Got away for weekend of post bar unwinding in Vermont. Camped at Moose River Campground which turned out to be pretty spectacular. This place is especially cool because the campsites are right on the river. Spent a few hours at Moore Reservoir and other than the piles of trash some people left was really beautiful.
Month: July 2018
Kayak Fishing – Kimball Pond
Launch Date: 7/15/18 Launch Site: Boat Ramp [Google Maps]
Not a huge body of water by any means but this place sure is beautiful. The entire shore line is undeveloped except for the little damn and boat launch.
Mind the indentations on the boat launch, my kayak cart got stuck in every single one.
The main area is large and open with a relatively clean bottom. The surrounding shallow estuary is socked in with the invasive species Myriophyllum, aka Milfoil [plants that people put in their aquarium]. The water in the estuary is still 4+ feet deep but completely covered so you’d never know and as a result unfishable.
For a Sunday I was expecting anywhere I went to be busy. Luckily for me, when I arrived there was only one other boat on the water. For three hours it was just the two of us. Several different cars arrived at the launch without boats for a short period then left [I was happy to find that my car was not broken into].
There are no official motor restrictions, so maybe I was just lucky, or due to the size of the pond, people are not racing around the pond in their bass boats. Kayaks or Jon boats are perfect here.
For fishing, I didn’t catch a lot of fish. I would have had a higher fish count if I brought my 4 weight fly rod to go after the black crappie and blue gill. I did get one good sized bass which completely made up for the long hours of no action. Even on a hot day [high of 90 degrees], the big bass are looking up for an easy frog meal.
All things considering this is a place I absolutely would come back to.
Clough State Park
Launch Attempt Date: 7/14/18 Launch Site: Boat Ramp [Google Maps]
The state park is not friendly to the early morning kayaker. Before 9am the only way to launch is to park at the dam and walk a quarter mile down to the waters edge. Once you get there you’ll have to portage over large orange bumpers which indicate to boats the dam outlet.
Despite being denied access due to the limited launch options at 6:30 in the morning, this lake is beautiful. Next time I’ll come on a cooler day when I won’t mind dragging my boat all the way back up the dam road.
This was another strike against the usefulness of a New Hampshire state park pass as an early morning kayaker.
Grand Lakes Stream Fishing Trip
Trip Dates: 06/02/2018 - 06/07/2018 Location: [Google Maps] Lake Info: [Depth Map]
After a long drive through Maine we ended up at a lake which was pretty much in Canada. We stayed at Shoreline Camps which was a perfect location for fishing Big Lake.
Big lake has “trout” and “salmon”, though we didn’t see any. Maybe next time I’ll take the fly rod out on Grand Lakes Stream where it’s fly fishing only and
go for salmon. What Big Lake does have is a very healthy small mouth bass fishery. Things were slow in the morning but after noon, the fish become hungry. I’ve never seen black rubber worms catch so many fish.
It was almost every cast. The fish were up on the rocky shores. Soft bottom weed beds produced an occasion large mouth and pickerel. My signature move
was to cast into the trees, totally on purpose of course, flick out the worm, and then get a fish. This worked enough times that I couldn’t help but laugh and say “Into the tree, out of the tree, into fish”.
This is a place I want to go back and when I do I’ll definitely bring my kayak. Hopefully those in boats will be willing to tow me to the far sides of the lake.
Bear Brook State Park – Beaver Pond
Kayak Fishing – Onway Lake
Date: 07/03/2018 Launch Site: [Google Maps], limited parking, no facilities Lake Map: [NH Fish and Game]
Due to Beaver Pond, in Bear Brook State Park, being accessible only to patrons of the campground, at least at 6:30 am, I opted to check out Onway Lake as it was on the way home.
First take away is that parking is limited. The launch area is a narrow path with a paved road that goes straight into the water. Dirt patches on the side are for cars, watch out for rocks on the stops closer to the water.
Once on the water this lake is beautiful. Lots and lots of water lilies and birds.
Along the Dearborn Estate Easement is a large mash. While I was fishing just outside the water lilies, a great blue heron was stalking prey from the shore.
For a developed lake this is a rather nice place to go for a quiet paddle. There are no motor restrictions as I found when a water skier was slalom skiing what I can only guess were buoys for a sea plane?
Since this location was not the original plan I wasn’t able to stay out as long as I would have liked and I will be coming back.
Kayak Fishing – Great Pond, NH
Launch Date: 06/17/2018 Launch Site: Boat Ramp [Google Maps]
Launched from the boat ramp at south end of the lake. There was convenient, but limited to the first six cars, parking at the launch
for vehicle without trailers. Note to self, Kingston state park is open from dawn to dusk but the facilities are not and the gate is locked outside of those hours.
The lake has a fair amount of development along the shores and there’s no shortage of motor boats racing around.