The Home Water is Low

This dry weather we are having is putting a dent in the amount of water in our trout streams. Fortunately the smaller ones are more then cold enough to keep the trout alive.

Today was my first visit to my home water in a long time. I was hoping that even with the low water I would be able to catch some beautiful wild brown and brook trout. That was not the case. I saw plenty, most hiding under rocks, but caught exactly none. I caught some stockers and salmon parr in the deep pools downstream of my favorite stretch, as well as bluegills, sucker, fallfish and, surprisingly, largemouth....
In these low water conditions my favorite tactics include using small woolly buggers and bucktails and twitching soft hackled nymphs. An olive woolly bugger did bring out a gorgeous holdover brooky. His fins were perfect and his head was huge, but all the indicators I look for in a holdover trout were there. Muted color, actively feeding when no other wild fish were, and damaged dorsal fin.

Regardless of the water being lower than I have ever seen it here, I had a wonderful day out. The area surrounding this stream is hauntingly beautiful.