Happy Thanksgiving

Aside from following the traditions of most other Americans I have my own Thanksgiving tradition. Every year I have fished a small stream near where our family spends the holidays. It held a good population of brook trout, but this summer I worried for their safety. When I got down to the stream I was glad to see that their was some water in it. Not nearly enough, but more than a few months ago. I tied on a Partridge and Flash Spider and fished it through my favorite pool. On the second cast, before the fly sank, a wild brook trout came up to eat it.

I caught three, photographed two. They were all in one pool. I didn't see a single one anywhere else. Unfortunately this year's drought thinned the population dramatically. If we keep getting dry years like this, these isolated populations are going to disappear. I'm thankful that there are brookies left in this stream and the many hundreds of other thin blue, and that groups like The Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition, Protect Rhode Island Brook Trout and Trout Unlimited continue to work one preserving the species. 

An Encounter With an Elusive Animal

Not a fish this time. Because we got out of school early today a friend , my brother and I went for a hike in a fairly remote piece of woods with very few major trails running through it. Bright colors were worn to avoid being mistaken for prey by the hunters that are active this time of year. There are brook trout in some streams in these woods, and although I had my 3 wgt. It only got a few casts and I did not catch anything. But we were very lucky people. We got to witness something that very few people ever see. Ever.

Glaucomys sabrinus. The Northern flying squirrel. I've seen them in captivity, I know people who have found them in their attics, but it is extraordinarily rare to spot one of these nocturnal animals in the wild. Not only did this recluse show itself in the daylight, it hung around while we were very close to it, letting us photograph it. What a marvelous creature!

Carp of 2015

On new years eve there is going to be a traditional post highlighting the all the best fish of 2015, but seeing as carp season is coming to a close in these parts and I'm reminiscing right now, I'm going to put some honorable mentions down now. Keep in mind I'll be putting pretty much every carp I caught this year in the year's final post, but here are some more artsy pics....

Of Sea Run Browns and Panfish

I went to a Connecticut River tributary today that I recently spotted a few big trout in that I believe to be Fall Run sea trout. The stream warms up dramatically during the summer and there are no stocked fish in the system, so the must have come in from the salt. The water was down from what it had been, and despite my best efforts swinging heavy wet flies I was not able to move any salmonids. To salvage the day I went after bluegills again.

I went to the same pond in Essex, and tied on the same rig that worked yesterday. I was worried the rain and clouds had put the fish off the feel, but I had at least two hours before the action shut down entirely.

Gills, Pumpkinseed, and Crappie on a Dry-Dropper

I am still in awe at that panfish are still on dries this late in the year. It's awesome. I can go out in late November and still catch pond fish on Bombers, Stimulators, and Mosquitoes. This afternoon I fished my favorite panfish pond in Essex. I did not think the fish there would be willing to eat on the surface like they were when my dad and I fished it two weeks ago. For a couple of hours I was right. They came up for dries but not very willingly. Takes were few and far between, and I got more refusals than good eats (remember, these are bluegills we are talking about). I had a hard time of it and was honestly getting frustrated. I landed a couple of fish on a Blonde Bomber and a Mosquito, but not enough to get excited.

By chance I looked out along the shoreline. On the far side of the pond was a patch of small bits of weed, midge husks, and other such small debris. In the air above it some insects were flying, and I could see dimples and small splashes in and around the patch that told me fish were feeding there. The sun had enough time to warm the water and it had reached the perfect temperature. I re-rigged. I lengthened my leader, tied on a 26 inch length of 4x, tied a size 14 Irresistible Adams on halfway up and a size 18 BH Zebra Midge on the bottom. It only took a few casts before the Irresistible went under. I brought the rod tip up and a nice bluegill came to hand. 

I must say it was satisfying to set the hook after watching the dry twitch a couple times before going under and have the water boil as the fish realized what was happening. It was almost as satisfying as when one came up for the IA. Every once in a while one would even take the midge without me noticing, then come up and take the dry! I know this because more that once I set the hook on a dry take and the fish cane in with the pupa in its jaws, and one had both flies in its mouth when I got it to hand. Another possibility when using a dry-dropper rig is a double hookup. I had one of those:

The best fish of the day was another unexpected crappie, and quite a nice one! This one at least ate the subsurface fly, but a crappie on a midge pupa is still pretty crazy. It pulled the Irresistible under without hesitation and as soon as I set the hook and felt the 3 wgt. pulsing I knew it was a good fish. Crappies a gorgeous. I love the colors on their fins.

I don't know how long this crazy bite is going to last, but if I can I'm going to follow it all the way into December!