lonq lsland Sound Stripers & Blues Eastern QUEBEC NORTH CAROLINA

September/October 201 8 Fls I ncred i bl e fly-fi shi ng desti nations

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$7.99 US/CAN . www.tnotchthehatch.com Silver Grey P:u ln the Studio Page 72 i:o ::!a':N :- ::n:h EXP@SURE o -14 Pike Fishing the Berkshires , Nj By Thomas McDonough 1f, n Irish proverb states that "if you listen to the sound of the river, you will get a trout'" in western Ne *' -' ,I This morning I'm all ears as the Paulins Kill, a 4 1-mile tributary of the -Ttrse flsurr.x and Warre"n Counties, sings seductively. Its water is gin clear and liltingly splashes around boulders and ot' underwater shale ledges, as I cast an olive-green beadhead Woolly Bugger. The water gurgles over and through a logjar creating a deep pool that looks like a shimmering mirror that reflects the surrounding green forest' It's as pretty a setrir ,rry i,r. seen on a trout river, and if a fat rainbow or brown trout smacks my fly, I'll join its chorus' ", D.rpit. offering excellent fy-fishing opportunities for some very large trout, the Paulins Kill flies under the radar I the Garden State. Most talk of trout streams here involves the big four: and the Musconetcong, South Bran' Rariran, and Pequesr Rivers. But the Paulins Kill has a 1ot going for it. Water quality is excellent, says Chris Kuhn, owner of theLazy K Ranch' 25-acre ranch that works to protect upland game habitats and the cold headwaters of the Paulins Kill' Kuhn also is he' seruice' guide for Knot Just Flies, the local fy-fishing shop, and The Last Frontier Angler, a guide The Paulins Kill is fed by numerous springs and mountain brooks and creeks, including Moores' Culver, and Tio' lakes ir-r the area: Culle Brooks and Jaclaonburg Creek. The brooks and creeks, in turn, receive water from several large Lake, Lake Owassa, Bear Swamp, and Swartsrvood Lake. "The natural springs and feeder creeks are Class-One trout streams, with lots of cold water rhat keeps the river ct' even in the summer," Kuhn says. "They plav an important role in keeping the trout population hctrlrhv and grou-ins' Some feeder creeks have wild trout to go along with the NewJersev Division of Fish and \\'iidlifbs liberal stockir program in spring and fall. ^ also is fi: ttr. Paulins Kill, lr.g. trout river bv standards that reaches 60-plus-feet rvide ir-r some spots' " tunate to flow through a number of state parks and forests, such as Swartsrvood State Park, \\brthington State Forest, ar Stokes State Forest. In addition, townships all along the river, working rvith New Jersey's Gree rl '\cres program, have s aside more than 6,000 acres in wildlife management areas that minimize environmental damaqe' The state's third-largest contributor to the Delaware River, the Paulir"rs Kill is characterized bv deep, slow pools, tur bling pocket *at.r, ,"rt..f.lls, cascades, and dams. The river, especiallr' its northernmost regions, has more posted are than othe, NewJersey steams, providing safe havens for fish to hold over' Kuhn points out. horvever, that most landort' EF'- :',r4 ,'q.# ,i*. HF{ .1i X

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26 EASIERN FLY FISHING. September C-::cer 2018 ers are generous in granting access to the river on their property. "They just want you to ask permission," he says. The Paulins Kill produces dense mayfly and caddisfly hatches, which allow trout to feed .,R voraciously and grow large. In early April, when waters can be high and discolored, nymphs, San Juan worms, and streamers are effective. The first .:-3i: hatches occur in late April when Sulphur duns :r. make their appearance. Sulphurs hatch profusely *rroughAugust, as do Slate Drakes, which appear continuously through October. In late April and throughout June, major hatches include Quill Gordons, Blue-lVinged Olives, Hendricksons, = March Browns, and Light Cahills. Small caddisfly ! and terrestrial patterns are important during the 9 summer. As an added bonus, the Paulins Kill f

boasts a thriving population of smallmouth bass E fiat are great fun to catch during summer. 3 The Paulins Kill is easy to reach along State Route 94, which follows the river from Newton south to Columbia. The most popular area to fish is around Blairstown, which can get crowded in the early season. North and south of Blairstown, you may have the river all to yourself, wading large pools that offer great dry-fy action. There are excellent trails ail along the river, such as the Paulinskill ValleyThail, a27-mile network of paths created from long-abandoned railroad track beds. Kuhn enjoys the lack of fishing pressure and the Paulins Killt rural surroundings. "The farms, fields, the hills in the distance, the morning mist over the river create a unique New Jersey setting you don't see anywhere else in the state," he says. "You can be out fishing, and there will be a cow or a horse in the river nexr to you. The Paulins Kill can rransporr you into anotler time period-what NewJersey must have look like in the 1860s." *1*f r

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