'm learning it more and more each day. Loaded with smallies right now. The trout are all in thermal refuges that are off limits to fishing until end of September I believe.
Kristin and I went back this evening and caught over a dozen to about 2lbs. They fought hard!
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Rainbows have been decent lately. Catching a noticeable amount of small wild browns.
Chased some smallies this morning. Nothing huge but caught a half dozen. Have to love river smallies. They put quite the bend in my 5w.
Beautiful rainbows and I particularly like that action shot of the tight line/bend - gives viewers that feeling.
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Beautiful rainbows and I particularly like that action shot of the tight line/bend - gives viewers that feeling.
I'm glad you like it. One of my friends breaks my stones and says "ya ya you hooked a giant rock"...which in fairness I guess would look the same. There's a few shots like it in the thread. For me it's an open log of my river exploits.
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So some updates....fished the Ditch Pickle Classic with Westernmass over the weekend, er Saturday. We were scoring nicely and doing pretty well despite off and on driving rain...then I hit a rock pile at 35mph....tournament over.
(https://i.postimg.cc/5HfbKQXK/20200829-143620.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5HfbKQXK)
(https://i.postimg.cc/KR7WqqtF/20200829-143647.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/KR7WqqtF)
(https://i.postimg.cc/9DnYJZgC/20200829-105843.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9DnYJZgC)
(https://i.postimg.cc/ctCQRJ7r/20200829-104436.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ctCQRJ7r)
(https://i.postimg.cc/mPNZNWLs/20200829-104425.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mPNZNWLs)
We limped back the the launch and saw how bad the prop was....
(https://i.postimg.cc/FdLv7y8R/20200829-163920.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FdLv7y8R)
We instantly decided to bail from VT to save Sunday. (Avoid the air bnb in Sheldon VT that has an indoor basketball court) and drove 5 hours back...frustrated at my bad luck I took to the housatonic for more bass and was rewarded...
(https://i.postimg.cc/WFGrLHj6/20200830-172755.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/WFGrLHj6)
Flows suck right now. I fished the night before last on the housy....300 cfs...better than the 100 cfs at the farmington. Last night I searched there for trout and only found 2. A small brown and a healthy rainbow. New prop arrives today...will find out if the lower unit is toast or not...
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Sorry to hear about the damage to your prop. Hopefully the price tag is not too steep.
I'm curious when you say the "flows suck" - - Do you mean they're too high or too low?
I would assume you mean too high (given all the rain lately), but your Housatonic to Farmington comparison would suggest just the opposite.
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Too low. I'm a bit odd in that I like a ton of water for trout fishing. It keeps the dry fly crew at bay and allows me to do my thing. Yesterday was 100 cfs...I'm really comfortable between 1000-1500 on most of the farmington...
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Sorry to hear about the prop, Jon. Looks like you guys were on your way to victory but it still looks like you slayed it.
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As of Saturday evening we were in 1st place for Bass....next year Pat and I will return and maybe we can win. Tell you what, 8w and 10w warm water flyfishing is addictive.
I replaced the prop last night and confirmed no lower unit damage. Jim the damage amount ended up being 600. Plus another 90 or so for a skeg guard....
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As of Saturday evening we were in 1st place for Bass....next year Pat and I will return and maybe we can win. Tell you what, 8w and 10w warm water flyfishing is addictive.
I replaced the prop last night and confirmed no lower unit damage. Jim the damage amount ended up being 600. Plus another 90 or so for a skeg guard....
Jon, glad to hear that it was the cheaper of the two scenarios. They posted the results yesterday and we were positioned nicely going into Sunday. We had 7 points while the winner of the individual award had 15 and the team best had 21. Regardless, I learned a lot about fly fishing for warm water species and had a great time doing so, albeit the weather didn't want to cooperate. I think if we go back next year, after this years shake down run, we will fair much better. Also still kicking myself for losing those two bass, as we might have placed in the top 3 if I got those to the boat.
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Pat we need to go back up in October. Pick a weekend and let me know. My best pike days were around the 4th. We were getting tons of top water smashes on spinning gear that time of year.
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This morning was good.
(https://i.postimg.cc/c6tDy3NG/20200919-071103.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/c6tDy3NG)
The other evening was good for bass.
(https://i.postimg.cc/7fgmby6B/20200917-183024.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7fgmby6B)
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Congrats, Jon!
Looks like a couple great days/nights on the water.
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Congrats, Jon!
Looks like a couple great days/nights on the water.
Lots of browns this morning. Was a good time despite the dismal flow...average would be about 380 cfs....we have 79...
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Fished the housy this evening and had a interesting event happen. I hooked a fish, which fought hard and took me under a rock where I quickly got hung up. I broke the 5x tippet, tied on new flies and got back to work. Maybe 10 minutes and a few drifts later I hook up again. Fish feels similarly heavy. Imagine my surprise when I pull out a smallie with the tag fly from the previous break off firmly in its jaw. More interesting is that I nearly hooked it in the same spot twice, and the fact that this fish was hooked, fought for a while, got hung up, got free and resumed feeding only to be captured again. Wicked cool.
(https://i.postimg.cc/2q3pCc3r/20200921-182131.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2q3pCc3r)
(https://i.postimg.cc/kByLK3b7/20200921-182157.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/kByLK3b7)
Turns out euro nymphing works exceedingly well for smallies....but that size or larger can quickly max out a 3w.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jn2v7m0S/20200921-180558.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jn2v7m0S)
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Pretty neat.
I knew that sunfish and brookies are persistent like that, but didn't know small mouth are too.
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That’s funny! I’ve recovered flies from branches before, but never a fish, haha.
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Fished the housy this evening. Smallmouth were being really picky so I spent the last minutes of daylight nymphing. Caught one brown, all colored up.
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Had to go back this morning before work. Missed way more than I caught but they were fired up. The housy has some healthy wild browns!
(https://i.postimg.cc/wRxMSKhQ/20200924-065837.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/wRxMSKhQ)
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Nice work Jon!
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Nice looking fish!
I probably won't get to go out again until this weekend, but am curious to see how yesterday's rain (plus any more we get between now and this weekend) affects the stream levels and the attendant fishing action.
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Farmington went from 87 cfs to over 300. Two windows I fish, rising water, dropping water (as long as its clearing). You can count on trout repositioning to take advantage of new/better feeding lanes.
I attempted to get out last night and made it half way before my 08 tahoe's rear diff locked and caused the driveshaft to snap. Wonderful way to end my workday.
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Some more housy specimens. Rock bass displaced the browns one night...rather frustrating.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Cd3pKgz0/20200924-174314.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Cd3pKgz0)
(https://i.postimg.cc/s1QRyXfK/20200924-180004.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/s1QRyXfK)
(https://i.postimg.cc/0M3RDgnp/20200924-180509.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0M3RDgnp)
(https://i.postimg.cc/V0CyF7Z2/20200924-194957.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V0CyF7Z2)
(https://i.postimg.cc/PLSkfv8V/20200924-195241.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PLSkfv8V)
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After breaking off a couple sets of flies I decided to throw a streamer on my euro rod and ended up with the largest wild brown I've ever landed in CT.
(https://i.postimg.cc/GBt7Z3SF/20201026-181541.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/GBt7Z3SF)
Makes the recent tough fishing (for me at least) worth it.
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Nice job! I love fishing big streams for big brown... Well Done!
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Yikes, that's a beauty!
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Congrats Jon. Great fish!
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Nice one!! Good looking brown!
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Thanks guys. Intact adipose and no elastomer! Man the housy has some large wild browns!
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That is a heck of a brown! Especially a wild one!
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I broke off a fish last night sometime around 9 that was equally sized it seemed. Pat I owe you a mouse. (Don't forget to send the link) What a fun night of casting. I love the look on the faces of guys wrapping it up at dusk when we are just going out. Perhaps they dont realize its not that dark out there.
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That was a fun night/evening Jon. Don’t worry about the mouse. At least you lost yours to a fish versus a tree on the other side of the river. I’m just glad I was able to stick a nice brownie before it happened.
(https://i.postimg.cc/gLw0vr1b/C996-E568-5923-415-D-AB0-A-B63170130879.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gLw0vr1b)
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Crimping the barbs on some mouse patterns and making a few bucks at work. Warm weather makes the field mice really active at night so its time to go try to get a big brown.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jnbMtJrd/20201106-102933.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jnbMtJrd)
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You have quite the rodent infestation there. Good Luck!
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Good luck Jon. I'd like to join ya but I'm foolishly going to try to catch steelhead in 200cfs of water.
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Good luck Jon. I'd like to join ya but I'm foolishly going to try to catch steelhead in 200cfs of water.
6x and light drag LMAO!
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You have quite the rodent infestation there. Good Luck!
Thanks Bart. Its warm, Flows are safe and ill have a river to myself. Let's hope nothing scares the crap out of me.
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Thanks Bart. Its warm, Flows are safe and ill have a river to myself. Let's hope nothing scares the crap out of me.
Despite the potential, I never did like fishing in the dark, freaks me out, there is something out there in the shadows.
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I had over a decade of striper fishing where I'd be driving home at 5am because I hated chasing them in the daylight...I got quite comfortable at night, on rocks, sand bars, breachway jetties and the like...what scared me there was tide and waves. Basically drowning.
The river is much much scarier and I don't know why. Perhaps when your on the shore there's only behind you to worry about. In the woods the creepy stuff is seemingly everywhere. The better the action the less it bothers me. Beavers have made me ruin waders.
Tonight I'm solo so I'm sure I'll get goosebumps once or twice. Anyone that says they don't get jumpy is not honest.
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Fished 2am to 11am....one female brown around 9am. She had a few eggs and was released quickly. It was bright last night. I had some half hearted hits up top and that was about it. Nice night though.
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Setup a new reel for this evenings mission. Glowing fly line should help things. Went 1 weight heavy on the 5 weight reel to help turn the bigger mouse patterns over.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qhwb4DHB/20201110-140103.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qhwb4DHB)
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Setup a new reel for this evenings mission. Glowing fly line should help things. Went 1 weight heavy on the 5 weight reel to help turn the bigger mouse patterns over.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qhwb4DHB/20201110-140103.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qhwb4DHB)
That looks really neat! I wonder how the fish react to it. Maybe an attractor of sorts, or maybe....
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That looks really neat! I wonder how the fish react to it. Maybe an attractor of sorts, or maybe....
Read Dom's stuff on troutbitten....I'm not experimenting, I'm trying stuff that works for a guide that I went with and learned a ton from. I'm told the best result is from charging the first 6 feet of line. I'm game.
They are particularly attracted to the mouse patterns I posted.
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Oh cool, that’s the first I had seen of them. I will check them out.
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Ya it's already a challenge enough to just fish at night so I'm pulling on those who have more experience. Its a trip Z. Empty river and bigger browns.
I didn't go last night. Got lazy after work. Tonight looks real good with the cloud cover.
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Fished yesterday 9am to 5pm. It was a hustle. Some recently stocked bows (easy targets) and one decent brown in the morning. Then I covered a ton of water for only a couple small wild browns. Wrapped up throwing streamers and didn't get a tap. Good day off from work.
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Fished yesterday 9am to 5pm. It was a hustle. Some recently stocked bows (easy targets) and one decent brown in the morning. Then I covered a ton of water for only a couple small wild browns. Wrapped up throwing streamers and didn't get a tap. Good day off from work.
Very nice! A day like that does the souls good. If I get a Bambi soon we should link up before it locks.
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Very nice! A day like that does the souls good.
X2
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Very nice! A day like that does the souls good. If I get a Bambi soon we should link up before it locks.
The farmington never locks up my man so let's make something happen whenever you are ready. I'll be there all day tomorrow.
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Long day yesterday. Started at 9 and proceeded to put a hurting to the rainbows on both the fly rod and for the first time in a long time with the spinning rod as well. The action in the first spot lasted for a few hours. I stopped counting after the 10th stocked bow. The rest of the day was slower but we were picking fish here and there. I was switching back and forth from streamer fishing and euro most of the day. I think we landed over 30 all together but nothing huge. No large browns either but did land a number of smaller wild browns. Rain held out all day too!
Most of the bows looked like this:
(https://i.postimg.cc/8Jh1zhr4/20201115-090801.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8Jh1zhr4)
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Wow, you did well for this time of year!
You were lucky about the rain holding off too - - although (assuming conditions were the same as in my neck of the woods) the weather was foul enough even without any rain.
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Great job Jon! The Westfield branches have been fishing well with the recent rain. I got 3 rainbows Thursday and picked up another two on Saturday. Place was mobbed with hikers saturday but one of the gates is open so after a bumpy ride I was able to get away from the crowds and more importantly find the fish. Jon the pocket water in the gorge is a euro nymphers dream when the water is up a little.
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Lets go Pat
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Wow, you did well for this time of year!
You were lucky about the rain holding off too - - although (assuming conditions were the same as in my neck of the woods) the weather was foul enough even without any rain.
They stocked the upper section of the farmington from the dam 2 miles down to Riverton. They do it annually and every year we take a couple hours to educate the newbies.
Weather wise it was raw, but I haven't had to break out the wax to keep ice of the guides yet!
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I got out for about two hours yesterday evening. Got to the chesterfield gorge by about two. I skipped my usual spots and drove further into the gorge to get away from the hikers and one guy that was in my favorite spot. It took me a little longer to find the fish but I got a smaller bow about 12 inches at the head of the first big pool. I drove down another quarter mile to a spot I haven’t fished in some time. I was able to pull out 3 more bows in the 12-15 inch range. Fun couple hours, got my dog out for some exercise and shook off the sadness of losing a solid pike at the net the day prior.
