How to kill a salter stream

This is very upsetting. There are fingerprints here and persons need to be held accountable.


How to kill a salter stream

"Home Waters"

Yesterday before the rains came I took a walk along a small stream I claim to be my "home water". With the lack of rain the brook was low in places and full in the deeper pools and fast moving brook trout were observed. These trout were a mix of young of the year and adults, and seeing this mix did my heart good. I knew that brook trout on high alert would not be easy to get them to take a fly, and I was right. They did however grace me with one or two at the end of my line.

I fished for a few hours, and the rain started to fall lightly. The wind was present and the leaves fell ruining a perfect fly drift most times. I did not care it just felt good knowing that all was well with the brook trout of my home waters.

Little places such as those seen here, where the stream bends and slips to a tree hiding an undercut is where you could expect a strike.

And nine out of ten times it came. Here is one of those strikes that turned into a hookup and to hand a beautiful wild char.

By the time I got to this run the rain had picked up some and I was getting wet. So I decided I was going to cast a few more times an cover the run and head back to the car.

On one of those last casts I met this jewel. A wild spirit of the stream.

Ramblings, Barns, Fields, and..........

Jeanette and I have been riding around the Connecticut countryside these last few weeks and truly enjoying all that fall has to offer. The leaves have been in various stages of color, and I might add they are as beautiful this year as any of the 50 plus years I have been viewing them. In our travels we have seen many small farms along the way. These are family farms, with livestock, fruits and vegetables. Some even offer homemade baked goods such as pies, cookies, and breads. A few of these came home with us.

So join us on this little road trip.

There were about a dozen of these cows on this farm. They took an interest in us briefly but settled in to what they prefer.

I can't begin to tell you of the many flocks of wild turkeys we encountered. Here they seemed to be enjoying insects and not worrying about the fella with the camera.

We crossed over many streams in our travels. Connecticut is blessed with these waters, many of which have no names. Some of these are full of brook trout some are not.

We came upon this place, and I said to Jeanette I want to buy it...perhaps in another time. The rustic barn with those colorful fields were eye candy, and we viewed it for quite some time before we ventured up the farm road.

While walking through the field we encountered this little stream. It was choked with fallen leaves but still had good water flow. There were many little nooks and crannies where fish could hide.

When a little wet fly was pulsed near a root undercut a wild brook trout took it.

These are the days.

October, "be apart of it"

October's precious days are in decline and fading like the days light. Soon we will be faced with the bleak features of November. I'm not complaining for I can find much to enjoy in any month of the year. The scenes in the photos are Octobers finest, and the last outing I took part in was spectacular.

Walking a woods road the colors just jump out at you, and if there is a stream nearby the leaves on the bottom are enhanced to bring out incredible color.

On this outing I was joined by Kirk and we selected a special blue line to fish and perhaps fool a few natives into taking our flies.

I soon found a willing combatant who quickly pounced on a soft-hackle wet fly. Can anything be more beautiful? Kirk and I had many strikes today and several brook trout to hand.

In a spot as this one can find such peace of mind, all of the distractions that life throws at us are quickly lost. It is here that another native of this stream came calling.

The "Redfin Pickerel" took my soft-hackle and quickly tore up the quiet pool. This "lie-in-wait" predator is at home in brook trout forest.

Some advice.....leave the chores, take this day and go out and be apart of October before it's gone.

Small Stream Fishing 10-20-15

Monday I teamed up with Pete,aka "TROUTI" for a brush busting small stream outing. We arrived at the stream around 10:30 with some bright sunshine at our backs. We were both armed with Cabelas 5'9" 3wt glass rods and enough flies to handle all challenges. I had tied up a few flies to be used this day and gave a couple to Pete to try. Geared up we started for the water. The stream was cold, clear and full of leaves in places. These leaf jams proved to be hiding places for the brook trout. On numerous times the fly when near these leaf hideouts took a vicious strike, and a hookup or two.

We each hooked up swiftly to the resident chubs, these silver bullets will bend your rod like you would never believe. It was Pete who first got on board with a beautiful wild brookie. The roll cast was made near a log undercut and the flymph struck.

Pete with a "family secret" brook trout at hand.

As we fished the stream we encountered several trout holding in the deeper holes. Some of the trout scattered like crazy ants, and others held there ground.

In the pool above on the other side of the tree a wet fly cast, I should say it was more like a toss, to the slack water. The fly lay almost motionless for a few seconds. As I moved the fly a swirl and a hard take. I could tell the fish was a good one. Several strong runs and some bottom bull dogging occurred before the trout was subdued. As I laid my hand in the water and lifted him up the thought came to mind.."prime condition" a quick photo and off he went.

We continued to walk and fish, each of us commenting on what a day it had been. That's when we noticed four of the most beautiful BIG brook trout. They were moving near the bank just under the tree branch. I told Pete to have at it and try to fool one of these lunkers.

