These past few days we have been entertaining Parker. Yesterday morning I was given permission by Parker to take a few hours and visit the river and I did not waste any time in taking him up on his kind gesture.
I was on the water by 7 and was into my first fish by 7:15. The river was alive with fish rising...to what I don't know. I looked for flies in the air, spinners on the water, and nothing was there, still the trout kept rising. I fished a variety of dry flies, wets and even a streamer and they did not take anything. It was a bit frustrating, seeing how brookies are not fussy but on this river that idea is out the window.
I moved upstream and found some willing fish. These guys took soft-hackles.
Riffles...those magical places where nice things happen.
Look what came from those riffles. This was a strong brook trout and I'll add a beautiful brook trout.
This attractor got hit very hard in the riffles.
This was a good few hours....and as Mark suggested the trout may have been feeding on "Tricos" those little flies....I tied up a couple of them in size 20 and will try them if I ever run into fish rising to nothing I can see.
very nice Brk Trt! Maybe tricos but you are going to need very small like size 24-26!!
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Pete if that's the case I guess I won't be catching many fish. I tied a few size 20's but can't tie smaller....I know I'll throw a size 10 "Bomber" at them.
nice size! good boy, parker. :)
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Theresa Parker is tops around this house. We are a little sad today as he had to go home.
Haha! I'm glad Parker gave the go ahead to go fishing, Alan. Nice brookies you and he caught. On the Swift even the brookies are starting to get finicky. Two nights ago I saw a nice one rising and put the dry fly right across his zone only to be rebuffed twice as I saw him dart up, inspect briefly and go back to where he came from. I was actually pleased to see that nice brook trout had become educated. Regards, Sam
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Sam, if he didn't we would not be posting here...he's my buddy. I've been hearing a good deal lately about those Swift brookies. Educated brook trout, from all that I know they just love to eat. I guess when pressured they will develop into different creatures.
Alan, around here we call them the white curse, I try to fish the trico hatch but I get frustrated and start to throw my terrestrial box at them, I usually have a few interested even during the height of the hatch. The tricos start out in the beginning a size 22. And go down as the season progresses. We usually have a small caddis hatch follow the tricos, so I just wait it out. You sure have a gift for finding beautiful brook trout. Thanks for the photos.
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Brad "the white curse" good name. They sure frustrated me, and size 22 and smaller you won't find me fishing such flies. I guess I'll move on to other less educated brookies in the riffles. I don't know if the gift is mine, or if someone higher wants a story told and has requested me to tell it. In any regard I say thank you.
Now there's an idea that I'd never thought of. Hmmm, tricos.
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Howard leave the tricos be. Stick to the "easy to see flies" like stimulators...............
I am also not into the whole small fly thing. I thought about throwing a bomber when I was there last time...or at least something I didn't have to squint to see. Glad you were able to get into some nice Brook trout despite the frustration of the hatch. Noticed that one of the backwards soft hackles worked...such a cool pattern. The indicator soft hackle you pictured first is also quite interesting. I love the look of it wet.
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Jon, they say those tiny flies make up a large part of their diet...but I still like a fly I can see. Yes the reversed soft-hackle accounted for one, with several bumps too. The attractor soft-hackle is also a good minnow imitation.
I've saw fish rising several times and couldn't see what they were eating either. They must have really, really good eyesight. But then again, I have trouble seeing a size 20 anything.
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Mark, I can't see them very well myself. I kind of rely on a splash and then I set the hook, hopefully there's a fish on.
If those rising fish want a size 20 or smaller for that matter, then I always say to them, "Enjoy your feast Trout". For up around the bend somewhere I will fish a Stimulator or a Hopper, or, like you Soft Hackles. Peace is where you find it!
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Mel you nailed it...I fished a stimi and had my share of action.