By Mike Roche

Here we are in mid-May and there is so much happening! Turkey hunting is in full swing, and gobblers are definitely active. The issue is hens, and it is hard to compete with the “real thing,” believe me. Trout fishing, however, is never better than in May, as the rise in water temperatures is the key to increased insect hatches.

Fly fishermen key in on hatches for dry fly fishing and May traditionally is the best time for that with hatches of May flies (of course!) including march browns and hendricksons, stone flies, caddis flies, and tiny midges. You can often see the hatching insects drift by on the surface and try to match what is happening with the right size and color fly. Most of the feeding, however, takes place below the surface and the most productive flies would be imitations of the nymphal swimming phase of the insects. The pheasant tail and hare’s ear are probably the most popular and bead head nymphs – tied with a metal bead – probably take as many trout as any offering.

Fishing nymphs is a challenge and too often the quick take of the fly is missed. The fisherman needs to look for the flash of the trout’s side as it twists to eat the fly and immediately lift the rod tip. Or you can absolutely hone in on the floating line and lift the instant it hesitates as it floats by.

What is often the answer is using an indicator. Large floating dry flies tied in patterns like a Royal Wulff, or large terrestrials (flies tied to look like bugs, grasshoppers, etc., that might fall into the water) are tied on the leader tippet and then a dropper leader is tied to the hook and a nymph to that. The key is having just the right amount of line so the nymph drifts just above the stream bed. There are also many products you can attach to your leader that float along like a bobber indicating when a fish takes the nymph. You only have a split-second as the fish will quickly spit out the fake. It is a great way to catch trout, but it is a skill that takes practice!

Largemouth and smallmouth bass also provide great May fishing. In New Hampshire, bass fishermen must release all bass until June 15. That is to protect the large females who are on beds, called redds, protecting newly-deposited eggs. Fishermen can find great fishing in May as both species are active in shallow water and tend to be aggressive and provide great fishing. Surface lures, soft baits, crankbaits and spinners all can work. Quabbin shore fishermen and boat anglers can all enjoy some of the year’s best bass fishing right now!

On the coast, the striped bass migration is just getting underway as the stripers make their way north. They are following baitfish like herring. Herring enter tributaries to spawn with the bass hot on their heels. Cape Cod Canal can be a really great fishery when tides provide water movement and herring, alewives, mackerel and sand eels are all pursued in coastal waters. Bait fishermen use chunks of mackerel, sandworms and eels while boat fishermen troll lures to imitate all those baitfish, particularly eels using tube lures. The striped bass slot limit in Massachusetts is one fish per day, 28 inches to less than 31 inches in length. There is great concern over the striped bass fishery as it has great commercial value and interest and has experienced severe ups and downs over the past decades. The federal government oversees the states and monitors the take and may restrict the size and limits more if the need arises. They are great to eat but also real fun to catch, particularly on a fly rod. During my time pursuing stripers all the gear was acquired and sits there waiting for me to chase them one more time. Unfortunately, the prime time is only a month or so in spring and fall but they can be caught from now to November and from here to Canada.

Local trout ponds are well-stocked, as are the rivers and streams. You can get real-time trout stocking information by going to the MassWildlife website. May is the best time for those waters as well and Massachusetts will be stocking 455,000 trout this spring by the time they are finished. A check today indicated that Lake Mattawa received a load of rainbow trout this week on Tuesday. That should encourage you to make a trip there this weekend.

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Last weekend Rick Jester from Florida spent a couple days with me in Orange. He was in New England working on a U.S. Turkey Super Slam. That would be taking a gobbler in all of the 49 states that have a turkey season. It was my pleasure to hunt with him in New Hampshire and then in Massachusetts on Saturday. That morning, we heard gobbles in multiple locations but were not able to get a tom to come in as it seemed like they were “henned up,” as real hens were responding to the gobbles. On Monday, he hunted with good friend and great turkey hunter Ken Brown but still had not filled his Massachusetts tag when he flew back home to Georgia om Monday. He will have to come back another year to get that done, but was able to check off Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode Island while he was here. He also fly fished both the Swift River and Deerfield River and caught trout using the aforementioned nymphs.

My Massachusetts tags are also still unfilled. A precocious jake tempted me severely but my willingness to get up at 4 a.m. is diminishing and turkey hunting in the rain is not something, at this point of my turkey hunting life, which interests me. With one bird already in the freezer to make turkey jerky, the fire is not that hot and with all those fishing choices it might be time to pick up a rod. And if you have been out in the woods, you know that this year the black flies and mosquitos are at an all-time high. Have fun!

Mike Roche is a retired teacher who has been involved in conservation and wildlife issues his entire life. He has written the Sportsman’s Corner since 1984 and has served as advisor to the MaharFish’N Game Club, counselor and director of the Massachusetts Conservation Camp, former Connecticut Valley District representative on the Massachusetts Fisheries and Wildlife Board, has been a Massachusetts Hunter Education Instructor and is a licensed New York hunting guide. He can be reached at mikeroche3@msn.com.