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Commuter flyfishing

3K views 24 replies 12 participants last post by  grego 
#1 ·
For those of you in the New England region, this is a good time to turn toward sweetwater. While guys like Tony Gades look forward to summer in New Zealand, our readers in the pacific northwest await the winter and spring steelhead runs, and those in warmer climes look forward to better bonefishing - we in the northeast are on the trailing edge of our main season and the cooling gets trout into a feeding trend. Coupled with the stocking of area lakes and ponds, now is a good time to think about flicking identifying with our freshwater sides.


So I propose the following: in the Boston area, there are several good options for an hour or two before work. Obviously if we gang up we'll learn more and more quickly too (remember the striper season! yah!). I propose that we plan to meet at Walden, Whites or similar venues in the suburban metro area to try things and document our successes and failures to raise the general awareness of the tricky trout fishing game.

My best chance this week would be Friday, Whites Pond. I have a canoe and a pontoon boat but also like fishing the shoreline. My best luck this time of year in the past has come from fishing nymphs or streamers from the canoe, or black beadhead wolly buggers in stillwater. In rivers I would use the colorado rig Bob Desplaines showed me, in fact I caught a rainbow and brown even later than this on the Nissitissit last year. Earlier in the year the dries are king, especially when mayflies or gnats are coming off the water. There is a spat in the fall when the small eastern caddises are dipping that humpies and deerhairs work well.

Anyway, those who can pull off an hour or two during the week please post a reply, let's try to do a group research thing where we study and share our findings to make a bunch of trout guys out of the hardcore salter crowd.

My start schedule - Friday dawn at White's. Any takers?
 
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#2 ·
Juro,

I have Friday off (Veteran's Day, Fed. Employee) & my wife will most likely sleep 'til 9-10 AM. I know where Walden is, but I don't know where Whites is? But yeah, I'm In & greatful for the opertunity. Also, a quick run down on tackle would be helpfull, line, leader, flies, ect. Whatever I can scrape up between now & then.

GregO.
 
#3 ·
Take rte 2 west past the Walden turn off, past the west concord turn off, and take the left after that. There is a convenience store / Gas station on the left and a farm stand on the right. It's the one with the pond along the highway. I think there is a sign saying 117 truck route. This road crosses over Concord River and goes to Nine Acre Corner.

If you miss it, just go to Emerson Hospital and take that left toward Nine Acre Corner. That's Old Road to NAC, which joins with the road described above. Either way you're safe.

From NAC, take a right, then the first right "Plainfield Rd.". Go up the hill, don't bear right - stay on Plainfield. Once at the top there will be a gate on the left that leads to the boat ramp. Go to the bottom of the road.

There's a faster way to the far end of PLainfield past the Elementary school but i can't recall the name. There is also another access on the far end of the pond with better water to fish, but I think I'll being the canoe to avoid waders and get to the fish.

This time of year I use sinking line and wolly buggers more than the finesse stuff, but I'll bring both lines. The fish may still be rising and dry lines may be all you need. Unlike the Cape ponds, the bottom is snaggy and you can't drag nymphs on the sand like you can at Cliff. You can also use long leaders and weighted flies/nymphs with great results, sinking line is not critical.

I like beadhead tan biot stones, they always do well for me. Also beadhead wooly buggers on dry lines with long leaders work really well.

DOMENIC - you out there? BobD?
 
#5 ·
I have had good luck at Whites in the fall with a black
hares ear silver rib 14-16.If the fish are rising for
midges, a Griffiths 18-20 is the ticket.I will be in NY
this weekend ,but the following weekend I will be there.
Walden this time of year you will see big browns cruising
the shoreline.A large streamer could be the ticket.[I have seen these big fish ,but havent hooked one]
I fished the Still on Sunday, rolled a Salmon on a Black
Ghost.I knew the fish was there, but couldnt get another strike.I tried a bunch of other flies.When choosing my
seventh or eighth fly, my eye caught a fly that someone had
dropped on the bank.I tied the White Muddler on and hooked
and landed a keeper Salmon[I released] on my second cast.
A little later I landed another about 20in.It was pure luck to have spotted that fly.These fish just kept jumping ,a
real treat on a four weight.
 
#7 ·
Working close to Concord gets me to Whites and Walden at least once/week during lunch. With Wachusett walking distance from my house, I usually hit that on the way to work, but it's difficult to fly fish from shore there and no boats allowed as you know. I can certainly arrange an extra early morning trip to Concord. Whites has too many sunfish in my opinion and there's often too many people and dogs on the side where the train runs. Maybe first thing in the morning is a different scene?

Also, have you fished Long Sought For Pond in Westford? I see no access that's convenient and I'm starting to think it's stocked purely for the enjoyment of that campground that's on the other side from Route 40. But everytime I go by there's not a sole fishing. So, if you have flotation, this may be a pond with many fish. It received 600 rainbow in the fall stocking as well.

