New Water, New Ideas

Mark Phillipe and I went west yesterday to explore new waters. What we found was a place I think we both know we'll be back to. Despite it being a windy day it was pleasantly warm and felt, smelled, and sounded like spring. Bugs were on and around the water and the fish were active, and, despite there being other anglers out and about, I was confident.

A stonefly doing what early stoneflies do. 

Mark and I saw another angler coming downstream from where we had intended to fish from the start, so we decided to head downstream and let that water rest before we started up. That was a good move. We each had one take while waiting it out down there, and within minutes of starting our upstream trek, I pulled two browns out of the very same holding spot on my small stonefly nymph dropper. The first had an unusual green edge to its operculum, something I personally have never seen so distinct. 

Salamander egg masses.

 Pushing further up I came to a huge deep hole that I had been told be friend John Huber held some quite large browns. Sure enough, after watching for a while, and taking a few casts, I got to a high point from which I could view the whole pool and, sure enough, there were some monsters down there on the bottom. Huge brown trout, beyond all proportions to be expected from stream this small. In this area. Though they were fully unwilling to move, one of their smaller comrades down there wasn't. I brought a truly impressive brook trout to hand. 

Mark came up and we just observed those fish for a little while. It was pretty clear that we'd need to come back for them, and that it would likely be a nocturnal mission. My only debate now is which method I will catch one of the two biggest fish with: a mouse, or a pair of big wetflies? Last year was a good mouse year for me but my confidence still remains in the smaller, more sublet, swinging presentations. Especially after I duped a behemoth rainbow in the Gallatin last fall with a simple black leech at night. But I also know good mouse water when I see it and that stream is loaded with it. Decisions, decisions. 

After bothering those fish with our presence, we pressed onward, and found a 'Little Labrador" as Mark called it. Water loaded with wild brook trout. In the pools, they were rising to the emerging stoneflies. 

A "get out of my territory" bite. 

In one pool, I found brook trout rising consistently rising to emerging stones. That was a sight for sore eyes after a long winter. Mark and I took turns and caught some gorgeous fish.

The last fish rising in the pool was real stud. Thick across the back and well into the low teens in length, this was one of my better CT wild brook trout.

We had run out of room in that direction and headed back downstream. I pestered the giants for a little while (and almost had one, though I'd prefer to wait to go into detail on that). But the only fish either of us caught on the way back down was a brookie that gave itself away with a classic splashy attack of a fluttering stone. I was afforded the room to make a long cast so I took that opportunity. A skated CDC stone did the job perfectly, though it took a few casts.

Photo courtesy Mark Phillipe

We headed even further downstream towards new water, this time not on foot. In a new stretch the river had changed character entirely, with a lower gradient, less hemlock, and less large rock.

Takes were numerous down there for both Mark and I, but they were also easily missed. More than once my Ausable Ugly got slammed so hard I could hear the hit as the fly line quickly went taught in the guides. I tight line nymph at night sometimes, and I always use a leader short enough to have fly line in the guides because it's often that sound that tells me to set. Swinging and dangling flies during the day though, the audible take is much less frequent. Eventually we both managed hookups, and though mine wasn't an especially large fish, Mark's was the biggest of the day.

 

 

Notice how much lighter in color this fish is. It was sitting over sand.

Having found such small water with big fish potential, that outing pushed me to reevaluate some of my night fishing strategies. I have night fish large and medium sized water a lot, and small streams a little. Knowing exactly where these big fish live in this stream affords me an opportunity I haven't had before night fishing a small stream. I need to have things well thought out. It's a substantial drive to get there and I really want to nail it in as few as possible. So I've been thinking. 

Stay tuned.

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