Friday, October 20, 2017

Oh Yes This Did Really Happen To Me

"You Can Catch 'Em On Anything" That was the title of a chapter in John Gierach's book "Fly Fishing Small Streams" and one day last week I put that phrase to the test. By the way if you have not read that book I strongly suggest you do. It is one of the best books I've read.

Now back to fishing. The stream I was fishing had a pool in which I saw two brook trout just setting there taking in some nourishment. I had a bomber on but changed my mind and selected a pretty sparse fly instead. The fly is posted above and it was not much more than a lightly dubbed hook with a turn of hackle. The hackle had broken off and was just about hanging on. I tied it on and cast it up from where the brookies were. It drifted near them and instantly one of them darted for it and took it.


Well John your words came true and here is the proof.


I picked up some Italian sausage at a small market. The label said "hot" sausage but knowing markets I took that meaning very lightly. That afternoon I grilled it up and man did it look awesome.


As it cooked I took a small piece to test to see if it was cooked. Well folks this is one time when "hot was hot", I want to tell you it smoked me. The Mrs. was not pleased but she tolerated it.
Some red and green peppers and a few onions and a hard roll and the burning was not the bad.




24 comments:

  1. That sausage with peppers and onions is right up my alley. One of my favorites on the grill.

    Beautiful brook trout caught on that sparse fly. I hear and read, once again tonight, that sparse is better, but when I am tying a fly I have the tendency to make one more wind of hackle than I probably should. Maybe more than that if I have room next to the hook eye.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Parachute Adams
      Thanks
      Sam that was one awesome meal.
      My soft-hackles tend to be sparse but the one here was actually a fly that lost most of it's hackle from a poor job of tying. Key was the fish took it anyway. I'm still trying to figure out what they thought it was.

      Delete
  2. I once read a scholarly article about stomach contents of cutthroat in small mountain streams. Such things as gravel, wood, twigs, flowers, leaves, and bits of grass turned up not just in some fish but in most fish. Small streams are not the easiest places for fish to find a meal, and so fish like cutthroat and brook trout compensate by eating anything and everything that floats by! I can remember finding an actively rising brook tout on a small stream in central CT 5 years ago. I decided to do an experiment. I found some little pine cones and gave them a toss, and sure enough up came the brookie. He didn't even spit the first one out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RM Lytle
      Thanks
      Rowan that's amazing. The food sources in those streams are scant so even though there is no nutrition in it it still fills the belly. We observed fish in the eight mile rising to yellow flowers that we threw in.

      Delete
  3. Okay, first things first. I love hot sausage with peppers and onions. Nothing better. I'm not surprised at what a fish will eat at any given time. I've seen them grab a bare hook!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Howard Levett
      Thanks
      Howard hot sausage and peppers would be a great breakfast. A nice way to start your day. I learn more about fish everyday.

      Delete
  4. Alan
    The sausage looks delish!! I guess like humans the trout when hungry will eat anything that represents food.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. TROUT1
      Thanks
      Pete you have made a good point.

      Delete
  5. Alan
    Those sausage links would have been a treat for me, I'm into hot foods----your fly episode reminds me of my grandson this past spring who landed a bluegill on a bare hook-----thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill I love hot stuff too, only I pay for it later.
      A bare hook, I have heard that mentioned before.

      Delete
  6. Hi Alan,
    I have had trout & grayling take well chewed up soft hackles (with barely any hackle left) over here in the UK also.
    That spicy sausage looked and sounded good.
    Finally John Gierach, what an author, I love his work.....
    Alistair

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous
      Thanks
      Alistair when the fly is so beat up it must take on a reality so that it looks more natural.
      Gierach has a wonderful style.

      Delete
  7. I have a copy of John Gierach"s "Fly Fishing Small Streams" and reread it often--wonderful book.
    There's a Black Woolly Worm in one of my fly boxes that has no hackles remaining and it looks just like a fat black nymph.It still catches fish.
    The sausage looks great but I think it would kill me! I used to love hot curries, chillies, sembal olek paste wasabi sauce and spicey sausages. Glad you can enjoy them.
    Cheers,
    Steve.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve Hynes
      Thanks
      One of my favorite chapters is "Where there are trout, there's hope"
      Wow Steve you do have a spicy taste.

      Delete
  8. Hi Alan, Food looks great, as usual. We've been having an outstanding albie season. Best I can remember. Anyway some of the fish regurgitate what they've been eating. We call their meals "two eyes and a wiggle". I think thee best way to approximate it, with a fly would be a short piece of chenille bound to the hook with two black dots (marker pen). Sparse rules. No doubt about it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John Dornik
      Thanks
      John I guess a stomach pump is not necessary with albies. It's good to hear that there is a strong run of these fish.
      Sparse is an asset at times. A gent from VT ties a streamer with a chenille body and a 3-4 squirrel tail fibers. Killer fly.

      Delete
  9. not only do the fish look lovely but you can cook a lovely looking sausage too Alan, well done again mate just goes to show that no matter how sparse a fish will still have a go, do we over complicate things as fly tyers at times is a question I often ask myself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. George
      Thanks
      George I ask the same question and I can't give myself an answer.

      Delete
  10. Sometimes they just have to look "buggy". That one sure fits the bill.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mark Kautz
      Thanks
      Mark they tell me these guys eat leaves and sticks, so that fly seems to fit the dinner plate.

      Delete
  11. that sausage looks great ... I made you more vegan....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Armando Milosevic
      Thanks
      Armando it was so tasty. I'm a meat eater, but some veggies I like especially peppers.

      Delete
  12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5Ex9T4fCLo
    Came across this today-short film about John Gierach and his outlook on life and fishing. Hopefully the link works!
    Kindest Regards,
    Steve.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Steve Hynes
      Thanks.
      Steve the link works and the clips are great. The guy is awesome.

      Delete