Local Brook Trout

 Some days I don't really have the time to go much of anywhere. Luckily, I can damn near throw a rock to good fishing where I currently live. One day in late July I was waiting for my boss and his driver to get back from Virginia with a load of eels. While waiting for the call to come help offload, I went and fished local spots. The first few were too high for what I was looking for (redfin pickerel) so I ended up going after brook trout. This has been a reasonably tolerable summer for brook trout around here, especially now that the rain has slowed a bit. Summer runoff is warm, so though the rain was nice it did boost stream temperatures a bit. As the runoff has given way to spring flows, the water temperature has dropped right along with the flow. By the time I payed my visit to one of the better local streams the water temperature was an even 60 degrees.

I was armed with my Brackish Flies 1wt glass rod and only the flies already on the brim of my hat, of which a BHHESH made it on to my tippet. Little else is necessary, and in the plunge pool below the waterfall a good number of healthy char were fooled.

The above photos are of the same fish. I felt showing the color differences in different lighting would be interesting, and all I needed to do was turn slightly. Most of the fish were that size or smaller, but just before I was about to leave I hooked something more substantial. A wonderfully sized wild brook trout churned the surface of the pool to a froth while putting a deep bend in the rod. This ended up being one of the nicest brook trout I'd ever caught out of this particular stream.

It's nice that I don't need to go far to catch trophy fish, and that brookie certainly was one. Really, that's the case in most places. Try to seek out the trophies right under our own nose. I bet anything they're there. 

Until next time, 

Fish for the love of fish.

Fish for the love of places fish live.

Fish for you.

And stay safe and healthy.

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