Archive for fishing

Branch Pond, VT

(c) Jack Ballard

The mountains of southern Vermont are pocked with ponds. Many of these are natural tarns that collect water in dips and depressions in the terrain. Others are confined or enhanced by human-created impoundments, while a third category is solely constructed and maintained by yet another contingent of landscape architects: local beavers whose naked paws and gnawing jaws create dams that sometimes persist a decade after the engineers have departed. Some ponds require a hike of several miles to reach, others are accessed directly from the backroads. Whether seeking a secluded place to nap among the maples, a bird-watching excursion, a cool spot of a midsummer swim or a sublimely relaxing place to fish, the ponds offer rewards on many levels.

One such puddle with ample appeal is Branch Pond. But pardon me, at 35 acres it’s more than a puddle or a pond. Branch Pond is a small, lovely lake in the Green Mountain National Forest, fed by springs and small streams. A short (quarter-mile) hike is all it takes to reach the pond from the access road, though the best fishing from shoreline is found on the opposite side of the lake. From there, it’s possible to wade out among the large and sometimes slippery boulders on the pond’s bottom to cast for the brightly-colored brook trout who make this lake their home. However, an even better way to fish is from a canoe or kayak, crafts that can be easily transported over the short shuttle to the lake.

For shore-bound anglers, shortly after ice-out and once the water cools in autumn are the best times to target the brookies. In midsummer, the trout retreat to spring-fed holes near the middle of the lake. Here the brookies will bite, but it takes some sort of watercraft to reach them. Mike Quartararo, a product development guy with Orvis and local angler, notes the best way to find the big, cool, spring-hole favored by the brook trout in midsummer is to “take a swim in the area northwest of the pond’s island. When you feel the water cool, that’s where the trout hang out.” Short of a dip, look for rising trout in the evening. They’re likely nipping caddis, tan and sometimes black, that frequently hatch on the pond.

The Forest Service allows primitive camping on the perimeter of Branch Pond. Local inquiry with the Manchester Ranger District (802-362-2307) is the best way to ascertain locations of viable camping spots and regulations. Whether you think of it as a puddle, pond or lake, whether the brookies are biting or not, Branch Pond is a New England classic, well worth a visit.

To reach Branch Pond, head west from the village of Stratton (not the resort) toward Arlington on the Arlington-West Wardsboro Road, also called the Kelley Stand Road. The trailhead for Branch Pond is on the right about 4.0 miles from Stratton and about a mile beyond the entrance for Grout Pond.

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Boundary Creek, WY

(c) Jack Ballard

“Cascade Corner” is a lightly-traveled, backcountry destination in the extreme southwestern corner of Yellowstone National Park. Access to this splinter of solitude in one of the nation’s most heavily visited national parks is via Ashton, ID. From Ashton, take Highway 47 (National Forest Road #62) east of Highway 20. About 5.5 miles from Ashton, turn right on Cave Falls Road and proceed about 20 miles to the Bechler Ranger Station.

For anglers, the primary draw to Cascade Corner is the Bechler River. Home to rainbow trout sometimes exceeding 20 inches and husky rainbow-cutthroat hybrids, taming a big Bechler ‘bow in the wild backcountry is a titillating prospect for any devoted trout lover. Problem is, the touted trout of the Bechler River are often maddeningly selective. Considering it’s around a six mile hike to the favored stretch of water on the river, it’s not too much fun to invest that much effort in a fishless day, though the stunning scenery adequately offsets a tough day on the river.

Overshadowed by the Bechler River, Boundary Creek offers more consistent angling success for visitors to Cascade Corner. Originating on the Pitchstone Plateau, Boundary Creek plunges over Dunanda Falls before meandering into the Bechler Meadows where it eventually joins the Bechler River. From the Bechler Ranger Station, it’s a flat, easy hike of five miles to Boundary Creek.

From its confluence with the Bechler River upstream through the meadows, Boundary Creek offers excellent fishing for rainbow trout, most ranging from 8 to 12 inches. Some of the fish betray evidence of hybridization with cutthroats, other appear as pure-strain rainbows. Willows line the winding stream, but sandbars and open stretches in the grassy meadows yield plenty of places to cast a fly. Boundary Creek is an ideal destination for tempting trout with dry flies. Novice anglers will find good success with these less than fussy fish. Most days, any fly that drops within reasonable distance of a pod of Boundary Creek trout and achieves a modicum of drag-free drift will be hammered by one of the stream’s finned residents.

Basic dry fly patterns work very well on Boundary Creek. Elk Hair Caddis in varying shades will do the trick, or opt for a Parachute Adams or small hopper. Cascade Corner sees more than its fair share of mosquitoes and receives the most precipitation of any location in Yellowstone National Park. Late August and early September are thus prime times to target Boundary Creek. During this period the trails are drier and there are far fewer biting bugs than earlier in the summer.

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Sylvan Lake, MT

(c) Jack Ballard

Home to the first plant of golden trout (native to the Sierra Mountains of California) in Montana, Sylvan Lake has provided brood stock for numerous other lakes in the Treasure State that now have their own self-sustaining populations of goldens. Whether by chance or design, the goldens plunked into Sylvan Lake remain one of the healthiest fisheries of this species in the state, and is probably the easiest place to catch a specimen of the onchorhynchus aguabonita species. The only downside of Sylvan Lake is the uphill climb to get there. The trail to this winsome, timberline tarn winds some five or six miles, depending on the guidebook or mapping software you choose to believe. From the trailhead near East Rosebud Lake to Sylvan, the path gains about 2,800 feet of elevation.

Though a strenuous hike, numerous local anglers fish Sylvan as a one-day trip. Starting early in the morning in midsummer, it’s possible to reach the shoreline by noon, fish for a few hours, then descend the trail in the evening. The hike proffers its own rewards. On a recent trek to tempt the goldens, my party of three spotted mule deer, a mother blue grouse with a young brood and dozens of different wildflower species along the way. In short, there’s enough distractions along the trail to measure your pace and provide a plethora of excuses for a breather.

Once at the lake, you’ll typically find the goldens very cooperative, even at midday. They readily gulp a variety of dry flies. I’ve hooked them on Elk Hair Caddis, yellow and red Humpies, Parachute Adams, black ants and small hoppers. From nearly any place on the shoreline it’s possible to spot rising trout. If they’re out of range, wait a few minutes and you’ll usually spot the telltale, concentric ripples of a rising golden within casting distance. Though I’ve never attempted to catch them with anything but dry flies, I once met a youthful angler at the lake who was finding excellent success with a tiny, bright pink fly that roughly mimics the shape of a sowbug fished just above the lake’s rocky bottom.

To reach the trail to Sylvan Lake, take Highway 78 south from Columbus to the tiny hamlet of Roscoe. From Roscoe, veer west on the well-signed road to East Rosebud Lake. Arriving at the lake, turn into the small, primitive Forest Service campground on the left side of the road. The trailhead to Sylvan Lake is found at the end of the campground. From there, aim your boots uphill and prepare for a memorable adventure in prospecting for gold.

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