where to fish

hello
i am new to MA, living in Westborough and i am looking for some help, could somone point me in the right direction , i am looking for rivers/streams/brooks to flyfish in the area,

So, It depends if you are interesting in wading into rivers, or exploring. The best I think in Ma is either the Swift River in Belchertown (Base of the Quabbin) or the Millers river which runs along Rt 2 on the top of the state. However if you are adventerous and enjoy a challenge head to the Watchusett Reservoir and fish the Stillwater River in Princeton. You will love the very slow flow and tight challenges the river can offer. Trout Unlimited has invested some money to remove the beaver dams but this has lead to some very shallow pools, you better walk in stealth. Since moving to Ma myself I have enjoyed lake fishing early in the morning (with wets) and in the evening with dries.

The Nississit River in Pepperell has a Fly Fish only section from the NH line to the Prescott St bridge or the Squanacook River in Townsend/Shirley/Groton has some areas if you dont mind a little hike. The water is still a little high right now and they just started stocking this week, I'ld give it another week or two.

thanks guys i drove up to the swift for a reccee today great little river plenty of big trout to be seen and even saw a few being caught (i couldn't fish as i had my toddler with me) but will make a trip this weekend

If you enter the river on the right side there is a small area to park and an old logging trail to walk. I have seen, quail, turkey, and an occasional deer on the path as I worked my way up to the pool. I have also taken my boys (4, and 6) up there for picnics in the summer. Make sure you have a license as the area is heavily patrolled by the rangers.

i parked just next to the bridge and walked up the left hand side of the river. 4 + 6 might be easier to control than an almost 2 year old. the first thing i did when i arrived in MA was get my fishing licence. and hints on what fly is good up there?

the swift and the y pool...great place but take a number! it can get pretty packed. if you are adventurous enough, try the deerfield river too. it is a long but pretty ride in MA's northwest corner (charlemont/zoar). it is worth the trip. careful, though, as they release the dam from time to time and it could get tricky. the ride back along rte. 2 follows the millers river through erving. that is nice too.

i stopped bass fishing for a bunch of years but just started again. there is no reason not to target them too! popping bugs and bass are a blast.

welcome to ma and good luck.

charlie

cheers Charlie, i'm trying to figure everything out like where to fish and how to fish,(things are done differently here and with different species), and when i'm going to get time to fish deerfield sounds great but it might be a bit far,(fishing passes have a time limit)

I have always been a big fan of nymphs, they can be fished at any time anywhere. I also like ants, adams (later in year), light cahill patterns in summer, and the spring fish catcher is the muddler minnow. Most of the streams will be high and dirty so the muddler is great this time of year. i lived in Marlboro for a few years, and Charlies suggestion of the Rt 2 Millers River is an excellent choice. Let me know when you head to the swift, if you do it off hours its great. The pool is good, but right under the pool I grabbed a wonderful brook trout one afternoon, 16" all muscle.

mark...that sounds like a great fish! another pattern that worked well for me there was a blue winged olive around an 18. the pool right at the bridge is very productive. little pockets up stream used to hold small bass if the trout were being picky.

charlie

cool Millers river looks like an option i bought some maps yesterday so easier to locate rivers etc, i also picked up a book called "trout stream of southern new england" which seems to have a lot of information so as it is snowing today i'm going to have a good read, and hopefully get some fishing done over the weekend

Have you tried Google Earth? You just zoom out on Massachusetts and then zoom in to the rivers

went up to the swift today, great to get out casting again, caught nothing but there are some big fish up there i threw all sorts at them but couldn't get a take, definitly worth going back tough.

If you are going to fish the Millers River then I would recommend buying the guide available on this Blog : http://millersriverflyfishingforum.blogspot.com/2011/01/january-doldrums-things-to-do.html

Mass. ( Eastern Mass.) in general is not the best for trout fly fishing rivers and streams IMO unless you want to hike out to the Millers, Swift or Deerfield. That's why I switched over to Bass fishing last summer. There is the Assabet in Concord - but that gets heavy pressure.
Mass Wildlife does do a great job stocking ponds with Rainbows - but just not the same as seeing your dry fly float down into a river pool. Check out their site for a list of stocked ponds.
But if you want to be able to just drop down the street for fishing, then you gotta switch over to Bass fishing from Trout.

ya i'll give bass a go too as soon as i figure out where to fish and how to fish.