The "Black Ghost"

The Black Ghost streamer was another great pattern form the State of Maine to recieve fame worldwide, this being of its fish taking abilities. The fly was originated by Herbert Welch of Oquossoc Maine about 1927. Mr. Whelch who was a very accomplished taxidermist and guide had his shop on Haines Landing Maine, which was a stones throw from Mooselookmeguntic Lake.

The fly was used to catch Landlocked Salmom and Brook Trout which it did very well, but also is used for other gamefish and Atlantic Salmon.

Mr. Welch tied his with a feather wing, but another version is tied with marabou, which has proved to be deadly in its ability to take fish. Some say the marabou version is better than the featherwing original.

The clssic featherwing "Black Ghost"

The marabou Black Ghost



Yellow and Orange

With Connecticut being on the snowstorm high priority list its been very hard to try to fish a stream, or for that matter locate one thats open.
So I stayed at the vise today and tied up a few Yellow/ Orange Palmers. This pattern proved to be very effective at the end of last season, and I'm hopeful that success will continue this spring.

Yellow Palmers and Orange Palmers

And in keeping with the same colors I made some Polenta, which is cooked cornmeal, its spread out onto a plate and allowed to cool. Its then topped with a beautiful meat sauce, grated cheese, and enjoyed.... Yellow and Orange

A Chill Breaker

The Upper Androscoggin River near Eroll N.H., near the Maine Border


With the snow and cold that has the Northeast locked in, we have been tying flies, cleaning reels, lines, getting our tax info, doing odd jobs around home etc. About the only thing were not doing is enjoying our favorite trout stream.
I enjoy reading at these times, some of the stuff I have read many times, and some new stuff. The blogs have been a good source of knowledge and some humor.

While doing some research on the net I came across this story. It takes place where these photos were taken. I have fished these rivers many times and have great memories.

Take a few minutes and enjoy the story, it may even feel like your there.


http://www.crabcoll.com/journal/fish.html

The Rangeley River, in Oquossoc Maine. I can feel the tug of my streamer by one of the Landlocked Salmon that reside here.

"Stoney Batter"

Mooselookmeguntic Lake is the largest lake in the Rangeley Lakes region of Maine, and is the third largest lake in Maine. It holds populations of Landlocked Salmon, and Brook Trout. The lake can be spectacular fishing, and can be extremely dangerous when the weather becomes stormy. I have fished this lake many times trolling its waters with streamer flies, and Mooselook Wobblers.

Some of the more productive areas of this lake are in the Bugle Cove, trolling across the lake to Farrington Island. But the area thats special to me is Stoney Batter point to Farrington Island. This area is a good place to pick up a nice brookie.

The streamer fly I created is named for this area of Mooselookmeguntic.
"Stoney Batter"

Some of the wilderness that encompases this lake.

Looking at Mooselookmeguntic Lake from Upper Dam

A calm pristine Mooselookmeguntic

"Stoney Batter"



Winters Thaw

As we are about to set a few records in snowfall totals, and have been freezing our tails off, with the weekend freeze about to go lower, I for one could use a break.
The shows are going, we all probably have been filling our fly box voids, and wishing for a little thaw so we could drop a fly and have it drift without collecting sno-cone material.
So while looking back over last year I found some warmth in some of my photos. Bask for awhile in the warmth of these.

"Ausable Darter"

Taking some of the materials used in the Ausable Bomber, and Ausable Wulff, which are highly successful flies. I created a streamer which I believe will work as a small baitfish, as well as an imitation of a hopper or stonefly.

I have a few more ideas on this fly and will tie a few variants to see how they look. This is a dubbed body streamer.

"Ausable Darter"

Thread, Hot Orange
Hook, Mustad 3665A #10
Rib, Flat Gold Tinsel
Body, Dubbed Orange Australian Opposum
Wing, Woodchuck Gaurd Hair
Hackle, Grizzly and Brown



A "Friend" Returns Home

My broken Orvis, 12/4/10


Last evening while sitting at the tying desk the doorbell rang. Getting up to answer the door, Jeanette yelled upstairs, I'll get it. After a few minutes she said you have a package, I think its your rod back from Orvis.

