Upper Valley Walleyes

[MarkBelknap]

Any one here ever hooked a walleye on a fly. Was thinking about taking my kayak and trying below Wilder or Bellows falls. I also here the spin guys catch them in the deep hole where the Sugar dumps in. They eat leeches and baitfish so you would think you could catch them on a leech or minnow pattern. When I hit the yankee classic this weekend, I'm thinking about picking the brains of the walleye guys. Most fish Champlain but maybe some one has tried the Conn.

Mark

[kurzkaster]

I have had some luck at the mouth of the Mascoma in W. Leb in the Springtime. There are too many trees along the shore to FF from the shore but you could do it from the kayak. The area is sheltered and if the dam starts releasing too much water you can pull into the mouth of the Mascoma.

I have caught them on white curly tailed grubs fished slow along the bottom. So a white streamer fished deep and slow should do the trick - maybe even a salt water fly like a clouser. They are usually along the high bank on the NH side or in the mouth itself.

To get to this spot take 12A north, turn left just past Jiffy Lube and then another left on the first dirt road. This road is rough and the end of it by the River can be real muddy and sometimes you have to park above the muddy area. There is a crude boat launch there and I have tried FF from the launch but have had no luck there.

The Wilder Dam is a tough spot because of the current from the Dam. If the Dam is not releasing you can access the spot on either the Vt or NH side by the Dam. There is a portage around the dam on the NH side and a visitors ctr on the Vt side where you can park. There is a nice pool on the Vt side near the parking lot but again FF will be tough and the current swirls in it and its usually full of floating debris & walleyes!

Probably the best place of all is Sumner Falls. This place is good for FF from the shore but the access gate is closed right now and its a fairly long walk from route 5.

Let us know how you do.

[petegas]

great info kurzkaster!

as an antecdote, a friend of mine was fooling around with some spinning gear at the mouth of mink brook this past spring and got a walleye. of course he said he got a rash on his legs the next day and thought it was from the water treatment plant right on the other bank, but i dont buy it, i've been swimming downstream from there off of gilman island with no ill effects (but i suppose its all relative with me)

[MarkBelknap]

Thanks for all the tips and info. I'll let you know how I do. There are some gravel bars and side eddies below Bellows falls that look really inviting. You would think the walleye would stage and spawn right there. I'll definately check out Sumner falls as well. I might check out the deep hole behind the Pick and Pay from my kayak too.

[Hunter Dan]

I LOVE fishing walleyes in the Connecticut. Lived right next to it for the past ten years - now I'm in the Merrimack valley in NH and will only get up to the CT a few times this spring and summer. Never caught one on a fly but have caught just about everything else on flies in the CT (bass, pike, perch, etc.) You'd think that a leech pattern or a clouser would work. I break out the spinning tackel for them and catch 'em on crankbaits and jigs. They taste GREAT!