NJ Rivers After Stocking Season Ends

[PheasantTail]

Hi Everyone,
I found and joined the forum a few days ago. Let me start by saying, this place is great.

I am a lifelong hunter, and fisherman. However it was not until this season (5 weeks ago actually) that I picked up a fly rod.. Man, I'm addicted.

Right now my time is limited, so I fish a lot near home (Musconetcong), all the good stocked holes along Waterloo road. I don't hammer them like the stories out there, but I have managed to land my first rainbow on a pheasant tail, and a brown on a wooley bugger..

All aside, I grew up fishing lake hopatcong all summer long, as it heated up we moved to the drop offs to find deep, cold water with the trout..

Now that the river life has taken over.. Can anyone point me in the direction of good summer spots, where trout still hold, and live.. I'm not tied to the musconetcong, so just looking for everyones opinion and thoughts.

 

[DJ]

I too am a fly fishing addict, but the best (IMHO) is yet to come! It maybe blasphemy to say it but warmwater flyfishing is far more action packed and........ in the muscetong and S/N branches of Raritan you'll find the most aggressive and hardest fighting fish (pound for pound) on the planet! The smallmouth bass! If they are not biting hit the slower water for bream (sunnies) or largemouth. Oh laugh if you want, but I guarantee you that by the end of the year when you hook that first one near a pound you'll see why there are so many sites dedicated to flyrodding for panfish! You'll find your self in the delimma I have everyweekend........ bass or bream? We have not even gotten to all the pond and streams and rivers containing largemouth, pickerel, pike and stripers! Oh yes, but tips for warmwater...... first off scale up your flies for bass, nothing smaller than a size 4 clouser, muddler, maribou, zonker, wooly bugger, crayfish or nymph. In fact some of the best flies for bass are those streamers tied for saltwater size 2-2/0! Poppers a must! For bluegills, want a 1lber, goto BHnymphs (size 10-2) or dragonfly nymphs about dropped about 3 feet from a terrestial on a dropoff or hole in the vegetation indicating a deep pool! that is where the big boys hang out, a hard area for conventional anglers to reach. FInd it and year round you'll see that giant 1+lb gills are more common than youthink. Even in streams, saize 2 plus terrestials, buggers and muddlers will land you bream and rock bass bigger than you seen. Warning bull bream (gills) are every bit as cautious, fustrating and wary as an old wild brown! Check out "L.L. beans Flyrodding for Bass". There is no 12 step plan........... atleast I have not sought it out!!!!!!

 

[upyun]

I just caught some 1 lb'ers this past weekend and even on an ultra light tackle spinning rod, they're a blast.

Question: when FFing SMALL ponds with little area for casting, what length leader/tippet should you use?

Thanks

Brian

p.s. I do agree that by just reading this site, it makes you a better angler!

 

[duncan]

PT,

You should find later season trout in any WTS listed in the annual state rule/guide book. I've also done pretty well in the 1-10 miles below these sections that are still cool enought to produce some wild fish as well as let the stockies hang on a little longer. Don't be afraid to explore a little too. I've found the best way to find new wild trout spots is to drive around with my stream thermometer in late july and august. If you find anything under 70 degrees, you're in business! If you find anything under 75, you're probably getting close and should look a little farther upstream for springs.

Upyun, as for casting in tight spots, my roll cast isn't always pretty, so I usually shorten up my leader and wish I owned spinning gear.

 

[PheasantTail]

Thanks Duncan for the tips on WT streams.

Has anyone ever fished t WT stream listed in Ledgewood? I was surprised to see this.

 

[DJ]

I just caught some 1 lb'ers this past weekend and even on an ultra light tackle spinning rod, they're a blast.

Question: when FFing SMALL ponds with little area for casting, what length leader/tippet should you use?

Thanks

Brian

p.s. I do agree that by just reading this site, it makes you a better angler!

If the water is low/clear or the fish are heavily pressured and spooky, I'll use flies on the smaller side and long tipets atleast 9ft plus about 2 feet tippett (10-11 ft total)

Even for bass I'll regularly use long salt water leaders tipetts of 1-0x (11-12ft).

The exception comes when fishing tight streams, then I'll move to shorter tippets of 8-9 feet or less. If the water is off color or using a sinking line...... about a 7-8 ft leader/tipet.

 

[JAD]

WTS's will stay cold year round, so they are always a good bet. As far as local rivers near you, the Musky from Pt. Mountain downstream stays cooler through the summer than the upper stretches that you fish. Also, the Pequest from the Hatchery down to the Delaware stays cold enough through the year to fish/holdover trout.