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Merwin: The Road to New Waters
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June 12, 2009
Merwin: The Road to New Waters
By John Merwin
I’m a little grumpy this morning. Must be the rain or maybe the barometric ache in my arthritic knee. Anyway, today I’ve had it up to here with the urban/suburban yuppy-ness that seems to have invaded the southern New England/New York trout rivers that I’ve fished so often over the past 40 years. So I’m looking for new waters.
These won’t be new in the sense of being recently manufactured, of course. Just new in that I haven’t fished them before. They aren’t hard to find. I have sometimes taken a regional highway map, for example, and with a pencil and compass set according to the map’s scale, drawn a circle with a 200-mile radius and with my home at the center. I figure that’s about the limit for a short weekend driving/ fishing/camping trip. The amount and variety of available fishing within that circle is just amazing.
This time, though, I’m looking at the northern sector. Rivers there are far enough away from the big-city ‘burbs that I’ll expect to see few other anglers--or at least few well-dressed ones. The first such trip is next week. It won’t take much--tent, sleeping bag, backpacking stove, fly and spin rods all in the back of the truck. I can get up there and back on on tank of gas. So I’ll chuck it all and live free for a couple of days. Free on the road, and free on the river. All with the fun of checking out something new....
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Comments (14)
Hmmm, sounds great! I used to do the same thing all of the time before we had the little ones... in a few years they will be big enough to do it again, together. One problem with the yuppies, though. I don't fish New England, but out west of the Rockies... There is apparently no limit to their range. They are like coyotes, they will slouch around almost anywhere, thinking they own the place. As with canis-latrans, they have a vast array of incourigible behaviors that edge out the Common Species of Anglers. Then there is the Yuppie-Wannabes; almost worse than the real Yuppies, in that they are equally incourigible, but in truth are just decked out Common Anglers with the same encroaching behaviors... thanks for sharing the grump... I needed to vent a little too!
if you really want to see few fishermen and catch fish you need to come up here to maine, we have the west branch of the penobscot river, this has many salmon and few fishermen when you head up to the northern sectors of it. Also the aroostook holds some huge brook trout, probably the best trout in the country if you want huge brook trout.
I'm trying this this weekend, but on my father's advice, I'm visiting friends in a town closer to where I'm fishing and then making a day trip out of the rest of it, rather than camping, since it's my first time to this particular river. If this goes well, though, I do intend to camp along it next time.
Actually, I ran the full program (hike, camp, fish) with a non-fishing buddy in the mountains this past weekend. Five miles and 1000 vertical feet had a marvelously dissuasive effect on the competition. The trout had an on-off switch, and when it was on, the fishing was grand. That was also when I had to be building a fire, and my buddy doesn't fish, so the trip ended up being more hiking with some fishing thrown in. But what fishing there was was wonderful, and the trip was a blast.
Your first problem is living close to NYC. My suggestion-move. Move north up to Vermont, Maine or here in NH. The fishing's better and less crowded. People spend more time talking about the fish than their gear. Come up as long as you don't bring the yuppies with you.
"Anyway, today I’ve had it up to here with the urban/suburban yuppy-ness that seems to have invaded the southern New England/New York trout rivers that I’ve fished so often over the past 40 years."
HOLY $#!^ NO KIDDING!
I've found some pretty neat spots in parts of NH that these people are afraid to go...
Let me know when you want me to take you so you can write a feature...
Getting away from the crowds to me means jumping in the kayak and going where no one else would go.
No use visiting the northern adirondacks. No fish here.
tourneyking734:
The first good-size landlock I caught was from the West Branch back in 1957 or '58 while on a camping trip up there with my parents. Glad to hear at least some of it is still holding up.
doughnh:
I already live in Vermont. Just not far enough north and west to be above The Volvo Line.
shane:
I might go, but I wouldn't kiss and tell.
Douglas:
I agree. Also too many darn blackflies!
These kind of trips often attribute to some of the best trips you have every gone on. Have fun and good luck!
After you check it out John ... we want the full report,with pictures!
"The Volvo Line." Nice term. I like to stay within the rusty Subaru lines.
Really, I don't even have to take you. You're a New Englander. Figure it out. See Sullivan County. The one in NY ain't bad, either.
