The Easter Bunny might be a… “hare”… late with his baskets of goodies this Sunday because this year Easter happens to fall on April 1, coinciding with the opening of trout season in New York. We all know the rabbit is an avid trout angler. What most people don’t know is that EB holds the New York state record for largest brook trout caught by a rabbit in the state. The record was formally held by Bunny Rabbit from the Captain Kangaroo show (those under sixty, please Google) but the record was stripped from the spectacled bunny when the authorities found it was really Mr. Green Jeans who actually caught the trout and gave it to Bunny Rabbit to weigh the fish in.
April Fool! Of course, this story is not true. Everybody knows Mr. Moose was the only trout angler on the Captain Kangaroo show.
Whoa…sorry…I had a whitehead flashback. I must have taken too much Flomax again. I’m back now and spot on topic! I will say this again, and it won’t be the last time, we as anglers are extremely fortunate to be living here in Western New York. The spectacular fishing within a 120 miles radius of Rochester in any direction … I would put against any in the country. Please digest that for a second!
And for stream anglers it holds true in spades as we have tons of great trout water and thousands of miles of streams across the state.
The DEC stocks around 2.3 million catchable-size brook, brown and rainbow trout in almost 300 lakes, ponds and roughly 3,100 miles of streams across the state. Many of these streams support wild populations of trout as well.
My knowledge of stream fishing could fit on a point of a #6 hook, so I reached out to Mr. James Butwid of Fairport again. I wrote a column about Jimmy and his great homemade hair jigs last year. The man also ties some beautiful trout flies and once was an avid stream fisherman. Now his physical mobility is limited, but his brain is still extremely mobile and I asked him for some early season stream tips. Here is what he relayed:
“Well, for better or worse, the April 1st opener is not the big deal that it once was here in Western New York. This is due to the fact that the trout season on the tributaries off Lake Ontario is open year-round, watering down some of the ceremony of the inland waterways that open on the first of April. That being said, there is still some good fishing to be had on these inland streams like Naples Creek, Catherine Creek and Powder Mills Park. The nice thing about these streams is that they are stocked. The DEC stocks round 151,000 brook trout, 1.8 million brown trout, 89,000 of which are two-year-old fish that average thirteen inches and around 392,000 rainbow trout are stocked each spring into streams and lakes.
“All that considered if I was a young man again come April 1st, I would be wading in one of the creeks off Lake Ontario. The trout are way bigger and there is less fishing pressure.
“Irondequoit Creek and the Genesee River are well known hot spots but there are some small creeks like Sandy Creek in Hamlin, Mink Creek in Williamson, Four Mile Creek in Webster and my secret spots in Greece, Slater Creek behind the bowling alley on Dewey Avenue just north of Latta Road and Round Pond Creek that runs through Sawyer Park off of Long Pond Road. Remember that many of these streams run through private property, so you need to get permission to fish.
“The rainbow trout are spawning in the streams now so if you are lucky enough to catch a female do yourself a favor and gently milk the eggs out of her into a zip lock bag. You can then release the hen fish. Fresh trout eggs are the best bait you can use this time of year.
“As far as gear I like a seven-foot light action spinning rod, a good quality spinning reel with a smooth drag, spooled with new, not last year’s #6 or # 8lb. monofilament line. Good fishing line is critical because of the fight these fish put up in a tiny creek and all the branches and snags can test your equipment to the max. I know shorter rods are easier to handle when dealing with overhanging trees and branches, but they are more difficult to hook fish with. Longer rods are better for hooking and playing fish and for increased casting distance.
“Always fish upstream. Trout usually face into the current and will be less likely to see your approach. Move slowly and disturb the water as little as possible. A good pair of polarized glasses will be a huge help spotting trout.
“The size split shot you use is extremely important. It is often trickier to get the right amount of weight for a good drift than any part of your presentation. Your bait must flow naturally downstream. I would carry multiple size split shot on a large safety pin stuck to my vest so I could get at them easily. I would change split shots constantly until I felt I had a good dead drift.
“As far as bait goes there is nothing better than fresh trout eggs. Salmon eggs will work but won’t be near as effective. Don’t use more than a dime size sac on a #6 hook. When I’m fishing deep pools, I use a torpedo-shaped bobber as a strike indicator. Fish will often hold near any structure in the run or pool, and it pays to work these areas multiple times. Target slack water behind rocks and boulders. These current breaks provide trout a location to hold and ambush passing food. Cast your bait upstream of the current break and allow your bait to drift along the edge of the slack water. After working both edges, start working your way into the slack water area. Active fish are usually found at the head and tail sections of the pool. When fishing the head of the pool, cast your bait into the current and allow it to flow into the deeper part of the pool. Cast your bait into the middle of the pool and allow it to drift into and through the tail section. Do your best to cover the entire pool. Fish will often hold near any structure in the pool such as logs, rocks, bridge pilings, or overhanging vegetation. Remember to always fish upstream being as quite as possible.
“And last, but not least, please practice CPR… Catch…Photograph… Release!”
I want to thank Jimmy for passing on a few tips. I could write a book on the knowledge this man has on fishing our local waters.
The DEC has some great information and tips on stream fishing on their website. Here is the link for people reading online. https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/62477.html For the people with the paper in their hands, the link will do them zero good. Just Google DEC Trout Fishing and you will find copious trout material.