(https://i.postimg.cc/DJ4ymFfw/09-A3-BA9-C-EFEF-459-B-BAD9-0-E189-A3-C54-A1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/DJ4ymFfw)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gr6n2yrH/2-E2-C6-C75-765-F-4039-A933-3-BCC6-EE800-F9.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gr6n2yrH)
(https://i.postimg.cc/JynhVZ9J/9-E7-DF504-2-CC8-40-F1-BB45-6-A539-E282-F58.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JynhVZ9J)
(https://i.postimg.cc/vxWYLzVR/ECEB9778-64-B7-405-B-9-C16-FC1-FC37-E9-C8-D.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vxWYLzVR)
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hey I finally get to add something to this thread. got a nice tiger and a couple bows on Saturday. tiger hit an orange with green estaz mop fly i found on the ground. bows were caught on a 14 pheasant tail.
(https://i.postimg.cc/grJMy6V5/20201121-100157.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/grJMy6V5)
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Nice report fellas. Pat we will need pike redemption soon!
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hey I finally get to add something to this thread. got a nice tiger and a couple bows on Saturday. tiger hit an orange with green estaz mop fly i found on the ground. bows were caught on a 14 pheasant tail.
Nice! Love those tigers.
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Nice job, Pat and Salmon&Striper Stalker (sorry, I've forgotten your real name)!
You both caught a nice bunch of fish. Particularly that tiger trout - - I too love landing those things.
I had to content myself with a couple mid-sized brown and a few tiny brookies (microfishing at its best) this weekend.
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Would love to get a group of us together for some river domination. I have enough spots to share on the farmington.
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I might potentially be down. I would be better to go after the new year. looking to get a year ct license next year. I was fishing some ponds west of the Farmington and would always pass over the church pool. looks like an awesome river.
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Just got an email about CT's fall stocking and they stocked 70K fish during the fall with a large number of them being very large brook trout and tiger trout. Hopefully we will see more tiger pics in the future.
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I might potentially be down. I would be better to go after the new year. looking to get a year ct license next year. I was fishing some ponds west of the Farmington and would always pass over the church pool. looks like an awesome river.
Its a wicked good time. Especially when you know all 21 miles of the tma.
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Keep me informed, please...
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Keep me informed, please...
Would love to have you join to Allan. I'm still fishing it pretty hard but I think if we want to go as a group and nail a large number of them, spinning or fly the first week in April is the time to do it.
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Wet morning but lots of love from rainbows like this guy.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qN0byGtv/20201126-071656.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qN0byGtv)
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Well done Jon
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Wet morning but lots of love from rainbows like this guy.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qN0byGtv/20201126-071656.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qN0byGtv)
Nice fish
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Made the first few trips this season. Dusting off the cobwebs so to speak. Yesterday I should have stayed home. Couldn't tight line...it was too windy. Fished under and indicator unsuccessfully even for recently stocked fish. No bug activity noticeable. Flows were nice between 250 and 600 depending on where I fished. Cold AF!
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played around with stockies on the cape over the weekend and they were eager to take buggers and mop flies.
(https://i.postimg.cc/7bNQYbTS/20210312-164048.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7bNQYbTS)
(https://i.postimg.cc/zV6wJ1pn/20210313-055443.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zV6wJ1pn)
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Nice! My first bow of the season ate a mop fly.
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Slow start for me this year. Been a few times and the catching has been slow despite what I consider ideal flows. I switched back to fips compliant line and a regulation leader for a bit.
(https://i.postimg.cc/qNkb2Gcm/20210401-092141.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/qNkb2Gcm)
(https://i.postimg.cc/bGR2kQTR/20210404-115913.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bGR2kQTR)
So with a slow start I decided to take today off to fish for lakers.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/94KPz4bP/20210409-182118.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/94KPz4bP)
(https://i.postimg.cc/K3ynrddR/20210410-083243.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K3ynrddR)
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Nice. Pretty brown there. Gunna be following this thread. Finally got a fly rod this year, should be some fun trial and error.
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Very cool. I'm going to get off the couch in 30 mins and gear up for the evening bite.
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Been slow so far for me as well. I took the ride out to the Deerfield yesterday. Outside of the Fife Brook Dam catch and release area I didn't see anyone having much luck (saw 2 solid bows landed). I was really hoping that the overcast day would be in my benefit but I couldn't figure them out. Water was super low as well. We already need a good shot of rain.
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You can keep the rain. Perfect flows right now!
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Finally the Farmington is waking up. 6-730 last night I found a decent group of rainbows and let them have it. I stuck a heavy fish I never got to see. Most likely a larger stocked rainbow. Ended up with a half dozen.
Interestingly, I had to fish smaller flies than I would this early but hey it worked. Pat double Tungsten beads tied closer together to get deep. Top fly (first pic) got more action which could be a decent sign. They are starting to look up.
(https://i.postimg.cc/WtrQzjdd/20210419-192322.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/WtrQzjdd)
(https://i.postimg.cc/cv1jFnX3/20210419-192308.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/cv1jFnX3)
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Finally the Farmington is waking up. 6-730 last night I found a decent group of rainbows and let them have it. I stuck a heavy fish I never got to see. Most likely a larger stocked rainbow. Ended up with a half dozen.
Interestingly, I had to fish smaller flies than I would this early but hey it worked. Pat double Tungsten beads tied closer together to get deep. Top fly (first pic) got more action which could be a decent sign. They are starting to look up.
Hendricksons should be right around the corner. Should get the fish much more active. Seeing tons of cased caddis in both the Farmy and westfield branches.
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They are finally looking up and I must of happened upon a pile of recently stocked rainbows last night as I was in double digits an hour deep. Love it when they grab the top fly. Means they are moving to nab emergers.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dDJqqczJ/Screenshot-20210424-110318-Messages.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dDJqqczJ)
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Congratulations, Jon! Beautiful fish. I'm glad to hear the action is heating up in your neck of the woods.
I wish I could say the same thing about things up my way - - The DFW has stocked the local streams, but the fish just don't seem to be hitting.
It's a little odd, too, because the stream levels are just about ideal (albeit low for this time of the year).
I think it's the cold snaps we've had - - including snow just this past Thursday.
I've had to tide myself over eking out the occasional big sun fish (at Fish Pond) and little (3" to 8") brook trout (at my old reliable stream).
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cased caddis everywhere by me
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Fished 11 to 8 yesterday and last count in the first hour. Great Hendrickson hatch.
(https://i.postimg.cc/N9fj03mM/20210425-151014.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/N9fj03mM)
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2 evenings of slaying on the housy....interupted by a quickly rising river.
(https://i.postimg.cc/0M60XsQr/20210429-191700.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/0M60XsQr)
(https://i.postimg.cc/KR7rHQZ7/20210430-083053.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/KR7rHQZ7)
While most fishermen dislike dams...the benefit is on the farmington you generally won't see the water come up 100 cfs while your out there. The housy will and did. Made wading back to the truck more interesting...
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Some very nice fish, Jon. Love that chunk bow. Need to get down there sometime.
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Let me know Steve. I have about 40 miles of water between two rivers so I'm happy to host anyone from the site that's interested in either river. (Farmington I have 20 years on, the housy only 2 but the skills are transferable)
The housy is becomes smallie paradise as the water warms up and I have a really good bead on them!
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Let me know Steve. I have about 40 miles of water between two rivers so I'm happy to host anyone from the site that's interested in either river. (Farmington I have 20 years on, the housy only 2 but the skills are transferable)
The housy is becomes smallie paradise as the water warms up and I have a really good bead on them!
Thanks!
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Very nice, brown!
Holy Toledo, the river really rose quickly according to that chart.
I imagine the high water will continue for awhile given all the rainy weather we've had the past few days.
Presumably, the "drought" that the weather folks have been talking about is over now.
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Jim you could tell it was going up while I was out there. Also I realize I missed an email on our free fishing days. Newborn aside I'd say you can plan on visiting. More likely than not I will be able to visit the housy for a bit since it's 20 mins away.
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Cold morning. 0 bug activity and the action followed suit. 2 bows one over 18"...probably was a good Morning for streamers with the dropping water.
(https://i.postimg.cc/phpGBNjL/Image-20210501-0745192595626366398254837.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/phpGBNjL)
(https://i.postimg.cc/1876CqMW/Image-20210501-0752575669938089489866323.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1876CqMW)
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(https://i.postimg.cc/bGqckxjw/20210502-153925.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bGqckxjw)
(https://i.postimg.cc/MctkDnWb/20210502-154324.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/MctkDnWb)
(https://i.postimg.cc/vc6ss8zb/20210502-200133.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vc6ss8zb)
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Nice pictures and great fish. Thanks for sharing...h2l
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Nice pictures and great fish. Thanks for sharing...h2l
You are welcome. Here's to a good sacandaga season!
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Wind and the afternoon storm blew me off of colebrook yesterday so I made the best of it with spinning gear in the MA section of the farmy. Water was a little stained and running a bit high so glad I left the long rod home. Got two solid bows to hand and lost a handful more in the fast water. Almost everyone was doing some aerial maneuvers to get free.
(https://i.postimg.cc/zV4DJ0X0/475216-E3-3301-4-C4-F-B146-49-C99-AE10-B0-F.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zV4DJ0X0)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Lq3m3Skb/B89395-CC-0388-4739-9-BF1-61-CE07-A12612.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Lq3m3Skb)
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Jon and Pat:
Those are some great photos of browns and rainbows!
Sounds like a great day out for both of you.
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Always wanted to long rod that section Pat. Forgot to mention that I got bored and added a third Thomas and Thomas contact to my collection. The contact 2. I was skeptical that it would be improved but I fished half a day with both the old 10' 3w and the new contact 2 10' 3w. The new one is noticeably improved. Pat if you want to borrow/use my 10'8" 3w it's gathering dust.
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Always wanted to long rod that section Pat. Forgot to mention that I got bored and added a third Thomas and Thomas contact to my collection. The contact 2. I was skeptical that it would be improved but I fished half a day with both the old 10' 3w and the new contact 2 10' 3w. The new one is noticeably improved. Pat if you want to borrow/use my 10'8" 3w it's gathering dust.
I may take you up on that. Using the mono rig on a normal 8.5 footer isn't cutting it. We need to meet up soon so you can teach me a few things. I thought I was a pro after the first time out but been a struggle this spring. If you want to hit that section I'd do it sooner than later. It drops quick and was running close to perfect.
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Nice looking trout and sun shot. I have to get back over there someday.
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Nice looking trout and sun shot. I have to get back over there someday.
Happy to host you Bart or at least point you in the direction of pools that are mostly ignored. It's a tremendous river. Right now the farmington averages 4000 trout per mile that trims down to 2-3000 per mile by summer with some harvest. Even so it's really hard to have a bad day on the farmington.
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I may take you up on that. Using the mono rig on a normal 8.5 footer isn't cutting it. We need to meet up soon so you can teach me a few things. I thought I was a pro after the first time out but been a struggle this spring. If you want to hit that section I'd do it sooner than later. It drops quick and was running close to perfect.
I had some struggles too. And anytime on the 10'8. It works well, and I do use it but more when the water is low and I need more reach. I'm game whenever you are Pat.
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Happy to host you Bart or at least point you in the direction of pools that are mostly ignored. It's a tremendous river. Right now the farmington averages 4000 trout per mile that trims down to 2-3000 per mile by summer with some harvest. Even so it's really hard to have a bad day on the farmington.
Thanks, I have fished it a few times and there is indeed a lot of great looking river to explore well beyond the community holes. I just need to retire so I can spend more time on the water and less time at work. Soon.
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The water downstream of the Collinsville dam is lightly fished and has some solid wild browns to tangle with!
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Fished the higher water last night right in Riverton. I generally don't fish up that way so it was nice to land a few despite the bump in flow. (Up 300 cfs from the previous day)
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When you think you have a pb brown....and instead it's a giant sucker....
(https://i.postimg.cc/pp7ngTgM/20210507-131100.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/pp7ngTgM)
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When you think you have a pb brown....and instead it's a giant sucker....
(https://i.postimg.cc/pp7ngTgM/20210507-131100.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/pp7ngTgM)
Haha, definitely disappointing when you think it’s a brown, but man do those suckers fight hard!
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Haha, definitely disappointing when you think it’s a brown, but man do those suckers fight hard!
Hope you kept it for belly strip trailer and chum :D
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I let him go. I think the area I was in will be good for trapping bait when it warms up.
(https://i.postimg.cc/mh7VT05X/20210508-123920.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mh7VT05X)
Had a few hours this morning. Landed one bow that was about 4lbs...one fin rotten. The tiger was really good looking!
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Nice tiger! Do you run into those often? And what do you mean by rotten fin? Like a stocker fin that wore off in the tank?
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Not too often. Yes one of its fins was like melted off. Pretty gross. For a heavy trout it fought like crap too!
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Got out 12-330. Lost count. Mostly bows, and strangely more brookies than browns. Flow was a bit high still which I enjoyed.
One fish came unstuck and got me. Thankful for barbless...
(https://i.postimg.cc/1n9wYP4W/20210509-133006.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1n9wYP4W)
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Caddis hatch has begun. Had some spinner falls as well last night. Flow 1000 cfs or so fishing the lower end of the farmington. All browns last night which was odd!
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Another evening of caddis. Caught a couple handfuls. One brown was really nice. Wild roughly 20". Hit the tag fly. Wanted a pic badly but the line for my point fly wrapped around his head several times taking all the seconds I had for a pic.
Pat we gotta go soon!
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The 5am to 9 session was better than the 2-6 session. Good day. Caught a lot of bows like this one.
