Mountains And Forests

Mountains and forests and brook trout seem to go together. When they are looked at separately their beauty and grace are almost unbeatable. When they are combined there is nothing in the natural world that can compare. In her book "Brook Trout Forest" author Kathy Scott wrote..."someone once said that if you pour cold water on mountains you'll get brook trout. If you pour cold water through forests you'll get them too". When you think about that your conclusion has to be the same.

Such is the case for this little intimate stream here in Connecticut. Not a destination of traveling anglers, or a stream written in the pages of fly fishing literature. But it is home to wild brook trout and for this angler that's enough.

It's little runs and plunges hold brook trout...if your "not" careful you'll see them as they dart away.

But when care is used and a fly placed on the water a little jewel will grace your hand.

I'm glad for these tiny places, and I'm always excited to fish these small streams.

The true "spirits of the stream".....

"Cabin Creek" Almost A Zero For.......

Sunday morning dawned quite crisp, well cold. There was a breeze that made it feel colder. With a decision to fish made already the only thing left to decide was what time to leave. I had to be home by two and it was almost ten so quickly the gear was loaded and off I went. The stream I chose was close to home, "Cabin Creek" a stream I'm familiar with and have written about before. The stream has both brook trout and brown trout with the latter prevailing. I started fishing a dry fly and it was not welcomed. The pools held enough water to fish a nymph but a soft-hackle was the fly selected....partridge and orange.

As it turned out it was the right choice for I had a hook-up on the second cast. Great......

Up stream I moved fishing beautiful pools and hooking fish. I assume they were browns but I was not certain for I was given the slip in all of the hook-ups.

Upon the time of arrival at this pool I was 0 for 5. That would be a good day but you would like to bring in one for a photo. I cast the fly near the branch sticking out above the water. As the fly drifted I saw the fish chase and suddenly back off...perhaps I was spotted. I cast several more times in different areas of the pool. And on one of those casts a fish struck. The brown jumped and cleared the water....stop that I said, not wanting to loose another.

Moments later I finally had him in close. I lifted him up and a quick photo and back into the stream. I went 1 for 6, but it was one of my better days.

Restocking the box......

When Is It Enough?

"Good Morning Folks"...enough or to much, minimum or maximum...what did I forget, and I'll never need that. Those are some of the thoughts that we as fly fishers ponder, I know the first question is one I'm always tossing about. Now is that to much eggs, or potatoes should I omit the sausage? Oh man. Well I've got a few more...perhaps you have the same thoughts.

On a recent trip to the Cape I carried my usual compliment of gear. Several boxes of flies, and two rods of different sizes. All that was needed is shown above. This has been the case for every trip I've made there. "Enough is some times to much".....

A local small stream..enough water for sure, a nice deep gentle pool, it's sure to hold a fish or two, then why fish the skinny riffle below?

I love tying flies. Those beautiful Rangeley streamers, classic Catskill patterns that are so exquisite, Bergman wet flies so beautiful, but.....Who can argue with the fly pictured here. Thread body, and a turn or two of hackle. Enough to catch a fish most any where.

Here's one thing I'll never have enough of....this beautiful almost unique colored brook trout was taken in a small Connecticut stream.

Some "food for thought" folks.

Hemlocks And Riffles

The hemlock and the riffle are probably my to favorite places to fish when I'm on a small stream. I will never pass up the chance to toss a fly in either location if possible. Over many years and  many different streams I've fished it's these places that seem to produce for me. On this outing which was to find the stream on the low side I was able to find a few deep pools that held some nice trout. As most times they were able to see me and scattered like frightened mice. So the alternative to getting frustrated I chose to fish the riffles and hemlocks to help conceal my presence.

This section of water was flowing well, and was quite deep. Along with that there were leaf jams and other wood debris that seem to say "fishy". I dropped the fly on the first slick spot and "boom" a brook trout rose and took the caddis.

This pretty little guy was photographed and thanked....he was back at it in a few seconds.

I continued to fish this mine-section and was able to bring another brookie to the surface. Further results here were a fly in the debris and a loos of that fly.

This fast little run had an interesting undercut right at the tree. Alan you know there has to be a fish there. One cast, two casts, three casts and a forth cast that brought the fish up.

A striking lady...she was in perfect condition with the most beautiful colored spots. The red dots almost look like a fine point marker placed them there.

It was a good day fishing under the hemlocks and in the riffles....by the way the elk-hair caddis is a perfect fly for such places.