I put the dangled fly to good use on Friday in a high gradient stream that I hadn't visited in a while. The first fish actually took a twitched bomber cast upstream, but, believe it or not, I came back at the end and caught the same brookie on the same presentation that caught every other fish, a dangled Ausable Ugly.
If "Ausable" is in the name, brook trout probably love it. |
The starting point on this stream is very near the lowest point, so there are two options, hop my way upstream and back down, or start as far up as I want and work down. I invariably choose to hop up and down. It gives me two shots at fish like the one I caught twice. Even an above average sized brookie is bound by the rules of low-nutrient freestone stream life: they must eat a lot of what enters their field of view. They can't afford to shut off for hours on end. So, if you miss or lose a nice brookie that you really want to get, give yourself the chance to come back to it, and expect it to have adjusted position slightly closer to cover.
I sneaked around a good looking pool, taking care not to crack any branches or knock over any rocks, getting to the stream edge well above where I wanted to fish from. I did have to make sure I wasn't in sight of brookies in holding water in immediately upstream while doing so. I made short roll or bow and arrow casts, but the heart of the presentation was in line management and rod motions after the cast was made. Reading the current for ways to use it to manipulate my line was also paramount.
The water is cold. The behavioral drift is minimal. The fish are hesitant to move. The quarters are tight. The casting is tricky. These are the times when the dangled fly shines. Never underestimate the dangle.
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If you enjoy what I'm doing here, please share and comment. It is increasingly difficult to maintain this blog under dwindling readership. What best keeps me going so is knowing that I am engaging people and getting them interested in different aspects of fly fishing, the natural world, and art. Follow, like on Facebook, share wherever, comment wherever. Also, consider supporting me on Patreon (link at the top of the bar to the right of your screen, on web version). Every little bit is appreciated!
The stream looks familiar. I knew there was an angler that had visited. I was there yesterday and found a few willing brookies. While my usual flies did not get it done, but my unusual flies did...nymphs.
ReplyDeleteThat stream took a hit as far as high water stream movement. The bridge had a beautiful little hole which was never there before. Still the most beautiful brookies in the state of CT are found there.
Ausable indeed equals brook trout.
It did change a bit didn't it? Some of those big Shenandoah-like plunge pools are much the same though.
DeleteThanks for this excellent how-to on small stream tactics. You're a talented angler.
ReplyDeleteI learned some new techniques from that read. You caught some real beauties in that wonderful stream.
ReplyDeleteTie, fish, write, conserve and photo on...
Thanks!
DeleteNice plump brookies, RM. Well done.
ReplyDeleteIt's been an atypically good winter growing season.
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