(https://i.postimg.cc/Vrm4Tdbx/20210516-061044.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Vrm4Tdbx)
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Fished 6 to 9 on the housy last night and caught mostly wild browns. Nothing huge but it didn't matter because of how they fight. Always reminds me of big stripers because they weave around stuff and actively try to break your leader. I've hooked a couple admirable browns in the housy I had no chance of landing...maybe one day...
Tonight was another great caddis night but on the Farmington. Fished 5 to 8. Lots of brookies in the second spot I fished. The trout are moving into my favorite water. Fast shallow white water. When the right flies land they get smashed instantaneously.
(https://i.postimg.cc/PvhptqT8/20210520-192702.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PvhptqT8)
(https://i.postimg.cc/dZB7DKVN/20210520-182801.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dZB7DKVN)
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Sounds like some great action!
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Another decent night on the housy. Highlight was a wild brown of about 18". That and I fell...hard....getting down to the water down a rock wall. Hit my knee pretty hard. Was happy I didn't rip my waders...
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Finally had a few hours to fish after work yesterday. Hit one of my favorite sections of the west branch of the Westfield. Water was much more fish able than last time I visited and I was able to bring a nice brown and a rainbow to hand. Lost a much bigger brown at the net and had a few other takes. Was also visited by a very curious beaver who was in the process of damming up one of the better pools on the river. Feel like there needs to be an open season on them with all of the new lodges and dams I’m seeing.
Adipose would make you think it’s wild or a holdover but I’m leaning toward stocked.
(https://i.postimg.cc/tZ8RFMx8/A86556-AE-7-AEE-4195-B33-F-8506-B17-ECCC6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tZ8RFMx8)
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I need a net just for better pics. Great work Pat. On the farmy tonight if you are around.
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Got out to the west branch again once the sun popped out of the clouds yesterday evening. There was an insane caddis hatch but nothing seemed to be coming up to the surface. I got my biggest rainbow I’ve caught in a while and one other smaller one with a couple of misses mixed in. Fished 3 different sections of river and saw a GD beaver in every spot.
(https://i.postimg.cc/2VnGJWvt/625-F4-B6-A-40-A2-4403-929-C-4-ED92-FBB1-F03.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/2VnGJWvt)
(https://i.postimg.cc/S25V07DB/ACC9-C817-84-D0-444-D-A73-E-968765608835.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/S25V07DB)
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Beautiful bows!
How were the stream levels? Was it roaring?
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Beautiful bows!
How were the stream levels? Was it roaring?
Thanks Jim! The main stem was extremely high. The west branch was fishable but much higher than it was last week when I went there. The east and west branches will be back to normal in a couple of days as they don't have as many tribs to keep them high. For a worm fisherman I'd think you would like higher flows due to the run off naturally bringing worms into the equation. I caught one of my best browns on a worm in the west branch.
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Looking good Pat. I fished last night, not a sniff. Previous night 1 bow. High water has slowed me down.
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Looking good Pat. I fished last night, not a sniff. Previous night 1 bow. High water has slowed me down.
I tried briefly last night as well. Same story.
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I tried briefly last night as well. Same story.
I should have over-weighted and fished longer tippet but just wanted to get out. Sulphurs and iso's starting to pop near the end of the tma.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/9z7DwnpH/20210705-063801.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9z7DwnpH)
(https://i.postimg.cc/grm0r2n8/20210704-174449.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/grm0r2n8)
(https://i.postimg.cc/9zbQ9H7S/20210705-062341.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/9zbQ9H7S)
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Great mixed bag, Jon!
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Thanks Mike.
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Glad to see you're fishing (and posting) again.
Nice fishies too!
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I like that brown, great looking fish.
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Thanks guys. I've been getting out just been extremely busy with the little guy so I haven't been online.
Bart that's one of the larger browns I've landed on the fly. Jig streamer. Great fight.
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Dusting the cobwebs off and back into the night trout game. Night creatures galore last night on the housy. Missed a decent brown before it got dark. Then nothing but night creature noises to keep me on my toes. 1200 cfs...really would be ideal at 900 especially wading at night. Bwo's dominated the dusk hatch but dont fish dries.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FkgwV1YC/20211014-102310.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FkgwV1YC)
(https://i.postimg.cc/3dYsJjqs/20211013-190442.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/3dYsJjqs)
Looking forward to getting after some streamer browns in the coming weeks.
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Love this, Jon. Not a lot of people are willing to put in the work after dark. Cool that you're giving it a solid effort. Good luck and hope you stick a pig.
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I'm just glad tp see someone else if still fresh water fishing (and posting about it).
I hope you nail them your next time out.
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I have spent the last week out in CO for my son's "None-Covid" wedding. I did not get all that much fishing in but still had a great time and some of the spots were breathtaking...
(https://i.imgur.com/yDErc37l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/uedhsJbl.jpg)
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Beautiful fish and country. Really wish I was into fishing in college like I am now since I went out to CO, Utah and Whistler. I saw fliers for wild steelhead fishing in Whistler but back then I didn't even know it was something you could do in the winter.
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I'm just glad tp see someone else if still fresh water fishing (and posting about it).
I hope you nail them your next time out.
I'm back on the DL. Pretty frustrating to not be able to fish my favorite time of year. Have over a week off to fish the Salmon River in late November but don't think I'll be wading by then. Fingers crossed.
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I'm back on the DL. Pretty frustrating to not be able to fish my favorite time of year. Have over a week off to fish the Salmon River in late November but don't think I'll be wading by then. Fingers crossed.
Sailing Sat and Sunday for tog, bring a folding chair and youll be fine!
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I have spent the last week out in CO for my son's "None-Covid" wedding. I did not get all that much fishing in but still had a great time and some of the spots were breathtaking...
(https://i.imgur.com/yDErc37l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/uedhsJbl.jpg)
Looking good Allan!
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Love this, Jon. Not a lot of people are willing to put in the work after dark. Cool that you're giving it a solid effort. Good luck and hope you stick a pig.
I love it. More fun to go with a buddy as things tend to feel less spooky with backup. Westwrnmass and I have gone together and had a riot of a night. Lots of hits not many hookups.
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Great brookie and congrats on your son's wedding. Not easy pulling weddings off nowadays, my youngest just got married in July after postponing for a year.
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Before Covid my son and bride to be put a bunch of money down to rent out a whole lodge (SilverPick), covid closed the lodge and they would only put off for a year, but not give the money back... So last year we flew out for a small "Covid Wedding", it was very nice (and MUCH cheaper). This year most of her family came for this wedding, a much bigger, more expensive and party in to the morning, celebration happened... But with less fishing.
(https://i.imgur.com/zcxSk4Wl.jpg)
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Cool stuff. Been to Colorado once but didn't fish, need to go back some day. And congrats to them.
Anyways, I can finally contribute a little to this thread. Just picked up a fly rod a few months ago and have barley had time to use it. Went out on a local stocked pond earlier today and was getting more of a feel for it. Ended up with 5 sunnies (biggest 9-10") and no trout. Was still a ton of fun. Still have some kinks to work out and a lot to learn but I will say I think I'm starting to go down a whole new rabbit hole in my fishing habit.
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I threw the 8w for a bit yesterday when albies approached the boat while blackfishing. I didnt hook up.
Great pic Allan.
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Still at it. Couple bigger specimens.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FY6bwCRH/20211211-083722.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FY6bwCRH)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gw6ypyXq/20211211-070603.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gw6ypyXq)
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Still at it. Couple bigger specimens.
Kudos! Very impressive that (a) you are still at it and (b) the fish in the stream are still biting at this late stage of the year.
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Thanks Jim. They were in slow moving water on the bottom. You can catch them all year but the so called "bite windows" get smaller and smaller. Some of my best river days in the winter are when its snowing.
I can think if a few pools you showed me where they should be stacked. The one with the cliff in particular.
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Thanks Jim. They were in slow moving water on the bottom. You can catch them all year but the so called "bite windows" get smaller and smaller. Some of my best river days in the winter are when its snowing.
I can think if a few pools you showed me where they should be stacked. The one with the cliff in particular.
Yeah, but I'll have to fix my chest waders to fish it. Fortunately, I recently bought a can of Flex Paste, so that'll be my project for Christmas break,
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For cheap money loon makes uv wader repair that works well. I have a pair of simms freestone breathables with a small leak collecting dust. All yours if you want them.
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Still at it. Couple bigger specimens.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FY6bwCRH/20211211-083722.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FY6bwCRH)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gw6ypyXq/20211211-070603.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gw6ypyXq)
Solid fish right there, way to keep it going.
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Might annoint myself in the farmington this evening once were at max temps.
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Dusted off the long rod gear and hit a couple spots on the upper Farmington. The catching was slow but I was focusing on areas that hadnt been stocked yet. Felt good to get out. 2 rainbows landed one on the 6w fishing and indicator in deep slow water and 1 on the 3w euro nymphing. Looking forward to the season progressing and really looking forward to hopper dropper season!
(https://i.postimg.cc/JGvhvCYS/20220319-071434.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/JGvhvCYS)
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Good stuff man. Might need to make my way up as I'm getting anxious and down here in RI all rivers/ waters deemed to be trout stocked are closed until the 2nd Saturday in April. I know of some of the rivers in Mass, not too familiar with them yet but that's all part of the adventure
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Dusted off the long rod gear and hit a couple spots on the upper Farmington. The catching was slow but I was focusing on areas that hadnt been stocked yet. Felt good to get out. 2 rainbows landed one on the 6w fishing and indicator in deep slow water and 1 on the 3w euro nymphing. Looking forward to the season progressing and really looking forward to hopper dropper season!
Congratulations on your maiden outing for the season.
I'm amazed at how early they stock down that way (even if you weren't fishing the sections where they stocked).
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Yes Jim they start early. If I want to avoid them I hit the housy which only gets stocked in the fall.
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Sorry if I'm off-topic, but has anyone used the DRYFT brand of waders? They seem to be one of the only brands that has a fit for my short, round body and size 10 shoe. The waders I've tried that fit my belly were for a 7 foot tall person with a size 15 foot.
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The guys that make lively legs are big fans. Ive wanted to try them because I have had seam leaks in every pair of simms Ive owned, even the g3's and g4's.
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What's up people of the fishfinder forum!?!?! Ill be doing some fly-fishing in the next few days so as long as I remember how to fish, ill have some pics.
Everyone doing well?
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All good here Mike! I fished some wild brown trout water yesterday and got the skunk!
(https://i.postimg.cc/8fjx3z11/20220327-170748.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8fjx3z11)
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My plan is to hit the Chu Sunday morning and then go uncover our new boat...
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Got skunked (again) on the Hoosic but managed to "save face" by catching a whopping (4") brookie (LOL) on a smaller stream this past weekend.
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Trouting this time of year can be feast or famine. Small but concentrated bite windows.
Allan thats awesome. I need to finish paying my slip fees and get a new lower on the big boat.
Jim it wasnt for lack of effort I am sure.
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This is as urban as I like to get and the farthest south I fish the farmington. I started 18 miles upstream for zero hits Sunday afternoon before heading south. First spot 600 cfs not bad. South almost 1100 and tricky wading. One bow one brown and thats all she wrote. Krelex jig streamer on the 3w.
(https://i.postimg.cc/hX1KwMG4/20220403-155652.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hX1KwMG4)
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This is as urban as I like to get and the farthest south I fish the farmington. I started 18 miles upstream for zero hits Sunday afternoon before heading south. First spot 600 cfs not bad. South almost 1100 and tricky wading. One bow one brown and thats all she wrote. Krelex jig streamer on the 3w.
(https://i.postimg.cc/hX1KwMG4/20220403-155652.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hX1KwMG4)
Nice work Jon. I only had a couple of hours Sunday and hit my local freestones. Although they stated they had stocked I would have guessed otherwise unless they stocked skunks! There were a considerable amount of bugs coming off the water, mostly small black stones and some cased caddis on the rocks, but I didn't see nor hook anything. I tried a handful of spots over a few hours and called it quits before the weather rolled in.
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After doing some yardwork Saturday before the rain started I figured I would hit the local freestones that have been stocked. I started up close to Jim's neck of the woods in the Windsor/Cummington area of the Westfield branches. The rain started right when I exited the truck and I struck out on the first few spots I tried. I decided to work my way back toward the Huntington area and hit one of my regular spots on the west branch. I don't frequent this spot to often as it takes some bush wacking to get into but it paid off. I landed 3 nice bows and dropped a couple of others. 2 of the bows fought well and were around 14" but were thick and even pulled some drag.
(https://i.postimg.cc/NyfT2KhL/3155-AEDF-445-E-4-D24-80-AC-31-C0-EBD47786.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/NyfT2KhL)
(https://i.postimg.cc/xcDzyxrw/6472-AD72-DD1-B-49-FC-827-D-9809-FD618976.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/xcDzyxrw)
(https://i.postimg.cc/LhZPPdWk/6-C9-AA91-A-47-C4-43-CD-9112-F8086-DE7-C957.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LhZPPdWk)
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Nice Pat. We need to link up soon and beat up the farmington.
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Finally a double digit morning. Found a pod of stockies and let them have it. They were eating the dropper (sexy walts) and the point fly (pats rubber legs) equally. Cold morning but it didnt matter. Also caught this oddball. I know people like the novelty I hate these dumb things....
(https://i.postimg.cc/4Hc5Dbct/20220421-081220.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4Hc5Dbct)
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Finally a double digit morning. Found a pod of stockies and let them have it. They were eating the dropper (sexy walts) and the point fly (pats rubber legs) equally. Cold morning but it didnt matter. Also caught this oddball. I know people like the novelty I hate these dumb things....
(https://i.postimg.cc/4Hc5Dbct/20220421-081220.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4Hc5Dbct)
Two things.
First, there's really a fly called a "sexy walts"? Really?
Second, what is the oddball? It looks kinda like a rainbow, but where did the orange come from?
