Monday, August 24, 2015

Long Time No See, Good Friend

It has been a few weeks since I last fished for wild brook trout on a small stream. This is mainly because I caught enough in New Hampshire to hold me over for a month at least, and the streams here are in bad shape. But today I couldn't stand it any more. I needed to fish for something as pure and native as the rock and the hills.

It was foggy this morning, as Kirk and I found on a morning stroll looking for carp (didn't catch any). It stayed cloudy ad rained a little for most of the morning, but come midday the sun was out and I was done with the work I was doing (not finished, just bored out of my skull) so I jumped on the bike and went for a look at a few local streams.


The first stream did not give up any fish. I saw some and had one take, but no luck.

I only used one fly all day, a classic wet fly that doesn't have a name but just screams "BROOK TROUT WILL EAT ME!!!".

It was the same story with the lower stretch of stream #2. There are often people lounging or sight seeing because of the waterfall, so the fish here are easier to spook. I did see one hiding out under an overhang.


I also fished at the mouth of the stream. These are the kinds of places where you never know what will take the fly. It helps that there is a dock nearby. The water here was abnormally clear, and I watched pike fingerlings nipping at my fly. None were hooked.



I went to the upper stretch of stream. There I focused on rippled pockets, places where brookies could hide and feed without being spotted by predators. This did the trick. I also saw a few big brookies in calm pools, and I marked these as places that would be good to hit on the way back down.




The place you see bellow is the home of a big male brooky. On my way back down I got him. He is just getting dressed up for fall, with the fins turning maroon and the belly orange, while the back darkens and forms a hump at the same time a kype is developing. I love those colors. Fall is coming, and I am excited about that!




6 comments:

  1. I feel your pain man. I haven't fished in a while as the streams I usually fish are in awful shape, and I'm not looking to drive 2-3 hours to get to any fishable water. I just can't wait for some rain! I think I recognize stream number two, and I'm not surpised it gave up some sizable fish based upon its history. Those brookies have a cool look with distinct parr markings and bright pink spots, and that male is truly a great fish. Love the humpback and hooked jaw! On a side note there are a lot of impediments and old dams on that stream especially for its size...very odd.

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    1. Thank you,
      The waterfall is partially natural, but there are two man made dams, one of which you see here, and some remnants of old bridges and buildings that were all part of a system of mills. It doesn't take much water to do a lot of work, but keep in mind that our aquifers have been shrunk and most of these streams were once more consistent in their flows.

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  2. Wonderful trip! I love that stream. Your catches are turning color. Great story with great photos. Thanks!
    Tie, fish, write and photo on...

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  3. That male brook trout second to last is going to quite a specimen in a month or two.

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