There’s something to be said for the merits of “comfortable” fishing. Bluegill fishing takes you back to summertime childhood memories; stocked trout fishing marks the start of spring; and blue lining takes you on wild adventures. I’ll always love the simplicity of fishing freshwater rivers and lakes for familiar species – but there comes aContinue reading “Trial, Error, and Success”
Tag Archives: Massachusetts
Putting the Pieces Together
Waking up at 5:20 AM daily seems to make most people cringe, but for me, the benefits outweigh the grogginess. For one, I get first dibs on the shower; I also get to eat a big breakfast before school. But perhaps the biggest upside of them all is the head-start I have on checking theContinue reading “Putting the Pieces Together”
Fly Fishing in the Dead of Winter
I look out at the pond: a few square feet of punky skim ice desperately clings to the snow-free banks in a shaded cove. Meanwhile, in the main pond, the late-afternoon sun is reflected by waves gently rolling across the water’s surface. It’s mid-February; the pond should locked under a thick layer of milky-white ice.Continue reading “Fly Fishing in the Dead of Winter”
First of Many
For diehard anglers, catching the first fish of the year is always a highly anticipated event – sometimes even a stressful one. It’s funny how, in an attempt to affirm our commitment to a sport that brings us so much enjoyment and contentment, we can drive ourselves nutty in the process. It’s as if weContinue reading “First of Many”
Fishing Ethically
Quick Note: The word “redd” is used frequently in this post. For those who are unfamiliar with this term, a redd is the nest of a salmonid (trout, salmon, or char) where their eggs are deposited. To create a redd, the female digs a depression in a gravelly substrate with her tail. For this reason,Continue reading “Fishing Ethically”
In Lieu of Stocking
What a strange start to fall! With water levels as low as they have been, Mass Fish & Wildlife made the atypical decision to not stock many of the state’s regularly stocked rivers. In talking with local anglers, not one could recall a time when such a decision was made, including the horrific drought ofContinue reading “In Lieu of Stocking”
Fall Angling Opportunities Still Abound in Maine
I received some very disheartening news today: the water levels in many of my local rivers are too low to even support stocked trout this fall. Massachusetts limped through one of the worst droughts on record this summer. As the seasons turned, it seemed some autumn showers would replenish our lakes and rivers. Yet evenContinue reading “Fall Angling Opportunities Still Abound in Maine”
Bittersweet
This time of year is always bittersweet. Summer vacation is in the rearview mirror, and a full year of school with all its responsibilities is at the doorstep. While I may long for the balmy summer days spent by the river or lake, an unavoidable new chapter is fast approaching. Though free time was harderContinue reading “Bittersweet”
Doomed by Drought
As fellow Native Fish Coalition MA board member Will Friedland and I laid eyes on the brook (or more accurately, the trickle) we were about to fish, we simultaneously muttered two dispirited words: “Oh boy.” This was no giddy with excitement-because the stream is chock-full of-happy little trout Oh boy. No, this was a “I’dContinue reading “Doomed by Drought”
Second Helping
Stocked trout fishing is all too often feast-or-famine, with successful days being legendary and tough ones candidates for short-term memory loss. For most, the first of this year’s stockings have followed this pattern. I’ve heard plenty reports of double-digit days on the river, but also a good amount of skunk days. It seems further west,Continue reading “Second Helping”
Current Angler 