Tin Boat Trout Adventure: Winter Fly Fishing Success

This report was originally posted inside our Members' Forum on December 1st, 2025

Premier Upper Cape Trout Pond

My fishing partner Eddy and I slid his tin john boat into one of the more accessible northern-side launches on a popular Cape Cod kettle pond around 12:30 PM. We set out for a mixed fly and spin mission, taking advantage of a rare stretch of calm winter weather—light winds, patchy sun, and just enough warmth to make a few hours on the water comfortable.

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This particular pond is well-known among local anglers for its clear water, depth, and excellent trout management. The state stocks it heavily each season with rainbow, brook, brown, and even tiger trout, making it one of the few places on Cape where you can realistically complete a freshwater trout slam in a single outing.

Despite the favorable conditions, the water was quiet. Ours was the only boat anywhere in sight, though we did spot a few fly anglers working the shoreline. It felt like the kind of winter window you hope for—cold, but calm and fishable, with the pond almost entirely to ourselves.

Location Strategy

We primarily targeted the north side of the pond, where the sun exposure causes faster warming during winter months compared to the south side. As northerly winds increased throughout the day, this positioning also provided natural shelter while we explored various sections of the pond.

The Bite

The action started strong immediately. I connected with back-to-back rainbow trout on an olive woolly bugger using my 4-weight fly rod. The low winds and sunshine triggered a significant midge hatch, and trout were actively rising around the boat for most of the outing—a beautiful sight that indicated healthy fish activity throughout the pond.

Eddy found success on spinning gear, landing several beautiful rainbows on an Al’s Goldfish lure. When the bite slowed in the shallows, he dropped a marabou jig to depths of 30-40 feet and picked up a couple of nice yellow perch. Note for deep-water anglers: fish caught at these depths often need their swim bladders vented with specialized tools to survive release.

Tactics and Presentations

On the fly rod, I experimented with zebra midges suspended under a strike indicator to maintain depth control, along with various colored woolly buggers. Unfortunately, I didn’t have dry flies to capitalize on the active surface feeding—a mistake I won’t repeat. When switching to spinning gear, I tried jerkbaits, spoons, and atomic tube jigs without success.

Evening Session

We fished well into a spectacular sunset hoping to target other trout species, particularly brown trout, but the bite died completely as darkness approached. The increasing winds and dropping temperatures ultimately ended our session, though not before logging a memorable day on the water.

This premier Upper Cape trout pond continues to fish well for stocked trout, with the midge hatch providing excellent opportunities for anglers willing to match the conditions. Bringing appropriate dry fly patterns and focusing on the north side during winter months proved to be winning strategies.

About the author

Anthony Besaw

Anthony has been a member of My Fishing Cape Cod since 2017. He's a local Cape Cod fisherman who fishes both fresh and salt. In addition he's a casual plug and rod builder. Over the years Anthony has contributed a ton of helpful posts and reports inside our forum. It's a pleasure to have him onboard MFCC as a member!