Just when I was ready to give up....

and head home, I drifted a Picket Pin downstream under a tree (and daringly over a submerged branch) to run it along a bank that I had seen a nice fish near a few weeks ago.  As I drew the fly upstream it stopped near the submerged branch and I figured the fly was lost.  However, when I lifted the rod to try to free the fly I felt a tug.  I quickly drew the fish upstream past the branch and was truly surprised to see what was at the end of the leader.  The stream is home to wild browns and brookies, so catching a 14 or so inch rainbow was not what I was expecting.  I couldn't even figure out how to hold it to get a good picture.  After very limited luck elsewhere on the stream, unlike Alan who was still getting fish to hit dry flies, I really can't complain.  The six degree drop in water temperature since Monday probably explains the lack of enthusiasm exhibited by the streams residents today.

Is this really Februrary?

I spent some time fishing a small brook with Alan (Small Stream Reflections) on Monday and was once again treated to some great weather and beautiful brookies.  Since I had already established that the fish would attack Picket Pins, I followed his lead and tied on a dry fly.  Both size 16 elk hair caddis and Garcia's Mini Hot patterns were too much for the fish to resist.  After ending up catching a few on dry flies I am now a convert (although not full-time).  Clearly there's method to his madness (and he's quite good at applying it).  If February was always like this I'd probably learn to enjoy winter again.

Window shop or fish?

I had two hours to kill today before picking my wife up at work so I had to make a choice between using the time window shopping or going to a nearby stream and fish.  As you can guess, I opted for the latter.  Although not the most attractive brook, it is known to harbor some native brookies.  Once again the Picket Pin proved to be too much to resist and a few of the inhabitants came to hand for a quick photo and release.  While most were small, as you can see one was actually a decent little fish that made its home in the pool just past the fence crossing the brook in the last photo.  All in all it was a far superior way to spend two hours than window shopping.

Winter brookie heaven

I had the great pleasure of visiting a beautiful brook today with BRK TRT, home to many wild brook trout.  I could attempt to wax poetic about the experience, but I'd prefer to let the pictures do the talking.  To say that this was a banner winter fishing day for me would be an understatement.  I caught brookies on hot pink midge, Pumpkin Head midge and Picket Pin flies, with the last pattern being the most productive.  BRK TRT was even getting them to snatch dries.  The shocker was the larger brookie with the gigantic mouth.  Many thanks to BRK TRT for accompanying, guiding and advising me.  His is a true gentleman fisherman.

Same frustration, but this time a brookie

I returned to the same brook from the last post and once again was greeted by fish with lockjaw.  Even my new friend BRK TRT was stymied by the residents of the stream, in spite of the great weather and his superior small stream fishing skills.  These fish simply did not want to be good sports.  As I mentioned in the previous post, I ultimately hooked one brookie but lost it while getting my camera out.  When I fished the pool this time I once again hooked a brookie on a hot pink worm/midge.  As you can see, I was much more adept at landing and photographing the fish my second time at this nice pool.  Salvelinus fontinalis is simply one of nature's most beautiful creatures and an absolute joy to behold.  My emotional response to witnessing one of these fish up close is the same now as it was 40 years or so ago when I first started fly fishing - complete awe.  These fish bring a smile to my face regardless of their size.

Fishing frustration, but a nice little brown nonetheless

I went to a brook today that runs into a Class 1 stream.  I've never had great luck there, even though I know it has both wild brook and brown trout in residence.  Today was as frustrating as ever, producing no fish (or strikes) for most of the time I was there.  When I returned to the bridge pool that I had started at I finally fooled two browns into taking a hot pink worm pattern.  The first was the largest and was lost while attempting to get my camera out.  The second, pictured below, was smaller but truly beautiful.  Working upstream from the bridge I hooked a nice brookie in the pool pictured below, but again lost it while getting ready to take a picture. 

Obviously, there are two things that I need to work on.  One is catching the fish that inhabit this brook and the other is photographing the ones that I do hook.  Maybe I should net the fish first and then worry about the picture.

Taking advantage

Taking advantage of the nice weather (and still no job), I headed to a class 1 stream to see if I can improve my winter trout fishing skills.  After drifting nymphs (tungsten surveyor, pumpkin head midge), picket pins and even a light Edson tiger to no avail through pools that I hoped had cold hungry fish lurking in them, I tied on a San Juan worm and continued downstream.  When I got to a bend in the stream where the bank overhangs the water, I finally had a taker.  I snapped a quick picture and watched as the brown trout swam back into the shelter that I had rudely extracted it from (last picture).  And that was it for the class 1 stream.

While there was much more of this stream to fish, I opted to go to a nearby brook and see if I could entice any of its residents to come out.  Unlike the class 1 stream, this one was running a little dirty and it seemed that my fishing trip was going to end without the excitement of seeing any of its beautiful little brookies.  After drifting a picket pin through one of the streams small pools, I lifted my fly rod up to begin to reel up the line and head home.  That's when the only brookie of the day decided to take the fly.  Better late than never.