Urban Angling

For whatever reason, I have always had a guilty attraction to urban water. I've fished mill ponds, drainage ditches, culverts, and canals for years. I've targeted such strange and unlikely fly rod species as eel, bullhead, and koi.

This evening was spent fishing dries and worm patterns on such urban water for Red Breast Sunfish and Chubs. Of course this time of year is not the best for urban angling, usually summer is prime. I had plenty of challenges to overcome: invasive thorn trees, posted spots, and garbage, just to name a few. In the end I did well.

Just What I Needed

I finally had some time to kill this chilly and windy afternoon, so I jumped on the nearest Native brooky stream and tossed a yellow marabou wet into the swirling waters. With a thump this colorful little fellow was on, and he danced across the pool before reluctantly giving up.

Just Some Thoughts

As is typically the case during the fall I have been having much less consistent fishing, even experiencing the occasional skunk. I fished today for bass. They were there and they were active, but they just weren't all that interested in what I was offering as far as flies. I've always found fall largemouth a little tough, but then, it is the time of year I catch some of my largest fish. Take, for example, this big mama:

And one of the fish I saw swirl by the bank today would have given this girl a run for her money....

Also, I'm getting excited for the high water BIG wild Brown Trout action that comes with November and December. Again, this fishing is iffy, and I'm going to have to put a lot of hours in to pull of the kind of brilliance I did last year. That was a early winter to behold on my home water, with some of the best fish living in it making an appearance. Mainly Grandfather, the big 21 incher that I landed on Christmas Eve Day. The name of the game is not big streamers, as one would think, but heavily weighted stoneflies and worm patterns.  Avoid San Juan Worms and go for the bigger pink latex patterns and my Lytle's Worm Fly. 

Of course, this type of cold weather fishing is excruciatingly unforgiving. This year I need to do it without waders. This is tolerable, I stay out of the water most winters anyway. The ones when I didn't I of course fell in.

Either way I need to purchase a new pair of waders for fishing such chilly waters as the Farmington. 

I've been wildly obsessing of the area in the White Mountains I fished this spring. I'd like to do that trip again this spring, but focus entirely on fishing. It should make it a little less strenuous then the mineral collecting/getting lost/ carrying tons of gear and lumps of crystal studded granite that was done in June. Google Maps has been keeping me busily attentive for months, examining every little blue line and deep highland pond. Curious, does anyone know if the ponds in the Whites hold natives?

What do you think, Dad?

Carp: I miss them. As much as I love the winter trout fishing serenity and can't wait to try a bit of ice fishing again, all the suggestions on youtube are carping videos. In The Riffle tying videos, the occasional Field and Stream "Hook Shots" featuring the species, and Carl and Alex Fishing (they have some good stuff, I recommend giving their channel a look see). I'll be dreaming of the warm morning when I will wade in and cast to a twenty pound tailing fish, to hear that real sing again.

Draw Down

Some quick pics of the lake in it's fall draw-down state:

One Last Blast

I hope I can finish this before the internet connection is cut...

I had a little less than an hour of free time today. I quickly packed gear, hopped on the bike, and rode to a tiny section of stream holding Native Brookies. I saw rises immediately and tied on an Adams. It went out onto the slick pool, and came back attached to this fellow:

This routine continued until I had a few much bigger takes. I eventually succeeded in hooking the bellow fish. She ran circles in the pool and shook her head in attempt to avoid capture. Luckily for her I am strictly catch and release. Her dark flanks had evenly distributed spots, appearing like the late sunset sky.

The rest of the week I will be too busy to fish, so it may be as much as ten days before I get any day trips. I'll try to fit in the occasional post anyway.