As with most eastern trout rivers, the two fishing opportunities you can count on along the Deerfield are the sunrise and sunset hatches.

Sylvan New England scene

There may be sporadic hatching activity throughout the day, but, in general, midday and early afternoon are best for napping along the bank. My preferred fishing itinerary for the Deerfield includes being on the water for first light and fishing through the morning hatch until the sun is high enough to put the fish down.

Late morning and early afternoon are spent eating lunch, and grabbing a nap before the evening hatch begins. I also like to take this time to jot down notes about the morning's catch and take pictures of the river.

If I'm curious, I scout other sections of the river or study a map of access points. As the afternoon wears on and the sun begins to sink, I turn my attention back to the river and begin looking for trout activity.

Stop and Stare

If you've never stopped to watch a pool before you fished it, I highly recommend doing so. I have learned so much about the feeding habits and holding patterns of trout just by taking 10 or 20 minutes to watch the river before I wade out into it. I can't count how many times I have noticed trout feeding right where I would have stepped into the river.

Studying the water movement has taught me about feeding lanes. Insects on the water travel the same route as the foam bubbles, so I present my flies in the same lanes as the foam, which has dramatically reduced the number of fish that I spook by fan casting the water hoping to find a fish somewhere.

When I'm satisfied that I know where the trout will be expecting their dinner to come from, I slip quietly into the river and start fishing those currents and seams starting with the closest one and working my way toward the middle of the river. I like to be in place when the evening hatch begins so I don't risk putting the feeding trout down.

I fish until I can't see my fly anymore and then I call it a day. Occasionally I have stayed after dark to catch some of the larger brown trout that only seem to come out at night. Fishing in the dark can be frustrating, but if you lock into one of those 20-plus-inch browns, you won't have any complaints.