Fly-fishing Guides - Drift, Wade or Paddle

"Off-season" fly fishing in Massachusetts

One of the limitations of New Hampshire is the scarcity of waters that are open to fishing and/or hold fish year round. Because of the severity of our winters, our waters usually don't fish well until May - high runoff, cold water, etc. We also don't have a lot of tailwaters, where you can depend on finding feeding trout from mid-July through August. Then our season closes on October 15 on most NH waters. One solution to our problem is Massachusetts, with no closed season, tailwaters and earlier runoff. Surprising to some people, there are lots of nice trout streams within easy driving distance in Massachusetts. In mid-Summer or Winter we head to the Swift River or the Deerfield River, both tailwaters with lots of holdovers and even a few wild trout. In early Spring we are likely to be found on the Squannacook River, Quinnapoxet River or Millers River. If you contact us about a trip to New England in the New Hampshire "off season," don't be surprised if we recommend a trip to one of the fine trout streams in Massachusetts.

Want to learn to fly fish in Massachusetts?  We operate the Northeast Fly Fishing School in Pepperell, in conjunction with the Evening Sun Fly Shop. See the details here.