Stop and Look

Why do we fish? Well that's a simple question and and equally simple answer follows...it's to catch fish. Very true and you will not get an argument on that from me. But, there is so much more to fishing and if you only believe that catching fish is why you do it then reading on is probably not for you.

I spend so much time not fishing when I'm fishing that if it were a law I'd be in jail. Scenes like you see here show just how much more there is to fishing. A little stream seems to void of fish, when in fact there are quite a few. A dry fly dropped on the slick still pool brings a rise. Now being a splashy rise the other fish head for cover.

Just look at all the places you'll find fish in this photo. I'll not tell you the spots instead I'll let you find them.

Wide open spaces, sunny spots. Not ideal for sure but you can see the places where a fly will connect.

Now here is what I mean when I say I spend as much time not fishing as I do fishing. This little water fall had my attention for quite some time. I took several photos and sat on a rock just thinking about the trout that use the area of the falls. When there is high water do the brookies leap the falls. In the deep run below the falls do they hold and hide. The wood jam is also beautiful in it's own right. Next time out stop for a few minutes and see what's really going on, it's like catching that big one.

Days Of Enchantment, and Kodachrome?

Sunday morning I woke with the thought of going fishing, well most mornings I wake with the same thought but this Sunday was a bit different in the fact that Saturday we recieved a generous rainfall. I knew that many of the streams benefited and I was going to try to take advantage. The stream I chose to fish is a freestone brook that flows off a small mountain. It has a reputation of holding a brookie or two and it is rather easy to fish with exception of a few laurel thickets. The rocks can be a pain especially when you slide on one.

First view of the stream and all's well in life....my goodness is there anything better.

A waterfall that was pushing a fair amount of water. I took some video with sound of it and will post it soon. At the bottom are several small pools, and in these pools lie some fish...

...impressive fish at that. This male brook trout was almost in full Autumn dress. I have noticed several of the brookies I've caught in the last few weeks taking on color.

While the streams are full of water one must still take caution to ensure that water temps are satisfactory and this one is as cold as it can be for August. 58 degrees....

Moving upstream I stopped to work a fly through most of the prime looking water, sometimes they held fish and sometimes they don't, and there are those times when you hook fish and they take the liberty of releasing themselves before you can get a look.

Precious.....a wild native jewel.

Paul Simon said in his wonderful song Kodachrome that everything looks worse in black and white....well not so fast, looks pretty good.

Days of enchantment.

The Stream In Hemlock Hollow

I am so fortunate to have so many streams to fish. Many of them have wild trout and some of them have lot's of wild trout. Several of these streams I fish regularly and a few of them seem to slip through the cracks and a reason for this I can't give. Sunday I fished a stream that I have not laid eyes on in two years. Funny though even after so long a time I felt like I fished it yesterday. It was a beautiful as the last time I saw it, with the fact that some new blow downs took up residence in a few runs it was pretty much the same.

The stream was up considerably from the decent rain we have gotten in the last weeks, and some of the pools were dark and deep. They say that brook trout like deep and dark pools, can we believe what some say?

In one such deep and dark pool I decided to test that saying out.

I found several wild brookies in that pool. Some at the top, some in the middle and several at the tail.

The stream as it flows through the laurel and hemlock. Several large oaks were in the mix also.

Brookies were in the riffles , and loved a big fly.

A sign of an early Autumn? Oaks dropping acorns..

You just never know where in the stream a brook trout will be found. You have to fish all of the water.....

...and when you do you may encounter fish like this. Another sign of an early Autumn? This male had a very pronounced hook in the jaw. His mouth inside was as black as coal, a trait I've seen and it was in large brook trout. I hope we meet again.

Why? Maybe A Bit Odd......

Here we are August 1st. We are starting the last month of summer. I know many are not happy to hear about this but there are many who believe it couldn't come quicker. My feelings are that of someone who is right in the middle. We'll see....

"Cobble" those stones we find on small streams. Most pay no attention to them or probably don't even know they exist. I may be a little odd but I stop all the time when I see something like that which is pictured above. Such a multitude of size, color and shapes. Where did they come from? How long will they remain? What is living under them? It's stuff like this that intrigues me. Do you ever give "cobble" a thought?

I came upon a berry bush near the water. One large fully ripe berry remained while the clump of others were obviously eaten. Now why was this one left?

Now there would be enormous concern if this "bug" landed on my shoulder....

The "hemlock" a guardian along the stream. These trees do so much for the well being of wild trout. And when you come across a hemlock along the stream fish the water just above and below, chances are you will be wonderfully surprised.

They say the Italian's can't live without the tomato, this Italian agrees. Diced native plum tomato's, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Where's the crusty bread?