December brookies

I went to a new site (for me) on Friday with Mark and was treated to fishing a beautiful stream that was home to some remarkable wild brookies.  As Mark mentioned (Fishing Small Streams blog), the conditions were seemingly not conducive to fishing with dries, but fortunately the residents could be enticed using subsurface flies like the Picket Pin and San Juan worm (aka Pinkie).  While I didn't catch a lot of fish, the size of those that I did was very impressive.  This stream is home to some sizable wild brookies that are more than willing to take the fly.  I can't wait to have another go at this wonderful stream.

The leaves can wait

Rather than do my leaves for the third time I opted to visit some new water.  Having heard from a fellow DEP seasonal employee that this stream has wild brookies, I figured that after the rain on Monday it was time to give it a try.  Unlike the first time a went there, this time there was a sufficient amount of water flowing to warrant wetting a fly.  I was able to catch and release four brookies using a picket pin, all being the size pictured below.  Having plans to meet Mark at another stream prevented me from fully exploring this stream but I intend to go back as soon as I can.

After meeting Mark midday at one of our favorite small brooks, I was treated to fish that were inspired by size 18 parachute patterns (like the Purple Haze that Mark loaned me).  Unfortunately the water level is still very low, a somewhat depressing sight.  At least we were able to see up close some of the stream's beautiful inhabitants.

Wild browns

Having electrofished this stream twice this month, I can say with certainty that it is home to numerous sizable wild browns.  Our most recent survey of the stream revealed the presence of an 18 inch kiped male, colored up beautifully for the fall breeding season.  Since this is a tributary to a major river this fish was probably a visitor.  I can also say with certainty that I don't seem to fish the stream very well, although the recent temperature drop may be part of the problem.  I'll need to work on my tactics and fly selection to be able to catch more of the stream's impressive residents.

A brookie a day....

If I were fortunate enough to see a beautiful wild brook trout every day I'd always have a smile on my face.  Maybe.

A new small stream

I had been told by another seasonal CT DEEP employee that a very small stream in a neighboring town had been surveyed and a good number of brookies had been counted.  I went there this afternoon to fish a short stretch right beside a main road and see if this info would translate into me catching any of its residents.  As you can see below, the Ausable Wulff dry was able to fool a couple very nice fish.  With any luck I'll be able to get permission to go upstream through a couple of homeowner's properties and see what is present up in the woods away from the road.

Good news

I have fished this stream a number of times over the last few years and have always caught of few nice wild brookies (and an occasional brown) whenever I have visited it.  However, after the long winter and some serious rains, when I returned this spring I discovered that the structure of the stream had changed dramatically.  I also found that there was no response to my fly offerings.  I was very concerned that the resident population of wild fish had not survived the ravages of mother nature.

When I returned to the stream this week I was very encouraged when an enthusiastic brown pounced on a Royal Wulff dry in the first large pool that I fished.  Further downstream I was able to entice two healthy brookies to take a dry fly (the smaller of which is pictured below).  On my way out I went up a small feeder brook and was rewarded with catching/releasing the largest fish of the visit after it fell for a Usual (second fish below).

I'm hoping that these represent only a small sample of the wild fish normally present in this beautiful stretch of water or at least the beginning of their return.

May fish

Some of the fish that I've caught in May with my Fenwick FF605 glass fly rod.  I've read that this rod is a gas to fish with and I couldn't agree more.