The March that never ended

March has been a lion all month. And she doesn’t look to be making her transformation to lamb anytime soon, if we’re going by what the weather folks have to say.

There’s not been much fishing to be had recently. Holdover fishing–for both stripers and trout–has been slow. The weather, rain, snow, sleet, gale, power outages, has put a halt to that.

I’ve been spending my time organizing tackle and tying flies. I hope that the fish don’t mind how ugly my flies are. I get the feeling they won’t but you never know. Trout are weird like that.

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The good news is–yes, there is good news–that all of our favorite ponds got stocked with fresh trout. And I hear the class this year is exceptionally healthy (read: large and ready to break your 7x tippet).

A few ponds that have been stocked in our neck of the woods that I hope to check out soon are:

Little Pond, Plymouth

Long Pond, Plymouth

Fresh Pond, Plymouth

Mary’s Pond, Rochester

Spectacle Pond, Sandwich

Peter’s Pond, Sandwich

Pimlico Pond, Sandwich

Hamblin Pond, Barnstable

Cliff Pond, Brewster

Herring pond, Eastham

Goose Pond, Chatham

Gull Pond, Wellfleet

 

 

The full stocking list can found here.

I’m sitting here now and cursing this “fourth easter’.” I debated venturing out to fish one of the above ponds today, but gale force winds and the threat of downed trees and power lines don’t make for a very relaxing fishing experience.

I’m swearing under my breath at the the recent trend of wind and ice because it’s seriously delaying the start of our fishing season. I haven’t felt that unique tap tap of a rainbow eating a nymph fly in far too long.

I’m cursing how many hours I spent fishing this winter in sub-freezing weather trying for a holdover or a Swift River rainbow, and how I don’t think I can last another hour with no feeling in my toes unless I’m absolutely positive I’m going to catch something.

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But in the next few days, I’m going to suffer through it, because that’s what we do. And as of today, it’s “springtime” regardless of what the temperature says.

So get out there and catch a trout or two. I’ll see you there. As soon as the 30mph gusts stop and I can navigate through downed trees to get to the shoreline.

 

Billy Mitchell

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