VT and Mass Fishing Trip

[Wmass]

I started my trip in VT on the July 27th and my father and I started off fishing a small river that is actually the West Branch of the Deerfield River (which flows many miles through VT and into western Mass). This branch of the Deerfield actually parallels the Appalachian Trail for a short stretch and then enters into a reservoir. The river contains wild brookies, browns, and landlocked salmon with stocked rainbows here and there. Caught 35 brookies on Friday with the majority being about 4" and the largest being 10".

Here is a brookie.

 

[Wmass]

Another brookie.

 

[Wmass]

Brookie

 

[Wmass]

This is the view from the front porch of my father's house.
The Battenkill flows through the field below and you can just make out the metal bridge in the picture.

 

[Wmass]

Another view from the porch.

 

[Wmass]

On the second day in VT we went to a small stream my father found way back in the middle of no-where. The stream flows down a mountain that once had a village on it but it has since been abandoned. The mountain and village have had a number of strange and unusual events happen around there, some say its haunted.

Here are of the brookie in that stream stream.

 

[mattd]

Nice to see you had a good time. I used to fish the same section of the Deerfield. I miss those beautiful brooks. Post some more pics if you have them. I'd love to see what I'm missing.

 

[Wmass]

Brookie

 

[Wmass]

brookie

 

[Wmass]

I drove back to Massachusetts and stayed with my parents for all of last week. I got to fish my home river but unfortunitely conditions were not ideal as the water was low and fairly warm and most of the fish were hanging on the bottom. I did managed to catch atleast one fish an outing (except for one day). I also managed to catch what I believe was my first landlocked salmon. The river has been stocked for several years with salmon and they have apparently taken hold and bred, I caught what looked like a rainbow without the rainbow colors and with pink/orange belly spots. This river also holds wild brookies and browns and stocked rainbows.

This river is a gem and not to many people fish it. Its gets alot of pressure from BAIT fishermen the first few months of spring and then it dies off. Unfortunitely I saw one bait fisherman who was catching and keeping fish (brookies under legal size) that he shouldn't have been keeping but I wasn't going to start anything. Next time I am home I am going to post some annonymous "suggestions" and see if anyone gets a clue.


Some of my pics are too large. I will try and link to them later.

 

[jaybo41]

Awesome pictures! Looks and sounds like you had a great time on vacation. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Wmass]

PS- I didn't get to go after any Battenkill browns because the floaters started early on both days. It pretty much ruins the river after they go through.

Also, I have a little bit of info about the area posted on the battenkill by Orvis. It actually isn't Orvis who posted the land but the Perkins family on their own private property. The family owns about 5 miles of river that abuts their farm. I guess they just didn't want a ton of fisherman walking on their land. You can always find a bridge crossing.

 

[nimrod]

"The family owns about 5 miles of river that abuts their farm. "

Fortunately they only own five miles of farm that abuts the river and not the river. Back in the day it was a great place to fish either bait dunking (yikes!) in early spring or fly fishing when mid-May rolled around. It got some, not a lot, of pressure the first couple of weekends and then I seldom saw another fisherman except the guys I went with.

After the posting, in my opinion to open it up to teach Lawn Gisland doctors and stockbrokers to fly fish, we locals floated the stretch with good success. A long time ago but thank goodness for the Vermont laws on river rights.