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Two things.
First, there's really a fly called a "sexy walts"? Really?
Second, what is the oddball? It looks kinda like a rainbow, but where did the orange come from?
People call them golden trout. I don't know the technical name.
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Palmino is what some people call them. Funny thing is the water was so high I couldnt see the fish, normally you can pick them out pretty easy.
Jim - walts worm = no hot spot (bright collar of thread near the bead) Sexy walts = hot spot.
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Two things.
First, there's really a fly called a "sexy walts"? Really?
Second, what is the oddball? It looks kinda like a rainbow, but where did the orange come from?
It's another cross breed similar to a tiger trout. It is the product of breeding rainbows with golden trout.
The names of flies have become increasingly ridiculous IMO. As evidence of Kelly Galloup's Sex Dungeon streamer. It started out as a walt's worm and they added colored thread to the collar and now its a "sexy walts".
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Got out after work yesterday for a little over a hour and put a hurting on some stockers. I managed to pull in 7 rainbows in the 11-14” range. We could already use some rain or freestone fishing won’t last long.
(https://i.postimg.cc/FkkszRf9/96-E04-F38-4693-4497-8-F15-4-F1067-AA87-CA.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/FkkszRf9)
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Seven fish in a little over an hour is one helluva day in my book! Congratulations!
While you may well be right, I'm a little surprised you're worried about a lack of rain because the streams in my neck of the woods still seemed kinda "up" today - - although I admit it's still early in the season.
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Got out yesterday am and lost count by 730 on recently stocked pellet heads. One wild brown to make my day.
(https://i.postimg.cc/N9DCK4Yh/20220501-062105.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/N9DCK4Yh)
(https://i.postimg.cc/LqMxv78K/20220501-060909.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LqMxv78K)
(https://i.postimg.cc/mP7wcwNd/20220501-063257.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/mP7wcwNd)
Healthy bows. Jim this was the big rock spot we fished on the farmington in peoples forest.
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Got out yesterday am and lost count by 730 on recently stocked pellet heads. One wild brown to make my day.
Healthy bows. Jim this was the big rock spot we fished on the farmington in peoples forest.
Great looking fish! Sounds like an awesome day out on the stream,
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Got out yesterday am and lost count by 730 on recently stocked pellet heads. One wild brown to make my day.
Nice fish! Hoping to have similar success on the Deerfield in a couple weeks.
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Nice fish! Hoping to have similar success on the Deerfield in a couple weeks.
Good luck. Always willing to show you what I know on the farmington. Usually euro nymphing but do it all aside from drys.
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Good luck. Always willing to show you what I know on the farmington. Usually euro nymphing but do it all aside from drys.
For the Deerfield trip, was thinking about picking up an entry-level Echo 10' 3 wt. Otherwise I'll be nymphing with an older 9' 4wt that I don't particularly enjoy any more. (For dries and streamers, I have a couple sweet Sage setups.)
I'd love to try the Farmington sometime, thanks for the offer.
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Ive heard good things about the Echo, dont think you could go wrong there.
I made it out this evening on the housy. 4 rainbows, 1 brown. 1040 cfs, first time it was low enough to wade safely. Nymphed first then threw a mouse for a bit. Mouse got popped once but no fish.
(https://i.postimg.cc/bZrfj20D/20220502-191156.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bZrfj20D)
(https://i.postimg.cc/7fxymRfN/20220502-192431.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/7fxymRfN)
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Fished last night on the housy, flow wnet up a bit to 1180 but was managable. 3 browns and 3 bows. A nice night with clouds and showers. I think the challenging wading and the largeness of the river makes for an exciting evening.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dh6wyDsc/20220504-181407.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dh6wyDsc)
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Fished last night on the housy, flow wnet up a bit to 1180 but was managable. 3 browns and 3 bows. A nice night with clouds and showers. I think the challenging wading and the largeness of the river makes for an exciting evening.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dh6wyDsc/20220504-181407.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dh6wyDsc)
Do they stock bows in the housy down near you? I believe in MA they only stock browns as they thought the pollution from GE up that way wouldn't allow trout to survive. They then found wild browns reproducing up there and decided to supplement those with stocked brown trout only. I did get a good sized bow last year up in Lee but that's the only one that I have seen before.
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Yes they do. Those fish dont seem to stick around though. State and privately stocked via a club but only a small section of the housy. Bows ive been getting are smaller, some have really nice par marks. The wild brown size potential is really solid in this stretch. Caught a few over 20" last year.
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Caught a few over 20" last year.
Very nice....were those on mice?
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Very nice....were those on mice?
No those were nymph fish during caddis/sulphur hatches during the day. I mouse the housy in a very limited fashion because I am generally alone and the wading is difficult.
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Made it out today from 2 to 530 on the farmington. Probably landed around 20 between 4 pools. Hendrickson spinner falls were making the trout aggressive but only in a couple pools. Biggest brown took a bmar hendrickson nymph. Also Im tired of leaky simms waders. Time to send them back.
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Biggest brown took a bmar hendrickson nymph.
Just checked out Bruce's website and watched a tying video. Great stuff. Looks like he sells nice flies at a very fair price.
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His stuff is good. We spoke about going on a dry fly trip because its one thing I dont do a ton of and could be better at. Upcountry sells his flies.
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Got into a few fish on the housy this afternoon. Two bows were large.
(https://i.postimg.cc/gXkwV9qP/20220510-152515.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gXkwV9qP)
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Got into a few fish on the housy this afternoon. Two bows were large.
(https://i.postimg.cc/gXkwV9qP/20220510-152515.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gXkwV9qP)
Wow the colors on that bow are stunning!
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Wow the colors on that bow are stunning!
X2!
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I got out for some stripers on the long rod over the weekend. I started off on the south facing beaches Sunday with my surfcasting gear but timed the tide wrong wasn't about to wait for it to turn while also casting in a stiff wind. I opted to take 45 minute ride down the coast to what I hoped was a secluded estuary but the wind didn't care. I did catch the tide right but couldn't cast all that far with the long rod. I was able to get a few casts out to the drop off that I like to target and came tight with two small stripers. It is a little later than typical for me but I got the saltwater skunk off. Now I'm looking forward to cuttyhunk in a few weeks.
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Good stuff Pat.
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And it begins. I hope to get out there next week, way to break the ice.
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Made it out from 1230 to 6. Good bite in the pools I fished. Flow is a bit low. Lots of fat rainbows.
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Decided to let the Memorial Day crowds disperse before I ventured out to fish yesterday. The farmy is starting to become an absolute zoo, sorry Jon. Arrived at the river at like 730 and drove around checking spots for close to an hour but there were multiple people at each pull off. I tried a dry for a bit w no luck and decided to wait for dark. Place cleared out at dark and fished two runs all to myself. I hooked two fish on mice, had two other blow ups and landed one nice wild (I believe) brown of about 17”. Put up a good fight but the other one I lost felt much larger as they always do. Hooked both actually on the swinging w almost no movement on the retrieve.
(https://i.postimg.cc/dk9LmY1N/0046781-D-C887-4963-8301-7-D88-F2-C6-B967.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dk9LmY1N)
(https://i.postimg.cc/SYNjgvYS/05-EDE415-513-A-4-ACD-ABD7-73-B53-DAAFB95.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/SYNjgvYS)
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Great job Pat, love to see it! Its been quiet where I have been fishing at the tail end of the tma.
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Decided to let the Memorial Day crowds disperse before I ventured out to fish [the farmy] yesterday. . . . I hooked two fish on mice, had two other blow ups and landed one nice wild (I believe) brown of about 17”. Put up a good fight but the other one I lost felt much larger as they always do.
Wow, congratulations! A 17" brown is one helluva fish.
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Made it out to the Deerfield Monday evening with my father. We were on the water at 4pm but there wasn’t much happening in the broad sunlight as expected, but as soon as we found a deeper pool in the shade we started catching fish. There was a very light mixed hatch that had the fish looking up but not selective. We were getting rises to mayfly, caddis, and various emerger patterns plus one I picked up swinging a wet. After a while a young couple on a float boat came through, and we were content with the amount of action we had, so we let them have the pool and moved upstream to a pool we don’t fish often. As evening turned to dusk and then to dark a steady rise of several fish came about and we were each able to pick off one more fish at the second pool. My total count was nine fish, 3 stocked browns, 2 wild browns, and 4 rainbows. Dad landed 5 including a heavy 17 inch brown. All in dries except for the one swinging a wet. One of the best days of the season so far and it gonna be a hard one to beat
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Thats a good day. I went to the housy last night with the intention on mousing (pat motivated me) but I went too early and had a decent bite euro-nymphing so I went back early. Need to get out there when its pitch black.
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That is a heck of an evening on the Deerfield. Congrats on getting them on dries. It is not something that I tend to get large numbers using.
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Had a memorable night Monday night....I was bringing in a small native brown that was smashed by a giant brown on the surface and missed. Naturally I dropped the poor guy back a bit and he got gobbled but with only 2 #16 flies I knew I wasnt landing the big brown which was only attached to my line by its desire to hold onto and consume the smaller brown. I let things settle for 35 minutes or so fishing another run, switched to a jig streamer, hooked the big greedy brown and fought it for a while before losing it yet again. Id estimate it was easily 19-20". Book marked the spot mentally for mousing. That brown is a meat eater for sure.
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Very cool!
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Had a memorable night Monday night....I was bringing in a small native brown that was smashed by a giant brown on the surface and missed. . .. . Id estimate it was easily 19-20". . . .
Out of curiousity, how big was the small brown?
I cann't recall ever seeing a big trout actually gobble up a small one.
Definitely an interesting experience.
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Where we go in Maine you always play out those 4 to 6 inch brookies because they are on the menu for great grandfather brookies. Pretty cool maybe next time you'll get him
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Had a memorable night Monday night....I was bringing in a small native brown that was smashed by a giant brown on the surface and missed. Naturally I dropped the poor guy back a bit and he got gobbled but with only 2 #16 flies I knew I wasnt landing the big brown which was only attached to my line by its desire to hold onto and consume the smaller brown. I let things settle for 35 minutes or so fishing another run, switched to a jig streamer, hooked the big greedy brown and fought it for a while before losing it yet again. Id estimate it was easily 19-20". Book marked the spot mentally for mousing. That brown is a meat eater for sure.
That brown will pay next trip!!😈🎣
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Out of curiousity, how big was the small brown?
I cann't recall ever seeing a big trout actually gobble up a small one.
Definitely an interesting experience.
Maybe 5 to 6" max.
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First northshore striper trip last night. Brought the 10w with a fast sinktip and got a skunk, onshore wind and that sinking line made me quit fast. So I jigged and missed a couple bass. My buddy landed 2. Fished 9pm-1am. Tripped an hour in and got pretty wet and cold and kept going. Had the entire beach to ourselves.
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First northshore striper trip last night. Brought the 10w with a fast sinktip and got a skunk, onshore wind and that sinking line made me quit fast. So I jigged and missed a couple bass. My buddy landed 2. Fished 9pm-1am. Tripped an hour in and got pretty wet and cold and kept going. Had the entire beach to ourselves.
Sounds like a great night to me
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I skipped out fathers day evening and had a good night including what I think may be my pb rainbow on the 3w. Excuse the poor pic it fought for so long I knew I didnt have much time. 5/6lbs.
(https://i.postimg.cc/RJ1TY1hd/20220619-174927.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RJ1TY1hd)
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I skipped out fathers day evening and had a good night including what I think may be my pb rainbow on the 3w. Excuse the poor pic it fought for so long I knew I didnt have much time. 5/6lbs.
Beautiful fish!
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Beautiful fish!
I fished the goose pool yesterday and was surprised there were 0 smallies. Maybe for the best as the native browns were chewing. Did you make it back there on fathers day? I waded down from a couple miles upstream, not sure how grown in the trail is/was.
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I skipped out fathers day evening and had a good night including what I think may be my pb rainbow on the 3w. Excuse the poor pic it fought for so long I knew I didnt have much time. 5/6lbs.
(https://i.postimg.cc/RJ1TY1hd/20220619-174927.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RJ1TY1hd)
Cool looking trout, no dots.
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Cool looking trout, no dots.
What tickles my curiosity is this river can support native browns that large, there are native bows but to a lessor extent. I think thats a slobbly stockie but wouldnt it be cool if it was a giant wild bow. Unlikely but fun to think about.
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I skipped out fathers day evening and had a good night including what I think may be my pb rainbow on the 3w. Excuse the poor pic it fought for so long I knew I didnt have much time. 5/6lbs.
Nice catch and gorgeous colors on that fish! Must have been a hoot on the 3.
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What tickles my curiosity is this river can support native browns that large, there are native bows but to a lessor extent. I think thats a slobbly stockie but wouldnt it be cool if it was a giant wild bow. Unlikely but fun to think about.
Out of curiousity, have you caught any good-sized brookies on the Farmington, presumably near the mouth of smaller streams flowing into it?
Or are there "just" browns and rainbows (and small mouth, of course)?
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Out of curiousity, have you caught any good-sized brookies on the Farmington, presumably near the mouth of smaller streams flowing into it?
Or are there "just" browns and rainbows (and small mouth, of course)?
Yes there are. I have caught a few this season in the stretch you fished. Not that big, I think Ive topped out around 15-17" which are respectable.
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Interesting night on the housy 2 nights ago. Nailed some smallies on streamers then switched to iso dries which got gobbled up by more bass, the trout ignored them. Evening turned to night and I switched to a mouse...never would have guessed it but a respectable rock bass ate the mouse. Greedy guy!
