Look around the Esplanade. Meter parking is free on Sundays, or else you'll be in a garage or running to the meters every two hours. But the areas get packed with people on Sundays, all asking if there are fish in the river and if you eat your fish. Same two question all day every day. Just keep walking around until you see some fish, I would say the two larger pools are a good place to start. During the summer dog days the muddy river a good place to sight fish for them too.
It is by the docks outside of Spaulding Rehab in Boston they just moved to Charlestown, MA but the previous building where there is a ramp down to the docks these carp just sit there. The train goes bye every so often so it can be annoying.
Thats a good spot for stripers too. I've still yet to catch one, but everyone that fishes with me seems to catch one.
Ok so I can confirm that the Charles has some big carp in it.However, I am sad to report that there is now one less big carp in the Charles.
This afternoon, I was fly fishing off of the new fishing pier near Watertown square. I was just practicing my roll casting into the river in that wicked wind. I caught a handfull of bluegill for my trouble.
Then along comes this white haired bearded old guy on a bike. He sets up two carp rods on the west end of the pier. In less than five minutes he hooked up with a really big fish. So I see this and I am like: oh wow he's got a big carp on his hook. So I put down my rod and grab my net and offer to help the old guy land the fish.
He see my net and in a Russian accent says: "That is broken", referring to my net which most definitely was not "Broken". So I am like, WTF? He reels the fish in close to shore and then he reaches over to his gear and pulls out a gaff! This carp must have been about three foot long and had to weight at least 10 maybe 15 pounds. he pull this fish out of the water by hooking the gaff behind the gill plate and hauls the fish out of the water onto the deck.
At this point I am so disgusted I just gather up my gear and walk away. It is not like the Charles river below the Watertown dam is the cleanest water to fish. I can't imagine that any fish in that water are safe to eat.
It takes about 10 years for a carp to grow about that size and after all that time it wouldn't be "clean" enough to eat.
If you are looking to catch a nice carp in the Charles you all better hurry because keepers are fishing them out.
This afternoon, I was fly fishing off of the new fishing pier near Watertown square. I was just practicing my roll casting into the river in that wicked wind. I caught a handfull of bluegill for my trouble.
Then along comes this white haired bearded old guy on a bike. He sets up two carp rods on the west end of the pier. In less than five minutes he hooked up with a really big fish. So I see this and I am like: oh wow he's got a big carp on his hook. So I put down my rod and grab my net and offer to help the old guy land the fish.
He see my net and in a Russian accent says: "That is broken", referring to my net which most definitely was not "Broken". So I am like, WTF? He reels the fish in close to shore and then he reaches over to his gear and pulls out a gaff! This carp must have been about three foot long and had to weight at least 10 maybe 15 pounds. he pull this fish out of the water by hooking the gaff behind the gill plate and hauls the fish out of the water onto the deck.
At this point I am so disgusted I just gather up my gear and walk away. It is not like the Charles river below the Watertown dam is the cleanest water to fish. I can't imagine that any fish in that water are safe to eat.
It takes about 10 years for a carp to grow about that size and after all that time it wouldn't be "clean" enough to eat.
If you are looking to catch a nice carp in the Charles you all better hurry because keepers are fishing them out.
Don't get too worked up about he. He did nothing illegal and if he wants to eat bottom dwelling fish from the Charles it's his choice, his health. I have found that a lot of the immigrants are just continuing the lifestyle they had in the "old country". Fishing is a way to get cheap, lean protein.
In referring to your net perhaps he meant to say that the fish was too big that it might break your net.
In referring to your net perhaps he meant to say that the fish was too big that it might break your net.