"Pipeline"

Pipeline Pool, Farmington River

Another streamer named after a well known pool on the Farmington River. This pool and it's nooks and crannies can give up some wonderful trout. It can be a bit tricky to fish, but is always worth the effort. In this pool is where I took my PB brook trout last year.

This is where I saw a angler fish for a long long time, casting his dry fly to one fish. The fish would rise and miss the fly. This continued for quite awhile, but I was told by another angler that was with this gent, that he eventually won and was able to land the trout.

"Pipeline"

Hook, Martinek Rangeley Streamer...Body, Orange Yarn...Tag and Rib, Flat Silver Tinsel...Throat, Orange, White, Hackle Fibers...Wing, Four Orange Saddle Hackles...Shoulder, Mallard Flank Feather dyed Gold...Cheeks, Jungle Cock.

A memorable February outing.

We were gifted with two snow events this week. One Monday and the other Wednesday. In between I was able to get out and do some fishing. Last Saturday we did some scouting, and the streams were pretty well locked in with ice. With a few days of moderating temps allowed them to rid themselves of the ice so that they were actually almost ice free.

It's nice walking stream side and yours are the only tracks in the snow. Such was the case here with the only exception being some white tail tracks.

I was fishing streamers today, one in particular that was featured in my last post with a antron dubbed body and mallard wing. As the fly worked through the pool a trout struck. As I worked the fish to me I could see it was a brown. A few moments later as I put my hand into the water the brown worked free.

A dubbed body streamer.

As I worked the stream the suns rays were really working. The chill seemed to leave and although it was winter it felt really good on the back and shoulders. In this run I worked the streamer from side to side. And on one of the retrieves I had a strong strike. As the hook set the fish went airborne. It appeared to be silvery and quite strong. Several small runs and the trout was close at hand. Reaching down again and sliding my hand under the fish I was surprised to see a beautiful rainbow. Its colors in the water were brilliant. As I lifted the trout up and photographed it quickly it suddenly turned and was swimming away before I knew it.

My first trout of February. The rainbow had lovely markings, including parr marks, which make me feel it was wild.

So although it was a short outing in time spent in swinging streamers, it was a memorable one for sure.

Dubbed streamers

Using dubbing to create bodies for streamers is an idea I've been fooling around with these last few weeks. The simplicity of the fly makes it pretty easy to tie, and even a tyer just starting can whip up a few of these and catch fish. I took this one out yesterday and managed several nice trout in a couple hours. That report will come later.

This streamer has an antron fiber for the body. I chose this material because of its sparkle. Antron dubbing comes in many colors so you can create many patterns to suit your fishing. The materials needed are Antron dubbing, red hackle fibers. You can use any color hackle for a tail. Thin silver ribbing, again you can use gold if you like. The ribbing gives the fly some flash as well as durability. For the wing use mallard flank feathers, this one uses natural mallard. The use of dyed mallard feathers can be used. The streamer is tied on a number 10 hook so it's perfect for the small stream as well as larger rivers and still water lakes and ponds.

"Lyman Rock"

Listed in this book are the major pools and runs of the Farmington River. I have chosen to tie streamers for most of them, especially the ones I have, and continue to fish. In time when a whole lot of ambition flows my direction I'll assemble and frame them. While I fish streamers in the "Farmy" and have taken some memorable fish with them I made need the help of a few anglers who fish the "Farmy" on a regular basis to help test these streamers.

Well here go's to ambition and streamers.

"Lyman Rock"

This is a pool in the upper region of the Farmington River. It is where the Still River joins the West Branch. Deep swirling waters occur here and it's a great location for a streamer.