The Volvo bit is not original to me, but I can't remember from whence or whom I stole it and so can't supply credit. Sullivan County....Ah-ha! That just reminds me that once, very long ago and in another life, I worked for the daily paper in Claremont. It was such a horrifying experience that I've very seldom been back that way. Sullivan County, NY, meanwhile, is part of what I'm trying to escape...!
I beg to differ. There are plenty of spots in Sullivan NY where I have never seen a yuppie. You just have to avoid the "good spots", aka the ones everyone knows. What I know is that if you have half a brain and an eye for the fish (I think you might meet the requirements), they are all good spots in that region. I should make digital copies so we can all see the pictures of big trout with no one around.
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Your first problem is living close to NYC. My suggestion-move. Move north up to Vermont, Maine or here in NH. The fishing's better and less crowded. People spend more time talking about the fish than their gear. Come up as long as you don't bring the yuppies with you.
Hmmm, sounds great! I used to do the same thing all of the time before we had the little ones... in a few years they will be big enough to do it again, together. One problem with the yuppies, though. I don't fish New England, but out west of the Rockies... There is apparently no limit to their range. They are like coyotes, they will slouch around almost anywhere, thinking they own the place. As with canis-latrans, they have a vast array of incourigible behaviors that edge out the Common Species of Anglers. Then there is the Yuppie-Wannabes; almost worse than the real Yuppies, in that they are equally incourigible, but in truth are just decked out Common Anglers with the same encroaching behaviors... thanks for sharing the grump... I needed to vent a little too!
if you really want to see few fishermen and catch fish you need to come up here to maine, we have the west branch of the penobscot river, this has many salmon and few fishermen when you head up to the northern sectors of it. Also the aroostook holds some huge brook trout, probably the best trout in the country if you want huge brook trout.
I'm trying this this weekend, but on my father's advice, I'm visiting friends in a town closer to where I'm fishing and then making a day trip out of the rest of it, rather than camping, since it's my first time to this particular river. If this goes well, though, I do intend to camp along it next time.
Actually, I ran the full program (hike, camp, fish) with a non-fishing buddy in the mountains this past weekend. Five miles and 1000 vertical feet had a marvelously dissuasive effect on the competition. The trout had an on-off switch, and when it was on, the fishing was grand. That was also when I had to be building a fire, and my buddy doesn't fish, so the trip ended up being more hiking with some fishing thrown in. But what fishing there was was wonderful, and the trip was a blast.
"Anyway, today I’ve had it up to here with the urban/suburban yuppy-ness that seems to have invaded the southern New England/New York trout rivers that I’ve fished so often over the past 40 years."
HOLY $#!^ NO KIDDING!
I've found some pretty neat spots in parts of NH that these people are afraid to go...
Let me know when you want me to take you so you can write a feature...
Getting away from the crowds to me means jumping in the kayak and going where no one else would go.
No use visiting the northern adirondacks. No fish here.
tourneyking734:
The first good-size landlock I caught was from the West Branch back in 1957 or '58 while on a camping trip up there with my parents. Glad to hear at least some of it is still holding up.
doughnh:
I already live in Vermont. Just not far enough north and west to be above The Volvo Line.
shane:
I might go, but I wouldn't kiss and tell.
Douglas:
I agree. Also too many darn blackflies!
These kind of trips often attribute to some of the best trips you have every gone on. Have fun and good luck!
After you check it out John ... we want the full report,with pictures!
"The Volvo Line." Nice term. I like to stay within the rusty Subaru lines.
Really, I don't even have to take you. You're a New Englander. Figure it out. See Sullivan County. The one in NY ain't bad, either.
The Volvo bit is not original to me, but I can't remember from whence or whom I stole it and so can't supply credit. Sullivan County....Ah-ha! That just reminds me that once, very long ago and in another life, I worked for the daily paper in Claremont. It was such a horrifying experience that I've very seldom been back that way. Sullivan County, NY, meanwhile, is part of what I'm trying to escape...!
I beg to differ. There are plenty of spots in Sullivan NY where I have never seen a yuppie. You just have to avoid the "good spots", aka the ones everyone knows. What I know is that if you have half a brain and an eye for the fish (I think you might meet the requirements), they are all good spots in that region. I should make digital copies so we can all see the pictures of big trout with no one around.
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