October's End Brook Trout Adventure

Jonathan (RI Brook Trout) came out from Massachusetts today and in the cold frosty first morning light we drove in circles trying to find the parking spot for the first stream we would fish... some of you readers may recognize this. Alan (BRK TRT) showed me this stream early this summer and it has been on my mind ever since. I got skunked then, but I saw the potential this little river system had and immediately planned to return.

Of course it has taken me a while to get back to this stream. Today it treated us well. I caught numerous gorgeous, dark brook trout. The first three ate wet flies. The second was a large and absolutely stunning male brooky, about 8 inches, which of course popped off just before I could get his photo. That was the story for all the big kyped and colored up males I hooked today, but I can't complain because the fish I did photograph were incredible. Jonathan, on the other hand, only caught colored up males.

After fishing downstream we decided to go back to where we started and work our way up. After continuing a little ways with wet flies, I changed to an Elk Hair Caddis. In the first pool I fished with that fly I had a subtle rise. The fish was hooked and another dark brook trout came to hand.

That fly kept producing for me, and all the rises were subtle regardless of the size of the fish.

At one point I reached a magic spot. I climbed over a branch to get into position for a gorgeous, flat pool. There was a hemlock leaning slightly over the pool, it's roots partially submerged. The bank was undercut on that side and the water came in from the run above with just the right amount of foam. I sat on a log parallel to the other bank, in the perfect position to cast to the likeliest spots. I got myself comfortable and made my cast. The little area bellow the hemlock, about two square feet, was the magic lie.  I caught six fish from that little area, and didn't get a take anywhere else in the pool. The last fish was the biggest. I sat and held her in the water for a minute, I just had to stare at the incredible copper- metallic sheen on her flanks. When we were both ready she returned to the frigid waters.

Jonathan gives the magic spot a try. Apparently the magic only worked on me. 

On the way out I realized I no longer had my cellphone. Freak out time! We had covered a lot of area, there were so many places it could be, and many of those places were in the water! Just as we started the search a friendly local stopped to chat with us before his neighbor came over to help him put Christmas lights on a tree near the stream. He was more than happy to help, he let me use his phone to call mine and hopefully find it more easily. Just a short time later I did, right where the first big male brooky had regained it's freedom. Phew! I thanked the gentleman who had lent a hand and we moved on.

The next stream we tried was a bit of a crap shoot. I can't tell you how many times I have looked at this stream while making the trip to the shoreline or to my Dad's. I have always been torn. So many streams like this don't have anything. But we were in for a treat.

Shortly after arriving I had a wonderful Connecticut native take my little clouser style streamer. Then Jonathan caught a spectacular fish on a partridge and flash wet fly. I made an awesome discovery below a big culvert. I watched a number of brookies attempting to jump into the flow coming out of the concrete tube. One made it, and made a rooster tail as it negotiated the fast flowing water, There were plenty of fish in that pool that were also willing to eat my fly.

We made one last stop before fishing my home water for a little while. One of the best sights of the day was the highlight of a brief detour:

We said goodbye to baldy and went to play with some of the few remaining wild browns left in my favorite trout stream. I would normally have landed at least one over 8 inches in the stretch we fished, but today they were all little fellows. Still, I have hope for recovery.

There is little better than a day of fishing for wild trout in beautiful surroundings with a good friend. As far as I can figure, it's the best way to spend Halloween.