Jay Aylward

Go fly fishing in Massachusetts and cast with the help of Orvis-endorsed guide Jay Aylward. Western Massachusetts is home to large trout, big pike, and trophy small and largemouth bass. With the conservation ethic that has been adopted by the communities here, we have deep canyons and lakes and ponds with no development, lending this area to grant explorers with a wilderness experience. The flip side to this is not all remote places hold big fish, and destinations are determined by clients’ desire for solitude and the type of fish that is pursued.

For a remote day on the water pursuing trout, the Deerfield River and Westfield River are hard to beat. Both have long stretches with few access points and are located in deep canyons, topped with dense forest cover and a plethora of wildlife. These rivers and their tributaries make for some fun and exciting trips, chasing browns, bows, and brookies.

If you are looking for a technical experience for large trout in gin-clear water, the Swift River is your game. Big browns, bows, and brookies cruise the clear water, eating a diverse selection of sub-surface creatures. This river can have epic hatches of BWO’s and midges when the conditions line up. Come and see why this is one of the most challenging rivers in New England.

Bass, bass, and more bass. Pursuing bass with a fly rod is super fun and exciting. Our pre-spawn smallmouth bite can be nothing short of epic, with big females chasing down streamers early season. Once the smallmouth spawn is in full swing, we turn our attention to the largemouth pre-spawn. These females can be caught just off of spawning zones with streamers and topwater poppers. We give the largemouth a break during the spawn and once mid-July hits, these big females are moving back into their summer rotation into the shallows for evening food. These fish are targeted in the evening with big poppers, tight accurate casts, and precise retrieves. Our biggest largemouth are usually caught during this time. The onset of fall moves us back to the rivers in pursuit of smallmouth with streamers as these tanks put on the feed bag for the upcoming winter.

Pike are pursued on both rivers and stillwater and are typically chased spring and fall with flies. If you are up to throw big flies with big rods, and sinking lines to connect to a true monster, we should talk.