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Post by Uplander on Mar 23, 2006 10:06:51 GMT -5
OK, it seems there is a large contingent of non-Berkshire folk frequenting this here BB. Obviously, many, if not most, of you either fish the Berkshires, or plan to fish the Berkshires. My question is, how do you find spots to fish? Do you look at a map, pluck a few likely spots off of it, and have at it? Or, do you surf the MassWildlife website for stocking locations? Or, do you hire a guide? Or, do you hang out here, hoping to glean good spots from conversations (my particular hot button  )? |
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Post by jf5 on Mar 23, 2006 18:13:54 GMT -5
Research and legwork. I fish allot, all over MA and VT and some NY and NH. I try to gather info from various sources and drive out and work it. With trout, I preffer wild fish over stocked. So the long rides are in search of quality trout streams with some decent wild contingent. The stock list does not allow that. Allot of stocked places do not even hold trout over. I can fish stocked trout 10 minutes from my house in eastern MA so I don't really drive out to western MA to fish for stockies. I never hire a guide to fish in New England. I like the feeling of sucess on my own efforts. I came here because y'all discuss some of my favorite trout streams and it seems like there are decent folks here. I even got to talk about some deer hunting in the Berks.  I participate in many fishing BB's to talk about what we all love, the outdoors. I gain and give on each one. Thats what BB's are for. If you are concerned about non berkshire residents like me only coming here to steal spots, in my case, you can rest easy. While I am sure I hardly know what you guys know in your back yard, I can assure you I have plenty of my own areas to fish in the Berkshires and elsewhere. And remeber that if you have sensitive info on your spots there is always the option of PM's to share with your friends while not leaving it out for the public. That way no one can hit your hot button. But should it really matter where I live??  If this BB is for Berkshire residents only, then I will kindly go away. I am not here to crash your club. I just like to fish and talk about it when I can't fish. Especially at work  |
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Post by dw on Mar 23, 2006 19:54:09 GMT -5
If I'm fly fishing for trout I like to find a shady stream, that runs away from the road and has a reasonable slope.
To be honest I'll probablybe fishing more often in Athol on the Millers and the brooks near Greenfield as well as in Vermont. These are the places I work or live so it's more convenient. What really brought me to the board was the discussion of the Hoosic basin. I haven't fished it much but have been impressed with the fish I've seen more than the fish I caught.
Also, I like to talk about fish and there just aren't that many fish fanatics out there.
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Post by JoeOverlock on Mar 23, 2006 20:10:50 GMT -5
I have no problems with anyone ever coming to the Berkshire to fish, in fact I encourage it. I even want the tourism board to start promoting the Berkshire as a Fly Fishing destination.
If anyone plans on visiting the Berkshire for Fly Fishing they can contact me and I will personally tell them the best spots to go, or better yet take them myself.
This club is all about promoting Fly Fishing in the Berkshires and this forum is for everyone to use, all are welcome.
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Post by Uplander on Mar 23, 2006 20:56:47 GMT -5
I wrote this topic right after my “Giving It All Away” rant, and some of that seems to have bled into this separate thread.
Rest assured, my intent with this thread was not to discourage, or to rave against, non-Berkshireites fishing in the Berkshires! I am honestly curious how someone who isn’t a local finds places to fish, that’s all….
The “hot button” comment isn’t directed at non-Berkshireites in particular. I just have a thing against broadcasting detailed location-specific information about fishing places on-line, that’s all.
All are more than welcome here -- Berkshireites and non-Berkshireites. Some of my best friends are non-Berkshireites. Hell, I even married a non-Berkshireite! ;D
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Post by jskowron on Mar 24, 2006 9:57:59 GMT -5
I like to look at topo maps and Google Earth (great free program for any of you map junkies out there!) for possible spots. I have also found the book "Trout Streams of Southern New England" helpful for locating at least the major watersheds, and then I search maps or sattelite image sites for tribs and headwater ponds. Boards like this are helpful. I grew up in Pittsfield, but left before I started fishing. Having just returned to the area (Northampton) I'm looking forward to trying out some of the fishing out there. In looking through some boxes in my mom's house in West Pittsfield, I found my dad's old fly-fishing journal, with records of where he fished, what he caught, patterns, etc. Lot's of little ponds and streams, as well as lot's of Battenkill entries. Curiously, some of the major rivers aren't represented (e.g. the Housy or the Hoosic). Since he died in the mid-70's, I'm guessing the bigger rivers were too polluted to consider.
