montuak fishing report

[fireman]

went to montauk on 9/26 to oct 1 2006. fish were small during week and then boom nice average size were released on teh weekend. water levels were extremely low. fishing was little ruff but still took my daughters out for the first time and they both caught their limit. how proud i was because they did the casting and they reeled them in while i landed them. brook off quite a few but still weather was great. temps were in the mid 30's in the AM and high 70's daytime. there seems to be less and less fishing wholes and i would like to see some dredging or something to insure great fishing in the future.

fireman

[vanven]

I also was at Montauk over the weekend. The water is very low. The dam area was poductive for me, but I had a hard time throughout the rest of the park. There were often time I would find myself alone at a nice little hole, then 10 minutes later there would be 5 other folks. Had the best luck on green and copper midges in smaller sizes in the deeper water around the dam.

The weather was perfect with a little chill in the AM and PM.

I also fished Bennett on Sunday and the water levels were so much nicer. The natural feel of Montauk was nice, but Bennett has significantly more fishable water.

-Jerod

[3wt]

NO TO DREDGING!!!

Come on, if you don't find fishable water in the fly area at Montauk, you don't know where to look for fish. You don't need to rely on obvious deep holes to catch trout. Trust me, if you spend some time fishing the riffles and undercuts, you'll find fish that nobody else casts at.

The natural feel of the stream is a good thing, and should be preserved. Fishing a chaing of deep holes really cheapens trout fishing (see Maramec Springs).

[Terry Beeson]

Better yet, just leave 'em in the hatchery pits and save all that frustration of looking for those deep holes. Just walk up to the pit, put a ball of power bait on your hook, and pull 'em in... saves time and effort...

In case you didn't get my sarcasm there, dredging is not the answer. Dredging should only be CONSIDERED if there is some "man-made" problem in the river... emphasis on CONSIDERED....

[Greg]

I fish both Bennett and Montauk fairly regularly throughout the year and I think I agree with Vanven in that there is probably more fishable water at Bennett. But I like Montauk better due to the more natural setting and wide range of water types available to fish including the trophy area outside the park. I would NOT be in favor of dredging either at Montauk.

Greg

[vanven]

I loved Montauk and would hate to see the natural feel diminished at all. I have been to Roarring River and the firs 1/3 of the park makes me feel like kicking a kitten with the fake concrete rocks and obviously man made pools.

The point about more fishable water, referred to the fact that at Bennett you can walk up to almost any section of the river and start fishing. Montauk tends to funnel fisherman to the deeper holes. Not a big deal until the water starts getting crowded and it turns into combat fishing.

Montauk has significant sections, and this may be due to low water levels, where you are forced to fish a dry fly. There are tons weed beds inches under the surface and a midge on light tippet is a nightmare.

Maybe that helps clarify my earlier point.

-Jerod

[Gavin]

I'd say no to dredging too. Montauk is pretty well abused but it is the most stream like of all the trout parks. IMO, it could use a lot of stream bank restoration and revegetation, but I'd say no to dredging because I'd fear that it would become another ugly fish ditch like Bennett or Roaring.

The main reason that Montauk and the Upper Current its so shallow and silty lately is due to low water over the last several years. Pray for rain and lots of it...the river really could use a good scouring flood. Cheers.

[GregSTC]

Big No To Dredging!

I've caught some of my biggest fish at Montauk in water that looks to be less than a foot deep. Deep holes can be productive if they are close to stocking areas and they seem to get the most pressure.

[Kayser]

I'm with 3wt all the way: No to dredging!! There are more fish in those shallow riffles at the head of the holes than you could possibly imagine. Get a pair of polarized sunglasses ($10 @ Walmart), look for the fish in the current, and get down to them with a nymph. They seem eager to hit and fight harder with the strong current. There are a lot of them in there, it just takes a while to figure out where they are (normally tight to the bottom or in any current break, sometimes right against the weeds). Other than that, just be ready. The fish will spit it out before you even know they bit, but they do this almost every time. Sorry if I wasted anyones time.

Rob

[jdmidwest]

Unfortunately, Montauk has dredged in the past when floods have silted up the holes. I have seen dredges above the waterfall in the past and warnings on opening day of deeper water in some of the holes that were dredged. In the past 5 years they have concentrated more on natural improvements like the big rocks in the campground area. This is to create natural scour holes and they seem to work some. Still, alot of the old deep holes have filled with gravel. This goes on outside of the park throughout the entire river. Low water is only part of the problems. In the 20 years I have fished the upper Current, most of the deeper holes have disappeared and the river has "flattened out" with gravel. What is really needed is better timber practices to control gravel and improve the watershed above the park and throughout the state.