Fly Fishing in New England

When people think of Fly Fishing in New England I expect that the North Woods of Maine and New Hampshire come to mind. As a native of Massachusetts I can attest to the fact that Mass indeed has some outstanding if not under rated fishing. Some of my earliest experiences with trout fishing occurred in the beautiful Berkshire Mountains. Here are some of the top locations. If you haven't tried these spots yet I expect you will enjoy them when you get there.
Deerfield River - The Deerfield River is often considered the number one trout river in Massachusetts. Driving west on route 2 from Greenfield gives you a great view of the Deerfield and also provides easy access as there many pull offs in the Shelburne Falls and Charlemont area. As with most rivers the trout habitat improves as you travel upstream. Just past the village of Charlemont Route 2 crosses the Deerfield at the Mohawk Bridge. If you take a right here and continue to follow the river you will find the best fishing areas of the river. There are two catch and release areas, a good size picnic area (often empty!) and the famous Hoosac Tunnel on this stretch. The catch and release area just below the Fife Brook dam holds lots of large browns and rainbows. The one problem with the Deerfield is the fact that Fife Brook Dam regularly releases water which completely changes everything. Making the river unfishable for a while. You may want to bring a book or enjoy your lunch or watch the rafters and kyakers until the water level comes down again. A wide variety of flies have proven to be effective on the Deerfield. Dry flies such as Adams, Light Cahills, Wulffs and caddis will work as will nyphms such as Gold Ribbed hares Ear, Zug Bug, stone fly nymphs or standard streamers.
A hidden jewel in this neck of the woods is North Pond, located in the Savoy Mountain State Forest, near North Adams and best reached by Route 2. Shore fishing and wading fishing is limited but with a canoe, kayak of float tube you will find yourself on the most perfect and picturesque mountain pond anywhere. Full of holdover (but finicky) trout and you will surely enjoy yourself here. There is camping very close by at South Pond, which does not contain trout but does off perch and sunfish. I would suggest planning to concentrate on North Pond as there are some large brown trout to be caught.
Another outstanding river in western Massachusetts is the Westfield River. There are various branches as this river makes it way from the northern Berkshires to the Connecticut river in south Mass. The Chesterfield Gorge section, off of route 143, has a catch and release are which is considered one of the highlights of the Westfield river. The west branch from Huntington to Chester also offers fine trout fishing and access.
Another outstanding trout stream in western Mass in the Houstatonic River in the southwest portion of the state. Routes 7 and 20, south of Pittsfield, will provide access. There is a catch and release section from the route 20 bridge in Lee downstream to Willow Mill Dam and from the Glendale Dam to the railroad bridge. Be sure to check with the Mass Division of Fish and Wildlife to be aware of all fishing regulations. The upper portion of the Farmington River, near Becket and Otis, also is worth fishing if you are in southwestern Mass.
Some other fine trout streams you may want to visit in the Berkshires include - North River Heath, route 112), Green River (north of Greenfield, Colrain Road), Mill River (in Whately and Hatfield).

The southeastern section of Massachusetts has numerous trout ponds and a few nice streams. While many ponds are stocked by the state some do not have very good trout habitat and are definately in the "put and take" category. But many ponds on Cape Cod and in Plymouth are deep and clear spring feed ponds and the trout thrive with many holdovers (some quite large!) and even some breeding populations. Most ponds have decent access and many have state boat ramps on them. Some of the Cape Ponds include Ashumet, Gull, Hamblin, Johns, Lovells. Peters and Mashpee-Wakeby Pond. The Nickerson State Park in Brewster contains Big Cliff, Little Cliff, Flax and Higgins Ponds. In Plymouth you will find Little, Lout and Fearings Pond. All of these ponds have healthy populations of brookies, browns and rainbows. Little Pond is a favorite of many anglers because of its easy access and good fish population. It is only about 2 miles from Plymouth center but in a town park within a nice forest. Along with brook, brown and rainbow trout it recieves some of the state's bood stock of salmon. These salmon can be very large! On the cape the Quashnet and Mashpee Rivers require some bush wacking as you make your way along these small streams but there are plenty of trout!
Also in this area is a unique fishery that has been the focus of Trout Unlimited's environmental efforts for the past several seasons. Red Brook in Wareham was originally a wild sea run brook trout stream. It was significantly damaged by agricultural work (cranberry bogs) but has now been fully restored and rehabed. This small stream is tucked away on Head of The Bay Road. It is catch and release for these beautiful wild and native trout. Please visit the local Trout Unlimited site if you want for info on Red Brook. >>> http://southeastmasstu.com

