Comments:
The Lee Catch-and-Release Area runs
from the Rte. 7/20 bridge at the North end of town all
the way to the Willow Dam on Rte. 102. In between, there
is just about any type of trout water you could ask for:
long, glassy pools, deep fishy runs, riffles that hold
many browns and lots of boulder-strewn pocket
water.
Access to the good pools is spotty
and parking is often questionable. You will probably have
to walk a bit to get to some of this water, but it will
be worth it. Big browns are found throughout this
section, and they can usually be coaxed into striking a
fly.
There is no official parking in the
Lee C&R, but river access can be gained at several
bridges throughout town. Often there is a spot or two at
the bridge for a car to pull over.
The upper section can be accessed
on the West bank by parking near the Rte. 7/20 bridge.
There are a number of businesses nearby that will
probably let you park if you ask politely. The bank here
is steep, so be careful and bring a wading staff. Your
life may depend on it!
Excellent water can be found
downstream of the bridge, but it's difficult wading and
tough going along the bank. Best bet would be to locate a
nice pool (there are several here) and fish it thoroughly
before moving on to the next likely spot. Getting to the
next pool may be hard, so allow yourself some time to
fish this upper section.
The middle section runs behind
houses and businesses through the center of Lee. Several
good pools and a long riffle area are featured here, and
some of the best dry-fly fishing can be had below these
riffles during a hatch. Access is somewhat difficult
here, but it's well worth it.
I like to park at the truck stop on
Rte. 102 and fish upstream. Just park way out back, out
of the way of the trucks, and walk downstream to the big
riffle below. This riffle holds an incredible number of
fish. Just upstream from that are a number of deep runs
and smaller pools in the vicinity of the I-90 bridge over
the river. If you don't mind the sound of traffic, it's a
great section to fish nymphs. There are always big fish
here. Downstream of the truck stop has a very productive
riffle and a couple of sweet pools that hold good
fish.
Good pools can be found near the
Pleasant Street and Rte. 102 bridges. Downstream of the
102 bridge is a pretty section of river with good holding
water next to the banks. I like to flick a size 12 Royal
Stimulator against the bank and search for feeding
fish.
This section can also be accessed
along Tyringham Road, and some parking is available along
the East bank.
Goose Pond Brook and Hop Brook
enter the Housatonic in this section and provide plenty
of cool water in the summer. Trout will always be
nearby.
Along Rte. 102 are several paper
mills and factories and a couple impoundments slow the
water into a series of deep pools. This section is
under-fished and some huge trophy browns are known to
live here. You will also find smallmouth bass, big pike,
and huge carp in here, too. It's not the prettiest place
you'll fish, but if you get to see one of these monsters
it will start to look a whole lot better. Hatches can be
excellent, too. The river is slow and deep near the Oak
'n' Spruce resort just off 102, but the trout are there
and willing to strike dry flies just about any
time.
The Housatonic gets all the major
Eastern mayfly and caddis hatches including Blue-winged
olives, Hendricksons, Cahills, Isonychia, Sulfurs and
Eastern Green Drakes or Coffin flies. The "White Fly" is
prevalent during late July and August in the
evenings.
Attractor dries will always produce
a good fish or two, even during high water. I like Royal
Stimulators, Humpies, Beetles and Hornbergs.
Drab-colored streamers seem to work
better here, probably because the water and the rocks are
dark. Try Grey Ghosts, Muddlers, Crawfish, Zonkers and
brown Wooly Buggers.
All sorts of nymphs have worked for
me including Prince, Hare's Ear, 20-Inchers, Golden
Stones and caddis patterns. The most productive fly for
me so far has been a size 12 Bead-head Prince. It should
be your go-to fly when all else fails, or you can start
with it and get a couple fish right off the bat.
Let us know how you do and remember
to take photos of the big ones.
Good
Luck!
Glendale,
Massachusetts
Comments:
The Glendale
Catch-and-Release Area can be reached from the center of
Great Barrington by heading North on Rte. 7 towards
Stockbridge. Just North of town take a left onto Rte. 183
and follow that through the town of Housatonic. The river
and a couple of paper mills will be on your right. The
mills mark the downstream end of the good trout water,
but the railroad trestle farther upstream is the actual
end of the Catch-and-Release water. Drive North on 183
until you reach a parking pull-off on the right, just
across from Dugway Road. Mohawk Brook empties into the
Housatonic at this point, and it's a good place to start
fishing.
The water here is
generally deep, even close to shore, and the wading can
be a bit dicey. The boulders are jagged and slippery. I
always bring a wading staff and I'm usually glad I did
because I can reach some places that I wouldn't attempt
to fish without the staff.
The river can be
forded just downstream of the "Flats" or by means of the
Housatonic Railroad trestle, but most everywhere else
you'll run into deep water and it just can't be crossed
safely.
Most of the river
in this section is boulder-strewn runs and pocket water -
great holding water for big trout. Downstream of the
parking area is a long, deep pool that holds lots of
trout. The best way to approach this pool is from the
relatively shallow East bank. Cross the railroad trestle,
but be careful because the tracks are still in use and
trains will come through daily. You don't want to be
stuck crossing the trestle as a train is approaching.
It's sort of spooky because the ties are just far enough
apart to get your foot caught, and you can see the river
rushing by 40 feet below you.
You'll have to pick
your spots carefully, because access to the good spots is
difficult, and your progress upstream will be hampered by
deep water, brush, vines and very steep banks. It's worth
the trouble, though! Trout in the 8-pound class have been
seen in here, and there are many 20-inch plus browns
available.
The "Flats" area
will hold large trout in the spring and during high
water, but it's a good place to look for trophy carp in
the 10-20 pound range. They can be caught (carefully)
with egg flies, crawfish patterns, nymphs and San Juan
worms. Hang on to your rod, these fish are strong as
hell.
Nymphs drifted deep
will catch some very good trout. I like Bead Head Prince
or Hare's Ears in sizes 10-14. These trout aren't too
selective and just about any dark, good-sized nymph will
do the trick. Vary the depth of your drift until you
start hitting fish. Deeper is usually better.
Dry flies will work
well during hatch times, and the hatches are very
prolific. Flip a few rocks over and you'll see dozens of
varieties of mayfly and caddis nymphs. The amount of food
available to the trout is incredible.
The Housatonic gets
all the major Eastern mayfly and caddis hatches including
Blue-winged olives, Hendricksons, Cahills, Isonychia,
Sulfurs and Eastern Green Drakes or Coffin flies. The
"White Fly" is prevalent during late July and August in
the evenings.
Attractor dries
will always produce a good fish or two, even during high
water. I like Royal Stimulators, Humpies, Beetles and
Hornbergs.
Drab-colored
streamers seem to work better here, probably because the
water and the rocks are dark. Try Grey Ghosts, Muddlers,
Crawfish, and brown Wooly Buggers.
Have fun, be
careful wading (bring a staff) and take some photos of
the big browns you catch!
