Deerfield River Float on the Fish Cats

Float fishing a river is a very efficient and exciting method in exploring larger sections of rivers. Floating down a stretch of secluded river offers anglers the experience of the local wilderness and fish over less pressured trout. This type of fishing can provide anglers with high fish count days especially when casting prospecting nymphs and streamers. As owner of Squaretail Anglers, I only provide wade-fishing trips for clients, but I made an exception this past weekend. I experimented with my Outcast Fish Cat float tubes that I normally use for remote New Hampshire trout ponds and put them down the Deerfield. The client had no previous experience with these belly boats, but with a little guidance, he got the "drift" after 10 minutes.

Weather was perfect with sunny skies, warming to 70F ambient temperature with a 52F water temp. Fish were beginning to take emergers right below the film, which helped in locating active trout. In order to critique this idea, I floated and fished the lower stretch of the river also to determine its probability of success and enjoyment for first timers. Fish were caught from within minutes of launching to minutes of docking. The catch comprised entirely of rainbows, a couple of which were holdovers from the previous fall. All rainbows were taken on modified hare's ear nymphs and woolly buggers. Flows were alittle slow for the floats, but soaring pairs of bald eagles entertained us during the "slow water" especially when we saw one dive bomb the water downstream, then fly way with a fish.

Fishing is only getting better everyday, with plenty of active trout chasing swinging nymphs and streamers during wade trips. It is an excellent opportunities for first timers to experience the jolting strikes and lighting fast surface splashes as trout attack at the end of the swing, mostly when your fly imitates an emerging insect as it rises in the water column. Remember to let your fly swing in the current and be stripped for a couple seconds after you swing it through your target zone. More often than not, fish will follow or be feeding on tail of the run waiting for hatching insects. Long line nymphing proved deadly this past weekend especially on sub-surface feeding fish.