West Canada Creek

Trout fishing outside of NJ
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barkeater
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Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2018 9:08 am

West Canada Creek

Post by barkeater » Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:42 am

I just came back from visiting my old home town in the Mohawk Valley upstate NY. I fished West Canada twice and had dry fly action both times. Water levels were low with fish in the deeper pools. These fish (browns) became active in the evening even though no significant hatch was going on. There are plenty of access points with public rights water in abundance. The river has a TCA C&R of about five miles and it is very scenic. If you are in the area it is a beautiful river to fish.

PortMurrayAng
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Re: West Canada Creek

Post by PortMurrayAng » Wed Jul 01, 2020 9:38 pm

Where in the Valley? I spent 4 years up there (95 - 99) and still have friends around Utica. I should have fished more while there, but damn those winters are rough!

barkeater
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Re: West Canada Creek

Post by barkeater » Wed Jul 01, 2020 10:45 pm

It flows into the Mohawk River at Herkimer NY in Herkimer County quite close to Utica. There are about 20 miles of trout river below the Hinkley Reservoir and Trenton Falls. The TCA is from the falls downstream for about 4 miles. It is heavily stocked with brown trout all the way down to Newport. Above the reservoir it is even longer but while they stock this stretch, the best fishing is below Hinckley Reservoir. There are multiple access points from the TCA down past Middleville along Route 28. The river is fairly big even though it is called a creek and is close in size to the West Branch. The dam releases water into so check the USGS stream flow and if the water starts to rise head for shore. You can also check www.safewaters.com Trenton Falls for the release schedule. I grew up in Gloversville and yes, the winters are down right brutal.

barkeater
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Re: West Canada Creek

Post by barkeater » Tue May 25, 2021 10:30 am

Just came back from fishing the West Canada this weekend. Good dry fly action from 4 until dusk with fish rising all around us for Light Cahills. The first day we saw 7 other people fly fishing which was concerning but the next day it was 1 and then he left. We had the river to ourselves which believe it or not is more the norm. If this river was in the Catskills it would be elbow to elbow but up there you are almost guaranteed to get the spot you want to fish.
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barkeater
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Re: West Canada Creek

Post by barkeater » Sat Sep 11, 2021 5:02 pm

If anyone is up by the West Canada this week, the White Fly hatch is on. Fished Thursday evening. At about 7 they started to come off with hundreds if not thousands in the air. A White Wulff worked well size 12-14. Light Cahill should also work. These Mayflies spend very little time if any on the water so don't look for sailboats. They will however take a dry fly. Had the whole stream to ourselves. This is a short hatch but should be good for the next week or so.

joe_panella
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Re: West Canada Creek

Post by joe_panella » Sat Jun 11, 2022 6:26 pm

I am looking at somewhere to go around august 1 that will not limit me to only fishing an hour in the morning and an hour at night. I am going to have two nights to stay and was wondering since this is a tailwater are there no temp problems in the summer. Is the stream straight forward when it comes to fishing it and is it wadable in areas below the dam. Any help would be appreciated, i was given two nights to stay since my wife and kids are going to cape may to stay witn my inlaws.

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Rusty Spinner
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Re: West Canada Creek

Post by Rusty Spinner » Mon Jun 13, 2022 10:06 am

barkeater wrote:
Tue May 25, 2021 10:30 am
Just came back from fishing the West Canada this weekend. Good dry fly action from 4 until dusk with fish rising all around us for Light Cahills. The first day we saw 7 other people fly fishing which was concerning but the next day it was 1 and then he left. We had the river to ourselves which believe it or not is more the norm. If this river was in the Catskills it would be elbow to elbow but up there you are almost guaranteed to get the spot you want to fish.20210523_075743.jpg
Hard to compare a stocked fishery many hours away to a mostly wild fishery much closer (Catskills waters, especially tail waters). But point taken. That said, I was up the week before last on the West Branch Delaware and crowds were not bad at all. In fact, haven't seen that river as uncrowded in over a decade. But I understand the mainstem was a S%&T show with boats stacked on top of each other. Lots of lazy guides that don't want to drag a drift boat a few times over shallow riffles when the river is below 600 cfs as it was during our trip.
"A sinking fly is closer to Hell" - Unknown

barkeater
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Re: West Canada Creek

Post by barkeater » Mon Jun 13, 2022 11:46 am

I have never fished it in August, so I don't know personally about water temps during the day. I suspect they would be okay unless there is a heat wave. It is wadable in the TCA below the dam. Remember to keep an eye on water levels as they can quickly change when they release water. A good spot to try is the parking lot at Partridge Hill Road. Go under the bridge downstream and there is a long run of about 75 yards on the opposite bank. Other good spots are the lots just below the campground and where routes 28 and 8 join. There are many marked access points you can explore. The Alamo in Poland is great for a burger and brew after you are done. Good luck.

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