White and Walden Ponds report 4/10

[ChuckD]

Fished White Pond for 2 hours in the afternoon. Tried a bugger at first(there wasn't a single fish on top) and then a brassie(there were a few midges around). Didn't see anyone else hook or land anything so I figured it hadn't been stocked yet and yanked the float tube and made the run to Walden which I knew had been stocked.
Got a couple stockie 'bows out of Walden on Sunday. Hooked another 6 but lost them. 2 ate a white zonker(are there still rainbow smelt left in this pond? I read it had some at one time) hence the white zonker. The rest ate a beadhead brassie-there were a good # of midges around and on the water so I figured they'd eat a midge pupa imitation-which they did. The 2 fish I landed were on the brassie. Could've probably switched to an adult(dry) but time was running out(the parking lot closes at 7:30). Fish were rising all over(sporadically) but the ones I got to eat were in about 6-10 feet of water. I would cast a couple of feet to the left or right of a rise(sometimes I could guesstimate which direction they were headed) and wait 2 seconds and then start short quick strips(they would usually hit after the first one or two strips).
It's pretty sad how mutant-looking those stocked fish are-not sure if it was worth the $5 parking fee --124-3 but anyway good to get on the board with my first local trout of the year. :-%

[bdowning]

When did they start charging for parking this early in the season? Was always a freebie until May for as long as I can remember, but I haven't been to Walden in the past several years. I was thinking of stopping there after work today. Maybe I'll just go to White's instead :confused: .

-bd

[chickenhead]

Guys, I may be wrong on this, but I had always thought that any person holding a fishing license could access any stocked waters for free. After all you paid to put those fish there. I don't really remember where I got that idea, but the couple of times I told the parking czar at Little pond it worked. :rolleyes:
Just a thought,
Matt

[Fly Deacon]

Worked White's hard after work yesterday with only a sunfish to show for it. Even the powerbait crew was having a slow day. Snow was coming down hard. Did not see any rising while I was there.

[ChuckD]

so I don't think he was going to let me in for free as he checked my license right then and there...if you have a boat you can park at the launch ramp which is free for the next month or so I think. I guess I could have made the argument, albeit a weak one, that my float tube/belly boat is a "personal watercraft" (#$119)

[chickenhead]

Yeah, the officer is probably a little more up on the current regs then the 16 year old kid at little pond. Okay there goes that theory. It never really did jive with fiscal paradigm that massachusetts operates within. Oh well, if I go up there I'll have to bring the Pungo!
Cheers

[MKDeceiver]

A brassie, hunh? Interesting, how were you fishing it? A 12ft leader or something tapered to 6X on a floating line or were you on the bottom?

[ChuckD]

"I would cast a couple of feet to the left or right of a rise(sometimes I could guesstimate which direction they were headed) and wait 2 seconds and then start short quick strips(they would usually hit after the first one or two strips)."

Have had similar success with this techinique on Western stillwaters. Obviously the better your guess as to which way the fish was headed, the more your hook ups.

[bdowning]

What is a brassie, anyway? I use dark nymphs and wets with a brass colored bead head sometimes. Is that a brassie?

-bd

[detra]

A brassie is a midge imitation that has small diam wire running up the shank topped off with some color of dubbing right before the eye. Simple and effective. i think you guys may be getting too technical on these stockers. My dad was at whites on friday when they stocked and reported catching approx 80 fish on lures. Went back on saturday morning and got 30 or so more.

[ChuckD]

No wonder I didn't get any on Sunday @ White....those fish had already had their lips ripped and were just looking for some nice safe round pellets :brow

BTW a brassie is copper wire wrapped from the beginning of the bend of the hook up 3/4 and then a collar/thorax of peacock herl. Bead-head versions work well too.

[detra]

I agree, the old man said he pinched his barbs down after the first 20 or so because unhooking the fish was "slowing me down, and he had seen a rainbow go in that looked like a striper".

[Mike M.]

There are still rainbow smelt in Walden. Thats how those holdover trout get so BIG.

[ChuckD]

Mike,
Have you killed fish and found smelt in their stomachs? Or do ice fisherman catch them?
Have you ever seen a surface feeding frenzy on smelt there?
Thanks
Chuck

[Mike M.]

I have seen the rainbow smelt crusing around in the ultra clear water there.