Trout

[bart]

Wow, thank you everyone for all the replies!

Eben: Thank you. I appreciate the kind sentiments.

Mike: thanks for the reply. I hear you on just getting out there and keeping it simple. I read a ton of books about striper fishing when i was younger and that type of timeless info seems to stick with me, but I’ll still have to get my feet eventually.

Paul, thanks so much for the offer. That’s really kind and generous of you. I’ll PM you later.,

Tommy and Higgie: Can’t thank you both enough for the all the helpful insight and info. Tommy, that’s a great suggestion about Orvis, especially since I have a pair of waders I need repaired. That never even crossed my mind. Thank you both for all the info, I really appreciate it.

Tight lines…
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

[RIROCKHOUND]

Good luck Rob.
Reach out to RoyL, he lives out there now.
Obviously Mike is out there, maybe you can sleep while he drives to the cape. Let me know if you are coming this way in the spring.

[DZ]

My sister lived up there in Shelburne Falls and fly fished the Deerfield all the time for trout and smallmouth bass. I'm sure the Pioneer members can also help you out. And depending on where you're living, you're only three hours or so from the best trophy trout fishing in the northeast around Pulaski NY.
Best of luck.

[puppet]

bart,

One thing I like about western mass is the amount of water to explore and the presence of native brook trout. For me the trophy is in the color each individual has and those natives can be stunning.

If you are looking to do something different and are looking to keep things simple, you can also go the fixed line/tenkara route. Tenkara is a form a flyfishing that I have been doing for the last seven years. In all that time, I have never considered a fly rod and reel for trout fishing. There is something unique about the style and aligned to focusing on presentation and technique over what equipment or artificial should I have at the end of my line. I have 3 flies I use and pretty much have stuck with the same rod for the whole 7 years. A rod will run you under 300 and some of the best ones are around 150. The line costs about 20 bucks and I fish a small box of flies on the water. You do not have to look like a pack mule to be a successful fly fisherman.

A lot of folk will discount tenkara and put it down. I can tell you for a fact that it made me more productive faster than if I picked up a flyrod and reel. If you are interested, pm me and I can get into the specifics. If you observe the below footage, the angler's presence is greatly minimized as they are not slapping down heavy lines on the water or casting shadows with their flylines when they are in the air. Wild fish can spook easily. These lines are really thin and practically invisible.


https://vimeo.com/54385784

In my opinion, if you find yourself gravitating to the blue lines deep in the woods to fish, tenkara is hands down the best tool for the job. It is also really effective in wider streams like the one in the video. When fishing pocket water, there is something in the style where you start developing skill and casting accuracy to present a fly into a 6" circle even in tight cover. Much of it has to do with how the line is fixed in length so it starts becoming an extension of yourself. With the same casting stroke one can do slight adjustments of posture and position to place the fly precisely.

Here is an old post with some early thoughts on tenkara, since I wrote this my perspective on it has matured and so has my skill. Like any discipline, the rabbit hole will take you far if you want it to.

http://www.striped-bass.com/Stripert...d.php?t=93393&