Berkshire Bushwack

A small Berkshire freestone

I saw these guys in a stream that leads to the swamp.
To the beaver pond.





Monday night I pulled out a map of south west Massachusetts, looking for some blue lines that might hold some water, which perhaps = native char. Finding a few prospects and highlighting them. I headed off on Wed. to check them out first hand.
An hour and a half later I pulled off the dirt road into a small parking area. While assembling my gear I could feel the warm sticky breeze coming from the forest, lots of sweat today, saying to myself. I started walking into the woods, knowing the stream I had selected to prospect was about a half mile in. The walk was gentle, sloping downward toward the stream.

There were lots of sights along the way to view, woodland critters, toads, mushrooms, and a few very old foundations from years past. As I got closer to the stream I could hear the sound of water rolling over the rocks, and could feel the breeze now somewhat cooler. When I reached the waters edge, I put down the small pack and retrieved the stream thermometer and tossed into the creek. Afer a minute I took a look at the temp 70 degrees, walking along the stream I came upon several deeper runs and a few nice pools, checking the temps they were still to warm to fish. In my attempts to check the stream temps I did spook several trout. I did not fish this stream but did take several hours walking along it and taking notes..

By this time the heat and humidity were starting to take a toll on me. I had already drank several bottles of water, and my shirt and hat were quite wet. I decieded to walk back out. This is a stream I plan to return to, perhaps in the fall.

When I reached the car I had a good sweat going, I grabbed a thermos full of iced tea and took a big drink, consuming half of it before breaking down the rod, and storing my gear. While doing this a truck pulled up, the driver said, Hi, I returned the greeting and we then had an informative chat. He had given me an address, and a hand drawn map to a beaver pond/swamp, not to far from where we were. He said it was a brookie hideout that needed a so called short jaunt through a swamp, but worth the effort. I thanked him for the info, and before I left I drove to where I would start my walk to the pond. Needless to say it was not going to be done this day.

But it is now on the list of "Berkshire Bushwhacks"