Blog Potpourri

I have always said that March is the toughest month to fish for me. That transition from winter to spring is about as difficult to get trout to take a fly with any consistency as I ever encounter in the year. Weather conditions also are way to the extremes. I mean down right cold, windy, warm, snow, and rain, you get the picture. In March I fish lots of big wet flies, and small dry flies. I have had success with fishing a size 18 Bomber, as well as a size 10 wet fly. Often I'll pull out "pinkie" and get some takes.

I'm going to get out today at some point. It looks like the pick of the week as the weather guessers say. Maybe I'll get lucky and be able to drop this #10 on a trouts head.

Matt Harding who hails from the Pacific west coast sent me this photo of a pretty hefty coho salmon that took a Montreal Whore streamer. Matt has also sent me recipes of flies he uses on sea-run Cutthroats. The patterns look like they would work on the brook trout here.

This is a salmon I took back in the late 90's. It was also taken on a Montreal Whore. If you look at the rod you'll see taped markings. These I put on the rod for measurements. The one closer to the handle is 12" from the end of the rod at the cap. The other piece of tape is 20"...I guess to salmon to be 21"...the fish was caught in Rangeley Maine, and it gave that Orvis 5wt all it could handle.

I have some terrific news coming.....Cane and Silk news...stay tuned.

A Fall Fly...

A day or so ago Rowan over at the Connecticut Fly Angler did a blog post about fall patterns. He had several fly boxes along with several close-ups with jointed streamers. Gazing as closely as I could I saw many fine selections of flies that will tempt trout and salmon. But as I scanned the flies over and over I could not see one of what I would consider to be the ultimate fall fly. The "Hornberg". This is a very old pattern and has been in my box since first going to Maine and seeing what seemed like endless sizes and colors of this fly.

This fly was created by Frank Hornberg of Wisconsin. It has a history that is somewhat conflicting and that can be said about many of these old patterns. The one fact that can't be disputed is that the Hornberg catches fish...big fish. Here in my Connecticut waters I have taken lots of trout, and bass on the Hornberg. Years ago before the time when I carried a digital camera photos were not taken and several big fish were not on film, but the memory of these is tucked into my minds journal. Two of these memories I'll share briefly with you.

While fishing the Rangeley River in and area known as the "Bathtub" I was working a big Hornberg through some heavy swirling waters. The fly was sucked under and pulled through a slack spot. Suddenly I saw the head of a big brook trout come up and suck the fly in. I could feel the weight of this fish as it headed for the bottom. I did my best to coax this fish to me but it would not go along with me. After several attempts at moving the trout he did just that and that was it. He came up and headed for heavy fast water and was last seen headed for Mooselookmeguntic Lake. Another time while fishing the Magalloway River I had a salmon slam the Horngerg as I stripped it back as a streamer. This fish estimated to be 20+ inches, I guess this from the number of times he jumped. These big fish know just where to go when in trouble and this one was no different.

In the first photo is a fly rod with a Hornberg.

Hornbergs as dry flies

There are many variations of the Hornberg and I have posted several here.

Hornberg to fished like a streamer

Yellow Honbergs are very effective

This Connecticut brook trout has a connection with the fly and fly rod in the first photo.

The Hornberg I used to take many trout. It should be in the fly box of every angler who will fish for trout and salmon in the fall, especially in New England.

Walt, a size 6 Hornberg. The soft hackle is a 14

A Hope, A Mystery, and "A Ghost"

Connecticut has many streams that have access to the sea. This is one stream located in southeast CT. It's a stream that's part of an Atlantic salmon restoration program. It's also a good trout stream,one that receives a fairly good stocking of fish. The stream has many little tribs that may run cooler than the main river, and these tribs may have some natural reproduction of trout.
Its habitat must be so that Atlantic salmon can spawn some where along its length.
Although I have never caught an adult salmon, they are present.

The salmon are protected as they should be.

While trout fishing this stream, one can locate prime salmon holding areas. I have hopes that someday my grand children can fish for the wild leaper, fresh from the sea.




The Atlantic salmon, a fish from the sea. He moves through his fresh water haunts. A ghostly figure sort of, one that is not seen but who's presence can be felt.

This streamer was created for him........."A Ghost"