Pete in position to present the fly. He would have one maybe two casts before the trout would spook. He made a cast and the trout struck. You could tell by the swirl that it was a big fish. Pete's rod bent big time and the trout was on/off...in seconds. We both tried to get these fish to take but it was not to be.

On the way out we met this gent who was on the finishing strokes of a fine oil painting of one of the pools we had fished earlier.

It was good fishing Pete...........

"Flymphs"......What?

The "Flymph" is the name Pete Hidy gave this style of fly. I guess it's a cross between a wet fly and a nymph. The basic pattern call for silk thread, I use cotton, natural dubbing, I mix some synthetics, tinsel, or wire, and soft hackle feathers from a chicken or game bird. Flymphs can be fished on the swing, dead drifted, allowed to sink to the bottom and worked back like a bugger. In most cases these flies will bring a strike, even to fish that don't appear to be feeding.

This is a flymph I tie. This one uses badger hackle, I like this for the natural dark color near the center, it add a bit of a thorax. The dubbing is hares mask with a bit of UV, a tail of Coq de Leon and a fine gold tinsel rib.

These flies are pretty easy to tie and they will most times bring the angler a strike.

So the next time out give the "Flymph" a shot, you never know.

Some Potpouri and Sea-Run Brook Trout

White turnips, aka purple top turnips are a great substitution for potatoes. This variety of turnip is not like those gas filled bitter tasting yellow waxed rutabagas that seem to be familiar to most of us, instead they are sweet and tender and have a bright white flesh. They can be used in any meal that calls for potatoes. I have used them in stews, soups, they're wonderful mashed and when roasted with other root vegetables will top the rest of the meal. One of my favorite ways of making the white turnip is to peel, "which they do very easily" then dice them and drop them into boiling water with a pinch of salt. Boil until fork tender which is about 15 minutes, drain and then add them to a skillet in which is some oil, or if you have bacon fat would be awesome. Season with salt and pepper if desired and paprika and fry "til golden brown.

Fried white turnip....great instead of breakfast potatoes.

Some of the streamers that work on searun brook trout

I just want to pass along to you something I think is very worthwhile, and not only to trout fisherman but to all who love the outdoors in its natural setting. The link is to the Sea-Run Brook Trout Coalition.....http://www.searunbrookie.org/
 
They have done such a wonderful job of trying to restore this very unique brook trout to its native streams. When you access the site you can access their Facebook page in which you'll find current doings. I hope you'll take the time to check them out. Just in case the link doesn't work the one below this post will.

One Of My Ten Best Days

Today was possibly one of the ten best days on a small stream I've ever had. It seemed that everything was perfect. The weather was a ten out of ten. The woods were so quiet you could hear nature talk. The stream was cold and leaf covered, with the bottom so full of leaves of various colors that the fish blended in so well that even the bright sun on them did not spook them. There were several in plain sight of me and they remained there until I cast the fly to close and they darted for cover.

I fished one fly today for that was all that was needed.

These wild brook trout were colored to the max. They were tough and full of fight.

In this pool where the riffled water flows in I fooled several trout. The water was surprisingly deep.

A Connecticut native.

I saw many of these today, most were sitting on leaves close to the water. Perhaps a McGinty would work.

A beautiful stream..............

With beautiful brookies.

This was the last spot I fished this day.

And this was the last fish of the day. Man what could be better?

I put this fly in my box as I was leaving. Home now and the fly is in plastic and put into the journal.

Lessons in Brook Trout Forest

Yesterday I fished another stream that I haven't fished in sometime, actually this section I have never fished. It's somewhat different in the fact it is not a high gradient stream which I normally fish but a stream that features many long slow pools some of these pools are quite deep. It has riffles in between the pools and lots of woody debris to make it a challenge. The weather was spectacular, with morning temps in the mid 40's sun shine filtering through the colored trees just gave you that nice feeling. The first pool I came upon I dropped the thermometer in the water and the reading was 50.

This was to be a learning day for sure. I have not fished a stream like this before and getting a trout to take a fly was not easy until I finally figured it out.

I fished this pool with a dry fly because it seemed the best way to catch a fish. With a slow current I could see the fly as well as avoid hangups. Not any interest so off came the dry and on went the soft hackle. I cast the fly and watched it slowly sink, with almost no current it did not have much effect. I changed several flies but the result was the same. Thinking, digging into the back of my cob webbed mind I recall a conversation with a Maine pond fisherman who told me something about fishing still water. His advice was cast your fly, let it sink to the bottom and leave it there a few moments then twitch it. I tried his method and the pool came to life. The thought behind this is a brookie will observe the fly sitting there and not do anything, but once you give it life it will be hit.

My first brook trout from this stream. This male was in super condition.

This pool was a hot spot with several hookups and even a few to hand. The area near the log jam was quite deep and it also had a beautiful undercut to go along with the deep water.

A wild jewel. This male featured a hooked snout and was like a bulldog.

This stream was difficult, and I know there are many more trout here. Perhaps on a cloudy day it will be different and I hope I will be there on such a day.