JSnipes, very nicely tied. I also used to tie in HS, mostly for trout but also some for stripers. My dad got me a subscription to fly tier magazine this last Christmas hoping that I would get back into it, but I've been too busy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cobrakai111
I'd love to hear some recommendations in the Berkshires if you don't mind. Me and my dad fish out there a couple times a year during the summer, we are pretty horrible but have fun with it. We've mainly done the Housatonic and haven't really tried the Green River yet.
I've only fished the Housatonic a couple times, so I'm not really familiar with it much.
The upper Deerfield can be really nice, especially if you take the time to hike to some of the more secluded spots. There are some really nice looking pools that have easy road access and thus are tempting, but I've never done well in them. The biggest downside to the Deerfield is the dams and the frequent water releases which can come unexpectedly and really ruin a good day of fishing (or get you stranded).
The lower Swift river is interesting. It's a bottom release from the Quabbin reservoir, so the water is always 55 degrees in the area below the dam. It's fly fishing catch and release only, but it still gets a lot of action. Hopper flys are a must there.
There are also some really big fish in the Westfield, although the water gets pretty warm in parts. I never really figured that river out to be honest, although a friend of mine used to pull some huge (20+ inch) browns and rainbows out of the Texon pool regularly during stonefly hatches.