NB of Root River: Fly or Spinning Rod

[loebs93]

A buddy of mine and I are going to canoe the North Branch of the Root and I'm just wondering what the water levels are generally like in that section. We'll be going from Chatfield to Whalan and camping along the way.

Is the water in this stretch worth bringing a fly rod with or should I resort to hardware fishing with spinners and jigs.

The Root itself might be too much for fly-fishing but are there tributaries along the way where I could toss a fly into?

Thanks a lot, all replies are helpful.

Also, if you have canoed this stretch how did it go for you?

Thanks

[Jim W]

When???

[loebs93]

It will be in two weeks.

[mark p]

A buddy and I canoed from Chatfield down to to Moens bridge last year. He used his fly rod and I fished with a spinning rod. The method of fishing didn't seem to make any difference. We both had about the same luck.

[A Fly Angler]

My next quesation would be time of year. The Root has a tendency to warm in the latter summer months. Not to say a fly rod wouldn't be a good choice, but I actually prefer a spinning rod whilst canoeing. It's easier to handle without actually having to get out of the canoe.

[mark p]

The stream is fairly close to a normal flow right now so you should be able to fish with a fly rod or spinning gear. You can cover water faster using spinning gear than a fly rod, but one is as effective as the other. The north branch is primarily a smallmouth river. There are a few trout in there too. They are more active at this time of year than the middle of the summer when the water warms up so they are a little easier to catch.

[Sully20]

I canoed the root this last weekend with a buddy and fished both flies and spinning gear. We were each in our own canoes, so we found the spinning gear to be more convenient while paddling solo. There are several spots along the route where it is easy to bank on an island or sand bar and cast from shore. I would recommend this method to thoroughly cover the water. The fishing was good last weekend, we caught about one smallie to every 5 trout. There was a pretty thick stonefly hatch going on to our surprise, so load up the fly box. Good luck

[loebs93]

Thanks for the replies guys. Do you think this area gets fished pretty hard compared to other sections of the Root?

[Sully20]

I would say no to getting fished too hard. The water there is so big that an arsenal of people would have to be going through there and fishing it hard to pressure it too much. Most people just don't go to the effort to get back in there.