Fly Fishing Trip VT/NY

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ICM

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My wife and I will be attending a wedding over Labor Day weekend in Bennington VT. My wife, an eager novice, suggested we go fly fishing on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning home to the Poconos. Preliminary research indicates we could fish the Battenkill around Manchester VT or the Catskills/Upper Delaware on the way home. Does anyone have any insight on fishing these areas in early September and suggestions as to streams, lodges/lodging and guides? Thanks for your help.
 
I just got back from a trip to vermont a couple of weeks ago. Had a bunch of pics, but my camera somehow didn't make it home with me. We fished all over the green mountains, including the more well known waters like the battenkill, mettawee, white, and Deerfield rivers. The more "famous" streams were actually the biggest disappointments of our whole trip, especially the mettawee and battenkill. I don't claim to be the best angler in the world, but I can usually land a few fish even in tough situations. We fished the big streams HARD, and came away with little to show for it. After talking with several locals, it seems as though the hurricane several years ago took a heavy toll on some populations, and you will see evidence of the amount of earth moving power that rushed down those streams.

The highlight of the trip for me was fishing the small streams in the national forest (including one that provided the fastest action I have ever had on a stream), and finding some outstanding beaver ponds with quite a few willing fish (including my personal best brookie!). Some of the smaller streams like the middlebury and new haven rivers were really nice too.

PM me if you'd like more specifics, but I would try some of the smaller streams in the mountains - there are plenty near Bennington/manchester to keep you quite busy!

Or head to the catskills!
 
I was also disappointed with the Battenkill. But, if you are an Orvis fan, the Orvis factory tour in Manchester is well worth it. The flagship store is pretty cool, too.
 
ICM wrote:
My wife and I will be attending a wedding over Labor Day weekend in Bennington VT. My wife, an eager novice, suggested we go fly fishing on Tuesday and Wednesday before returning home to the Poconos. Preliminary research indicates we could fish the Battenkill around Manchester VT or the Catskills/Upper Delaware on the way home. Does anyone have any insight on fishing these areas in early September and suggestions as to streams, lodges/lodging and guides? Thanks for your help.
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Good info in the previous posts.

VT is beautiful and the fishing in the smaller streams can be great. Check with the Orvis store in Manchester and they will give you info on some places to fish.

The upper Delaware River is also a great place to fish. It would be a good choice if you prefer big river fishing for trout. You can check with West Branch Anglers for lodging and fishing info.

Have a great trip.
 
I just got back from spending a couple of days at my sister's place outside Ludlow. I've always thought the Battenkill was overrated. I did make a trip to the White River but found that most of the spots I used to fish were either gone or so thoroughly rearranged by Irene I didn't recognize them. Spent the rest of my time fishing the local lakes picking up an assortment of smallies, rock bass and panfish. I agree with fishing the smaller streams and/or beaver ponds. I like to browse through the Vermont Gazetteer and look for streams that flow along the numerous dirt roads in Vermont that might offer access to the stream. I did make my pilgrimage down to Manchester and the main Orvis store. I was hoping to catch one of their tent sales, but missed it by a day. It is beautiful country up there. Enjoy it.
 
I seem to be in the minority but I liked the battenkill the only time I fished it. I caught a couple of big fish during a hendrickson hatch. I'd go back more often if it was closer.
 
New england can be very hit or miss in my opinion. The battenkill apparently doesnt fish as well as it used to and the deerfield has considerable releases everyday. Like anywhere else there are usually other options, but not like the catskills/upper d. The upper d is incredible because of the density of spots. Too warm? Go here. Too high? Go here. Plus you always have the outside chance of hitting a monster there.
 
The Deerfield can be very low, exposing the large boulders and the releases only affect a certain stretch. Just about every time I've driven along there its definitely not been too high. The Mettawee on the NY side can have some excellent fishing for rainbows and browns, I think it's mostly browns in VT.. There are numerous ponds and smaller streams all throughout the National Forest and state parks in the area. Some will hold trout, others mostly bass and panfish. All are fun to catch with a flyrod of course!
 