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Got back from a 10 year old bday party Saturday around 930 and had the itch to fish so I packed up the fly rod plus a couple of mouse flies and headed to the farmy. I fished my usual stretch that has been productive for me. I hooked what felt like a really small fish in the first half hour but heard a few other fish rise in that time. They may have been eating fireflies as the amount out that night was oddly captivating. After an hour I finally landed about a 15” brown that fought well for its size. I hooked another that came off due to its violent head shakes. I called it quits around midnight. I’ll take 1/3 for a few hours of mousing.
(https://i.postimg.cc/QKJJwqw2/211-FEDAA-8-BEA-462-A-95-CC-7-A1656444-A4-E.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/QKJJwqw2)
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Nice brown, you have to get your time in when you can.
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Nice brown, you have to get your time in when you can.
Thanks, hoping one of these times its something over 20". The guy I get the mice flies has 2 larger sizes and a rat fly with stinger hook in the tail that I may need to get to entice some larger fish.
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never would have guessed it but a respectable rock bass ate the mouse. Greedy guy!
Get them on 5/8 Jitterbugs all the time...
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Get them on 5/8 Jitterbugs all the time...
They must feed at night a lot. It is the only species I've ever caught ice fishing Congamond at night. Granted I have only tried a handful of times.
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Get them a bunch on the Conn. River thru the ice and open water...
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Got back from a 10 year old bday party Saturday around 930 and had the itch to fish so I packed up the fly rod plus a couple of mouse flies and headed to the farmy. I fished my usual stretch that has been productive for me. I hooked what felt like a really small fish in the first half hour but heard a few other fish rise in that time. They may have been eating fireflies as the amount out that night was oddly captivating. After an hour I finally landed about a 15” brown that fought well for its size. I hooked another that came off due to its violent head shakes. I called it quits around midnight. I’ll take 1/3 for a few hours of mousing.
It sounds like the fish really made you work for what you caught!
I'm always ambivalent about days (or, for that matter, nights) like that.
On the one hand, I am grateful that I caught anything at all, but on the other I'm disappointed that I didn't do better.
So I can relate to what you went through.
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I went last night to the housy and caught another rock bass on a mouse. Mouse hits were lacking, probably due to the massive sulphur hatch before darkness fell. I was bailing trout euro nymphing and switched to the mouse for a bit. That bite sucked so I went to a big 5" streamer and caught some bows. I haven't broken out the glowing fly line yet, maybe tonight! (Scientific anglers makes it, super helpful to see where the end of your cast lands)
I can appreciate your recent success Pat. Night fishing for trout is a lonely mostly boring game outside of weird things scaring you. (Last night it was a heron for me).
If you want that 20" you gotta switch rivers!
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Thanks, hoping one of these times its something over 20". The guy I get the mice flies has 2 larger sizes and a rat fly with stinger hook in the tail that I may need to get to entice some larger fish.
The mice I see running accross rt 7 in cornwall are decent size. Def bigger than the size mouse we got from that guide. I have some whoppers from flyfishfood that I havent deployed yet.
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lowaccord66, let me know if you want to do a night trip on the Deerfield some time...
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lowaccord66, let me know if you want to do a night trip on the Deerfield some time...
Never fished it. Lets plan something.
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Jon thanks for the company last night. Having a friend at night sure reduces the anxiety levels. Unfortunately I think the air temps and lack of cloud cover limited our success. I did get my biggest trout yet using the mouse but action was pretty limited.
Few different looks at the same fish.
(https://i.postimg.cc/hXqTWSLV/4-B1427-FB-CCE5-4-C59-86-F9-37703117-B907.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/hXqTWSLV)
(https://i.postimg.cc/K1rLmdfw/92-D3-DCF8-B2-C1-4639-95-EF-B985-CDD3-C548.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K1rLmdfw)
(https://i.postimg.cc/HJYMnBPx/B67-E93-A4-7589-4-C9-F-8-FA2-233-EF197-D636.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HJYMnBPx)
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Fun night. Congrats on a great fish. I fished until a bit past one and only had one more hit.
Just got back from the housy, wanted to stay out longer but im out of juice.
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Nice work fellas.
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Pretty fish, almost looks like it has some tiger trout stripes mixed in.
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Fished 7am to 9pm yesterday. Started on the housy but way up in mass on a suggestion from Pat. Mopped the browns up quickly catching a half dozen in a seam right near the access. That made me curious. Several miles later and several more brown trout brought me to 2ish. Then I drove an hour south and hit the farmington. That was slow but I landed a couple before heading back to the housy near home to wrap up. Most of the decent fish ate a size 18 higas sos. Quite the day.
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Great day on the water!
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Nice brown pics, and sounds like you all are on a good run of fish :)
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Nice brown pics, and sounds like you all are on a good run of fish :)
Spoiled by two great rivers in the state. Come on down Z!
Its ironic but I left my phone in my truck only to have one of the best wild brown days of my life. The blue dots on the cheeks were epic.
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Fished 7am to 9pm yesterday. Started on the housy but way up in mass on a suggestion from Pat. Mopped the browns up quickly catching a half dozen in a seam right near the access. That made me curious. Several miles later and several more brown trout brought me to 2ish. Then I drove an hour south and hit the farmington. That was slow but I landed a couple before heading back to the housy near home to wrap up. Most of the decent fish ate a size 18 higas sos. Quite the day.
Glad to hear the suggested spot worked out. The flow always seems to stay up higher in the berkshires. Freestone fishing in the pioneer valley is all but done for the year with the lack of rain. I didn't wet a line this weekend so maybe I'll give the mouse another shot later this week.
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That's really cool. Thanks for sharing.
There's a river in Michigan called the Au Sable (I think NY has one with the same name). I've only fished it once in the day time but a couple of friends caught some monster browns there at night. Some they didn't land because they took them into some deadfalls. I think they were using mouse patterns too. During the day you won't catch them.
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Had quite the evening last night. 1/4 mile of boiling stripers and the 8w. Broke off on a larger one probably 20/30lbs but not before it roasted my fingers pulling the fly line. Good fun. O albies.
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Very nice! What were the stripers on?
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Peanuts and what looked to be spearing.
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The little stuff...
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Sweet! Did you have to match the hatch, or where they still hitting decent sized presentations?
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Sweet! Did you have to match the hatch, or where they still hitting decent sized presentations?
Not exactly but kind of. Everything I threw was a couple inches max. First was sandeel and they didnt touch it. Then the fly I had was an umqua peanut bunker. Dead ringer that got smoked and its what I broke off on. Then I went old school with the clouser. Lots of fun. I will get back out there for the albies.
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I see " O Albies" did you get into them as well Jon? Word on the street is you cannot get away from them this season but this storm may change everything. Unlike a pond where the fish stay in that body of water regardless of weather, the ocean is a beast and the fish do their own thing. My opinion is goodbye mr albie for at least a week or 2 if not for the season. However, if that storm stays off we should be ok.
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I missed them entirely...they will stick around and I only say that because theres a ton of them all the way in the western sound. Ive caught them late october tog fishing.
Speaking of Mike or anyone....if someone knows someone with a commercial tog license they want to sell I am all over it! I can only get restricted license in CT where you can only take 3 tog. Which makes it worthless. Mass, RI, CT, NY you need a license holder to transfer it to you.
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Smallies were fun on the long rod last night. Housy was about 1000 cfs and dirty but they didnt care.
(https://i.postimg.cc/t1gMw2Vh/20220923-171531.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/t1gMw2Vh)
(https://i.postimg.cc/gxs7gfrz/20220923-173552.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gxs7gfrz)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Lq0bpLzG/20220923-173811.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Lq0bpLzG)
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Smallies were fun on the long rod last night. Housy was about 1000 cfs and dirty but they didnt care.
Some real beauties! Congratulations
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Thanks Jim! My normal program was interrupted last night by big brown. Not the best pic.
(https://i.postimg.cc/gxh8s0Wg/IMG-20220925-191046-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gxh8s0Wg)
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My normal program was interrupted last night by big brown.
Nice problem to have! Great fish.
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Nice problem to have! Great fish.
Thanks Steve. I found some sipping tricos but I dont play that game well so I just watched them rise.
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Nice colors in the smb’s, and that’s a sweet brown! Wild fish?
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No elastomer Z so I assume so. Nit many holdovers at all this season the water got low and very warm.
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Slow afternoon in the low flows. Caught 1 decent wild brown on a stone fly and 2 smaller browns. Took a picture of a rock on a long walk back.
(https://i.postimg.cc/nXzM1TJK/20221002-183326.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/nXzM1TJK)
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The fall colors... Soon if not already to many leaves in the water to fish...
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The fall colors... Soon if not already to many leaves in the water to fish...
Going to be a sucky leaf hatch if flows stay this low. MDC/Army Corps and the State are in battles regarding whos controlling the dam because MDC's charter expired...subsequently they've left the dam at the minimum legal flow.
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Going to be a sucky leaf hatch if flows stay this low. MDC/Army Corps and the State are in battles regarding whos controlling the dam because MDC's charter expired...subsequently they've left the dam at the minimum legal flow.
Ouch. Good thing its tog season.
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Ouch. Good thing its tog season.
Yup. Just have to get through a week in MN for work first.
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Went yesterday morning from 5-11. Nearly got skunked. 1 smallie on a stone fly. The water was full of leaves and other junk. Saw a couple of rises but you'd think the river was empty. Funny for a river that averages over 2000 trout a mile.
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Went yesterday morning from 5-11. Nearly got skunked. 1 smallie on a stone fly. The water was full of leaves and other junk. Saw a couple of rises but you'd think the river was empty. Funny for a river that averages over 2000 trout a mile.
I assume you were on the farmy. I've hit the housy in MA for pike couple times in the last week without much to show for it. Landed a rat pike and 3lb larry for my efforts. I def didn't dress appropriately Saturday morning but I'm enjoying the cooler temps. Water down in the southern part of the state was super low. had to get out and drag my kayak over a couple spots.
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Definitely isn’t the finest form of fishing I’ve ever partaken in, but the stockies they put in some of the ponds around here have been willingly rising to a royal coachman. Fun to see rises in front of a fall foliage backdrop
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Definitely isn’t the finest form of fishing I’ve ever partaken in, but the stockies they put in some of the ponds around here have been willingly rising to a royal coachman. Fun to see rises in front of a fall foliage backdrop
The biggest challenge is launching the boat around all the locals fishing the launch for the recently stocked pellet heads.
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I assume you were on the farmy. I've hit the housy in MA for pike couple times in the last week without much to show for it. Landed a rat pike and 3lb larry for my efforts. I def didn't dress appropriately Saturday morning but I'm enjoying the cooler temps. Water down in the southern part of the state was super low. had to get out and drag my kayak over a couple spots.
Yes sir. Fished the housy yesterday and crushed them.
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Ouch. Good thing its tog season.
It was for me. Got out Monday, took a limit for me and a buddy. Moon tide got the best of me and now Ill be adding the second brand new lower to my suzuki....those tog filets cost about 6k....doh.
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I hope it was not the same set of rocks?
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I hope it was not the same set of rocks?
No this time it was in the CT river headed back to the slip.
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Bummer. I hope to get down for one more trip to the salt, will let you know if there is a spot on the boat...
Hope you are feeling better now.
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No this time it was in the CT river headed back to the slip.
. I think it’s time to find a new hobby.
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. . . Moon tide got the best of me and now Ill be adding the second brand new lower to my suzuki....those tog filets cost about 6k....doh.
Sorry to hear that. It certainly puts the $950 that I just spent for a new alternator for my car into perspective.
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Sorry to hear that. It certainly puts the $950 that I just spent for a new alternator for my car into perspective.
950 x 5 and Ill be back in the game. These things happen. Ive had some really solid trout fishing on the housy sincs then.
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No this time it was in the CT river headed back to the slip.
Sorry to hear that, CT River has those random rockpiles all over the place.
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Sorry to hear that, CT River has those random rockpiles all over the place.
Sure does and I typically dont fish in there so I have no clue where the unmarked ones are.
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I hit one a few years back but just dinged the prop a bit as I was going slow. Was lucky. Anytime I'm out of the middle of channel now I dump the trolling motor in. I've also way-pointed a number of them. You can actually see some (and they are labeled) on Google Maps satellite images. Hope you get back on the water. Prime time.
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We'll see Bart. I was told I snagged the last new lower for a df250 in North America. Meantime I've been beating on the trout pretty good.
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Fished the housy last night. Cloudy and drizzle with a flow around 800 made for a comfortable evening. Fishing was decent with a few stockers. I did get tricked by what I thought was a massive wild brown...that turned out to be a giant sucker. Thing almost ran me into my backing. Pats rubber legs on point with a waltz dropper performed rather equally. Leaf hatch was minimal without wind, still lots of leaves to drop.
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Leaf hatch, what an apt name...
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Leaf hatch, what an apt name...
Its how it seems every year. Some days are worse than others until they are all down.
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I remember one trip years ago we kept thinking the "Acorn Rises" were trout...
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I remember one trip years ago we kept thinking the "Acorn Rises" were trout...
That would trick me. Ive been known to send a dry fly or 2 in the direction of rises that turned out to be fallfish or even rockbass.
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Lol!
Here is a decent rainbow from Northern most NH, Pittsburg and from the trophy stretch. Felt good to pull 2 of these out on the fly rod considering 20 other guys fishing near me did not catch anything in the hour I was there. Nymphing.
(https://i.postimg.cc/XGSCmWjn/IMG-20221011-110637-226.webp) (https://postimg.cc/XGSCmWjn)
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Love it Mike! Have to have you come to my neck of the woods! Fishing has been good but I like it next month. Post spawn and streamers is a great time.
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Housy yesterday afternoon didnt let me down. Caught a few bows and a real nice tiger trout. All on a pats rubber legs. Flow was perfect and the water is clear. I want to throw big streamers but the 6w is broken and at thomas and thomas getting repaired.
