Bombers, plunge pools and the rewards.

A survivor of the plunge pools

One of the areas of a stream where I enjoy fishing are the plunge pools. They are found in most freestone streams and come in various sizes. Some of these pools can be shallow and some quite deep even on small streams. These pools are a food basket for trout. They wash in food into a concentrated area. The food is turned and twisted by the currents, some of which can be moving in opposite directions. And the part I like is they don't give the trout time to inspect the food.

There are many flies that can be fished in these plunge pools, but the one fly I think is best is the "Bomber". When the swift water takes it over the stones and it sinks it's makeup brings it back up like a cork. Movement as such usually brings a strike.

Here are a couple of typical plunge poos on a small stream. You can find trout in various sizes in here, and I have found that there are usually more fish in here than one would think. A lot of flies and fish are lost in such pools, there is a lot of wood debris and various stones there which makes escape very easy.

This beautiful wild fella was taken from the pool above the other day on a "Bomber"

In this pool I had several strikes and two SDR's before I had a solid hookup.

This brookie came from the pool above on the left side. Again on a Bomber.

These are great places to fish, and they do hold trout. Take the time to fish them, perhaps loose some flies, but the rewards can be special.

The Picket Finn.....thanks Fran and Mark

Marks version of Betters "Picket Finn"

Years ago while visiting the Adirondacks of New York I stopped in Wilmington and paid a visit to Fran Betters fly shop. There I purchased several flies, and one in particular that i never knew the name of. So I sent an email to Jan Betters, along with a photo of the fly and she responded with the name, the Picket Finn. I did a post on the fly and Mark over at "Fishing Small Streams" got the necessary materials and tied up a few for me. The first time I tried them back in January I hooked a brookie, and a chub. I put the fly in my box and there it stayed until the other day.

While fishing a new blue line, well a new section of a familiar blue line I took the Picket Finn out and gave it a try......it worked.

The new section of small stream. Lots of hemlocks, and tanic water.

While this stream had some deep pockets most of it was thin water. The fly had a beadhead and it brought the fly down fast, and that created lots of hangups. Perhaps Mark could tie a few without the bead.

When the fly was able to work without a hangup it produced some nice fish...even a few to hand.

One such pool that allowed the Picket Finn to work its magic.

A wild brookie and the Picket Finn. I have a few flies that were in Frans personal fly box. On my next outing to this stream I'm going to try them.

Saw these along the stream, don't know what they are but they are so pretty.

Click images to enlarge.

Septembers First Outing

A spooky early morning stream

Sunday morning was to be my first outing of September. A new month and the beginning of the new season, unofficially that is. I chose to fish a small stream located deep in a forest. This stream holds a good population of wild brookies and generally runs cold even through out the warmer months. The night before some parts of the state received heavy rains which is welcomed at least by us small stream guys. As I pulled off the road and onto the dirt service road I could tell that this area got rocked with rain. The pot holes were full of water and the trees were still dripping.

The streams access point is about a mile or so back into the hemlock and hardwood forest. It seemed a bit spooky driving through the woods on this misty, foggy and somewhat dark morning. Nearing the stream I could hear water rushing. I said to myself that can't be the stream. The closer I got to it the louder the sound was. As I pulled off the road to park I got my first look at the stream. I could not believe what I saw. This little mountain freestone brook was ripping. Seeing this I knew I had a tough outing ahead.

I figured with water as such my choice would be to fish the slower pockets with a wet fly, and that's what I did. After many casts and several spots without a response I thought to myself this is going to be one of those days when I would earn my fish. Then on one cast that veered off course into some very heavy current a trout grabbed the fly. He was on a brief time then departed. I cast the fly in a similar current and it was taken.

Early Autumn Colors

My first brook trout to hand on this day was beautiful. This fish was in almost full spawn colors. Perhaps with the higher flows of the stream he was moving upstream to the place where he would start the next generation.

The stream gave up a few more of its brookies.

As well as some vibrant colors along the stream.

This run/pool gave up several hard strikes, and one very beautiful brook trout. A male in good color showing a slight kype.

A Connecticut Wild Brook Trout

Click Images To Enlarge

The Soft Hackle Streamer

In the course of our lifetime we have the chance to meet some very wonderful and talented fly tyers. Some of these tyers are very close to us and we may even fish with them from time to time. And then there are those tyers who are considered innovators, the ones who create some of the best fly patterns. This is one of those fly tyers.

I had the opportunity to meet Jack Gartside in the late 90's at a fly fishing show outside of Boston. At that time I was new to tying flies and barely could produce something that even remotely considered a fly. But at show and for a brief time I witnessed Jacks ability at the vise I was able to walk away a better tyer. Jack was the person responsible for my decision to purchase my tying vise, which is the Regal Medallion.

Below is a pattern he crated. It uses few materials, and can be easily tied. You can vary the colors used to create many baitfish patterns.

The materials needed to tie the Gartside's "Soft Hackle Streamer". Marabou, Crystal Flash, and a Mallard Flank Feather, some thread and a hook.

Here are a few "soft hackle streamers" I tied using various colors of marabou.

A close up of a gray marabou soft hackle streamer. It can represent many small minnows that swim our rivers and lakes.

This attractor pattern of yellow and red marabou takes on the look of the "Mickey Finn"

Many of these soft hackle patterns can be tied in sizes to fish for trout, salmon, steelhead, bass, and various saltwater game fish.