In the past, this time of year meant Bill Hager and I would be closely monitoring the MA stocking schedule for our favorite Western Mass streams, while also keeping an eye on those quick-turnaround spots within an hour of Boston that hold fish for a few weeks after stocking.

There are a couple of weekends a year where proximity to Boston (short drive) and a reasonable probability of fish in the net combine for what can be very productive outings. However, with Bill having moved south and my duties as a toddler parent, I haven’t been able to chase the stocking trucks like in years past.

That said, when my daughter recently had a playdate, and I found myself undertaking that familiar spring chase. An hour drive delivered me to a nice location and like in years past, I was able to land several fish. Oddly enough, nothing worked the same way as in previous years. The fish were in a different spot (thanks to a gentleman giving me intel after walking back to his truck) and presentation seemed to matter a lot more than you would expect two days after stocking.

After landing several fish, I decided to break for lunch at a local BBQ joint. From there I brought up the stocking map and realized there was a small section that was claimed to be stocked, conveniently near a bridge. With only a couple hours remaining, I headed out to new water.

It was truly a perfect spot with some fast water ripples that open up into a larger pool. Another gentleman was fishing and landed two nearby and another down river. I was unable to pull anything into the net, but really enjoyed exploring the new water.

It will definitely give me more options when we all catch the spring fever next year.