Thursday, April 27, 2017

Small Stream Journal 4-24-17, The Smoke Fly

"Fiddleheads"
Monday I fished a new stream, it's been there perhaps forever, none the less new to me. I had seen the stream many years ago but not until Monday did I venture off and fish it. If lows in typical fashion with some impressive pools, which were quite large and it also contained some very slippery rocks. In my last post I wrote about a fly called a "Smoke Fly", and this was the day I would test it.



The day featured sun and clouds, a normal Spring day. This was not the first pool I came to but it was the first I fished. The fly was cast to the bank and drifted a few feet, the fish came from the undercut and took the fly...new fly, first cast and the first fish of the day.


What a beautiful fish.


The fly kept on producing and at one point in the pool pictured above I took 5 brookies on 5 consecutive casts. The stream is healthy.






The stream looks to be on private land, for I noticed an electric fence. There were no posted signs, but I'll have to do some further research.


This little guy had some pronounced orange spots, man he's pretty.


She's lovely also, several were observed.















23 comments:

  1. Hi Alan, Fiddleheads and quahogs (broiled with bacon/green pepper/ parmesan). gourmet appetizer. I tied up some of your smoke fly pattern but substituted hun partridge for the plain white hen hackle. I'll try them soon.

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    Replies
    1. John Dornik
      Thanks
      John sounds like something very tasty.
      That smoke fly will work.

      Delete
  2. Hi Alan. I am glad to see another productive and beautiful small stream added to your portfolio of gems. Such beautiful brook trout live there. With the fiddle heads coming up, that is a sure sign for me to start looking for morel mushrooms. If you ever see them in your travels, don't pass them up being they are a real treat fried up in butter. Best, Sam

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    Replies
    1. Parachute Adams
      Thanks
      Sam people say morels are the best, I've never had them and that may change.

      Delete
    2. I love those morels, Alan. My wife found one today while walking our dog. Along with good mayfly hatches, the next couple of weeks should be good for both trout and morels. What a great time of year. Best, Sam

      Delete
  3. Alan
    You know you are fishing the right fly when you take fish on consecutive cast. Those wild plants along the bank remind me of early lettuce plants in one's garden. Beautiful brook trout, thanks for sharing

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    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill it's either the right fly or some awful hungry trout. Lots of life in the spring woods.

      Delete
  4. Very interesting to see the different colors on those brookies, yet they come from the same stream. Once again Alan, just beautiful photos of the trout and streamside plants!!

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    Replies
    1. TROUT1
      Thanks
      Pete the variations in same stream brook trout unbelievable. It's getting green out there.

      Delete
  5. I am going to put this fly through it's paces on my favorite Bluegill pond........Brookies are beautiful, Bluegills are fun!

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    Replies
    1. Mel-Fly Tyin Times
      Thanks
      Mel your fun fish will do flips for a Smoke.

      Delete
  6. Hi Alan,
    I to have tied up some smoke flies ready for use on the Yorkshire Leven over the weekend!
    BTW nice stream, brookies and trilliums.
    Alistair

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous
      Thanks
      Alistair love to hear how you make out on that stream.
      I tied another North Country pattern and put it out and it was well taken...Hares Lug and Plover.

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    2. I used to use the Hares Lug and Plover a lot many years ago to cover the Grannom Sedge hatch on the river I fished - it is renowned for it's huge hatches of this little sedge / caddis. Unfortunately the stream I fish now does not have this fly.

      Delete
    3. On our small streams the caddis is the fly that is most prevalent. And that is what this fly represents very well. Our little trout do love the caddis.

      Delete
  7. Alright, I'm convinced; I'll tie up a few 'Smokes'. Growing up, spring meant brook trout and fiddleheads for breakfast. Still does. The Trilliums are gorgeous. My grandmother had another name for them: stinking Benjamins. Another great post, Alan. Thank you.

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    Replies
    1. mike
      Thanks
      Mike they work.
      Lots of folks still enjoy fresh brookies and fiddleheads. Never heard of triliums called stinking Benjamins.

      Delete
  8. Great outing Alan! I went on a fiddlehead scouting mission to one of my favorite spots yesterday after work. Nothing poking up yet but the skunk cabbage is up so it won't be long..very pretty fish...

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    Replies
    1. penbayman
      Thanks
      Mike a few days of warm sunshine and they will shoot up. Just in the last week things around here have really greened up.

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  9. Love to see the Trillium! Good looking brookies too.

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    Replies
    1. Hibernation
      Thanks
      Will as of yesterday the trillium was almost peak on a stream I fished. Love this Spring.

      Delete
  10. Replies
    1. Howard Levett
      Thanks
      Howard I could not agree with you more.

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