Thanks to an abnormally wet and cool month of June, the prospects for enjoying some excellent fishing well into the normally slow weeks of summer look very good this year. This should prove true in both the still and flowing waters throughout our area. Whether you’re seeking to latch into a few trout, bass, walleye or whatever, the odds of connecting should remain above average for the next few weeks.
Our area rivers and streams have been blessed with plenty of rainfall this month – in fact, maybe too much since the rivers are currently high and roiled. But a few days without rain and they’ll be dropping and clearing, and that’ll be the time to start casting your baits or lures. Trout streams, due to their smaller drainage areas, will lower and clear far quicker, but should still produce some excellent fishing, especially for fly and lure anglers. Anglers using worms will probably be bothered with shiners and chubs gobbling the baits before any trout have an opportunity to get to them.
I’ve often thought of this time of the year as being somewhat of a “pot luck type” of fishing since there are so many different species of fish that you may encounter, especially in the lakes and rivers that contain a large variety of fish, both pan- and game-fish types. You might be casting spinners or spoons for pike or pickerel and end up catching bass or walleye. At other times jigs meant for walleye might end up being gobbled by pike. Of course if you’re fishing with night crawlers or minnows, you can never be certain what may end up on your line. And that’s part of the fun.
While stream trout present a bigger challenge due to the lower and usually clear water, they become very susceptible to catching if a sudden rain roils the water and washes fresh prey such as worms into the stream. Otherwise, this is when fly fishing can prove very effective, especially at dawn and particularly at dusk. In between, it’s best to use terrestrial patterns such as ants, crickets or hoppers, and cast them close to the pools’ bankside flora, which would be where real insects might drop into the water. On larger trout waters such as the Otselic or upper Chenango, hardware is often effective, with the favorites being Phoebes, Mepps, Panther Martins and similar type spoons and spinners.
Although any time I can drift along in a canoe while fishing is a favored method, it is especially enjoyable during the next few weeks. I get to cover just about all the water in the total length of the drift trip, and because our rivers harbor abundant bankside trees, I can enjoy being in the coolness of the shade for most of the trip. And that’s not only my preference, but also most of the fishes’ preference, which means I’ll be fishing where the majority of the fish are holding.
Of course if you’re fishing a large pond or lake, the shade—at least for you-- will be concentrated along shore, but it’ll be a different story for the fish, as they’ll also be seeking shaded areas under the water. Shoreline trees that have fallen into the water, the outside of lily pad areas, or if present, the shady side of rocks, boulders or cliffs will usually be the fishing hotspots.
