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There’s a particular kind of pressure and excitement that comes with a short fishing window. On Thursday of last week I had an hour and a half. Maybe less. Enough time to make it worth going, not enough to waste a single cast. I had to be home so Lauren could leave for her fitness class - the baby wasn’t going to watch herself.
So I went straight to a beautiful spot that’s almost always produced well for me.
The Walk In
The trail from the dirt parking lot to the pond winds through a mix of trees and shrubs before providing a view of a grassy, swamp-like area — the kind of transition zone that reminds you how varied Cape Cod’s inner landscapes are, even within a few hundred yards.
Kettle ponds, bogs, scrub oak, pitch pine, sandy flats — it’s all here, layered together by thousands of years of glacial geology.
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And then the trail opens up, and you’re standing on a sandy beach looking out at deep blue water. The sand is beautiful and undeveloped shoreline is beautiful. It’s one of those spots that stops you in your tracks no matter how many times you’ve seen it.
The view back towards the cove.
I didn’t linger. Time was short, so I headed north down the shoreline to a point where I’ve experienced some really great fishing in years past.
The Point
I kept walking north along the shoreline, past the cove, to a small point at its opening. The wind was blowing right to left across the point and I was somewhat exposed, but I waded into waist depth and began working a black inline Rooster Tail spinner — the same lure that had been so productive earlier in the week.
On my second cast, I felt a small, sharp thud. A tap on the end of the line. Could have been a trout. Could have been a yellow perch investigating the spinner. Either way, something was down there.
I kept casting.
From waist-deep water at the point, the view of the pond is something else entirely. Mallard ducks carved arcs overhead, wings beating against the cold March sky. Waves made soft sounds against the shore. The air was clean and cold — the kind you feel in your chest in a good way, like a reminder that you’re alive and outside and doing something you love.
Across the pond I could make out two other anglers working the far shoreline. I found myself wondering how they were doing. Hoping they were finding fish. Hoping they were enjoying the afternoon outside as much as I was.
After thirty minutes at the point without a landed fish I made the call to move. Time was running short, so I decided to wade and cast my way back. I swapped the Rooster Tail for a chartreuse Thomas Buoyant Spoon — better for cutting through the wind, more casting distance — and began wading and casting my way back toward the beach.
Something Different
About a fifth of the way back from the point, I got a really nice hit and was on with a fish.
It wasn’t the light, surface-oriented pull of a rainbow. This fish went down. It dug for the bottom and stayed there, shaking its head. The fight had a different character entirely — heavier, more stubborn, less acrobatic. I’ve caught enough rainbows to know when something is different, and this was different.
I held on and worked the fish toward me. When it finally came into the net, I understood.
Brown trout!
There is something special about a brown trout’s coloring — the dark spots, the subtle iridescence that shifts in the light. They look like something painted rather than something that evolved. I held the fish in the shallows for a moment, looked at it properly, and let it go.
Then I made another cast.
The Best Brown Trout Fishing of My Life
Now I am not a brown trout expert and my experience catching them is far less than my experience catching other species of fish. Nevertheless, what followed over the next twenty to thirty minutes was the best brown trout action I have ever experienced.
Three more browns came to the net. Two more bites that I missed. And one fish — a brown — that followed my spoon all the way to my rod tip in the crystal clear water, close enough that I could see every detail of its markings before it turned and vanished.
Four brown trout landed. How many more were in that school, cruising that stretch of shoreline? I’ll never know for sure, but I’d imagine there must have been a bunch.
Heading Home
At 3:30 I reeled up, waded back to shore, and started down the trail. Just before I entered the trees I noticed a splash behind me — a trout rolling on the surface, one last taunt. I turned around and stood there for a moment, taking it in. The pond, the beach, the point, the deep blue water catching the late afternoon light.
It had been a remarkable afternoon.
I made it home on time. Lauren headed out to teach her fitness class. I took over dad duty. Everyone was happy. And somewhere out in that pond, four brown trout were back patrolling the depths.
Tight lines!
I live in Long Island but love getting your emails. Love the trout story. Makes me very happy in such uncertain of times!!! So awesome!!!
Pumped to hear that JD. Fishing is a simple and peaceful activity in the age we’re living in. It’s refreshing in more ways than one. Happy to know you also appreciate that. Thank you!
March madness is more than college hoops. I am excited to put the boat in soon to go exploring.
It’s a great time of year for sure. Lots to look forward to in the months ahead!
Hey Ryan, I went back to that same pond today…with my pole! I didnt have any luck but it sure was nice to be fishing! I was wondering why you chose that particular area of the pond to fish. There are other areas on the pond that have more depth. I know the area has a rocky bottom. Was that part of your decision? A lot of that pond has a similar shoreline/bottom. Maybe becaue of easy access from the road? or maybe because you have had luck there in the past. Just curious on the decision for that part of the pond. Thanks!
Hey Leslie! It was mostly a decision made based on having luck there in the past. I always seem to at least get some bites in that area of the pond. Thanks for your comment and I hope you’re able to get a few trout this week. Good luck!
Nice Ryan! I have been all over that pond this past week. It’s one of Mikes favorite places to walk. Now I need to bring my fishing pole! Glad you had success. That is a beautiful pond!
Great job Ryan, that really helps folks that don’t know where to go with a great map giving direction. Sounds like those willing to get out , the fish are there. Thx for sharing with the community. Very nice looking fish. Those brown trout colors are just beautiful.