Stan Gula and I took a break in early September to do some warm water fishing at a local reservoir called The Quabbin. For an insight into the area, check out http://www.state.ma.us/dfwele/dfw/dfw_quabbin.htm. The area we boated and fished is called Pottapaug Pond. Pottapaug is a Nipmuk Indian word meaning "big fish that white man cannot catch" or something along those lines.

As usual, I was outfished by the master, but you can see from the photos that it didn't really matter. The place is simply beautiful and the weather was perfect. We both caught our quota of bluegill, but have yet to bring up one of the big largemouth bass lunkers that we know are there. I didn't think about taking any pictures until we were heading back to dock. I wish I had thought about it earlier, as we were able to get really close to several painted turtles on a downed tree.

This spot would make a good place for a one day mini-clave. The one day Quabbin-only fishing license is $5, parking is $4 per vehicle, and a boat with fueled motor is $30 per day (near-dawn 'til near dusk.) If we could get two roffians per boat, you're not talking big bucks. Possible issue: one of the stipulations when boating the Quabbin is that you cannot go ashore except at the boat launch areas, so you're pretty much stuck on the boat for the duration - read: bring lunch and padding. Another rule is that alcoholic beverages are not allowed, which should keep attendance at manageable levels. :) June would be a mahvelous time of year, I'll bet. The Penns 'Clave will be a distant memory by then, and all the fresh greenery will be out. Being a one day event, though, could be a problem for anyone further than a few hour drive because of possible inclement weather - not that this would happen in sunny New England.

Tim J.