I spent a few hours yesterday fishing a stream I have not visited in some time. Well I should say i visited it several weeks ago but it was so high that I could not effectively fish it. Yesterday was some what more tranquil, and the few hours I spent here were very enjoyable. This river has given up some rather large brook trout in the past, in fact one of my best brook trout came from one of the delightful pools that I fished yesterday. A couple of our annual New Years Day meetings were held on this stream. This stream had some issues I'll not go into these here but lets just say they were not the best. I will say this the river fished as good as it did several years ago, and it is as beautiful as ever.
The morning started out slow, a fish could not be located. The air temp overnight as well as the morning time was cold. I don't know what it was but I guess it was in the mid thirties. A few times I had to remove ice from the guides. I dropped my thermometer into the stream and was surprised to such a low reading 33...that makes for poor feeding.
I fished several flies, from dries to streamers and soft-hackles.
I finally got a brookies to take a slow drifted black spider. In moments the spunky brookie was at hand. She was lacking color but a few spots were quite nice. I eventually took a couple of more fish from the pool above. Time said I must head home.
On the way back to the car I noticed these trout lilies pushing through the dry leaves, a wonderful sight on a cold April day.
Alan
ReplyDeleteStream looks like it has a good flow. Nice job on the brookies. Won't be long and we will be able to fish all the small streams.
TROUT1
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Pete a few more days and it's all open.
Do you know this stream?
Yes I do.
DeleteFind a spring hole Alan (few and far between) and you'll find the fish. Ground water seepage, as you know is warmer in Winter and cooler in Summer than surface water. If we had satelite thermal imaging of our streams like we have of the oceans, they would stand out. Might be unfair to fontinalis. What do you think?
ReplyDeleteJohn Dornik
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John thermal imaging is not a good idea.
A lot of the enjoyment is trying to find them on our own, then fooling them into taking some funny looking insect.
Nothing's a panacea. Of course one would continue prospecting, as usual. Just another stratagem, if indeed it ever came to pass.
DeleteBeautiful (and cold) water. From here on, it can only get better.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark I knew the water was cold but I never thought it was that low.
And yes it will get better.
Nice Alan; it's gem of a stream.
ReplyDeleteKierran Broatch
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Kierran you know this stream I'm certain. Great to see it's coming back.
Very good news indeed Alan! I love seeing the trout lilies, I haven't seen any yet but I know they are there waiting
ReplyDeleteMark Wittman
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Mark I was surprised to see them. It has been so cold especially the nights. Warm up on the way.
Always nice to see a stream come back around. :) Beautiful water.
ReplyDeleteRalph Long
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Ralph, precious water that stream.
Lovely stream and a cracking pool in your picture, the brookie was nice but you have had much nicer, lovely to see nonetheless though, well done Alan.
ReplyDeleteGeorge
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George that pool has been good to me over the years.
The off color of that brookie is probably due to the fact it's a female and the super cold water.
Below 40 still? Wow!
ReplyDeleteRM Lytle
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Rowan the temp surprised the heck out of me.
Hopefully the next days will help bring it up some.
Alan, 33 degrees yikes that cold. That beautiful stream a month from now should be perfect. With that width and volume I could see that stream producing some nice fish. Thankyou.
ReplyDeleteBrad Basehore
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Brad 33 for this time of year, I couldn't believe it.
Nice warm-up on the way.
I posted some big brook trout that I have taken from that stream in past years...hoping for a return.
Cold or not that river is a sight that is good for the soul and inner peace. Sunshine too. Delightful. Many thanks, John
ReplyDeleteThe Two Terriers
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John a big part of small stream fly fishing is the fact that one can find that inner peace. It's so beneficial to the inner being.
Alan
ReplyDeleteBeautiful stream, really cold water; did you use the bank or get the waders wet? Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill I used the waders...heavy wool socks too.
Just out of curiosity what issues did the stream face? Pollution, poaching?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous
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The stream endured a chemical spill. While this may have caused a fish kill at the time, I think the problem of killing insect life had a much more profound effect. Poaching has been a problem.
Better days are ahead.