The great state of New Hampshire offers many great fly fishing locations. The dominant feature of NH is the White Mountains. These rugged and beautiful mountains in the middle of the state are excellent for hiking and some nice back country mountain ponds can be reached. But some of the best NH fishing exists in other areas as well. Here are some key spots -
Upper Connecticut River - The upper stretch of this river, the largest in New England, can be reached by simply getting on route three and driving until you reach Pittsburg NH, the last town before the Canadian border. Here you will find a series of lakes, with flood control dams, tail-waters and great fly fishing on the sections between the lakes. Just outside of Pittsburg is Murphys Dam at the outflow of Lake Francis, easy parking and great fishing and possibly a huge trout! Further up the road by the upstream section of lake Francis is the Lake Francis State Park, good for tent camping and a train from the campground goes right to the river. A short drive above the park is the "trophy section" below the First Connecticut Lake. Outstanding tour and Landlocked Salmon fishing here. Again you can drive a short distance up to the Second Connecticut Lake, (watch out for moose as you drive!), the river below this dam is fast but the fish can be aggressive, mostly brookies and salmon.
Another fine destination in northern New Hampshire is the Androscoggin River. The headwaters are in the northern White mountains south of Berlin. The river then flows from along route 16 and can be followed for many miles. In the town of Errol trout can be caught right from the boat ramp near the center of town. This river eventually flows in Lake Umbagog at the Maine/NH border.
Western NH has its share of fine trout streams as well. The Mascoma River near Lebanon is outstanding. Above Lake Mascoma it is an easy to fish, small stream full of trout, mostly brookies. Below Lake Mascoma the stream is much larger and the fish are as well. Here you have the potential to catch a large rainbow.
The Sugar River is another great western NH river. Located near Newport this river has a very nice catch and release section. An old railroad bed provides easy fishing access once you leave the small parking lot. Rainbows, browns and brookies thrive here and the largest caddis fly hatch I've every seen occurred here on an early summer day.
The White Mountain region offers some nice, easy to reach streams such as the Swift, Peabody and Saco Rivers. Mountain ponds are numerous. One of the best is Upper Hall Pond, near WatervilleValley. A canoe, kayak or float tube is best here as the shore fishing and wading is minimal. This is true of most New England mountain ponds. Sawyer pond (over 100 feet deep!), Mountain Pond in Jackson and Profile Lake in Franconia notch should also be considered.

The great state of Maine has an extensive number of lakes, river and streams that offer outstanding fly fishing. Not only is Maine the largest state in New England it is actually larger then all the other New England states combined. Yes, it is that large! This state offers mainly brook trout, landlocked salmon and smallmouth bass as species to fish for. Some locations have been stocked with rainbow and brown trout but brook trout are the predominate and native species here.
Rangley Region - This area in western Maine has a variety of large lakes and fast flowing rivers. The legendary Rapid River, flowing out of Lower Richardson Lake to Lake Umbagog, gives you the chance to land a huge brookie (5lbs plus possible!). This river is tough to access but can be well worth the effort. Other targets in the Rangley region include the Upper Dam where upper Richardson Lake empties, Kennebago River and the short Rangley River in the village of Oquossoc.
Baxter State Park - within the shadow of Mount Katadin line the beautiful back county of this northern Maine paradise. This is another area that is not easy to access but is worth the effort. Newsowdnehunk Stream flows thru the west part of Baxter Park. The stretch below Big Niagara Falls is reached by the Appalachian Trail and provides excellent wilderness fishing for brook trout and salmon. There are many ponds, some very remote, within the confines of the park that are full of brookies eager to hit a fly. The park provides canoes to use on many ponds as shore fishing and wading is very limited or no existent. Visit the parks website to plan your trip.
The West Branch of the Penobscott River is northwest of Millinocket, just outside Baxter State Park. The best stretch runs along the Golden Road up to Ripogenus Dam and offers great landlocked salmon fishing. The rivers holds some huge landlocks that will eagerly hit streamers and other large flys.. Be ready as these fish are very quick to hit and are spectacular jumpers!
The Kennebec River, which flows out of Moosehead Lake and Grand Lake Stream (northeastern Maine) are some other locations for outstanding fly fishing in Maine.
One of the most unique New England fishing destinations in in western Maine, near the town of Weld. Access requires hiking to the top of Tumbledown Mountain. Near the Summit is Tumbledown Pond (sometimes called Crater Pond). This is one of the highest elevation ponds in Maine. It resemble a high altitude lake from the Rocky Mountains. The fish will not be large but there are some native brook trout in this beautiful Pond. The setting is special and the scenary is spectacular.

If you are looking to find some great trout fishing outside of New England here are some suggestions for you. The state of Colorado has a host of oustanding fishing destinations and many are just an easy trip from Denver. The famous Nahanni Camping and Fishing Club regularly takes trips to the Rocky Mountains and Colorado is one the the preferred states. Southwest of Denver is the renowned South Platte River which winds through the center section of the state with many great fishing areas. North of Denver is the Rocky Mountain National Park. This Park offers fine fishing as well as truly spectacular scenery. Also in that general area is the Cach La Poudre River, just outside of Fort Collins. This rugged river winds through a beautiful canyon for many miles with lots a excellent camp sites right on the river.
Flying to Denver, renting a car and then heading for the hills can result in a trip with lots a fish and lots of fond memories.