southern vt fishing

[edsly42]

a few friends and i are trying to plan a trip to fish in the west dover area. a buddy has a house there and we would like to take a few days(weekdays or wkend) in the next month and a half to go up and fish. we are at college so after graduation(mid may) we are all gone. icefishing if still availible soon, open water fishing from shore or possibly from boat and if nothing else flyfishing in streams, not in that order. just trying to catch some fish. any help would be much appreciated. try and put urself in our shoes... lotta time. not anything that we really have to do but fish and :-% . thanks for any help.
ed

[bdowning]

A nice stream that runs just NW of Manchester is the Mettawee River. Less fished than the Battenkill and some sizable trout throughout. There are Red Quill/Hendrickson hatches there in May and flyfishing is effective. Mostly runs through farmland with access at bridge crossings, but it also runs through some deep ravines and "canyons" near the NY border. These spots are deep water and narrow with high walls making flyfishing difficult, but dropping a spinning lure or bait down in one of the holes can flush out some lunkers. Check regulations though. The entire stretch may be flyfishing only at this point.

-bd

a few friends and i are trying to plan a trip to fish in the west dover area. a buddy has a house there and we would like to take a few days(weekdays or wkend) in the next month and a half to go up and fish. we are at college so after graduation(mid may) we are all gone. icefishing if still availible soon, open water fishing from shore or possibly from boat and if nothing else flyfishing in streams, not in that order. just trying to catch some fish. any help would be much appreciated. try and put urself in our shoes... lotta time. not anything that we really have to do but fish and :-% . thanks for any help.
ed

[Eric L]

First off, check the regulations before planning anything. I think that trout season does not even open until April 10.

IMHO April is really too early to find decent fishing in all but a few spots in Northern New England. With the weather as it has been this winter you will probably have snowpack melting throughout your targeted time period. The ponds will still be ice covered (and closed to ice fishing I believe -- check regs!) and the streams will be raging torrents of icewater. Significant insect hatches won't start up there until early May. If I HAD to fish i southern VT in that time period I would forget about the bigger streams and look for small (tiny actually) brookie streams instead. If I really wanted to catch fish I'd head south and do day trips to the Deerfield in MA, or better yet, drive the 3 hrs south to CT and fish the West Branch Farmington. I've seen good Hendrickson hatches on the Farmington as early as the 2nd week of April, but the last week of April is more reliable. At any rate the further south you go, the greater likelyhood of finding some decent fishing.

Regards,

Eric

[notime]

As BD states Mettawee is a nice little river and you'll probably get more action that the over rated Battenkill. Waters will be high and cold, but the Mettawee should be fishable as it is a small river/large stream. I've only fished it in the summer so no guarantees. Don't be surprised if you don't see any other anglers. We spent a long weekend there about three years ago and only saw one or two other people fishing either river.

I'd still check out the Battenkill, though you'll probably be a bit dissappointed.

[bdowning]

Agree with Eric about April in VT. The water is usually still high and cold in the streams and more than once I've simply bailed out and headed to the Deerfield in Mass. If you can push it to at least May 7 though, I've generally found the Mettawee and smaller streams in the area to be fishable with decent hatches, especially if there isn't a huge snowpack with lots of spring rains causing flooding. Beautiful farm country. At least it was 10 + years ago when I fished it every spring.

The Battenkill is one heck of a river too, but big and can be tough to fish for first timers. You can get lucky and get into an amazing Hendrickson hatch with browns slurping anything on top, but this is unusual. I'd concentrate on the feeder streams to it instead or even the sloughs and oxbows off the main body of the river.

-bd

[Pauper Piscator]

The white is a nice river just off White River Junction.

Queechee Gorge is nice spot, EZ hike with some great fishing in may/June. Hike down the bottom (Nice "Swimmin Hole" factor too. Time it right and there'll be some bathing beauties).

Wade CAREFULLY (seriously, NOT for the Elderly or Uncoordinated) out to "the point", you'll see what I mean when you get there. OR, if the water is low, cross the river to the "island" and fish both sides. LOADED with stocked bows. Good Caddis hatches. Or just skate an attractor. I do not exaggerate 20++ trout afternoons. I was a definite regular in 99-00. (School teacher so I had lots of time).

VT is much more a May/June and Autumn State than April. BRRRRRR.

[titleguy]

From West Dover it is a decent hike to the White, Battenkil or Mettawee. You might also look at the Deerfield (contact Tattingers- orvis dealer in that neighborhood) Other posters are correct though VT river fishing in April, you're going because you can (season opns on "closed trout water 2nd sat. of april) Water temps will be in 40s at best and if spring is usual (9mth winter, 3 mths bad sledding) you're pounding nymphs and hoping for the best. White River will have hatches but no fish until Mother's Day if water level are right (it's a great river- I lived on it for 3 yrs) Southern VT streams including Battenkill (both in NY, which is better water, and VT) and Mettawee may have some sporadic hatches, but the Quill Gordon and especially Hendrickson really turn the fish on. I have gotten some nice fish in early may on the 'Kill and Mettawee on Hendricksons, but very weather specific. Also look at the West River below Harriman Resevoir, I have never fished it but it looks fishy.

[fleshfly]

How be stretches of the Mettawee on the NY side? I like the VT strectches. I'll be passing through, this area onsunday and was hoping to make a few casts if this section is enjoyable to fish.

[titleguy]

Check out the NYS fishing areas on Rt. 22 in Granville- NYS opened April 1, VT does not open until Sat. There are some nice pieces of water on the NY side around Granville on Rt 22 (look for NYS "public fishing stream" signs) Take 149 from Rt30 in VT in Granville and follow to Rt 22. Post a report :-%

[fleshfly]

Thanks for the reply. I ended up going out yesterday afternoon. 1st time on the NY side. Did more of checking things out, than fishing. Didn't care for some of the stretches closer to Granville, or near any of the bridges. Garabage and among other things a DEAD CAT in a trash bag were left behind. Found some nicer streches downstream, after talking to a few local Kayakers that new the water well. Unfortuanately a Kayaker died on the river at the Truthville Bridge, earleir in the day. I think I will explore more areas down stream in the "gorge/falls area" Late in the afternoon, the river was @44 degrees. No fish hooked, didn't really fish too hard(lame excuse), just kept moving & checking out spots for when I return. Optimistic for day 2. Anyinsight would be appreciated.

[ChuckD]

I would DEFINITELY check the Battenkill for Hendricksons. I went to college up in Burlington and made the trek down there one weekend before graduation and it was the most incredible hatch I have ever seen in the East. It was an afternoon deal, with the fishing getting better as the evening went on. Those wild browns are very, very tough though and extremely selective so it can be frustrating with that many fish rising and no interest in your presentation. I ended up landing only one fish but it was a beautiful 16 inch wild brown that fought hard and made the whole day satisfying. Check with a shop down in that area(i.e. Orvis in Manchester) to determine if the Hendricksons have started to show and you could hit it right.