Monday, December 17, 2018

This stream is a maybe.....

New England Stone Wall
Fishing last week took me to a stream that I have not been to since early October. I'm trying to select a stream to fish on New Years Day and this is one on my list. The stream has that special charm, with rock walls, narrow runs and countless hemlock and spruce. Have you ever smelled a spruce forest on a damp morning, it's intoxicating. The stream also has some very tricky gorges. The water that flows through these gorges is deep and runs slow, at times it feels like fishing a pond.

As I walked along I captured some of the more picturesque sights with photos. At one point a grouse flushed and flew a short distance to a tree. I walked to the tree and found it was the wrong one and it flushed behind me never to be seen again.


The water in places is quite thin. It flows quietly into deeper pockets. It is in these pockets where the strikes happened.


This post spawn female was looking to gain some weight when she took the streamer.


This is one of the gorges on the small stream. Parts of it hole water that is easily 6-8' deep. The water is gin clear and a few brookies were seen holding near the bottom. I tied on a bomber, for a December dry fly fish is needed and I figured this was a good chance to fill that need. A couple of brookies moved up but refused the bomber. Even as the fly sunk there still was not any interest. So I went back to the streamer. I cast upstream to the big rock on the left. As the current brought the fly near the undercut rock a fish hit.


Several nice runs and a few bottom hugging bull dog tugs and this beautiful wild jewel was at hand.


I continued upstream for a hour or so, covering lots of beautiful water. A few more brookies were taken, most in slower water.


Those streamers are a bit heavy. The 5' glass rod was having some difficulty in getting the fly out there. I chose to fish my St. Croix Avid. It's a 6' 3wt and it handled the streamer just fine.










30 comments:

  1. Those are some beautiful brookies....well done!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Chris "Kiwi" Kuhlow
      Thanks
      Chris that stream has produced some beauties in the past.

      Delete
  2. Beautiful pictures, Alan. I'm a big fan of the Avid as well. Far northern Maine has no stone walls; I miss them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mike
      Thanks
      Mike it's such a beautiful casting rod. And at the time I purchased it the price was so right. No stone walls, that's not good. Old stone walls and stone foundations are a big part of my adventures in the woods.

      Delete
  3. The snow pics remind me of where we were fishing last week. The higher spots had snow on the banks and shelf ice. As we moved downstream it was mud instead of snow. Just stocker 'bows tho.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. bill piatek
      Thanks
      Bill a light dusting of snow just adds to the charm of early winter small stream fishing. It only takes a few extra feet in elevation to keep it pretty. Stocker bows are OK, especially if they are small.

      Delete
  4. What a beautiful stream, Alan! The fact that it contains willing brook trout makes it darn near perfect IMO.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. William Shuck
      Thanks
      Bill perfect I agree. It was an enjoyable few hours out there.

      Delete
  5. Makes me want to get back on a stream, but I'll have to wait until April when the season opens again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mark Kautz
      Thanks
      Wow Mark that's a long time. You can take the edge off by fishing the lakes.

      Delete
  6. Alan - that stream always hold some sizeable brook trout. Hopefully NYD won't be as bitterly cold and windy as it was a few years ago when we tried to warm up lunch!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mark Wittman
      Thanks
      Mark some of those deep holes contain some brutes.
      I remember that year very well. The cold wind was ripping through that pavilion...memorable indeed.

      Delete
  7. Alan
    I would have to camp out at that deep hole, its that inviting. Love the combo you was fishing. I have an Orvis reel just like the one you are using and its paired with a 7 1/2 3wt. That length might be a bit long for that stream. Great post thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill that little Battenkill is a gem. Your right a seven and a half is a bit long, but in a pinch you could make do.

      Delete
  8. Beautiful stream. Looks like a great location to bring in the New Year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michael Capurso
      Thanks
      Mike we held it there a few years ago and it worked out well, except for the howling wind.

      Delete
  9. That is some kind of nice stream, Alan. Some dandy brook trout you connected with there. As Bill Trussell posted above, that 8' deep pool would make for a fine camp site and swimming hole. A slice of heaven for sure.

    Best, Sam

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Parachute Adams
      Thanks
      Sam my son in law grew up in the town where this stream is located and I think he did swim in it as a kid.
      Cold out there this morning.

      Delete
  10. Alan,
    The waters that you showed us and the beautiful brookies therein are super! I love how you tried different flies based on your vast experience and on what the trout were in the mood for! The second fish that hit the streamer near the undercut rock was exceptional! He's a long and lanky submarine and it appears that he showed you his strength and "doggedness"!
    What a spectacular post you have given us! Thank you for the tour! Those quiet little woods pools really do something for me! There is magic within their borders!
    Dougsden

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dougsden
      Thanks
      Doug I would like to take credit for selection of the flies based on my vast experience, but that is not the case. I like to open my fly box and just pick one. Sometimes that works although most times it doesn't. It's fun though.

      Delete
  11. fishing on small stream , its also very happy!fishing tackle

    ReplyDelete
  12. Good morning. I have been reading your page for the last year, and I must say I enjoy reading your fishingreport from small streams, the kind of streams with not-so-big-fish but that give so much pleasure fishing. And that might have a surprise in the deep pool under the small waterfall. Keep writing! With best regards from the west coast of norway - Joe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous
      Thanks
      Joe, welcome. Norway, wow. I sure you'll be able to give us perspective on north country fishing.
      Those small stream surprises are thrilling.

      Delete
  13. Beautiful fish and water reminiscent of my favorite NJ Jersey brooks- I wish I was still a lot closer! Enjoy the Holidays and that stream looks promising for New Years Day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. NJpatbee
      Thanks
      Pat I would have a serious problem if I were to move somewhere else. The kids are trying to get us to move to the Carolinas. Merry Christmas.

      Delete