It is chilly but wind-still this morning, and the brookies are biting!
October 22, 2022
Location and Access to Long Pond
Where is Long Pond Located?
This 275-acre water body is found in Parsonsfield, York County, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 4 D2). Our goal this morning is wader fishing for trout on Long Pond.
Access and Boat Launch
The public access is at the southern tip of the pond. It consists of a narrow, steep, but hardtop boat ramp located on Road Between the Ponds, off Joe Berry Road.
The first brookie of the morning.
Long Pond Features, Stocking, depth Profile, and Angling Rules
General Characteristics
This pond is moderately developed and embedded in a beautiful forested region in the northwestern corner of York County. It also sits just a couple of miles from the NH border.
Annual Stocking
The State stocks this lake each fall with a modest number of brook trout and brown trout to sustain a local hard-water and open-water trout fishery.
Depth Profile
This lake has a mean and maximum depth of 18 ft. and 33 ft., respectively. Click here for a depth map and fisheries information.
I successfully trolled this pond for bass last month. When putting in my boat at that time, I noticed that the whole area around the boat launch was shallow (< 4 ft. deep) and sandy. Those conditions are ideal for wader fishing.
Fishing Regulations
Long Pond is open to fishing between October 1 and December 31. However, during this period, anglers can only use artificial lures. In addition, they must release all trout alive at once. Click here for the full rules applicable at this location.
The water is crystal clear and the bottom is firm, sandy, and unobstructed. Ideal wading conditions!
Wader Fishing for Trout on Long Pond
Arrival and Conditions
Geovani and I reach the boat launch at Long Pond by 8 am. It’s a chilly (33°F) but sunny and wind-still fall morning, just the way I like it.
Technique for Wader Fishing for Trout on Lost Pond
We don our waders and walk into the water armed with our ultralight spinning rods, a small spinning reel, and #2 Mepps spinners. I removed one of the three hooks from each treble and flattened the barb on one of the two remaining hooks to minimize harm to the fish.
I start fishing to the left of the launch, and Geovani casts to the right. We hope to encounter trout more quickly if we each cover different areas The water is crystal-clear, the bottom is sandy, firm, unobstructed, and vegetation free. In fact, this place is one of the nicest ones I have fished using waders over the last several years! I have encountered similar ideal wading conditions at other locations, including here, here, here, and here.
Results of Wader Fishing for Trout on Long Pond
I observe two rises on my left. I toss my spinner in that general direction and hook a brook trout five casts later. It is a male in brilliant spawning colors. Yes, we found the fish! Consequently, Giovani wades over to my side and we start to systematically fish the whole area.
Geovani is catching brookies too!
And the brookies keep coming. They are sitting right on the bottom in less than 4 ft. of water. Geovani is giddy from excitement every time he hooks and lands a fish. The fish slowly move to our left in response to the commotion. When the bite slows down, we too move 50-75 ft. to our left, reconnect, and catch a few more trout. This kind of fishing is so much fun!
We are also hoping for a “double hooking”, when we both fight a fish at the same time. This wish is granted, but then the trout move again, and this time out or range. The bite comes to a hard stop, and we are unable to reconnect with the brookies after 15 minutes of fruitless casting around. Oh well, it’s time to move on to our next pond anyway.
Angling does not get any better than this: Geovani beat his grandpa (his 7 fish to my 5), the bite was strong, the weather conditions were perfect, and, as always in the fall, we had the fish and the place all to ourselves!
Our wish is granted: we double-hooked!
The outcome of wader fishing for trout on Long Pond: I caught 5 brook trout (largest = 14 inches) and Giovani caught 7 brook trout (largest = 14 inches) in 45 minutes of spectacular fall fishing.
Was the information in this blog useful? I invite you to share your thoughts and opinions. Also, feel free to discuss your fishing experiences at this location.
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