Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Brook Trout, Bombers, Laurel, and a Bad Back

Yesterday I took a hike up a stream I had fished before. I was determined to follow it up as far as I could and fish new areas I had never tossed a fly upon, sort of like virgin water. What I found was a brook trout stronghold, a stream that was as pristine as any I have ever fished. A forest setting that was full of hemlock and hardwood, springs and laurel, and wildlife that had me a bit on edge. I'm going to take you with me.



Deep pools with undercuts were in abundance. There were riffles that held brook trout this day. There were areas of laurel so thick that I said "you have to be crazy to go through it" but I did. There was a price to be paid for it though. That price was a very sore back..a muscle pull like no other I've ever had.


Rewards "oh yes" brook trout with attitudes.


While walking I found another stream coming into the one I was fishing. I did not explore this one, perhaps for another time.


It was right around here that I encountered a three canine companions. I was fishing a run and really focused. I looked to my back, having the feeling someone was watching me and there were three coyotes. They were close but they did not look to be aggressive. We sort of eyed each other for a few moments and they just walked off.



I continued to walk and fish, picking up some beautiful brookies.





Not much used, or needed....keeping it simple.


One of the wonderful highlights of this outing was my catching many of the brookies on dry flies, and the "Bomber" was tops.


What I found out today was the brookies that took the Bomber were all taken in the riffles. Not one fish rose in the pools.




To say this was a good day would be an understatement. Days like this are good in June but are truly spectacular in February.



32 comments:


  1. You certainly had a great day, especially as you stated in February!! Glad you had a successful day exploring!!

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    Replies
    1. TROUTI
      Thanks
      Pete, can't wait to fish this stream in April-May.

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  2. Alan
    Beautiful stream with its deep pools, undercut banks, super clear water and of course the beautiful brook trout; I suspect the back issues became secondary when you are fishing a place like this. Great post----thanks for sharing

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    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill the back soreness is already out of my mind....ready for another shot at it.

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  3. Nice pics. The first time I fished there the brook was crawling with fish. Maybe a rebound is occurring.

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    1. RKM
      Thanks
      Kirk, we need to explore this stream to the very beginning. I know there are some surprises to be had.

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  4. Alan - Wow! Looks like another wonderful little stream but coyotes in packs is a little unnerving! I might be tempted to carry along some "discouragement" next time as I've heard a story or two of hunter's encountering a pack of coyotes. Hope the back will be feeling better soon!

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    Replies
    1. Mark
      Thanks
      Mark I was really concerned, and I will have some added security next time I venture up that way.
      The back is doing nicely.

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  5. Alan
    I've done my fair share of bush whacking with fly rod in hand, but brother, tackling that solid wall of twigs with just an aching back to complain of is an accomplishment!

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    1. thedeadfisher
      Thanks
      John it was not a pretty thing. On the way back I walked out of my way to avoid that tangle.

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  6. You are lucky to see coyotes, they are often very hard to observer. I've only ever seen them a handfl of times.

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    1. RM Lytle
      Thanks
      Rowan I've encountered them many times over the years, just never 3 at a time.

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  7. sorry about the pain, but you did have some gain! :)

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    1. TexWisGirl
      Thanks
      Theresa it was well worth it...just not again.

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  8. Great to know there are still undiscovered blue lines. What a find.

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    Replies
    1. Jim Yaussy Albright
      Jim for a small state we are blessed with so many little streams. I seem to look more now for the ones easy to navigate.

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  9. Alan, another one of your arsenal of beautiful streams filled with brook trout which cooperated on this day. I am sorry to hear about your back though - I hope the muscle pull heals up quickly. Glad the coyotes weren't aggressive toward you. Regards, Sam

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    1. Parachute Adams
      Thanks
      Sam the back feels fine now, only need to be careful for the next few days so I don't cause it to flare up. As far as the coyotes I'll be prepared next time, with a camera that is.......

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  10. Beautiful stream with beautiful results. Are coyotes prevalent in your area? That would be unnerving to me. I hope your muscles heal that can be rough hiking in that kind of terrain . How far do you think you hiked? Thanks for the wonderful journey it never gets old.

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    1. Brad Basehore
      Thanks
      Brad coyotes are here in the state, not at the point where they are real bad.
      The hike was not bad in terms of distance, maybe three quarters of a mile. The laurel thickets and tangles were the problem. Have to stay clear of them next time I'm on that stream.

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  11. Sounds like a wonderful day on the water. Hope your back issue heals itself quickly Alan.

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    1. HighPlainsFlyFisher
      Thanks
      Jeff the back is fine.

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  12. Awesome trip Alan - I hope your back settles down steadily. Not much worse than a strained back - it can take time for sure...

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    1. Hibernation
      Thanks
      Will it's mended very nicely. Ready to go back out.

      Delete
  13. Beautiful water Alan. Take care of that back as that water needs a lot more "research"

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    1. Brookie61
      Thanks
      Kurt research it will get.
      Hope to see you at the CFFA meeting in March.

      Delete
  14. Alan, you are surrounded by so much water that you find streams when exploring others. Did you see that blue line or was it a surprise? Fantastic outing, and love the simplicity of your flies and their effectiveness. Bravo.

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    1. Justin Carf
      Thanks
      Justin I knew it was there, I just never ventured up that far, that familiarity thing. Keep it simple and fish on.

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  15. To kind of follow Justin's line of questioning, how far do you have to drive to find all these beautiful streams? Yep on the strained back, I know it well. I guess when I feel like I'm being watched I need to pay more attention!

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    1. Howard Levett
      Thanks
      Howard Connecticut is a pretty small state so most of the streams are within a hour to an hour and a half. The stream featured here is about 25 minutes from my home.

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  16. Alan, love the blog! Quick question: what kind of rod are you using? I'm generally interested in the size/weight of rods that other small stream anglers use...also interested because, judging from the photo, that is a gorgeous rod! Custom?

    Thanks again for this blog. You have this Appalachian stuck on the west coast dreaming of native brookies!

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    Replies
    1. Andrew Miller
      Thanks
      Andrew that rod, which is my favorite, is a Cabela's CGR. It's a 5'9" 3wt glass rod.
      They can be purchased on sale for a very modest price, like $59.95, but there regular price of 99.95 is still good. It's a great rod for small streams.

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