Ipswich River / Shawsheen River Lunch-Breaks

[Trout77]

With spring rapidly approaching, I did a little scouting and I noticed that my new work-place is only a five mile drive from Ipswich River Park in North Reading. --125-3

Im also near the Shawsheen River in the Andover area.

...about equidistant from the two

Does anyone have any advise on these rivers?
i.e. which is better, why, where to fish (roads) etc. :confused:

[L.T. Tackle]

I used to work in an industrial park on the Middlesex Turnpike, in Bedford. It was the one just past where the road crosses over the Shawsheen. I would fish it on my lunch break, in the spring just after they stock of course. On my best 45 minute lunch break, I landed 4 stocked rainbows all on Muddler minnows with yellow. Great way to spend lunch!

[NatickDave]

Hey, that is right where I work now...guess I will be spending a lunch or two doing the same. ;) Thanks, LTT

Dave

[DAQ]

Natic Dave,

Where do you work? I am employed in the same area.

D

[smcisaac]

Small world. My employer holds the mortgage on a building on Crosby Drive. Guess I'll be doing more frequent property inspections this year. Wouldn't want the borrower to be letting trash build up in the parking lot or anything like that.

If you see a guy in waders wearing a baseball cap with the logo of the local financial institution whose name also appears on the jumbo screen at Fenway, that will be me, monitoring river flow to make sure my collateral isn't at risk for flood damage. And that long thing I'll be holding will be a depth monitor that only looks like a fly rod.

It may take longer than a lunch break to get the job done properly. Maybe even an assistant or two.

[NatickDave]

I am up that long driveway between the Naked Fish and the Hampton Inn. Just a few hundred yards from Crosby and the Shawsheen. Now waiting for ice-out.

ND

[jim pod]

intersection of river st,clark st, and andover st behind an old mill = nice browns never much on flies but tiny mepps black with yellow dots was killer . I fished there 2-3 times a week when I worked on Ballardvale st. I use to **** off the boss all the time he would have lunch with the mucky mucks and I knew I could stretch lunch to an hour and a half. Gill hooked one once and had to answer questions about why I had blood on my shirt and tie. After that the mucky mucks wanted to go, but I never told them where. :rolleyes:
I guess this makes me a spot burner- oh well.

[smcisaac]

Above or below the dam, Jim?

(Maybe I can talk the mill owner into taking out a mortgage. At least it's worth a visit to find out...)

[Trout77]

I did a little scouting and came across a nice spot (although not much of a secret spot) by seeing all of the old worm boxes.


Right below Andover Street there is a dam (I get to it from Ballardvale), take a sharp turn adjacent to the bridge on Dale Street will drive you to a nice and easy access spot.
The water is roiled up with a fairly solid bottom (for Boston area rivers) It looks like this place gets hammered by locals, and in a pinch might be a spot to hit for lunch to chuck some streamers and nymphs... :confused:

Although, I will mostlikely just work through lunch to save my commute time up to New Hamphshire for wild trout... :brow

[smcisaac]

Sonds like the same spot Jim mentioned. (No need to feel guilty about spilled secrets, after all, Jim.)

A couple of miles to the north of there, the Shawsheen crosses Route 28 right next to a DeMoula's supermarket with a convenient parking lot. Haven't fished there but have been wanting to try.

[nomadic angler]

I usually do good in the spring in the Tewksbury section near Route 38. Although its gets fished pretty hard here in the spring you'll find the fishing much better as you move away from the stocking site. Try a Red or Blue quill. --125-3