Believe it- Trout Still Hitting

I hadn't fished for trout since the Friday before Memorial Day in Massachusetts ( the day I got number 100). I figured I had a great spring and since I hope to get to New Hampshire a few times I'd give it up for other species.

Yesterday I felt like casting my fly rod so I drove down Wild Acre Road for a few casts. I really only planned on catching some sunfish to kill time. While I was there a boat came trolling by. I asked the guy if he caught any. To my surprise he said he got a couple rainbows but they were not biting like the day before. He said he got a bunch on Sunday. This surprised me because Falls Pond is a put and take fishery. I thought most of the trout were hiding in what few cool spots were left. So I thought I'd give trout at least one more chance for the year.

I went to the fly fishing only pond later that night. I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew there are enough sunfish and crappie there. So if the trout were all gone or dead, at least I'd have some action. I got to the lake at the same time as two other guys. They were fishing from the shore roll casting. There were some rainbows actively feeding on insects at the surface. It wasn't fast and furious, but enough were there I knew I wasn't wasting my time. Within five minutes I got my first trout.

The two guys on shore didn't catch any last night. However they told me that the night before they caught almost a dozen on wooly buggers. Most of the fish were out towards the middle tonight. They were doing nothing wrong. They just couldn't reach the feeding fish. I ended up catching five rainbows from the kayak and about 10 sunfish. All in the two and a half hours before dark. I couldn't believe how good it was.

The next three days are going to be hot. The temperatures are going to be 85, 91,96. If the trout can make it through this hot spell its supposed to cool off. Friday night, Saturday and Sunday are not going to be above seventy. Fishing might be good until after that. Obviously in the deeper ponds that trout do carry over the trout will survive the next few days, but they will be in deeper water and harder to catch. The smaller shallower ponds that don't thermocline are the ones to worry about. In places like Falls Pond and the warmer creeks trout fishing might be over by Friday but it wasn't as of yesterday!

Oh by the way my streak of consecutive times catching a trout ended while up in New Hampshire. It ended at thirty one. I can definately live with a streak ending after a month of consecutively catching fish every time out. I guess all I can do now is try to beat 31!

Free Clinic on how to catch opening day trout!!!

Today April 9 was opening day for trout fishing in Rhode Island. I normally avoid crowds, but I thought today I would go out with the expected 20,000 Rhode Island fishermen and see if I could catch some trout. There is a little pond just across the Rhode Island border that I knew had trout, but I had never fished it.

After DJ got out of track practice, we put the canoe on the roof of the car, loaded it up with gear and went out.

Once we got the canoe in the water, we realized it was a waste of time almost instantly. The water was so shallow ( maybe 2 1/2 foot average ) that we could have waded across the the whole pond. It was a bright day so I was nervous the trout would not be very aggressive in shallow water. Unfortunately I was right. I saw one fish caught during the two hours we were in the canoe.

I kept seeing fish jump near the parking area ( near the dam) I casted over there with my casting bubble and got one hit. The problem was this was the shoreline everyone else was fishing. I didn't want to get to close and invade the shore guys personal space. I did after all have the whole pond ( they didn't know it was only a foot deep in a lot of places). Finally after going fishless in the canoe, we put it on the car.

I knew there were trout by the parking area. After going fishless for 2 hours I bet DJ I could catch a trout within five minutes fishing from shore. I walked over to the shoreline not even 25 feet from the car. I casted out my bubble and on the business end for a fly I used a pheasant tail. It was either a size 12 or 14, it definitely wasn't tiny. Within a cast or two I had a hit, but I missed it. It always seems like the first fish is the hardest to get. Then a cast after that another hit, but this one stayed on. After a short fight, I reeled in a foot long rainbow. Then another, then another.

In the period of 45 minutes, I managed to land 6 fish. Four rainbows and two browns. On top of that I had at least 4 other fish on and 5 more hits. In that 45 minute period I easily had 15 bites. It almost became embarrassing because I was the only person catching fish. In the first two hours I fished, I saw one fish caught. During my 45 minute magical run, no one else even had a bite. There were10 other people just watching me. I felt like I was a fishing tv show and I had an audience. It was fun for me, but I have been on the watching end before and that sucks. I kept 3 fish, and gave one away to a family with a 5 year old kid. I told the father I'd give him the fish but I was letting the rest go if I caught any more. I did, but he was grateful for the one I gave him.

I'm not sure how big my biggest was, but the biggest I kept was 14 inches. The brown that I kept was 12 inches.

The picture here is of the main ingredient of my soon to be famous-- fish tacos.