Friday, February 13, 2015

The Walleye Fly Rod Plan

When I started fishing one of my favorite places to fish, and I don't mind sharing this because this water really deserves more attention, was Lake Pocotapaug of East Hampton CT. It's a fair sized altered lake that was originally two deep kettle lakes, now those are just the deepest parts of the lake. They are deep enough that they provide a cold and clean refuge for some wild brook trout. The lake used to be stocked with these, and it is fairly surprising but they evidently reproduced. In 2012 my fishing partner Dalton caught a 14 inch pristine specimen of a brooky on a wacky style worm of all things. It also holds some spectacular largemouth and smallmouth bass, pickerel, and a ridiculous quantity of perch. I won't even start about the giant carp.

But, as the title suggests, there are other fish in the lake: most notably, it is a walleye management lake. I have been intrigued for a few years by the possibility of walleye on the fly. Although I have caught some walleye out of Pocotapaug before, I have not done so with a fly. This year I plan to change that. with sinking tips and flashy streamers I should be well armed to catch some of these roided up perch from the kayak. I know the water well from my years of targeting smallmouth. I'm confident I'll get some walleye this year. So put it on the books. If come October I haven't landed at least one, I'll eat my hat.

10 comments:

  1. Do the walleye come up close to shore and breed early spring? If so that may be a good time to target them. Good luck to you sir.

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    1. Yes, that's actually the circumstance that lead me to land the one pictured there.

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  2. Sounds like a good plan to me. I am amazed by the quality of this lake to be able to hold smallies and brookies.

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    1. We were shocked when we saw that brooky! It used to have lakers too. Maybe it still does.

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  3. I don't think you will have to eat your hat. You have caught so many good fish from that lake and a walleye on your streamers is a sure thing. that lake is a real gem.
    Tie, write and shovel on...

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    1. This was the same goal I had last year and I would have had to eat my hat. Getting the first one of a species on the fly always seems to take a long time for me.

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  4. RM,
    Is the brookie population still doing alright in there?
    Nice job here-thanks

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    1. Than you,
      There are some, I saw some coming into a feeder creek to spawn over the fall, but I wouldn't say they are a fishable population.

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  5. RM,
    I have very similar feelings about these streams too, almost sacred. Thank goodness we have them. Thanks

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    1. I assume this is concerning the home waters post,
      you say the truth. Sacred indeed.

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