THE CHICKLEY

September 29, 2006 - I hadn't seen Bob Shay lately and it led me to wonder what this man of all seasons was up to. When he recently visited the shop I was longing to be entertained by his colorful musings and poignant perspective of life as well as receive a few fishing reports from his bailiwick, western Massachusetts.

It wasn't long before he entered into a long dissertation concerning his most recent conquest, the Chickley River. To his amazement I was quite familiar with the watershed though I admitted my ignorance concerning its recent productivity. In past years I had used the river as a backup when the Deerfield was blown out or unfishable due to unscheduled water discharges or weather.

To those that are not familiar with this little gem it straddles Rt. 8A near the Charlemont-Hawley town line, just south of Rt. 2. While not a major trib of the Deerfield it does contribute a substantial volume of water and maintains a generous amount of integrity throughout its south to north journey. To be honest I haven't come in contact with a single individual (besides Shay) during the current season that has taken the initiative to explore this lovely little stream. While the river's fish population is enhanced by the state stockings there is also a native population of brook trout and stragglers that access the stream from the Deerfield River proper.

Throughout our conversation Bob was reluctant to reference the exact locale of his latest assault (and I don't blame him) but he did mention that the angling was superb. Among a bevy of smallish brown trout was a magnificent specimen, obviously a former Deerfield resident that aggressively masticated his copper john nymph, an imitation we recently introduced to the seasoned angler. As an aside you may consider tying this pattern in rust and bright green #14-16 for late season angling as these colors are receiving kudos from many flyrooders canvassing central Mass waters.

CAPE COD KETTLES
With the cooler evenings and shorter daylight it may not be too early to consider an assault on one of the many trout ponds that encompass Cape Cod. Early afternoon to early evening periods should find trout on the surface in pursuit of diptera that inhabit virtually every impoundment. The autumn midges are portly by midge standards and some species will require an honest size 16 to duplicate effectively. Our best producing surface imitation over the years has been a black gnat (convention dry) with hackle clipped flush with the hook point or better still the same fly in its parachute version.

Good fishing and safe wading,
JB