Sunday, January 29, 2012

Brook Trout on a Dry Fly, A January Dry Fly


Well I received another lesson on what trout want to eat and when they want to eat it.
Yesterday found me angling on a small stream. The weather was great with bright sunny skies and temps in the forties. I tied on a favorite wet fly a Picket Pin. As I let the fly go drifting downstream to raise hell with the resident population of wild brookies and browns. On the first retrieve a brown struck the Pin and was on although for a brief time before throwing it back at me. I said to myself this is going to be a good day.
I continued fishing the Pin hooking up on a few brookies before the interest in the fly suddenly came to a stop. I changed flies putting on an emerger, a Ausable emerger. It's a body of rust orange possum dubbing with brown and grizzly hackle. I worked this fly and it drew attention. They looked and chased but did not take.

I don't know what made me do what I did next. I selected a tan Elk Hair Caddis. Tied it on and sent it on its mission. Several drifts later the fly was taken and the trout headed down and straight for the roots. The little 2wt managed to coax the determined trout to turn and eventually give up.
As I lay my hand under the brook trout I was impressed with what had taken the caddis dry. A beautiful hooked jaw male. A male that had been in this stream for some time. He was photographed, thanked and sent on his way.
Lesson learned. Trout will rise to a dry fly in January.





Colors that I seem to never tire of.



The run where the brook trout hit the caddis.



This is one of the better brook trout I have taken from this stream. A brook trout I will remember forever. A brook trout that took a EH Caddis in January.


CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE

25 comments:

  1. Good job Brk Trt, it takes some faith to try a dry in January no matter how warm although I did see some bugs in the air yesterday afternoon.

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    1. Amazing head shot of the Brookie! It really shows the colors of this wild fish. It is why I also love small stream fishing.

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  2. Amazing brookie. I hope there are a lot more in there, some with my name on them.

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  3. What a beauty! Glad the big guy decided to teach you a lesson.

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  4. Just when you think you have Nature figured out...she throws you a curve ball in the knowledge dept. That is part of her beauty...you can always be surprised and learn something new. Beautiful Brookie!

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  5. Sorry but nothing but snow in the air here in Sweden. 12 degrees below zero centigrade. No way to fly fish. Have to enjoy what others can do. Wonderful brook trout! And on a dry fly! My regards to you Alan!!!
    Have fun enjoying playing brook trouts and letting us see them,
    M.O.

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  6. great pictures, as usual, in particular that final pic...nice job.

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  7. You just have to give them what they want. Sometimes easier said than done, but you got them this time.

    Mark

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  8. We still have 5 weeks to the start of the season. As a lover of the Brook Trout, i always get, the FIX that i need here, to keep me going, to the first of March. Brookies on dry flies & a light line. A man after my own Heart. fine post.

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  9. Mark,
    Thanks.
    I gave it a shot with nothing to loose, and it worked.

    Ed,
    Thanks.

    RKM,
    Thanks.
    There's plenty there for you buddy.

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  10. Sanders,
    Thanks.
    Those are the lessons I enjoy.

    Kiwi,
    Thanks.
    That's why I love it. Always learning.

    The Jassid Man,
    Thanks.
    You really have a sreious winter going on. It won't be long before the leaf hoppers start to tease those trout.

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  11. Steve,
    Thanks.
    My wife said it looked like a gator.

    Shoreman,
    Thanks.
    I try to do just that. Sometimes it actually works.

    Steve,
    Thanks.
    I hope the time moves rapidly for you, and your casting that bamboo to willing trout.

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  12. Brk Trt,
    nice fish & sounds like a fine & fun day. Well nothing would suprise me here in New England in January, even the successful use of an EHC.

    Another great post.....DRYFLYGUY

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  13. Great report Alan, I use a caddis dry in the winter for a dry dropper rig on limestonets and usually almost half the fish take the caddis. I can only imagine how many caddis that brookie has eaten in his time! Great pics also, that brookie had some great colors to him, and the hook jaw to boot!

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  14. DRYFLYGUY,
    Thanks.
    A fine day it was. I keep telling myself this is New England and winter will be coming.

    TROUT1,
    Thanks.
    Pete it was a surprise when that brookie rose to that caddis.

    Johnny Utah,
    Thanks.
    I guess they still look up, it's just getting them to come up and dine.

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  15. Awesome! Catching wild brookies on a dry fly in late january , it doesn't get any better than that. Those fish are just so colorful , one of natures most beautiful creations for sure.

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  16. Got to feed them want they want and not get stubborn. Keeping an open mind is one thing I've learned with fly fishing. Beautiful brookies. Thanks for sharing.

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  17. This post looks and feels like you just stepped out of Outdoor Life Magazine. Awesome post and the images of the streams and brookies are even more impressive. I wish I lived in an area like this so I could experience this type of fishing. The tailrace is all we have here in North Alabama and believe me it not anything like this. Thanks for sharing

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  18. HighPlainsFlyFisher,
    Thanks.
    I felt real good when that brookie came up, and even better when the calendar said January.

    Passinthru Outdoors,
    Thanks.
    Fishing dries in January is about as open as you can get.

    Bill Trussell,
    Thanks.
    Bill we are truly fortunate to have the resources here in New England.

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  19. Love those closeups Brk Trt..Do you rub their belly to put them in a trance so they'll hold still for you?

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  20. January, yes. But it feels like April. I wonder if the bugs are stirring earlier this year.

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  21. penbayman,
    Thanks
    They just feel secure in good hands so to speak.

    Gary,
    Thanks.
    Isn't that wonderful. Lets hope it holds.

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  22. I tie big bushy drys for mid-winter Brookie fishing in Virginia... More GREAT photos! Thanks... Vance

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