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Housy yesterday afternoon didnt let me down. Caught a few bows and a real nice tiger trout. All on a pats rubber legs. Flow was perfect and the water is clear. I want to throw big streamers but the 6w is broken and at thomas and thomas getting repaired.
Bummer about the Thomas & Thomas.
Awesome about the tiger though. They're awfully rare, and they put up one helluva fight.
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Bummer about the Thomas & Thomas.
Awesome about the tiger though. They're awfully rare, and they put up one helluva fight.
Ive heard some guys say this is the first time they stocked them in the housy. I like them.
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Tigers are lots of fun, use to fish a Pond in NH that had them, and a few times they would be busted like Blue fish on pogies and just as easy to catch!
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Tigers are lots of fun, use to fish a Pond in NH that had them, and a few times they would be busted like Blue fish on pogies and just as easy to catch!
Not the salt but Ill take it. Thinking about doing some night time trout this evening.
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Best of luck! If I can get away (not looking good) I will run out for some possible walleye...
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It was for me. Got out Monday, took a limit for me and a buddy. Moon tide got the best of me and now Ill be adding the second brand new lower to my suzuki....those tog filets cost about 6k....doh.
Insurance?
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Insurance?
Only liability and towing but I am about to cancel it because progressive sucks and no one answered the one time I needed a tow....its ok Mac ill pay to have it fixed again and if I have a repeat for a third time Ill sell the boats and stick to fly fishing.
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Hit the swift a couple weekends ago in a drizzly Sunday. Sadly after my NY trip I never put my small nymph boxes back in my vest so I was throwing meat. Typical a fruitless effort in a tailwater where usually smaller is better. I annoyed one brown enough to get him to smash my small streamer. Was prob close to 20” and very solid.
Couple of crappy pics in the rain
(https://i.postimg.cc/8s3LW6sT/0-DCEE119-4018-4982-838-D-21-A1205120-D4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8s3LW6sT)
(https://i.postimg.cc/K1t7m8Gx/672-F2512-E87-F-4286-AB38-4-F6-E1-E9-EF517.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K1t7m8Gx)
(https://i.postimg.cc/G8gGXBQJ/7-AF78165-266-F-4-AB5-97-B5-A050-B689-E0-E6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/G8gGXBQJ)
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Nice job Pat and Mike (I'm ready for Tog, hit me up). I think they call the bright ones palmino's.
Have fun, I got a freezer full of Tog and Black sea bass. Both are delicious.
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Thats a great brown Pat. I fished the Farmington Saturday from 730 to 2pm. Left the euro setup in the truck and fished all streamers. Caught 2 browns. One small and one similar to the size of the one you just caught. Made my day. It was wet all day but the flow were nice.
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Thats a great brown Pat. I fished the Farmington Saturday from 730 to 2pm. Left the euro setup in the truck and fished all streamers. Caught 2 browns. One small and one similar to the size of the one you just caught. Made my day. It was wet all day but the flow were nice.
Awesome! Streamers aren't going to get you big numbers but I'll take one big buck brown over several dink stockers any day.
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Awesome! Streamers aren't going to get you big numbers but I'll take one big buck brown over several dink stockers any day.
I forgot how much I loved throwing them. The big brown was in that run we moused together, same run where I slaughtered euro nymphing with you that day. Theres some untouched big girls down there.
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Fished 2 to dark yesterday. Flows were up a bit. Water was cold! Not a sniff stripping or swinging streamers. Was good to be out.
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Off to the races. Got out first light yesterday morning and fished a few pools unsucessfully before nailing a stone fly eater of excellent size.
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZBF2kqmg/IMG-20230218-080826-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ZBF2kqmg)
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very nice!
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Off to the races. Got out first light yesterday morning and fished a few pools unsucessfully before nailing a stone fly eater of excellent size.
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZBF2kqmg/IMG-20230218-080826-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ZBF2kqmg)
Nicely done, Jon!!😎
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Nice 👍
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Off to the races. Got out first light yesterday morning and fished a few pools unsucessfully before nailing a stone fly eater of excellent size.
Sweet! Good going.
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Good job,nice trout.
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Off to the races. Got out first light yesterday morning and fished a few pools unsucessfully before nailing a stone fly eater of excellent size.
(https://i.postimg.cc/ZBF2kqmg/IMG-20230218-080826-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ZBF2kqmg)
Nice bow and great start. I've been off the grid, hibernating in Florida for a while and when I got back, with the warm weather up here, I couldn't wait to hit the Catskills. Went down Monday and did well on the browns. Now it's ice and snow again for the next week. :P
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Nice bow and great start. I've been off the grid, hibernating in Florida for a while and when I got back, with the warm weather up here, I couldn't wait to hit the Catskills. Went down Monday and did well on the browns. Now it's ice and snow again for the next week. :P
Thank you! The weather has definetly been all over the place.
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Took yesterday off to recover from 15 hours of travel back from cancun sunday night. Rolled out around 9am and hit the farmington. Started with replacing the floating line on my 6w to a sink tip and then broke out the streamers. Streamer fishing is very much hit or miss and this time it was miss. Switched to euro mid day and still was striking out. Later in the afternoon I was swinging streamers outside of the TMA and connected on some stockies. Good day to get out and stretch my legs.
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Always nice to get the late catch for the save.
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Nice snowy morning. Bows were happy. Full sink at the dam with a streamer was a good time.
(https://i.postimg.cc/jL7Qb1B1/20230311-091443.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jL7Qb1B1)
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Another beautiful bow! Congratulations.
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Another beautiful bow! Congratulations.
Thanks Jim. Low flows for the time of year. Fishing is good. Landed roughly a dozen between nymphing and streamers. Back at it this afternoon.
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Fished 6am to 4 yesterday. Endless trout, mostly cookie cutter. Fished 4 rivers and gave some education to a lot of stockies. Caught the largest wild brown from the Farmington ive ever landed, well beyomd 20". Granted it wasnt on the fly rod. All of these trout were jigged. Still an awesome fish, great buttery color. Flows ranged from 400's up to 1500. Ironically the big brown was in the highest flow and even better was sitting in front of a big rock breaking the current.
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Fished 6am to 4 yesterday. Endless trout, mostly cookie cutter. Fished 4 rivers and gave some education to a lot of stockies. Caught the largest wild brown from the Farmington ive ever landed, well beyomd 20". Granted it wasnt on the fly rod. All of these trout were jigged. Still an awesome fish, great buttery color. Flows ranged from 400's up to 1500. Ironically the big brown was in the highest flow and even better was sitting in front of a big rock breaking the current.
Wow, that's great!
The open water season starts early down your way.
Still nothing doing in my neck of the woods.
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Great day nice brown. Congrats Jon
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Fyi both the Farmington and Housy are blown out. Housy at cornwall is near 3000 and the upper Farmington is running 900 from the dam, over 1000 in the catch and release and almost 2000cfs at the tail end of the TMA. Only a couple sections remain "fishable" and that's a stretch even for me.
The dam bumped flow from 200 to 900!
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Don’t know the cfs, but the Hoosac and all its tribs are flowing over their banks too. Deerfield is supposed to be high for a while according to the forecast
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About 4x the norm. I may throw streamers tomorrow afternoon on a full sink tip.
(https://i.postimg.cc/XrtNsM13/Screenshot-20230401-222127-Chrome.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XrtNsM13)
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Caught the largest wild brown from the Farmington ive ever landed, well beyomd 20". Granted it wasnt on the fly rod.
Congrats! Must have been quite a thrill even on spin tackle.
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The rainbows were fired up this afternoon. Landed 1 large one (stocked) probably 5 or 6 pounds. Went to snap a pic and it took off. Caught a dozen or so smaller rainbows.
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Very nice fish!
Did you hit the Q? Will could not make it, so I hope to get out sometime this week with someone. I have the week off, so if not there, someplace else...
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. . . Landed 1 large one (stocked rainbow) probably 5 or 6 pounds. . . .
Holy crap, that's a big fish!!
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Big stocker for sure.
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nice fish Jon
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Housy 800 cfs before the rain....topped out at 3000 cfs.
Farmington (lower tma) was 387 and hit 4400!
Be a few days before its good to get back out on either. Good news is the recent housy transplants should be spread out well.
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Yeah we got like 4+” of rain. Stream next to my house is usually 3-4’ wide n a foot deep. Typically like 8’ of clearance under the bridge.
(https://i.postimg.cc/bZ4pnXcs/51-D0-FAB1-2484-44-D3-89-EE-CE21-F8233-C71.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/bZ4pnXcs)
(https://i.postimg.cc/4HySwdpZ/88-B34-B8-C-C630-40-A4-9-C64-8-A173-B42914-A.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/4HySwdpZ)
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Wild. Just as soon as there was enough daylight to put in a solid after work mission.
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Headed in the wrong direction.....flow bump to lower the level on Colebrook river res. 900 is not easily fished on the upper stretch.
(https://i.postimg.cc/vcfNp1FM/Screenshot-20230426-175246-Chrome.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/vcfNp1FM)
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Spent some time yesterday on a smaller stream in western ct managed for wild trout (I say that loosely). Class 3 water so defined as having a few wild trout with stocking added. Well, results seemed to prove that to be relatively honest. 3 bows and 1 wild brown. Not a bad effort for a couple miles of pools in am evening. Black stonefly was the ticket with one fish on a rainbow warrior.
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End of month was an easy one so I checked out early and fished more new water. I ended up dissappointed. Section of river I picked is in a spot called Hidden Valley. Well, turns out its not hidden and has a well traveled walking path going most of the length of it. So not only did I get the skunk, I was way over my people threshold. Now Im expecting every river that remained fishable today to be blown out by tomorrow night.
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Unsure if I want to play in high water with a full sink tip or sit on the couch and learn.
Found this gem a minute ago:
(https://i.postimg.cc/Kkt29Tbp/Screenshot-20230430-093848-Drive.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Kkt29Tbp)
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I did not realize there were Native Brook Trout on the Vineyard...
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I did not realize there were Native Brook Trout on the Vineyard...
I did some light reading on the subject and there are a few.
I read survey information on CT and in almost every sample site the numbers dropped significantly. Except for 1 where the numbers went from a few hundred sampled to 1400. I will be visiting that area soon!
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There wasnt a pot of gold, but there was more than a few willing stockies last night. For a skinny stream they were very close to the banks.
(https://i.postimg.cc/gXRLpqKh/IMG-20230501-185527.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/gXRLpqKh)
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I did not realize there were Native Brook Trout on the Vineyard...
Salters...not many but they are around.
https://www.searunbrookie.org/ (https://www.searunbrookie.org/)
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Some good news for the Deerfield as well. I've never figure it out too consistently but heck of a fishery.
https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/franklin-county/study-finds-most-trout-in-deerfield-river-are-wild-not-hatchery-raised/ (https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/franklin-county/study-finds-most-trout-in-deerfield-river-are-wild-not-hatchery-raised/)
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Some good news for the Deerfield as well. I've never figure it out too consistently but heck of a fishery.
https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/franklin-county/study-finds-most-trout-in-deerfield-river-are-wild-not-hatchery-raised/ (https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/franklin-county/study-finds-most-trout-in-deerfield-river-are-wild-not-hatchery-raised/)
Interesting....
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I never thought I would have something to add to this huge thread, but here it is:
https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/franklin-county/study-finds-most-trout-in-deerfield-river-are-wild-not-hatchery-raised/
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That is interesting, I've caught both there but good to hear there's natural reproduction going on, even with the uneven flows.
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I never thought I would have something to add to this huge thread, but here it is:
https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/franklin-county/study-finds-most-trout-in-deerfield-river-are-wild-not-hatchery-raised/
Anyone could add. I use this thread as my trout log book and its been fun to go back and read through.
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That is interesting, I've caught both there but good to hear there's natural reproduction going on, even with the uneven flows.
They have been trying to get the hydro dam owners to have a minimum flow especially during spawning months for years. Hopefully this is the evidence they need so the reds don't get left high and dry when they cut back the water significantly.
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That is interesting, I've caught both there but good to hear there's natural reproduction going on, even with the uneven flows.
40% of the eggs are lost every spawning season. This goes real deep with lawyers, trout unlimited, whitewater fans that want more peak flows....there was a temporary ruling to bump to support fall spawning.
https://www.tu.org/magazine/conservation/from-the-field/in-massachusetts-a-step-toward-a-premier-wild-trout-fishery/ (https://www.tu.org/magazine/conservation/from-the-field/in-massachusetts-a-step-toward-a-premier-wild-trout-fishery/)
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Fished some more new water tonight. It was high and off color but I got 1 brown to eat. Didn't think I was going to catch a thing.
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Fished some more new water tonight. It was high and off color but I got 1 brown to eat. Didn't think I was going to catch a thing.
Nice work. month-end has kept me from getting out. hoping tonight or tomorrow I get a couple hours before dark
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Nice work. month-end has kept me from getting out. hoping tonight or tomorrow I get a couple hours before dark
I have time too. Maybe we can make something happen. I have to be up that way later anyways.
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1000 cfs out of the dam this morning, Pat. That's a non-starter.
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Even the freestones here were too high yesterday. I tried a couple spots. Had to have so much weight to get down all I did was lose some flies and gas but got the dog out of the house.
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Same with the freestones near me. Just need a few days of dry weather.
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Went into the woods to a stream thats never seen a stocking. Was hoping for browns. Got one brookie. Was a nice trip.
(https://i.postimg.cc/GBnMqLxT/IMG-20230506-122627-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/GBnMqLxT)
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Browns were eating good tonight. Nice hatch and 0 people fishing!
