Flood

This ought to weed out the weak of the freshly stocked trout to pass on those healthy strong fish genes to what few wild offspring they yield....

Stocked Trout

For a little while now, we trout fishers can only fish TMA's. I am not close to a wild trout management area, I have to settle for my daily fun on stocked trout. There luckily are some native brookies and wild browns in this river, but not mamy. I saw risers when I reached the stream, and decided to tie on a stimulator. It was impossible to get a cast when a trout wouldn't hit. Eventually it became a game to see what type of presentation they wouldn't eat. I couldn't find one.

A Wild From a Tributary

Trout Flies of the Rainbow

Pike Prep and a Good Read

Been' preparing to get on the pike as they move up to spawn in the shallow wetlands of the CT river- tying flies and hunting for locations using maps. Soon I'll be out casting to those big old water wolves with my stoutest rod. I'm getting excited thinking about it....

Those flies are on top of the Armchair Angler, a great compilation of fishing writings by the likes of Ray Bergman and Ernest Hemingway. I highly recommend it. There is plenty of material there to dig through during winters like the one we here in CT have just left behind.

Spring Time

Before the next cool down, I thought it would be a good idea to go to a productive brook trout stream to see if it's natives had survived the deep freeze. My brother, my dog and I hiked out to this little creek. We saw some little fish, but no big ones. Perhaps the big guys stay in the pond downstream for the winter. Last fall there were 14 inch trout in there spawning, they had to have come from somewhere.
 On Wednesday this week I will fish, regardless of the weather.... stay tuned!

Lots of vegetation here, almost like a limestone spring.

Bluebirds

I looked out my front picture window this afternoon to see a good sight: bluebirds feeding. It brightened my day quite a bit. I love all types of native birds. They add a soundtrack that is very enjoyable on a stream. One of my favorite songs is the call of chickadees accompanied by falling water.

The background noise is the fly fishing documentary film 'Eastern Rises'. It is really good, I highly recommend it

The male wouldn't stop moving!

How I Organize My Trout Flies

I am bored and haven't been able to fish, so I've been tying and organizing flies.

All around trout box: Dries on one side; wets, nymphs, and streamers on the other.

Match the Hatch box; dries, emergers, and pupa patterns for terrestrials, mayflies, stoneflies, and caddis.

Streamers, worms, eggs, and nymphs.

Small Stuff: Midges, small mayflies, cluster midges, micro-caddis pupa

Golden Stone Nymph

Tied a few of these yesterday....

Hook: Size 10 curved caddis, 2x heavy
Weight: 15 wraps of copper wire
Bead: glass, tan
Tail: yellow biots
Body: yellow silk
Ribbing: Orange superfloss and natural quill
Abdoman: olive poly dubbing
Legs: yellow biots
Wingcases: olive duck quills

Some Scouting

Today I went out to scout out a familiar stream for some productive sections that I hadn't fished yet. I found some good pools and runs for the native brookies and a couple large flats for big, smart, picky wild brown trout.

This old hemlock was huge, an actual old growth.

Some Saltwater Tying

I've been stocking up on patterns for stripers, blues, and albies, I plan to spend a bit more time in the salt this year. Hopefully it won't be as big a bust as last year! I only managed a small sea robin, a couple snapper blues, and a crab.