Soft-Hackles On The Farmington

Autumn is moving into position in a fine way. Some of the turning leaves are brilliant and a sense of excitement is growing as we move closer to that "glorious season"...A recent outing on the Farmington river when that taste of fall presented itself in many ways. The early morning chill was evident. I was prepared with a flannel shirt to help temper that cold sting. The chill would ease as the sun took hold and it turned into the perfect day. I have been fishing streamers the last couple of visits to the Farmington especially early on. The success of my efforts have not come forth as of yet, but I'll continue that "streamer first" plan for I know it will work.

I tied on a soft-hackle and stayed with them the rest of the time. I did change colors and sizes but the soft-hackle was the style of fly. You can see pretty clearly the seam created between the fast water and the soft water. I love fishing such places. Varying currents make a soft-hackle come alive. Sometimes the fish hold in the soft water but most times they are in the fast water.

A brook trout taken in the slack water. Several more came from that slick.

In fast water I'll cast the soft-hackle upstream and mend. This gives me a few yards of a nice natural drift before the hackles collapse.

This rainbow who has been in the river for some time grabbed the fly just as it hit the water. It ran and it jumped multiple times. It stayed in the fast water which made the battle a little tougher. In the end a truce was formed and a picture taken and off it went.

Back to that seam again. Same method, a soft-hackle and a brook trout. The fly was cast into the fast water and drifted into the soft water. On the third cast I saw the fish come out of the fast water and move to fly. At the last moment it backed off and returned to the fast water. Several more casts later he did the same thing only this time he grabbed the fly....strong fish.

When he finally came to hand I was taken back at the size of him. A true survivor and a gift that does not happen often. Back into the river he went and a "thank you" was given.