(https://i.postimg.cc/1nGcLFPS/20230511-185833.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/1nGcLFPS)
(https://i.postimg.cc/KKy1CHYK/IMG-20230511-200530-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/KKy1CHYK)
(https://i.postimg.cc/nj3MjVG7/IMG-20230511-200616-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/nj3MjVG7)
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Nice brown!
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Nice brown!
Saw your email, Saturday is a busy one for me so not sure if Ill be able to make it out. River is in great shape for your visit.
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Nice brown. That water looks amazing.
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Nice fish, beautiful river, and 0 people. Does't get much better than that.
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Looks like it was a great day. Beautiful pictures.
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Looks like it was a great day. Beautiful pictures.
Was just an hour and a half before dark. I need new cleats bad.
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Last night was good as well. Hendrickson nymph got smoked pretty good. Housy is a fun river but covered with guides and their clients. They arent the most fun to interact with.
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Last night was one of the best evening outings ive had in a while. Landed the second largest wild brown ove ever caught. Around 22". Went to take a quick pic and ended up with the tag fly burried in my thumb. Thankfully it was barbless. There was a major spinner fall, caddis were hatching and there was an incredible amount of blue wing olives. Even so most of the fish were staying down, eating my nymphs almost every drift. I forgot my headlamp which was a major bummer. No idea how many trout I landed. Certainly the type of catching that makes you want to return immediately.
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Good stuff Jon. Spring fishing is in full swing. Hope it only continues to get better.
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Last night was one of the best evening outings ive had in a while. Landed the second largest wild brown ove ever caught. Around 22". Went to take a quick pic and ended up with the tag fly burried in my thumb. Thankfully it was barbless. There was a major spinner fall, caddis were hatching and there was an incredible amount of blue wing olives. Even so most of the fish were staying down, eating my nymphs almost every drift. I forgot my headlamp which was a major bummer. No idea how many trout I landed. Certainly the type of catching that makes you want to return immediately.
That is what we all live/fish for!
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Way to put the hours in, late evening/night action can't be beat this time of year. :clapping:
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I couldnt help thinking "did they just stock" because it had that type of catch rate. I double checked and the last dump they did qas early march. The large brown had amazing blue dots on its cheeks. Such a nice fish.
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The large brown had amazing blue dots on its cheeks. Such a nice fish.
Sweet and congrats on the big brown. You sure got it dialed in!
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Thank you Steve. Im always willing to show other members these spots and techniques. Plenty of river to share and I have extra euro nymphing setups I'm happy to share if anyone was interested.
I'm going to try tonight. Conditions are tough with the temps dropping and the wind but one thing I learned is cold fronts typically do not slow down trout in rivers. Given the wind I dont expect a spinner fall but I do think caddis and bwo's will be in the drift.
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Jon, Sent you a PM did you get it?
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Hey Hank, I just saw it. Thank you Ill try ti check that out.
Tonight was real good again!
(https://i.postimg.cc/BXTD4ycs/20230517-182355.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/BXTD4ycs)
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Thank you Steve. Im always willing to show other members these spots and techniques. Plenty of river to share and I have extra euro nymphing setups I'm happy to share if anyone was interested.
That's very generous. Thanks.
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Ill warn once you start catching trout this way its real hard to go back!
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Nice brown, cool spots.
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Nice brown, cool spots.
Yours was better! What a toad.
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Fished 12-8 yesterday and forced myself to deal with the high water. Fished the Farmington first and the Housy later. There was a lot of "stuff" suspended in the farmington and it was high. So I visited a section of the river that breaks off from the main stem and got into a number of smaller browns and a couple rainbows. I spent hours there because irs way back in the woods and was about a third of the flow of the main river. Didnt see a soul.
I moved onto a very well known section near the woodshop. Even with the heaviest nymphs the drifts were too fast and the softer seams were out of reach. So I split and went up to a tributary that comes in a few miles downstream from the dam. Broke out the jig streamer and let several chunky rainbows have it!
This brought me to around 530. I took a break, ate some food and decided it was time to take the ride back. Figured id go the back way and follow the housy home. The report from former Housatonic River Outfitters owner Harold (his store is closed and now is just a kiosk in another local store) said the river was off color and to be avoided. Turns out that was utter bullshit. While high the color was good so I stopped at the spot I have been hammering the past few nignts. Noting all of the guides affiliated with Harold and his failed shop were out guiding in there boats....so much for off color eh? I starred at the water for some time and saw caddis and bwo coming off and maybe some early sulphurs as some of the surface splashes were super aggressive. 2 hours later I had out performed the several hours spent at the farmington. Mostly browns here and lots on a thread frenchie. A guide gave me the hairy eye as they drift past only to catch my smug grin as I hooked up in front of his clients. That was icing on the cake as "Jim" likes to tell me I am cheating because I fish nymphs. He didnt repeat that mistake this year. I think the earful of embarassing comments and questions I laid into him with the last time he opened his mouth may have been haunting him, thus the stink eye.
In another delight these group of guides lobbied the State of CT to put up barriers at one of their take outs to reduce parking. Non-fishing families were apparently ruining there day picnicking there. Well in a ironic plot twist now when fishermen park there (and I am a frequenter of this parking spot) the guides cant all fit their trucks and trailers and are forced to park on the road. Just dessert for a bunch of dipshits trying to gentrify a river....
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Sounds like you found a gaggle of territorial gents that want to turn the Housey into the River Test. You were in "their" beat without paying them the requisite quid.
I've had pretty good luck with the guides over the years. Case in point, just a few weeks ago, I had one guide paddle over to me and point out some rising fish that he wasn't targeting, nice guy. I was also fishing a tail out for rising fish one afternoon and every guide boat (maybe 6) made it a point to paddle away from my targets and go behind me. It would have been easier for them paddle right past me. Good etiquette.
Good that you are getting out. I haven't cast a line since my trip a few weeks ago as I've had one family thing after another. All good stuff but I think I'm free for a morning run tomorrow.
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Go get em Bart! I'm not surprised to hear your experiences with guides are mpre pleasurable. When I started fishing more and more in NY I noticed a huge increase in sportsmanship. Down here, get a drift boat, pay CT a nominal fee and you can be a guide. I could ignore the macho guide stuff, but reducing access because some spanish folks wanted to enjoy the river where they take out is what cemented my hate for them. Doenst help I found a youtube video of one of these jokers holding up a nice wild brown upside down by its tail.
By the way, if you and your son ever want to come give it a shot Id be happy to show you around.
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Thanks for the offer. I'll need to get my CT freshwater license first. I used to fish the Farmington and Housey in CT occasionally, I liked both rivers. Not as far a drive as the Catskills. I'm meaning to hit the Deerfield too soon.
I did make it out this morning for three hours locally. Got to my spot at 6am and to my surprise, the water was higher than I thought it would be. Both spots I wanted to fish required a river crossing and that wasn't happening with my rickety old legs so drove far upriver to find some manageable water. I found 4 decent trout willing to play with the woolly bugger. Beautiful morning, nobody but me and the warblers.
Now it's back to mowing the lawn.
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You are welcome! Glad you got out! Sounds like a nice morning.
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(https://i.postimg.cc/cvKdTcMH/20230525-200902.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/cvKdTcMH)
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Hit the Deerfield this evening, but didn’t realize my fly box wasn’t in my vest until I was on the River, so I was fishing with 3 flies I scrounged from my car: a poorly tied generic nymph, composed of a bead and blue ice dub, a size 20 black parachute adams, and a partridge and orange. Decided to fish a new stretch I’ve seen from the road but never fished. After watching the water and not seeing any surface activity, I floated the nymph underneath an indicator through the riffle at the head of the pool. 8 casts in I landed a decent bow. Next cast, missed a strike. I caught another on the nymph before seeing a few sporadic rises, one of which took the dry and was brought to the net. Swinging the wet solicited a strike from a rising fish that ended up being 18”-19” that I lost right at the shore. I then finished the evening by catching a fourth rainbow on the dry just as dusk was setting in. 4 fish landed on only 3 flies (with one hooked but lost, and a few other missed strikes) in addition to seeing a beaver at 5 yards and a mature eagle fly overhead left me quite content to walk back to the car a few minutes before last light.
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Hit the Deerfield this evening, . . .. 4 fish landed on only 3 flies (with one hooked but lost, and a few other missed strikes) in addition to seeing a beaver at 5 yards and a mature eagle fly overhead. . . .
That's one heckuva evening!
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Got back from CO and was pleasantly surprised with the flows for the local rivers. Saturday I got a window in between yard work and rain storms so I went up to the east branch of the Westfield. Flows were about average for this time of year. First fish was a beautiful brookie probably the second biggest I’ve ever caught. I also brought another four rainbows to hand, all which fought quite hard. Sunday I went down to the coast for saltwater. I managed a striper the size of the brookie on a fly but got skunked in the dark w the surf rod.
(https://i.postimg.cc/TL0895v7/1-A644734-EF00-49-BB-A86-B-A8-A22-B0-CD8-AA.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/TL0895v7)
(https://i.postimg.cc/LY2KLBwg/D407781-E-2004-4303-B1-D5-904-A5-CD71760.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LY2KLBwg)
(https://i.postimg.cc/tYTbBkTh/FA5-C93-FE-B813-4-E6-D-9323-B458-B2-C81199.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/tYTbBkTh)
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Beautiful fish Pat.
I hit the housy for a few hours. Caught a handful if browns, couple bows and a few smallies. Had one double, brown on the tag fly and a smallie on the point fly.
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Thanks Jon. I had tried the housy up in Lee after the east branch. The rain storms had the water super stained so after losing a couple flies on debris I called it quits.
I must also congratulate mass wildlife for stocking some beautiful brookies this year. This is the second one of this caliber that I have caught this year. I'm usually quick to criticize their stocking program as it is geared to put and taking fishing but they do stock some sizeable trout of various kinds.
Jon, you see the FRAA club stocked some kamloop rainbows in the farmy this year? All in the 3lb-8lb range!? I know they stock them in the housy but this is the first I'm hearing of them being stocked in the farmy.
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First time Ive heard them stock kamloops strain bows there. Can confirm they fight exceptionally well. Same size stocked into the housy. Ive landed a few. Pretty bows for tank scrubbers.
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Pretty bows for tank scrubbers.
Kinder words have seldom been spoken. Gotta get down there sometime. Keep sayin' that. ???
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Beautiful fish Pat.
I hit the housy for a few hours. Caught a handful if browns, couple bows and a few smallies. Had one double, brown on the tag fly and a smallie on the point fly.
jon there's plenty of real fish in the ocean rather then the trout u keep targeting
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jon there's plenty of real fish in the ocean rather then the trout u keep targeting
Sure is. Sponsor my lower unit and I'll wrap my boat with the name of your business.
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Kinder words have seldom been spoken. Gotta get down there sometime. Keep sayin' that. ???
Come on down. Pick a river, housy or farmington and Ill show you the little bit I know.
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Come on down. Pick a river, housy or farmington and Ill show you the little bit I know.
Thanks Jon. Do those rivers fish decent through the summer? Or gotta wait til fall at this point?
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Thanks Jon. Do those rivers fish decent through the summer? Or gotta wait til fall at this point?
Few weeks window now till trico's start up and my average catch rate goes down a bit. The farmington generally fishes well. The housy gets interesting because the smallies mix in (and have already). The evening hatches have been solid. Some iso's starting.
Fall is productive with the browns getting fired up for spawn. Mousing is nearing the optimal time. (Maybe ill go tonight)
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Fished the Catskills today. Hit the willowemoc from 6am until 1pm. Good news is the browns kept me busy most of the day. Bad news is I lost my tipet holder that had 6 spools on it. Hopefully someone cool finds it. Checked out the beaverkill but didnt fish it. Probably landed 20 or so browns, most 9-12".
(https://i.postimg.cc/14cQTGkG/IMG-20230703-072510-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/14cQTGkG)
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The Willowemoc is one of those legendary trout streams that I keep meaning to fish one day.
Glad to hear it lived up to its reputation for you.
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The Willowemoc is one of those legendary trout streams that I keep meaning to fish one day.
Glad to hear it lived up to its reputation for you.
It was on my bucket list. Jim you'd love it. Catch rates were similar to our last trip but the wild browns were mostly that 9-12" range.
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Long rod chronicles are on hold until further notice.
Both of my local rivers peaked around 8000 cfs. Normal flows would be around 400. I fished the farmington the night before the rain at about 600. Drove past yesterday it was 10x that level.
It might be trico season before its fishable again.
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West branch is a tad high but very fishable. I imagine the east branch should be shaping up well also. Got a couple bows on heavy streamers in between more rain storms yesterday. Fat one was actually pulling some drag in the stronger current.
(https://i.postimg.cc/PpqGHgcb/54-A6-A442-E379-4299-81-EF-5-A72-EC8-FAD86.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PpqGHgcb)
(https://i.postimg.cc/XG1RY2SR/F6-C1-BFD7-8-C2-E-48-A3-A853-A272-F8-DAD08-B.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XG1RY2SR)
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Nicely done Pat, I figured everything was blown out.
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Nicely done Pat, I figured everything was blown out.
The main stem of the westfield is chocolate milk but the other tribs that feed it settle down pretty quickly. In looking at the USGS gauge it almost looks like they close the knightville dam briefly which is typically only done in winter. I'd imagine to let the CT river settle down like they did with the colebrook release.
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Headed out for a night mission finally! Lets see how this goes.
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Only getting hit when the moon is behind the clouds. 1 rock bass so far and 1 brown...
(https://i.postimg.cc/ph4H4kBY/IMG-20230731-222903-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ph4H4kBY)
(https://i.postimg.cc/c6KBbx9q/20230731-225836.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/c6KBbx9q)
I went 1 for maybe 8 total. Fun evening. Bumped into one other guy fishing, very surprising.
