NYD 2020

On the first of each January a small group of dedicated small stream fly fisherman meet on some quiet piece of water and celebrate the coming of the new year. We aren't all always able to make it, I myself missed the last two years because I was in Florida. This year Kirk and I traded places. Mark (Fishing Small Streams) wasn't feeling great and so didn't make the drive. Maybe Pete was with us though... who knows. 

Alan, John and I met in the morning next to the stream and rigged up in delightful weather for January. In fact, it was the coldest day of the week! I can remember some mild CT winters, but its not something I'll get used to. Comfortable though this weather may be, it does feel a little bit wrong. Even in the best of weather, the stream we were on can be a fickle beast. I'd been there not a week before and could find no solid pattern, though I did bring a number of fish to hand, including the handsome male below.

The fish in this system have a lot of habitat available to them, especially at this time of year. And, though it isn't a particularly small population, the numbers of brook trout here don't seem to be particularly big either. What fish there are can be bunched up in one section of stream, or spread throughout, or way up a tributary. There's no guarantee you are putting your fly in front of fish in this stream, even when you're fishing water you caught some out of just a month before. But this stream also produces some strikingly large wild brookies for CT, so it keeps us coming back. It was especially fickle this New Year's Day. None of us hooked up.

John Huber Photo

Alan suggested we make a move, John and I agreed. The stream we headed to is one of my absolute favorites and I was very confident we'd find some players there. Before I made my first cast into this hemlock lined gem of a stream, John had already had a take.

I broke the ice with my first fish of 2020 under an old bridge. I always make at least one cast searching for a bridge troll. In this case the troll was a lovely brookie that fell for a bead head Gartside Sparrow. I didn't photograph that fish, but it was a beauty.

I did photograph the next and last fish I caught... look at her. Isn't she something? If I saw a brook trout every day I wouldn't mind it. If I had a quarter from every time someone said "show me a prettier fish" I'd be a rich man, and I don't stand with that statement. I have seen a lot of different fish, I've found each one beautiful in its own way and I've seen plenty of fish that I think got the brook trout beat for looks. But these are indeed special fish. And they've become an important part of my life. I just love them.

John, Alan... it was a pleasure. It always is.
Happy New Year everybody.
Alan's write up of the day here: Small Stream Reflections

Until next time.

Fish for the love of fish.

Fish for the love of places fish live.

Fish for you.

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