Brookie

Brookie

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

13 comments:

  1. I hope to get out there on the quinine soon. What length is your 3 weight? I'm considering a 3 weight but not sure what length would be best. Any advice is appreciated!

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  2. Mine is a 7 foot 6 inch. I believe the 3 weights are usually between 6-6 and 7-6, 7 feet usually being the norm. Sometimes I wish it didn't have the extra 6 inches when I'm fishing the less-traveled parts of the Quinapoxet and Trout Brook. However, most times I'm thankful for the extra 6 inches when a longer cast is needed with precision and delicacy. plus the 7-6 rod beats the hell out of my 9-6 5 weight trying to get into those tight spaces.

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  3. Yep the 3 weights I'm considering are in that 6'6 to 7'6 range. I may err on the shorter side for maximized maneuverability in tight spaces. Thanks for your advice and good fishing!

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  4. Thinking of hitting the Quinnie and Stillwater for the first time this year tomorrow. GG if you are looking for a SWEET 3-wt and have a few $ to spend, check out the JP Ross Beaver Meadow. A fully custom job will run over $500 but there are stripped down versions in the $250 range. It is 6'-6" and casts like a dream - I'm on my second one and it is by far my favorite rod. http://www.jprossflyrods.com/collections/beaver-meadow-small-stream-rods

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  5. River is on fire right now trout have spread out. Abandon the crowded areas and spend the day searching you'll find fish and seclusion

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  6. Great fishing the last 2 weeks; I've been primarily up & downstream from Trout Brook - some nice brookies & a few 'bows. Anyone having good luck in the stretch above the dam? Never had much luck over there myself.

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  7. I've been catching 12-15 inch trout on a swim minnow drop shot But so far I've got nothing on a fly is there any flies you'd recommend?

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  8. Mike from AndoverMay 31, 2016 at 6:40 PM

    Fished from the East end of River Rd. upstream for a few hours Sunday. Water was pretty low, didn't see much in the way of stockers. Got one brookie, probably a stocked fish, and a couple of wild browns (5-6", parr marks), also lost a couple of wild trout, all on a PT picking the pocket water. Bucket brigade was out, can't imagine they were doing much considering the water level. Great to see the wild fish - in two trips to the Q this season it is 9-1 wild to stocked fish. Now if they can just get rid of the dam, we can add LLS to the mix.

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  9. Common nymphs have been doing it for me - 14-16 hares ears, pheasant tails, princes, mostly in deeper runs & pools.

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  10. Just saw this blog. Hopefully it will be active again this coming season. Fingers crossed we keep getting snow/rain to mitigate the low water conditions we had last year.

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  11. Has anyone fished the Q this winter? Any fish around?

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  12. Seems like the blog died out this year. I tried the cable pool and some of the riffle below and riffle and flats above a hand full of times in the fall. Spotted a brown in the pool and some tiny trout under the over hangs. I had quite a few refusal and even a few takes were I could see them taking the line, but every hook set turned out to be a miss. Very wily fish, kinda fun challenge but it would have been nice to see one.

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