I took the long package and opened it. I soon saw the familiar black aluminum rod tube, took the top off and removed the sock from the tube, gently removing the rod. I was truly amazed at the way Orvis had restored my friend, to the way I had purchased it so many years ago. The tip was repaired, they replaced the cork handle, and the reel seat. All this in about a months time, and they paid the shipping both ways. They have my endorsement as a fine company who will back what they sell.

It feels good to have my friend back home, ready for another outing.

"My Friend"

A restored Orvis Superfine Small Stream Special

"South Bog"

"South Bog" is a streamer fly I created, and named for what I believe is the most beautiful wild brook trout stream in New England. Its located in Maine's western mountains tucked into the spruce and maple woods. Its inhabitants will not break any records, with a trophy of ten inches being a great catch. I have fished this wild gem for many years, fishing it in the Autumn, trying to see if one of those lake giants would strike my Mickey Finn streamer. This area of Maine has many more productive waters to fish, but none as beautiful as South Bog.

Autumn in the Maine woods, alongside South Bog.

This gentleman from Glastonbury, CT. a Trinity College Professor loved this area so much that he wrote a poem that is posted at an entrance to South Bog. He died in the winter of 2007, falling through the ice on Rangeley Lake while cross country skiing.



"Colors"

As a youngster my fishing was limited to a few local golf course ponds and a few others I maybe should not have fished. Night crawlers were the bait of choice and it worked well for some time. I saved enough money and bought a Mitchell 300 spinning reel, at the time it was tops. With the new spinning combo I also purchased a few Original Daredevle's in red and white. The next trip to the golf course pond I was amazed by the number of pickerel that this lure brought in, they would attack it with gusto.

While fishing the Farmington River years after I fished this Daredevle with confidence and it produced its share of trout. When I picked up the fly rod, a new arsenal would be needed, but funds were limited so the flies I purchased must be good fish catchers. One of the first flies I spotted in the shop was a Red and White bucktail, I purchased a few to start along with some others and was off to the river. That Red and White bucktail worked as well on those stocked trout as the Daredevle.

Some how the bucktail was put into the box and more realistic insect looking flies were used. It stayed pretty much lkie that until one August while we were vacationing in Rangeley Maine. While walking down the long road to Upperdam, two flyfishers were on there way back. We chatted for a while and they said the Red and White were working. As I tied on a #10 Red and White and cast it into those rough swirlling waters, a silver streak came up from his bottom lie to slam the bucktail. That short evening was a top 10 in my fly fishing days.

I still use that Red and White from time to time, with thoughts of that Landlocked salmon in Upperdams waters showing his colors for the Red and White bucktail

The "Red and White" bucktail. A simple and perhaps not used enough fly.



New Years Day...... In The Journal

A few days ago an idea was brought forth, to fish a small stream on New Year's Day. So a few emails sent and the deal was locked in. Pete, "TROUT1", and John, "Apache Trout" and myself arrived at the stream of choice, a beautiful little wild trout stream tucked into the Eastern Connecticut countryside. The sky was sunny and clear, and the air temp was in the 40's not bad for January 1st. While getting into our waders and assembling rods, Pete noticed a small stonefly on the snow, than another, and then what looked to be a caddis. As we walked to the stream I was going to drift a Bomber, why not a dry fly trout for the first fish of 2011.

As we fished for a few hours we met at a special pool on this stream to compare note's. Pete had been fishing nymphs, and soft hackle's, and had a hookup, although briefly. The only activity I had was a trout following a yellow marabou streamer. And then along came John with a grin like a kid on Christmas morning. This man had done something that's hard to believe. He showed us a pic of a healthy wild brook trout of good proportions, he had taken this fish in a long slick pool on a....... are you ready for this.... A "Hornberg". This is a great fly and accounts for many fish over the season, but this is a first for John, Pete, and myself.

So the start of a good year is in the journal. Thanks John, and Pete.

Pete working a good pool

Was this the pool where the "Hornberg" worked its magic?

John's beautiful wild "Hornberg" brookie. The photo courtesy of John.

Tailgating stream side.