Let me just say, I was in Vermont last summer (and plan on being there next Summer), and fished mostly the Mettawee in the Dorset area (and it's tribs). The fishing was absolutely fantastic. I never felt the need to try other watersheds. It was a solid mix of browns, 'bows, and brookies. Depending on the time of day we fished, it leaned heavier to one species or another (middle of the day was mostly 'bows, evening the browns came out).
 
Thanks for all your replies. As noted, my wife is a novice. Other than the Orvis 101/201 classes her, her only actual fishing experience was a guided day trip on Fishing Creek which she enjoyed and had success landing 3 nice rainbows. I doubt she'd be interested in bushwacking to get to smaller streams and a mid-sized to large river would give her more open area to cast. The consensus seems to be that the Battenkill is not what it was, although a short visit to the Orvis complex in Manchester would be interesting. That leaves the Catskills/Upper D. Given my wife's limited experience, and not having a fool for a husband, I also think she would do better with a guide. So, I'm looking for recommendations on streams, lodging and guides in the Catskills/UpperD.
 
The upper east branch and west branch are fishing well. The fishing isn't easy though. The west branch is hard to nymph right now bc of all the floating vegetation so chucking a bobber will probably be out of the question and it will be a dry fly game. A good guide should get you guys some decent shots but it's not easy fishing, I'd say on par with the battenkill. I've never used a guide there so I can't recommend one but I'm sure someone else can. Hancock ny is a good home base.
 
I wouldn't right off VT just because the Battenkill might not be what it used to be. There are several streams nearby that while not as famous, are very good trout streams. The Metawee is certainly a river I've long had on my list to fish. If you're going to be in VT, why not try to wet a line there? Perhaps hire a guide for that area? From Bennington to the Upper D is a good 3 hour ride via I-88 to get there or even longer going back down the NY Thruway (87) and then to either 28 or 17W.

You might want to check out the Battenkill Lodge in Shushan, NY. They have 2 miles of access in the NY trophy area of the Battenkill and also offer guiding on some other rivers like the Hoosic, the Walloomsac and the Owlkill. Check out www.battenkilllodge.com
 
Thanks, I'll check out the areas in VT and NY you mentioned. Since the Battenkill, Metawee , Hoosic etc and the Catskills/Upper D are all on the way home to the Poconos, they are equally convenient.
 
Hoosic is very interesting but some of its better stretches are far from scenic
 
The Battenkill Lodge on the NY side of the Battenkill looks nice, but pricey. West Branch Angler on the WB of the Delaware also looks nice but other than being Orvis endorsed, I know nothing about the guides.
Somebody must know a good guide/lodging to recommend?
 
ICM wrote:
The Battenkill Lodge on the NY side of the Battenkill looks nice, but pricey. West Branch Angler on the WB of the Delaware also looks nice but other than being Orvis endorsed, I know nothing about the guides.
Somebody must know a good guide/lodging to recommend?
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West Branch Angler has many good guides that spend the entire season on the River. You can pick any one from the list and talk to them before fishing. Also the cabins are nice with frontage right on the River. You will need a NYS license to fish there, though.

I also can recommend Joe Demalderis from Cross Current guide service. He is one of the best guides on the River.

For a less costly lodging, you can try to book the Capra Inn. It's a motel in Hancock that's nothing fancy, but clean and inexpensive. You can book a guide and have them pick you up at the motel.

Have a good trip.


 
ICM wrote:
The Battenkill Lodge on the NY side of the Battenkill looks nice, but pricey. West Branch Angler on the WB of the Delaware also looks nice but other than being Orvis endorsed, I know nothing about the guides.
Somebody must know a good guide/lodging to recommend?
Click to expand...

Actually the guided fishing prices on their own are reasonable, right in line with the typical rates for many guided trips. There are other guides in these areas too, a little searching will help you find a decent guide. If you want to drive back over to the Upper D area, I've stayed at the West Branch Angler. It's not cheap but the cabins are beautiful and they are of great assistance in their flyshop. They have some very nice access right on their property too. Their guides are all excellent. We were there in late September and took a guided float- the fishing happened to be very, very tough that day but it was still an enjoyable trip and we caught some nice fish.
 
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