"The day after Thanksgiving"

While others were still trying to digest what was consumed on a wonderful Thanksgiving day, as well as those who chose to take a beat down to save a few bucks at the mall, I was the one who said I'm going to spend this day so called "Black Friday" at my favorite brookie stream. After several cups of Java at home I headed east, taking note of the heavy traffic thankfully headed in the opposite direction and saying am I glad there's none of that stuff cluttering my day.

We had received some snow and in some locations more than others. The woods along the stream were beautiful in their winter dress, the first of the season. The water was brilliant, crisp and clear. This was a day to fool a trout into taking a dry fly. First up was a "Bomber". I drifted it in the locations where I knew there would be someone waiting. No takers. Moving along the stream I changed to a parachute Adams and worked the fly in searching fashion but with the same result. It was time to try something else, something that was closer to where the trout were holding.

I tied on a beadhead fly some would call it a nymph but I don't fish nymphs so I call it a BH soft hackle, now some would call this BS and perhaps rightfully so. Well anyway the fly so brought a strike on the third cast, with a hookup that was short lived. Moving along to the next pool I was greeted with a subtle strike and the result this time was a beautiful little brook trout. The brookie was in great shape, a sign that things were good in this stream.

As I continued to fish I came to this plunge pool. Upon closing in I spooked a good sized trout, perhaps a foot long. The fish darted upstream and vanished near the undercut. I did not fish the pool, deciding to leave it be and come back and fish it on the way out which I did. It took about an hour before I returned to the pool. This time my approach was a little bit more cautious. I tossed the fly in and as it drifted a shadow darted for the fly but seemed to hesitate before taking and retreated. A second drift brought a strike and the trout was on.

A few moments later I slid my hand under this handsome wild brown. He was not the big boy I scared earlier but still a prize on this "Black Friday"