Brookie

Brookie

Friday, May 31, 2019

Dusting off the blog

Going to be heading down to the Quinnie for the afternoon/evening hatch. Will post photos and updates when I get there.

My favorite spot. Some fish rising, but nothing doing yet 


Sunday, March 27, 2016

Opening day

This past Saturday was my opening weekend for fly fishing, and I celebrated on the quinine. Good enough weather and water flow made it for a great day to be out. I was able to get away from the pre-Easter festivities for a few hours and hit the familiar spots. Trout brook area and River rd. There were a few others out there with me. Reports were not much biting by creek chubs. I started at the run above the cable pool, one of my underrated favorite spots. I like drifting caddies through that run. Nothing doing so I head downstream to the turn. Started with the cassis again in the run just above the turn, casting from the inside of the turn to the opposite bank. Nothing, so I decide to switch to my go-to bugger: black body and tail, with flash, and a chartreuse green head. Swinging through the run just above the overhanging tree I got a nice hit on the 4th cast. A nice 12 inch rainbow (pictured). Most likely a stockie. Fought well and felt like a 20incher on my 3 weight. I released him and headed downstream. 


I enjoy fishing the quinnie with my three weight because it makes it easier to get into the tighter spaces and underneath the vast amounts of tree and shrubs near the shore. The rod is an Echo and the reel is a Lamson 2 I got for dirt cheap because it was a "demo reel" at a fishing show. As noted above it improves the feel of the catch. Not to mention, it can make it easier on the smaller fish increasing survival chances after release. The feel is a huge plus, and it just looks damn good too.

Downstream I hit all the familiar runs pools and rifles about halfway to the rail trail bridge. Getting skunked there so I decided to make one last try at River rd above the resovoir. Water looked GREAT. There were even some caddies coming off, but nothing doing and after an hour I called it a day. My guess is the fish were put in at solely the northern section of River st/rd.

Did anyone else head out this past weekend? How'd you do?

Hears hoping to a full spring and summer of flies on the quinnie.

-NC

Saturday, May 9, 2015

An afternoon hatch

Heading to the river street bridge to try to catch an afternoon hatch. Looking for March Browns and early caddis

Saturday, April 25, 2015

Saturday afternoon Live Blog

Heading out to entice some trout to my net. Two other cars at the Cable Pool. 


Friday, April 24, 2015

Flies for this weekend

Heading out this weekend? Maybe this evening perhaps? I myself will be hitting the Quinnie  Saturday afternoon. I plan to focus on caddis and stonefly nymphs. I don't expect much surface action. What about you? Where are you heading and what will be in your fly box? Join the discussion here.

Monday, April 20, 2015

4/20 is for fatties



 

A year ago I posted about my trip on the quinnie on 4/20 and made a joke about catchie a "fattie" that would rival the day's hidden meaning. Well, one year later and although it wasn;t on the exact same day, I caught another fish that would put cheech and chong to shame.

On Saturday I fished the river street bridge near the rail trail, downstream from the bridge. The F&G does such a good job updating its stocking info on the website, as evidenced by the 12 cars parked along the road at that bridge when I arrived. 90% bait and spin fisherman, as usual. As I started my day, I fished the small run/pool just below the bridge. I watched the fellows above me pull 5-6 nice rainbows out of the large pool at the bridge. Into the bucket they went... oh well, maybe someday we'll get a C&R on this river.

My first rig was a wooly bugger, swung and stripped. No hits. I switched up to a doubled nymph rig, pheasant tail on top and caddis pupa on bottom (bright green, always bright green!). REALLY soft hit on the 4th cast and had a nice fish for a second but he got off. I moved down to the riffles at the large rock. Nothing doing there either. Made my way even further to the big turn pool and tried the bugger again and then the nymph rig. Got one hit on a slowly floated nymph and indicator. Again he came off. I was persistent and ended up landing a small rainbow at the edge of the pool. Nothing rising when I was there.

I figured I'd head back up to the place I started, just below the bridge. Went back to old faithful in the bright green caddis. Another really soft hit but this time he was on for good. This fish fought like a champ, zigging, sinking, zagging, jumping, it was a great fight. When I finally got him to the net I realized hot FAT he was. He became the new fattest fish I ever caught in this river. Probably a 14-16 inch fish. The F&G has done a good job putting big fish in this river. Unfortunately, due to the put-and-take pressure and warm summer months, not many survive. I put him back to where he can thrive, at least for the next month or so.

I left the river st bridge and ended my day at the stretch above the wachusett pump station. no fish here, but a great scenery as the sun set. Mr. Heron was watching me and waiting with a hungry stomach. Unless many of us, something tells me there's a very few day that he goes home without a trout!
 

How did others do? If you;re planning to head out this week, hit the areas I've starred in the map below. Green stars indicate where the fresh stockies are. Try the orange star if you're looking for some 8-12 inch native brookies (its a bit of a hike to get to, but worth it).