This week, especially Tuesday and Wednesday were like late April. Air temps in the 60's and 70's great times to be on a stream. Kirk and I met at a nearby stream to see if conditions were satisfactory. The stream has a little problem which I won't discuss here, nothing major mind you but it could be. We geared up and walked to the stream, Kirk fished up and I fished down.
Over the course of several hours we used a variety of flies, most of them worked....dries including a foam bee, wets, streamers, muddlers, and soft-hackles. These fish went crazy for all of them.
In one particular run I hooked a dozen brookies...these fish were hungry and they were feeding.
Some of these brookies were still showing Autumns colors...the thought was it probably had something to do with the chemistry of the water.
This is the fly that worked best for me. Fished just under the surface and watch the water explode. Do you see any Fran Betters influence here?
Has this guy seen salt-water...what a vast difference in color...questions?
Days like this come perhaps only once in the winter......
....I'm glad I was able to take advantage of them.
Another good day.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark for February I'll take it.
Great pictures captured on a fine day.... I think there are lots of factors for different color variations among trout in a common stream. Like; genetics, food, water properties and the individual fishes health, but then again?
ReplyDeleteDoug Korn, Fly Tyer
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Doug you make some good points, and all of them make sense. One thing that was common was the fact that they were all healthy.
great alan, envious....no not really...lol
ReplyDeleteGeorge
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I get you message....be well.
Alan
ReplyDeleteThat was a great day all the way around, with warm, sunny weather and the hungry brookies.
TROUT1
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Pete for late Feb. it can't be beat.
You would chuckle at what we call cold here in England.Though it is bitter today. a horrible Easterly wind.
ReplyDeleteBureboyblog
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It has been kind here, but snow yesterday and cold rain today. Better day's are coming.
Nice going guys! Glad to see you were able to enjoy the warm days and nice to see that section still producing fish. Did your waders make it out alive?
ReplyDeleteMark Wittman
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Mark we hit it right, both Tues. and Wed. Mark I don't believe you have fished that stream. So far the waders are holding out.
Those beautiful brookies. I'm jealous Alan. Colorado is still in the throes of Winter.
ReplyDeleteHoward Levett
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Howard they are lovely creatures. Winter made a comeback yesterday, snow and cold rains.
Beautiful stream, problems for which I hope can be resolved or avoided. The brookie action sure sounded good, Alan. I wonder why a couple of them were colored up for spawning still. Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteParachute Adams
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Sam the problem is a growing beaver population. I believe if the parties who monitor the stream/woods take action it will be very helpful.
We could not give an answer as to why some are still with the vibrant colors...an needed from CT's DEEP
Alan, I hope they clear those beavers out of that area. Not beavers, but an old dam on the Scantic in the center of Hampden, which blocked upstream trout access and warmed water up, got breached over the winter I just read. I hope they don't repair it.
DeleteMan made dams should come down, especially if they are of no use...let the stream flow free.
DeleteThe beaver issue is a tough one.
Sugaring time will soon be upon us, Alan along with the fifth season (Mud).
ReplyDeleteJohn Dornik
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John just last week I saw some pails hanging in eastern CT. So sweet, great with my raisin bread french toast.
Alan, the fly is of interest to me. I assume the body is rust opposum and the hackle I'm guessing is pheasant but not sure. You gentlemen were treated to wonderful conditions and the trout responded. Beautiful photos of what looks to be a wonderful trout stream. Thankyou for the story.
ReplyDeleteBrad Basehore
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Brad, the tail is woodchuck, orange possum dubbing. the wing is the soft marabou feather from a hen pheasant and the hackle is a brownish hen pheasant.
That fly did itself proud that day.
By the way , beautiful featherwing, love the orange with the green featherwing, very nice. You can never show me enough of them.
ReplyDeleteBrad the wing is a green feather with a grizzly feather topping the green feather.
DeleteAlan
ReplyDeleteSome things that really got my attention in this post: the beaver dam area is for sure a winner not only for its beauty but for the amount of brook trout it wholes below its dam: so impressed with the Fran Better fly-----what size Form Bee were you using? Just wondering if you've ever try tiny poppers on any of the streams, a little out of the ordinary but what the heck?? Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill there are pluses and minuses involving beaver dams. I for one do not like them. Beavers are quite destructive. The bee was a size 14. I have used poppers before,they were not effective. But now I'm going to give them another shot.
Very nice colors of that little brookies ...but the beavers don't eat of them? I undestand that's right.
ReplyDeleteArmando Milosevic
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Armando beavers do not eat fish. I believe their diet consists of bark and other vegetation.
Alan - Great to see that you could take advantage of the great weather!
ReplyDeleteNJpatbee
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Pat these last few days of February have been great.
It's only going to get better.