Float Trip

[chathamgreg]

I'm trying to set up a trip to take a client of mine fishing this Spring. Any suggestions for a guide for a float trip? Location would have to be within a couple hours drive from Boston.

[titleguy]

2 hours is a pretty tough row, but expand that a little and you're talking.

White River in VT is about 2:30 from north of Boston ( like Melrose) and is a great fishery, particularly for Hendricksons.

troutonthefly.com floats the river and I believe these guys do as well http://www.streamandbrook.com/. I know one of the guys at Stream and Brook and know Todd's wife from Trout on the Fly from law school. Now, if you want to drive a little farther, flyfishingonly.com in Fairfield, Maine can hook you up on various sections of the Kennebec for a float trip with either Mike Holt or Marshall Demott. Go upriver a little more to the East Outlet, my personal favorite and Maine Guide Fly Shop in Greenville is the place to set up your float trip. We floated the East Outlet last June for 5 days with two boats and 6 guys and had a ball. Good luck. :-%

[Chuckster]

ChathamGreg,

The White River is a great suggestion by Titleguy, although he must be a fast driver!

Regardless, if you decide to go up there shoot me a PM. I've been fishing it every season for about 12 years now, and I can give you some info, including maps.

BTW, what time of year are you looking at?

Good luck,

[titleguy]

Or I have a bad memory. I used to make it from Exit 2 ( Sharon) to Melrose is 2:45 in a truck that would only go over 72 off a cliff. --127-3- I haven't fished there at all in the past few years now that I have the Kennebec and the Penobscot, but I used to put in around 100 days per year on the White from '88-'91. I floated it with a friend in 2000 and caught some of the biggest trout I ever caught in VT between Bethel and Sharon. I hope it's still a great river. :-%

[Chuckster]

It is still a great river, and I bet we've seen each other at some point. I used to stay in Tunbridge and fish Bethel to Sharon exclusively, but in the past 5 years or so I've moved upstream. I now stay in Rochester and fish from Hancock all the way down to Sharon. The best fishing is still in the Bethel/Sharon stretch, but there is some pretty water upstream as well.

The smallmouth bass fishery is underrated, and they love woolly buggers and hellgrammites. Two years ago my brother landed a 4 lb walleye too - I never even knew they were in there!

Excellent suggestion by the way, and the cafe in Rochester center across from the Mobil station is a great breakfast spot.

[titleguy]

I lived outside of Middlebury for many years andthen went to Law School in Slo Ro, so I got to know the river pretty well. Once I had graduated, got married and had kids, didn't get to fish it as much since it was and hour plus each way. Brookie's is good for grease as well. I think the last time I fished the White was in November of '02 when as buddy of mine came up to buy a cheap kayak somewhere, caught fish though. I agree on the smallies- they are pretty amazing. Of course, come up to Penobby above Old Town and you will see smallmouth that would tear up most schoolie bass. Just amazing. Have to get back one of these days, but so much exporing to do around here. :-%

[chathamgreg]

My original post has an error, by float I meant a drift boat as opposed to floating in a tube. That said troutonthefly looks like it could be a winner. Looking to go this Spring (May) and throw some dry flies out there. I'm always amazed at the help this board provides, thanks!

[titleguy]

Both troutonthefly and streamsandbrooks float in "crafts", rafts or otherwise. Drift boats are tough on the White unless you have high water. Go for between Mother's Day and Memorial Day for Hendirckson's. --127-3-

[Jackie Chan]

Ttitleguy,

Just a quick correction from your original post. The owners name of "trout on the fly" is Brad Yoder not Todd. Brad puts alot of time in on the river and knows it well. He does offer drift trips particulary on the lower section (below Bethel). A good guy who I would recommend if you feel you need a guide.

I have to say however, a few of the comments posted on this subject may be out of context. The white is a beautiful river, no doubt, but don't expect to catch tons of fish. The fish per mile populations particularly on the middle and upper reaches have declined for years with little known reasons why. Compared to the 70's and early 80's its now only a shadow of its former self. There are many theories - everything from the salmon restoration initiative and trout stocking where fish compete for same food source with natives, to winter kill, to siltation of spawning areas.
Having fished the river for almost 20 years I can personally attest to the change. There are some big fish in this river but for the amount of holding water, they're far and few between.
As far as hatches, I've never seen or spoke with anyone who has witnessed a blanket hatch on the white, which is attributed to the river being a freestone with high water & temperature fluctuations during heavy rains and runoff.
I'm not discounting the white, only suggesting to those reading these particular posts who have never fished it, that its not all its cracked up to be.

If your looking for consistent fish with strong hatches might I suggest the Farmington aor Housatonic.

Just my 2 cents...