A little exploration

I returned to a stream yesterday that I had previously visited, once alone and once with Alan.  My first visit proved to be fruitless, but when I returned with Alan I caught two nice brookies in one pool (oddly, neither of us saw anything else in the rest of the stream).  Knowing that the stream flowed under a highway I was interested in seeing what the downstream section had to offer.  On the upstream segment I once again hooked (but lost) two fish in one pool and again saw nothing else.  When I came back from the downstream side I returned to the pool and this time hooked and brought to hand one nice brookie (shown below).

After working my way down to the highway, I jogged across the four lanes (separated by a median)  and fished my way downstream, finding what appeared to be some very nice water.  One thing I immediately noticed was that the stream bed contained a lot of sand.  After fishing for a few hundred feet and getting no response to a variety of flies I came to the conclusion that the sand undoubtedly came from highway runoff and that maybe the almost yearly contamination of it with sand and road salt had destroyed it as brookie habitat.  If true, what a terrible shame as this stretch was really quite nice and has probably been untouched in years.

First brown of the year

Alan and I went to one of our usual haunts yesterday, hoping that the warmish January weather had inspired the stream's fish to come out and play.  In spite of the nice weather, the residents were not out and about.  Just as Alan stated at Small Stream Reflections, only one fish responded to my overtures, the beautiful little brown that fell for the pinky.  Regardless of the outcome, it was a nice day to be roaming the woods.

As we moved downstream I noticed these prints left in the snow on a tree spanning the stream.  Any guess as to what may have left them?

Classic brook trout water

It is truly amazing where wild brook trout live.  This little guy and a good number of its buddies reside in the pool just downstream of this bridge.  It's a tiny brook, but home to many pint-sized wild brookies.  The one pictured was the biggest fish fooled by a small pumpkin head midge.

If you thought the last one was big....

This afternoon I returned to the small stream that produced the large wild brookie for me on New Year's day to see if there were any other residents willing to feed.  This time I started farther upstream where I know there are a few good pools that have produced for me in the past.  Nothing happened as I worked my way downstream until I got to the pool pictured below, situated right at the beginning of the first house one encounters along this beautiful little brook.  The fish struck my slowly retrieved Gartside sparrow somewhere between the two rocks.  To say that I was shocked by the size of what was at the other end of my line would be an understatement.  This may well be the largest wild brookie I've caught in CT.

The New Year's day fish.

Welcome back brookie

After spending a fishingless week in southern California, the cool morning weather was not going to stop me from getting back on the water.  Although the water level has dropped, I was able to admire two of this small stream's residents with a little patience.  The first was a colorful holdover stocker that I have now caught three times and in three different stretches of the stream (not pictured).  It's probably been there for a couple of years since it hasn't been stocked in ages.  The second was a beautiful wild brookie that fell for one of BRK TRT's dry flies while being stripped in (both pictures below).  The fish revealed it's presence to me by rising for something at the edge of the light foam at the tail of the pool.  It wasn't until I drifted the fly to the edge of the denser foam cover and began to retrieve it that the fish decided it was time to eat.  I'd gladly accept cold feet every time to catch and release unharmed a beautiful wild fish such as this one.

Thanksgiving brookies

I couldn't let Thanksgiving go by without a quick fishing trip.  I caught these three fish in the pool at the bridge, as well as one more downstream.  All rose for a small Ausable Bomber.  It's a very small stream. difficult to fish in some sections, but holds a number of beautiful wild brookies.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving, and with any luck gets to see some beautiful fish.

You never know

As Alan discussed on Small Stream Reflections, yesterday we went exploring at a stream that he had become aware of.  Unbeknownst to him, I had already visited it last year and found it lacking in trout activity.  In spite of this, we worked a good looking stretch that runs right next to a highway.  Expecting nothing, I was stunned to catch two brookies on a Picket Pin in one of the pools.  One of the fish, pictured below, was actually surprising large and in great shape.  It goes to show, you just never know (and I guess never conclude something is devoid of fish until you're absolutely certain).