Excitement, and The Golden Badger

This is a post about several exciting happenings that took place a day or so ago. The first was a visit I paid to a stream, a small one that holds wild brookies. This stream last year at this time was very low, with stream temps that made it not fish able. This summer up to this point has been a bit more generous in the rain fall, being slightly better. And although we have had some very hot days I don't believe it was as bad as last summer.

Upon arriving at the stream I could see that the flows were OK, and the dark leaf canopy was doing its part to keep things cool. The water was very clear and after a few steps I startled many trout, sending them for cover. As I walked along the banks I dropped my thermometer into the water, its readings were another exciting happening of the day..... 64 degrees. I continued to check the temps as I fished this little stream and the temps were consistent.

I tied on a mayfly pattern I had tied the day before, a lovely fly that was tied with some badger hackle that had been dyed gold. As I sent the fly along a riffled run, I was hoping for a rise from a brookie. This being a small stream the response comes quick, and is generally not repeated... I just gave away my position the trout would say. The rise came after a few drifts, and the brookie was on...off in a few seconds. While this happened more than normal, it did not frustrate me, I was excited that the fly was doing its part.

I am very familiar with these waters and over many years I have taken lots of brookies here. They are all wild fish. On a few outings, I could count them on one hand I have taken wild browns. These few browns were in the 10 to 12 inch range, very robust fish. This was the most exciting part of this outing. Along a very dark deep run, that swept the water into a undercut, the mayfly was molested by a flash of silver, in a moment a beautiful little wild brown was in hand. I took a quick photo, and released the wonderful wild fish back into the stream. Off it went, disappearing back into the undercut. I stopped to think about just what happened. A trout of this size, had to begin its life in this stream.
Perhaps at the start of this outing I had hopes for a different result in the maiden outing of this little mayfly. But upon holding that little wild brown, I realized my hopes were fulfilled.

Clear, and cool. The woody debris, the stones, and the leaf canopy, all doing there part.

The gold badger hackled mayfly.

The wild beauty of this beautifully spotted, red adipose fin little brown capped the excitement of a few hours on this little stream.





When I got home that afternoon I found this waiting. My son had made this pizza.
Fresh native tomatoes, broccoli, grilled chicken, and fresh mozzarella.
Talk about exciting...

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