Wednesday, February 19, 2020

My Return...at home in the riffles

Monday was my first time fishing in two weeks. The stream chosen was one that I was familiar with. A stream with low banks with areas free of tangles and low brush. We have experienced some decent rainfall over the last two weeks and I did not know how the stream handled it. Winter has a way of thinning lots of dead wood from the trees and it seems like it "always" winds up lodging in the best pools.

The run pictured here has always been productive for me and that's why I chose it to fish first. The large pool with the waterfall is where my fly landed first. The water was fast and it pulled the fly under. I felt the fish take and I lifted the rod up. The brookie was on then off. Many more casts and no repeats. I walked down a bit and cast the fly into a slack piece of water. On the second cast to brookie hit. A very spirited fight took place and this time the fish came to hand.


A pretty little female. She was worth the two week wait.


I have said many times that the riffles are my favorite places to fish. I will spend a lot of time in areas like this. The water is so clear and the sunlight just seems to magnify everything that is in it. The water depth is between 2-5 inches and there are numerous currents and seams within. It is in these currents and seams where brookies will hold on the bottom. The sun working on the water will warm it by a few degrees which may stimulate activity, be it feeding fish or movement of nymphs. One thing that is certain is that fish are in these areas and I can usually fool a few.


Perfectly "adept" for life in the riffles.










16 comments:

  1. Alan, welcome back to the streams. I recently got over an illness that just kept hanging on. All my local streams have been closed since December. I could fish year-round if I had a boat for lakes or saltwater. Glad you caught a couple.

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    1. Matt Harding
      Thanks
      Mat these colds or whatever they call them have real tenacity. Well I hope your season opener is close.

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  2. Hi Alan,

    Thats a nice looking pair of brookies there for your first trip back...........

    Love the shot of the bright green water weed in the stream, hints that spring is just around the corner.

    And (finally) that waterhen bloa is superb! Got me thinking about tossing a cast of three spiders into the Leven on opening day next month.

    Thanks

    Alistair

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    Replies
    1. Alistair
      Thanks
      Alistair I don't talk much about the Waterhen Bloa, but I do fish it often, enough said.
      We had the "toad in the hole" for supper last night...report to come.

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  3. Nice post Alan! I have never fished water that skinny, maybe I need to try.

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    1. billp
      Thanks
      I never pass on a nice set of riffles. Cold weather will slow the action down but come warmer times that's the place to be.

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  4. Beautiful water, Alan. Glad you had a good day. Is that the Tup's I see in the jaw of the second brookie?

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    Replies
    1. mike
      Thanks
      Mike it was great to be fishing again. It is a Tups..good fly weather dry or wet.

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  5. What a nice reward after your hiatus from fishing, Alan. I bet you were dreaming about connections like that the whole time you couldn't fish. Just beautiful.

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    1. Sam
      Thanks
      Very happy with the results. Sam as you well know a few hours out there means so much.

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    2. I'll say, Alan. Wading in the cold river this time of year seems to restore my knees, spending time out there restores the rest. This weekend looks mighty nice weather wise.

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    3. Sam I hope you can take advantage of the nice weather. I'm going to do my best to get out. There is a stream in NW CT. I want to visit before the season closes March 1st.

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  6. Alan
    Nice brook trout taken; that stream has a tremendous amount of structure for trout to dart out and take an offering. Which combo was you using to land these beauties? Thanks for the comment

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    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill lots of hiding places, and they take advantage of them.
      The rod was Cane and Silk fiberglass, 5' 3wt. Orvis reel.

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