Hello,
I am kinda new in the area where I spend summers now. There is a gravel pit not in operation that is less than 1/2 mile from me. Not seen from the road are 4 ponds. The biggest one is the most accessible. I may try to fight through the forest or shallows to get into the others. Anywhoooo…the owner is a friend of my new wife…well of three years. Met him the other day and he said I am welcome to fish his ponds. He said there have been brook trout to ten inches in the past. Not sure which pond he meant. But they do not look very promising. Another friend here thinks there are no fish in them. Could someone please tell me the best way to attract a fish and catch it? I am a fly fishing c&r person. But would use bait or worms just to find out if there are any fish in those ponds. I could waste a lot of days fly fishing only to never get a hit… but I am not savvy at fishing bait or worms…
So wondering what kind of rig, and bait to tempt a fish? Just knowing there ARE fish there would be good. THEN I could spend a lot of time fly fishing there. Any suggestions or help is greatly appreciated.
Anytime I fish new waters, the first thing I do is put on a slightly weighted Woolly Bugger (I use three colors as I explore the area (black/brown/green). I either use a floating line with a fairly long leader or a very slow sinking line, like an intermediate line, at first. If there is any depth to the water, I will eventually use a serious sinking line to get down to the bottom. Just toss it out, peal out a bunch of line and slowly troll around the water, adjusting your speed to change depths. If you are only going to fish from shore, then I would still use a Woolly Bugger, but I would eventually put on a strike indicator to use to adjust the depth of the fly then give it some movement.
Thank you Mr. Sagefisher. I have an inflatable and with rowing can do a pretty good troll…up and down…
Of course…the old Wooly Bugger! I didn’t even think about trolling a fly…the wooly bugger. thanks
with the monsoons on, and the mosquito hatching, I would hit the pond about an hour before dusk and look for trout rising. I would try this site for more information on fishing in your area. http://www.azflyandtie.com/flyforum/index.php
I have given up in the prescott area seems you need a boat here and I no longer have one
When snooping new water we usually tandem rig a dark wooly bugger and a surf-candy type minnow immi of about 1". Almost any fish, no matter size or type, will grab a bug or baitfish if the opportunity arises.
…lee s.
Whitewolf; I’m originally from Maine. I found early morning is usually good, or you can fish at high tide and low tide (they seem to feed at those times),and right before dark is always a nice way to end any day.
P.S.
There is bass and trout everywhere in Maine. If you tie your own flies, tie up Very skimpy King Smelt
Hi Whitewolf
I grew up in Springvale, in southern Maine (next to Sanford) I mainely fished the Mousam River and Lake. Square Pond in Shapleigh is where all the state record Brown Trout are caught. You are in some real nice fishing spots also. You will find the cleanest,clearist water up there. Enjoy
Growing up in the south, I expected all ponds to have fish of some type in them, frequently on sunfish suitable for bait but fish. Then I made the acquaintance of a guy from Minnesota who told me small ponds in MN don’t have fish because them freeze solid, top to bottom in the winter. I know Maine is not MN, but they are both way the heck up north, do the ponds up there freeze solid?
Uncle Jessie; I am 66yrs old, and NEVER heard of it. You really don’t have a lot of shallow water in Maine. I have seen ice more than 3’ thick a lot of years, but drill a hole and you’ll catch fish.