Day on the Deerfield River
Having just done a post on fishing Vermont’s White River, I thought I would do a post on my Deerfield River angling adventure. Born in the lush Green Mountains of Vermont, the Deerfield River quickly descends into northwest Massachusetts on its 75-mile-long quest to meet the Connecticut River at Turners Falls. The portion I fished lies below Fife Brook Dam near the tiny town of Florida, Massachusetts, home to about 750 people. Yes, that’s right, Florida, Massachusetts—think pinecones, not pineapples.
From here the Deerfield snakes southward by the highest summits of the Hoosac Mountain Range, hugging the Mohawk Trail as it journeys through scenic countryside toward Shelburne, Massachusetts, and beyond. Fife Brook Dam, a bottom release dam, delivers cold water supporting fine fishing year-round. Immediately downstream from it are two “catch and release” sections with a preponderance of wild brown trout, some reaching twenty-five inches in length. 
During our float on the Deerfield, my guide Chris Jackson had me working a team of nymphs around the current seams. As the river depth and speed changed, he constantly made adjustments to my leader. His preferred searching rig consisted of a nine-foot tapered leader. Below a strike indicator rode a blue winged olive nymph as a dropper, matching a frequent seasonal hatch, while on the leader point was a girdle bug, acting both as an anchor fly and an attractor. Capable of imitating a stonefly, a hellgrammite, or a large terrestrial, the venerable girdle bug fly has proven its worth time and time again over the years. And it is also versatile, easily made to match a variety of situations.
Reach veteran guide Chris at chrisjacksonflyfishing.com
