Puddle Pond Report

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hot tuna
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2009/09/13 08:59:09 (permalink)

Puddle Pond Report

Yesterday was one of those days that you just wish never to happen. It's when your so excited to be fishing some water that holds big brook trout due to the location and lack of pressure but the fish just would not cooperate for nothing.
We walked 2.5 miles in the dark with the last .5 only guided by pure knowledge into a desolate 5 acre brook trout puddle pond.
While this pond has no reproduction it does hold some very large brook trout due to it great depth. It gets very little fishing pressure and it's known location by only less then a handfull of hardy anglers.
When it's on it's on but yesterday it was absolutly dead..

We get to the water just after day break to see a giant splash out in the middle of the puddle. We are like, yea baby it's going to be a great day.. Well that was the last of our excitement for the next 7hrs.
On go the waders(you need them to access the raft)and up go the rafts. Upon entering the water I check the temp. and feel my heart sink.. 71 degs.. Oh well the fish are here so what else are we to do.. Just as we shove off the dots in the water make it apparent we may get a little rain, a little is ok so the rain gear stays on the shore. Wasn't 15 min.s and we were heading back to shore as the skys opened up and the heavy stuff came down in buckets. Gonna get wet in that stuff no matter how good your gear is.
Back on the water we trolled, trolled and trolled some more. 2 hrs and about 30 laps around the puddle and not 1 bite. Not good, back to shore to dump the water out of the rafts and try to figure our next move.. Maybe some streamers, cast a few spinners and even try some plugs. Nothing worked at all. The rain stopped and 2 more very large fish splashed to the surface, the newts were starting to feed and the little hopes we had started to rise. 5 more hrs of giving everything we had proved fruitless. No fish were in the mood to take anything, not even a sniff... Tough day indeed, and my toughest of the entire year. It was a bust !!! Complete Skunk...
Looks like the Ponds still need some cooling to do before the fishing get better.. My only hope is to be able to fish them again before the season ends...

At day break on Puddle Pond


What you see is basically the whole pond





100 & 10 % effort
post edited by hot tuna - 2009/09/13 09:04:52

"whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
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    Mr.Jigs
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    RE: Puddle Pond Report 2009/09/13 09:58:47 (permalink)
    beautiful pond, great pics If I have to get skunked may it always be in a place as pretty as that. 

    A lure drawing the first strike of an early morning, the strong tug on the end of your line, the excitement of a leaping fish... that,s livin large!
    #2
    jkbugger
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    RE: Puddle Pond Report 2009/09/13 09:59:34 (permalink)
    nice report, bad days of fishing happen, rainy dreary days in september usually make for some great fishing too. that 71 degree thing is really surprising.

    "Give a man a fish, and he can eat for a day. But teach a man how to fish, and he'll be dead of mercury poisoning inside of three years."
    Charles Haas
    #3
    New York Yank
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    RE: Puddle Pond Report 2009/09/13 11:47:39 (permalink)
    Great report RJ-- the hardest reports to put up are the ones that come from these kind of trips. Gotta hand it to you just for hiking in 3 miles in the dark (I know how ADK trails are- rocky, rooty and uphill both ways) And bushwacking can be hell. - Sorry the fish didn't cooperate, the little creeps should have been better hosts.  I  know that skunked feeling after a long trek very well myself  -my Slammin Salmon River record is pretty harsh.
    Beautiful place though, I like the beaver lodge!  Did you have to hike in with the rafts or have them hidden up there?

    I wish I knew a pond up there with a canoe in the woods to borrow... or one where you can reach fish with just waders, if ya can think of any PM me?  I hope to go up sometime in the next couple weeks, if I can't figure a worthy pond I'll hit a river.
    #4
    hot tuna
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    RE: Puddle Pond Report 2009/09/13 12:48:02 (permalink)
    I always pack in with my rafts, they are light and easy to carry. The first just under 2 miles was not bad but the last .5 or so is only found by using bearings and the good old compass. If you don't know you would never find it there.
    As for places with boats, any place I pond fish for brook trout you must bring a raft or tube. But every place Jimmy has taken me we seem to find a slew of boats & canoes all around. That is not always a bad thing proven by the big Laker > Splake we posted on our one trip. I am still told that there were not lakers stocked there ?? The last place Jimmy & myself fished I really liked the pond altho we only caught small fish but still I will return again (as would the 1st.)
    B.S. pond (our last trip) would be right up your alley but be mindfull of bears
    Sometime NYY, we have to get you along on one of our adventures, they are as he & I agree, Epic.
    An Epic adventure is planned this weekend for Salmon and we have talked about how great it would be to have you along.
    Are you feeling like a sickness is coming on ??



    "whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
    #5
    KayderossZ
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    RE: Puddle Pond Report 2009/09/13 13:00:58 (permalink)
    Sorry it was a bust RJ.  I know the feeling well as the last time I hiked in to a brook trout pond, with a raft on my back, the wind whipped up and by the time I got there it was un-fishable.  Then, on the way back, the chest strap on my pack busted. By the time I got it down to the car I was hurting; what a bust of a day.

    Showing up is 88% of life!
    #6
    bassinbrian
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    RE: Puddle Pond Report 2009/09/13 20:11:20 (permalink)
    Looks like a very peaceful place !!!  Right on top of the mt too it looks ?
     
    Sorry to hear about the skunk after putting in the hike and all that work.
     
    BB
    #7
    New York Yank
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    RE: Puddle Pond Report 2009/09/14 00:17:08 (permalink)
    TUNA I was just "sick" last week unfortunately.  What are you doing- an over nighter?  Sat-mon?  I'm not sure if I can do this weekend, but it's a possibility if I butter up the Mrs. properly. Also all I have in the way of flyrod/reel is a 5wt.  I do have my steelie rod all setup but it's the wrong time for that I guess.  Hmmm keep me updated on this epic...are you and Jimmy both going up?
    #8
    Neversink Jimmy
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    RE: Puddle Pond Report 2009/09/14 09:53:05 (permalink)
    Whitakers rents 9wts pretty cheap.  I rented one a few years ago when I showed up at Orwell Creek with a 6wt and immediatley got steamrolled by the first fish into a beaver logjam.
     
    I didn't know whether to cry or laugh, so I walked off the stream and drove directly into town to rent a bigger whoppin' stick.  ZZTurns out, now that I've got another 9wt in my arsenal- I still can't stop them when they get motivated.  I need to learn to put the steel to 'em like a tarpon.  Otherwise they try to spool me and get me wedged into fallen trees on their way downriver:
     

     
    I think the rod setup was like 15 bucks.  It was a sweet Orvis setup too- all ready to roll.
     
    I just finally get line for my 9wt a few weeks ago.  I'd been without for like a year, and was bumming reels off RJ and stuff.  It will be nice to try to take a shot at some fish now that the new heavier rig is ready to rock.
     
    I have a feeling it is going to be epic, indeed this weekend.   Regardless of the stupid salmon...
     
    (P.S.  I hear there are browns in there too
    #9
    hot tuna
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    RE: Puddle Pond Report 2009/09/14 18:01:03 (permalink)
    NYY, I have you covered in the way of fly rod, reel. I told you you could have that 8wt you used last year and it's still yours.
    I'll pm you some info.

    P.S.
    Jimmy I have a new system for fishing areas like that.
    Hook em' and keep the pressure off, let them go up stream (no pressure) and ease them until they tire a bit. Then hammer them ... Easier said then done (LOL)
    post edited by hot tuna - 2009/09/14 18:09:31

    "whats that smell like fish oh baby" .. J. Kaukonen
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