Ryan Collins
Yesterday I broke out the 5 weight and caught a half dozen rainbows and a gorgeous brook trout, while fly fishing a kettle pond on Cape Cod.
The sun was shining and the sky was a beautiful bright blue, with big puffy white clouds bouncing along on the breeze. It felt like Spring!
During this trip I was fishing at a recently stocked private kettle pond on Cape Cod, with MFCC member Kevin Walsh.
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In addition to being a skilled fly fisherman, Kevin is also the author of the popular fly fishing book The Perfect Catch, which I have a copy of.
I met Kevin down Cape yesterday at 12noon, however my adventure began an hour and a half earlier in Bourne at the Cape Cod Canal.
April At The Canal
Before heading down Cape I swung by the Bournedale herring run at the Cape Cod Canal, for a quick look around.
It was cold and the wind was blowing. There were very few people and no signs of fish (we still have a few more weeks until the bass arrive).
Nevertheless it was nice to visit the canal and watch a few boats go by under the bright sunshine. Spring was certainly in the air.
Crowes Pasture
My next stop was at the Crowes Pasture Conservation area in the town of Dennis, for a quick look at Cape Cod Bay.
According to the wonderful book The Nature of Cape Cod, this area of the Cape was inhabited by native peoples as early as 10,000 years ago.
Large boulders, which were deposited here during the last ice age, rest along the Crowes Pasture shoreline.
Located behind Crowes Pasture is Quivett Creek. According to what I've researched, this area was settled by Europeans in 1637.
Overlooking Quivett Creek is an ancient cemetery, which contains several tombstones for people who were born in the late 1700's.
The area is a very enjoyable place to go for a walk. There are many trails weaving through open fields, beachfront and woodlands.
Kettle Pond Trout
Around noontime I arrived down Cape at a gorgeous little kettle pond, where I was to meet Kevin and go fly fishing.
Kettle ponds are deepwater ponds that were carved out by glaciers during the last ice age, some 15,000-20,000 years ago.
Cape Cod has 366 freshwater ponds. That's one pond for every day of the year, including leap years.
Many of these kettle ponds are deep (some are 90ft deep) and have amazing gin-clear water.
During the spring and fall, the of State of Massachusetts stocks many kettle ponds on Cape Cod with rainbow, brook, brown and tiger trout.
You can click here to view which ponds have been stocked.
This particular kettle pond had been stocked just hours before my arrival.
Fortunately it appeared the trout were quite happy in their new home, because they quickly started biting with aggression.
Fly Fishing Tackle For Trout
I am relatively new to fly fishing for trout on Cape Cod, but so far my 5 weight Temple Fork Outfitters rod and reel has performed very well.
The reel conveniently comes spooled up with floating line. I then tied on a tapered leader, and Kevin connected a 3ft long section of 10lb fluorocarbon tippet using a double surgeon's knot.
The fluorocarbon tippet, in tandem with a 1/32oz fly, would help get my offering sinking down into the water column, where the big trout were roaming.
High Water Levels
The water level of many ponds on Cape Cod is quite high right now. Some ponds (including the kettle pond we fished yesterday) are so high that wade fishing is simply not possible.
To make fishing easier, Kevin and I utilized float tubes.
Fishing from float tubes is a real joy.
With float tubes, an angler can paddle him or herself around the pond using flippers.
It's definitely a peaceful and effective way to fly fish for trout.
Just make sure to wear your lifejacket!
Rainbows, Brookies and Yellow Perch
The trout were biting very well despite being recently stocked.
Kevin and I paddled around the pond, fishing the edge where the kettle pond's bottom dropped off very quickly.
Because they were created by glaciers, many of Cape Cod's kettle ponds have sharp drop-offs and deep holes. These often seem to be the places where trout gather.
Since our plan was to release all fish, we made sure to keep the trout wet and minimize handling. A rubber net and small pair of pliers worked well and came in very handy.
Some of the trout bit when I was just letting the fly sink to the bottom. Other bites came while I was slowly stripping the fly.
In general, I would say most of my bites occurred about 5ft below the surface.
Yellow perch were also in the mix. I have always been very impressed by the bright and interesting coloration of yellow perch.
They are a beautiful freshwater fish!
In total, Kevin and I caught around a dozen trout. Most of the trout were rainbows, with a brook, tiger, largemouth bass and some yellow perch mixed in.
In Conclusion
Spring has certainly arrived on Cape Cod. Today I even noticed some daffodils, tulips and hyacinths that are popping up in our yard.
The trout fishing has been good these past few days. I've even heard of some members of MFCC catching 15+ trout in a single morning or afternoon of fishing!
If you are interested in visiting Cape Cod this spring, then be sure to check out this vacation rental which overlooks the pond I was fishing in this report.
This week I hope you are able to enjoy all this abundant springtime sunshine and get out freshwater fishing. Winter is behind us - I think!
Tight lines 
This is a great article, thank you! I have been looking for fresh water fly fishing information and it is surprisingly hard to find for the Cape. I’m from Cape, but learned to fly fish in Cali – and I am going to be fly fishing for the first time when I visit home this week! Hopefully some of the kettle ponds are wade-able right now! Let me know any tips you may have 🙂
I’m glad you found the article helpful! Good luck during your trip home this week. I hope the trout are cooperative. I have not been freshwater fishing recently, but I would imagine the ponds are wadeable. We received a lot of rain the past week, but prior to that water levels were pretty low. For more info on Cape fly fishing, we also have a very helpful and friendly community of freshwater and fly anglers inside our members forum at https://community.myfishingcapecod.com. LMK if I can help answer any other questions. Tight lines! ?
Nice blog Ryan! You were in my neck of the woods! I have kayaked and wet a line in Quivett Creek! Crows Pasture is a gorgeous area, nice and remote. The float tubes look like fun! Congrats on your success in catching the trout!
The northside of Dennis and nearby Brewster is such a nice area. Lots of old historic homes and interesting sites. Good luck if you get out for trout this weekend!
Thanks for the info on the trout and kettle ponds, Ryan, and sub-surface pictures. Have you fished Mashpee Pond? I see that it has started to be stocked this year. I have grown up trout fishing out west, but have not fished the ponds on the Cape yet. Thought about Mashpee Pond as easier access with kayak. Have all the gear – although would need to find the right selection of flies / lures for the ponds. We live in Baltimore, MD but have place in Osterville and I head up there this Sunday with the first load of gear for the summer. Can’t wait for another season! Best, Cal
I have not fished Mashpee Pond but I do know one of our members was present at the stocking. I think Mashpee Pond would be a good bet for sure. As far as flies and lures go, you might want to check out this trout thread in our forum ?https://community.myfishingcapecod.com/t/trout-time-2018-2019-edition/5030/442?u=admin
Lots of helpful guys in there who would be happy I’m sure to provide some insight with regards to best flies. Plus they have a bunch of photos that show what lures they are using.