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Very nice brown.
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Thanks Steve, bad pic but I was alone so what can you do.
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Good stuff Jon. Farmy or housy? Seems fishing the farmy at night is the only ethical way at the moment. Can't believe the water coming out of the dam is so warm. I bet the water flowing from Colebrook to Hogsback is much colder.
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Only getting hit when the moon is behind the clouds.
That's what we find with the bass also...
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Good stuff Jon. Farmy or housy? Seems fishing the farmy at night is the only ethical way at the moment. Can't believe the water coming out of the dam is so warm. I bet the water flowing from Colebrook to Hogsback is much colder.
Farmington. Housy is brown still. Water temp was 64 and change when I started and finished. Fish was caught 20ish miles from the dam in the bigger flows. They were super tight to shore. I spooked a few wading out.
Allan I was thinking about your quabbin night fishing posts while the moon was popping in and out between the clouds. Id go tonight but its going to be super bright.
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One of the interesting things is that Will and I would try "not topwater" when the moon was out and still the bite rate was way down. Cloud comes by, blocks the moon, and bam!
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Finally....got to fish the housy. 1000 cfs roughly. Snuck in an hr for 2 smallies and 2 rainbows on streamers.
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Jim's post gave me the smallie itch. I scratched it yesterday.
(https://i.postimg.cc/K4VvcWMG/IMG-20230806-165941-01.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/K4VvcWMG)
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Smallies always make for a nice day. Congrats Jon
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Nice smallmouth!
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Nice!!!!!
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Fished the farmington Sunday evening from 6 to "dark" caught a couple cookie cutter bows and headed back to the truck to switch to the 6w for night time action. The big bright moon with no clouds for backup stopped me. Flow around 200 cfs. Need to replace my worn out cleats.
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Housatonic this morning early. Very slow fishing. Rumning clear and 650ish cfs. One dink smallie and one decent one. Next rainy day I bet they'll be fired up.
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Sorry to hear it . .. but I guess even a stream like the Housatonic has an "off" day now and then.
Better luck next time.
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Housy yesterday afternoon - 900ish cfs, clearing and slow bite. 1 brown on a #8 pats and 3 smallies on the 6w. Distinct lack of surface activity. Few iso's here and there but not many.
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Looking forward to seeing the Farmington this weekend!
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Wet and wild. Thankfully they continue to dump water from the res so I dont expect a flow bump saturday. Prime time pre-spawn plus low light could equal a giant brown.
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Gave the millers a try last Saturday but me and a friend weren’t able to connect. It was running at almost 500 cfs which I believe is high although several parts of the river seemed quite shallow to me.
We stopped home, got some lunch and decided to try to shake the skunk at the chesterfield gorge. We each connected on fish w a couple of the rainbows being quite sizable.
(https://i.postimg.cc/PLHNj9t5/IMG-0903.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PLHNj9t5)
(https://i.postimg.cc/Mvcnb1Pq/IMG-4059.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Mvcnb1Pq)
(https://i.postimg.cc/5Y7t8t8X/IMG-4061.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5Y7t8t8X)
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Nice work Pat! Glad your able to get out again.
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Nice work Pat! Glad your able to get out again.
Thanks Jon. Slowly but surely. Hope to be 100% by steelhead.
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Nice work fellas and great pic, Pat!
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Two days of long rod. 3 rivers. Wicked bad conditions but had a good time. Friday night flows were perfect, boy did that change. A majority of the farmington was unfishable. So went back to some childhood spots and managed a few trout despite a super heavy leaf hatch. Then visited a still water spot with stockies to goof around. It had stopped raining by then which was nice.
This morning was an early one. Setup by first light, didnt matter. The trout didnt cooperate. Moved around a bit and hooked a big palmino that eventually smoked me and broke off. Fast forward through some poor fishing to a solid breakfast.
Steve it was good to fish with you! After your departure I hit a class 3 wild brown trout stream. Clear water, some leaves and a skunk. Tapped out by later afternoon.
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Two days of long rod. 3 rivers. Wicked bad conditions but had a good time. Friday night flows were perfect, boy did that change. A majority of the farmington was unfishable. So went back to some childhood spots and managed a few trout despite a super heavy leaf hatch. Then visited a still water spot with stockies to goof around. It had stopped raining by then which was nice.
This morning was an early one. Setup by first light, didnt matter. The trout didnt cooperate. Moved around a bit and hooked a big palmino that eventually smoked me and broke off. Fast forward through some poor fishing to a solid breakfast.
Steve it was good to fish with you! After your departure I hit a class 3 wild brown trout stream. Clear water, some leaves and a skunk. Tapped out by later afternoon.
I'm impressed you were able to catch anything at all on a stream, given the recent flows.
I'm also intrigued by your tangling with a palomino trout - - It's pretty cool you even have them down your way.
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Steve it was good to fish with you!
Great trip, Jon, thanks again for showing me around! More laughs than fish but that's how it goes sometimes. Lets try again next spring. (The caddis will be poppin. ;D ;D ;D)
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I'm impressed you were able to catch anything at all on a stream, given the recent flows.
I'm also intrigued by your tangling with a palomino trout - - It's pretty cool you even have them down your way.
It was annoying. I told steve I thought I was drifting next to a piece of wood with orange leaves on it, mid run in the sweet spot...nope...it was a trout and it made a last minute run towards a down tree and popped my tippet easily...we dont get many of them stocked thankfully.
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Great trip, Jon, thanks again for showing me around! More laughs than fish but that's how it goes sometimes. Lets try again next spring. (The caddis will be poppin. ;D ;D ;D)
Anytime, always fun to fish with someone who doesnt complain. Conditions were the absolute worst possible. But hey someones got to hold down the beach.
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Stay tuned...might be pulling the trigger on a trip to Argentina first 2 weeks in January. (Pat wanna go?)
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Stay tuned...might be pulling the trigger on a trip to Argentina first 2 weeks in January. (Pat wanna go?)
Better brush up on your Spanish! ;D
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Better brush up on your Spanish! ;D
Services team for work is based out of Argentina so Id have some backup!
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Stay tuned...might be pulling the trigger on a trip to Argentina first 2 weeks in January. (Pat wanna go?)
Don't know that I can make that happen. I def want to go but would need to plan that a bit more in advanced. Although I did just send my passport in for renewal.
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I could do a couple months later if it means not traveling down alone. 11hr flight to buenos ares.
If I dont do that Im going to load up the truck and drive to minnesota to ice fish fir 2 weeks.
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Stay tuned...might be pulling the trigger on a trip to Argentina first 2 weeks in January. (Pat wanna go?)
Sweet!! Lots of options, Jurassic Lake?
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Sweet!! Lots of options, Jurassic Lake?
No clue would trade the stillwater fishing for the rivers. Real question is do I go for a Dorado or not.
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Ah, the golden demons. That would be something completely different. Hope the trip materializes for you.
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Fished yesterday from 330 to 7. Couple of swipes on a 5" articulated streamer and one blow up on a mouse after dark and thats all she wrote. Flow 600-800.
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Got up early and hit what seemed to be a very short bite window.
Pretty morning!
(https://i.postimg.cc/Rq7Dkr2f/IMG-20231123-WA0002.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Rq7Dkr2f)
(https://i.postimg.cc/8fmXMWLw/IMG-20231123-WA0004.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8fmXMWLw)
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Got up early and hit what seemed to be a very short bite window.
Pretty morning!
/quote]
Sweet!
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Game on. Unseasonably warm yesterday. I was able to pick up one holdover in the main stem of the Westfield.
(https://i.postimg.cc/t1KhrsHj/IMG-4439.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/t1KhrsHj)
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Nice job, Pat!
As far as I know, that's the first "big stream" (as opposed to little brook) catch in MA this calendar year.
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Game on. Unseasonably warm yesterday. I was able to pick up one holdover in the main stem of the Westfield.
(https://i.postimg.cc/t1KhrsHj/IMG-4439.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/t1KhrsHj)
I hit the farmington for a few hours and was instantly turned off by the crowds chasing the freshly stocked pellet heads. I went deeper into the woods and got a nice skunking.
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Nice job, Pat!
As far as I know, that's the first "big stream" (as opposed to little brook) catch in MA this calendar year.
Thanks Jim. I was pleasantly surprised to get on at this spot. The water was pretty high and stained but swinging a heavy fly got it into the feed zone.
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I hit the farmington for a few hours and was instantly turned off by the crowds chasing the freshly stocked pellet heads. I went deeper into the woods and got a nice skunking.
Been my hesitation to fish it the last couple of years. Since covid its kind of been a canal scene. Have only really gone at night.
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Been my hesitation to fish it the last couple of years. Since covid its kind of been a canal scene. Have only really gone at night.
It was horrendous Pat. I took the day off to hit it. Mild, gray out and thought it was perfect. Now, to be fair that is ideal trout weather but the number of guys out was significant.
I would have fished south where I took you but it was 1200 cfs...generally pretty quiet down there.
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Nice rainbow.
I hear you guys, I was in the Catskills yesterday and there were tons of people fishing, Cabin fever got to everybody? Thought retirement would give me the stream to myself on a Monday - NOPE!
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Maybe they all have flexible PTO Bart? Again, I dont mind seeing people I welcome it. But if you are a gentlemen you give a wide bearth and it took extra work yesterday.
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My winter holding spot is pretty small with only two spots to really fish. I didn't get out there until mid afternoon so figured someone would be there. I actually saw one NY plate and it was a guy fishing a mile downstream. Pretty rare to see anyone on the westfield outside of stocking season. Access to the main stem can be rough outside of the normal pull offs.
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I got out in Riverton yesterday. More of a novelty than hunting nice fat wild browns where I like to fish on the river. After a quick spin up and down the upper 2 miles to survey which pools were taken I found a section to myself...one cookie cutter rainbow on a black stone. Ice broken. Rivers are going to get a bit higher this weekend....once they do ill harass stockies with spinning gear and jigs.
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Slammed some stockies yesterday. It was like being a kid again.
(https://i.postimg.cc/PLSwH669/20240315-140035.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PLSwH669)
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Nice, I'm waiting for some lower flows but getting anxious.
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12-6 shift today with my duaghter. Fished the Nepaug, Naugatuck and Farmington. We ended the day on the farmington yesterday where I got 1 decent bow on a cased caddis. Flow was 600 cfs in riverton which was alot. Downstream spots were over 1400. So we started on the Nepaug for stockies. The fish were not nearly as enthusiastic as yesterday. Landed a brown and a brookie. Went ti the Naugatuck to a pool thats a community hole and it was just that. Stocked yesterday and the rainbows were hammering a jig streamer. We left it was too much of a novelty and that drew in some interesting people.
We were headed for salmon river (ct) and I thought I should check the farmington flows before we drove out. Low and behold they cut the flow down to 355 at the dam. The catch and release section was 5/600. To my surprise a pod of rainbows must have moved downstream from the stocked area upstream. They ate a #8 pats and a size 14 frenchie recklessly for a while.
Good day. We may do some more tomorrow or go flyfish for pike in the boat.
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12-6 shift today with my duaghter. Fished the Nepaug, Naugatuck and Farmington. . . . Good day. We may do some more tomorrow or go flyfish for pike in the boat.
Way to go! Fishing with your kids is one of the best experiences you'll remember in the years to come.
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Way to go! Fishing with your kids is one of the best experiences you'll remember in the years to come.
We had a blast, Jim. Thanks!
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Day 2 was equally fun. Shorter trip with more wind, cold, and some snow showers.
Fished a wild trout stream first and caught a couple browns. Then went back to the catch and release section of the farmington and hammered some rainbows.
#8 pats and a #16 walts was the ticket.
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Nice work Jon. Wish they would stock the westfield branches while the flows are high and cold versus dumping them into the ponds around here.
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I want to try that housy trib we spoke about last year.
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Nice of the rivers to blow out...hit the aspetuck. 1 stocked rainbow. Better than nothing.
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Fished a new river today. One stocked bow.
Thinking about a trip to NC mountains around June for wild trout.
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Fished a new river today. One stocked bow.
Thinking about a trip to NC mountains around June for wild trout.
Brook trout?
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Brook trout?
I'm more of a brown trout guy.
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(https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExZGxhN3VpMG9sZGQzYWU0Y3NpNTRnbXd5eGdyNHk3cms5cnlzdXlvOCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/bezxCUK2D2TuBCJ7r5/giphy.gif)
I keep trolling this thread to try and get any tidbits about fly fishing I can. It's pretty much black magic to me.
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(https://media2.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExZGxhN3VpMG9sZGQzYWU0Y3NpNTRnbXd5eGdyNHk3cms5cnlzdXlvOCZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/bezxCUK2D2TuBCJ7r5/giphy.gif)
I keep trolling this thread to try and get any tidbits about fly fishing I can. It's pretty much black magic to me.
Where do you live/fish, Jethro?
You might want to hook up and join one of the members in your area for some fishing.
FW/i/W - I live in the NW corner of the State (northern Berkshire County), and would be happy to go fishing with you if you're ever up my way..
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Ive invited him too. Let us know Geoff. Tell me what species you want to catch on the fly. I have setups from 3w to 10w. Trout to stripers covered.
Today was CT's opener almost all of the rivers are blown out.
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Where do you live/fish, Jethro?
You might want to hook up and join one of the members in your area for some fishing.
FW/i/W - I live in the NW corner of the State (northern Berkshire County), and would be happy to go fishing with you if you're ever up my way..
I live near Manchester NH, but I'm willing to travel! I'll be happy to catch anything that swims. So far I've only hooked up with a small salmon while being guided on Grand Lake Stream in Maine.