I also fish Nashoba Brook in Acton and Concord - always see fish when I arrive and never buy a hit.
 
#8 ·
My sights are still set on the salt (leaving for NC next week), but since your talking about being almost in my back yard I may have to meet you guys at Whites on Friday morning. I'll check my schedule (read: clear morning childcare duties with the wife) and will report back.
 
#9 ·
Dom,

I really like the sound of: "Walden this time of year you will see big browns cruisingthe shoreline. A large streamer could be the ticket."

Now I know we're on the "Trout" forum, but I have another Freshwater question. What is the situation with Pike on the Conn. River? Is there a Fall season? Are there shore oppertunities? I ask this, because my dad & I used to do some mineral hunting in Western Mass. One time we were up in the Rowe/Zore area, we were parked in a turn-out near the river early one morning (I think it was early fall) & I walked down to the bank & saw Huge fish breaking the surface. I would guess ~20#, my dad said that they were probably Northern Pike, but was not sure.
 
#10 ·
GREGO - my guess - atlantic salmon, not pike. I'll check the location on the map to see if it makes sense. There are a few searuns but they stock a lot of brood salmon in the Ct river.


Looking good for Friday AM for me.

Steve - Hope you can swing it Friday! Envious of your NC trip. Matt's pictures had me daydreaming.
 
#11 ·
juro, I'm thinking of taking Friday off for fishing also, maybe when you get done down there with those little minnows we can hook up on the Stillwater somewhere, i'm planning on being out there to look for some Salmon. Look for my truck....i'll only say it's the biggest van you've ever seen and i'll be there somewhere. I'm thinkin of making a day of it to explore some of the less traveled areas.
 
#12 ·
Look out!

I just happen to be "interviewing" on Friday...

Should I bring the kick boat or the dingy dinghy w/ electric motor?

And flies, yeah... I need flies but I can't tie anything that small anymore.... anyone interested in swapping some trout flies for anything?

And lines yeah, yeah, new lines for the #4 & # 6. Yeah that's the ticket...

Maniacally plotting my attack.

Roop
 
#13 ·
Yo,
Always eager to talk a little treason (can't help me Irish upbringing) I don't get the atraction of these ponds. I've never been to Whites so I could be wrong. But I've been to Walden lots over the past year and boy it seems to be one depressing fishbowl. Small, water is low, guys chasing the stocking truck...etc(and Whites is evan smaller?). Why not fish Badacook? Longsoughtfor? Upper stretches of the Squanny, Nissi etc. Why not go remote where a fish has had less thrown at it and streched out a bit in wilder waters? I don't get it? (of course I didn't get the South Rip either, but I was right about Chatham Light). Anyone got a good reason to not go further out?

Terry

Hell if yall gonna be there, that's reason enough for me.
 
#17 ·
Roop, I'll be happy to trade trout flies for saltwater ones if you're interested. Heck, I'll just give you some and pass along the good vibes from the generosity of the Indian Summer Outing.

Trouble is, I don't know what to give you since I'm not sure what I'll use myself - never caught anything at Walden, but lots at Whites (bass, rainbow).
 
#19 ·
Gee, I've never trout fished in a crowd before. Kinda a solitary thing, or maybe with my brother. My old lamiglass is an oddity too. Maybe I ought to head (hide) out to Ashby for some brookies...
BTW: Where's Nate? He should be all over some troutin.

Terry
 
#20 ·
Targeting Thursday AM, backside Whites from daybreak to 8am. Park at the end of Dover Rd, off Plainfield. Room for three cars max, maybe four since we're leaving early. Not 100% but the weather is supposed to be good and I don't have any meetings till 10am.
 
#24 ·
Very funny Mike... hey someone stole your kayak!


Backside cove (Sperry) has room for four cars max; the beach has room for several. I think we are talking four cars at this point so no problem.

Backside:

Heading west - take the left turn at the lights after Walden just past the farm stand with the pond and the Gas / Convenience on the left side. Taking a right would bring you to the Concord depot area, for reference.

Go over Concord River and past Old Rd. to NAC. Take the next right on Powder Mill Rd. Go up hill past school and left on Plainfield.

To get to boat launch, take the unmarked right just past the field - first right.

To get to the backside, turn right on Dover and go to end, there is a little fire road access with room for only a few cars.

Walk straight ahead as if road continued to top of ridge, follow trail to a White's Pond rec area sign and down to water.

If using a float tube or canoe, go to launch. If walking, the back side is better.

I'm shooting for 6am arrival w/ midges, emergers, buggers, beadhead stones, streamers, and other odd creations in the box.

Jared has confirmed, GregO looks good for it, Terry is a possible. See you there!
 
#25 ·
I'm the first one back from Whites. Jared caught a nice Bow. Nice morning, a little chilley, but the breeze was light & picking up when I left. One Falcon was also fishing. Saw a few rises in casting distance, but more activity seen a little further out beyond casting range. Still looking for that first trout on the fly.
 
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