Monday, February 20, 2017

February In Brook Trout Forest, And The Upside Down Parachute Adams

Good morning folks. just one week ago we had a very big snow event upwards of a foot of the white stuff blanketed my back yard. Now this morning as I gaze out the window there is almost bare ground. That's New England.

This snow melt is not everywhere. Just a mere twenty miles from my home it was a winter wonderland. Kirk and I met to fish a lovely little stream. The sun was shinning so beautiful and the promise of warm temps was sure to bring some brook trout to the surface. Dry flies were used at first but they did not do as intended....until.


..we reached a famous pool on this stream. Mossy Pool as it is known has been a consistent brookie producer for as many years as I have fished it. Trout take flies from all over the pool, from head to to tail and anywhere in the middle. The only drawback to fishing it is the weird currents, you just never know how your fly will drift. Kirk was on the pools first, he fished several flies but was unsuccessful in bringing one to hand. He did notice a trout rising at the end of the pool. He stepped back and let me have a go at it. I had a parachute Adams on and sent the fly on a drift. Six times I tried to get that fly to the rising fish and failed. Finally I just gave the fly a quick flick in an attempt to get it further down the pool, and I did. The only drawback was the fly landed upside down. At that point I said "what the hell" it's down at the end of the pool let's see what happens.


Yes sir my friends the little brookie took that upside down parachute Adams and graced me with a most beautiful sight.


We continued to move upstream and we each were rewarded with some beautiful brook trout. The weather just got better and that gave me a super attitude.


This fly is a product of an article I read in book. I tied up a few variations of it and brought them to the stream...I'll tell you of the article in a later post..but they work.


This little riffle-run is one of my favorites.


And this is the reason why. Folks this is February 19th, but looking at this guy you would think it was October 19th. Notice the fly..it's a variant of the fly I just mentioned. What a great day this was in "Brook Trout Forest"












18 comments:

  1. Outstanding post, photos and brook trout!! Love it!! You are keeping me going Alan!! Thank you!

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    1. TROUT1
      Thanks
      Pete stay with me until you can join me.

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  2. Alan
    Great post as usual; just wondering what is the deepest water you guys fish there. Thanks for sharing

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    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill in this particular stream the maximum depth is about knee high.

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  3. great post again Alan, we have been lucky this year, no snow at lower levels so this hasn't effected us.

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    1. George
      Thanks
      George this snow will in time be of benefit. We had a poor snow pack last year and it affected the streams.

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  4. My guess--the fly was riding in the surface film rather than resting upon it, looking like a struggling emerger to the brookie. Ed Hewitt did a lot of experimenting clipping dry flies to get them to do just that. Growing up in North Jersey, I frequently fished the stream, next to Ringwood Manor, the house where Ed Hewitt was born.

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    1. John Dornik
      Thanks
      John your assumption is probably correct on the emerger. Hewett also had a pattern that I love "Skater" which work pretty well today.

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  5. Upside down works for me if that is what it takes! I agree it probably appeared different than other properly presented flies so the strike came from curiosity..........

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    1. Mel-Fly Tyin Times
      Thanks
      Mel as I stated to Kirk on that day "presentation is not important to brookies" most times.

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  6. Gosh, what a nice outing you two seemed to have had. The No. Quabbin snow pack is thinning and I look to follow your lead. Thank you for your consistant inspiration.

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    1. Bill/Tully
      Thanks
      Bill that was a nice day to be out, but yesterday was even nicer. I guess you will be out soon.
      I have to get up there and fish one or two of the small streams in that watershed.

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  7. Nice going you two. It's nice to be out in the warm air despite the snow still on the ground. It almost seems like spring is close but as you said "this is New England" and things can change quickly.

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    1. Mark Wittman
      Thanks
      Mark that was one great day for mid February. I'm sure we will have a visit from old man winter in the next weeks. Enjoy.

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  8. Those brookies look like they are still in their spawning colors, Alan. I look forward to hearing more about that soft hackle.

    Regards, Sam

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    1. Parachute Adams
      Thanks
      Sam a similar soft-hackle as the one posted work pretty well. I'll continue fishing it and post about it's productivity.

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  9. It's nice to live in a place where if weather permitting you can get out and fish!

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    Replies
    1. Oh and a big thank you to you Alan for those beautiful flies. You've got an artist's touch with those small guys.

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