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Post by jf5 on Mar 24, 2006 10:10:36 GMT -5
Thanks guys. Nice to feel welcome. I too would like to offer what I can. If you guys have any interest in info on fishing Wachusett for lake trout, smallmouth or fishing fall salmon on the tribs. I'd be more than happy to offer info. PM me of course
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Post by JoeOverlock on Mar 24, 2006 10:22:05 GMT -5
I like to look at topo maps and Google Earth (great free program for any of you map junkies out there!) for possible spots. I have also found the book "Trout Streams of Southern New England" helpful for locating at least the major watersheds, and then I search maps or sattelite image sites for tribs and headwater ponds. Boards like this are helpful. I grew up in Pittsfield, but left before I started fishing. Having just returned to the area (Northampton) I'm looking forward to trying out some of the fishing out there. In looking through some boxes in my mom's house in West Pittsfield, I found my dad's old fly-fishing journal, with records of where he fished, what he caught, patterns, etc. Lot's of little ponds and streams, as well as lot's of Battenkill entries. Curiously, some of the major rivers aren't represented (e.g. the Housy or the Hoosic). Since he died in the mid-70's, I'm guessing the bigger rivers were too polluted to consider. Google Earth is the best, I use it all the time for finding new spots also. Combine it with TopoZone.com and your golden. I'd like to see those catch reports from your father. I'm always interested in historic catch reports. I just did a bunch of research on historic Atlantic Salmon runs and found evidence of runs in the Hudson. It was fun to do. The article should be published on the website soon. |
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Post by jskowron on Mar 24, 2006 10:25:30 GMT -5
I'll dig out hte journal and post some info in a separate thread (leaving out the specifics of the lesser known spots, of course ) |
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Post by Joshua Field on Mar 25, 2006 23:15:46 GMT -5
local.live.com (microsofts maps) are even better when they have aerial photos available for the area you are fishing...
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Post by wtsobsessed on Mar 26, 2006 19:20:55 GMT -5
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Post by fingerlaker on Apr 24, 2006 10:06:25 GMT -5
when i come to the berkshires i do one of two things....
fish for brookies, in which case many of the spots where i used rooster tails in my youth work
or
fish the housy....
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Post by jlibs on Apr 24, 2006 11:49:38 GMT -5
Fingerlaker, are you from the Finger Lakes in NY? I used to live in Cortland, NY near the Cortland fly fishing factory and I'd fish many of the brooks and streams in the area, as well as the finger lakes.
Before I visit a new place to fish, I typically scour the internet, call local shops and use topo maps.
JLIBS
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Post by fingerlaker on Apr 24, 2006 13:12:38 GMT -5
jlibs,
yes sir, I live about a mile from cayuga lake, more specifically about three miles from the falls @ taughnock. lots of fishing up this way, although the cayuga fly rod scence has been tough this year (poor run of rainbows in the tribs and the ll salmon have been down now for about 3 years).
I'm orginally from pittsfield and didn't really appreciate the brookie fishing in the area i enjoyed as a kid until i moved up here.( of course i never caught a brown over 25 inches until i moved up here either) unfortunately when i do make it home i don't get to fish as much as i'd like... thinking about accompanying my wife to chatham this weekend to visit with her gram so i was peeking in to see if the board would help me make up my mind....
to piggyback on the thread that's been running through this particuliar topic i have a couple of observations which are germaine....
1) I don't understand why anybody would specifically post a specific location of a 'honey' hole. (a term i hate as it's usually uttered by somebody clutching a can of genny cream ale in one and a rod w/ an egg sack coupled with enough split shot to get down the bottom of the marianas trench in the other hand)
2) At the same time certain locations are so well known that it's just silly to get uptight about people mentioning them.
3) Every board I go to has this arguement flare up two or three time a year.(and over the course of the year i frequent about 4 not including this one...)
4) The healthy of a fishery can practically be judged by the red assedness of people on boards and on the streams....people chatty and friendly? then things are probably going well..... grim and unpleasant? fishery probably not doing so hot ( the expection being the salmon river in pulaski during the king run where the negative energy of fishing for dying fish permates everything)
sorry so wordy, the baby is napping and my fly box is full....
Finger Laker
ps remember when your in doubt the run is over and you caught this one a san juan worm anyway)
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Post by jlibs on Apr 24, 2006 17:06:57 GMT -5
Finger Laker,
You might get some schoolie stripers on the cape now. Here in the Berkshires, the rain maode the rivers rise high and the water is very muddy. If you keep an eye on the board, you might a river report closer to the weekend before you head out.
Good luck,
JLIBS
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Post by fingerlaker on Apr 24, 2006 22:14:08 GMT -5
chuckling....schoolie, i wish...... if i go i'll be in chatham ny....
(although i have heard that are stripers and shad as far north in the hudson as troy in the spring.....?)
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Post by jlibs on Apr 25, 2006 6:14:26 GMT -5
-Very funny. Sorry.
Yes, stripers and shad do run up the hudson all the way to the dam. I am not sure when the best time to fish there is, but I'm sure it's soon.
good luck in Pitts. or Chatham, NY (not the Cape).
JLIBS
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I participate in many fishing BB's to talk about what we all love, the outdoors. I gain and give on each one. Thats what BB's are for. 
