I'm in the process of checking out some streams that I have not fished since early spring. The reason for this is to see how they have fared as well as the residents who live in them. We are slowly creeping into that "glorious season" and in the past these streams have produced some spectacular fish. The stream I selected today is one I'm very familiar with and the first few yards of stream I could see some real changes. Between some very large blow downs and erosion of banks which combined to change the flow of the stream. Now change at my age is not always something I look at with favor, I decided to fish the stream before I pass judgement.
This run has always produced fish. I could bet with certainty that a fish would take either at the head, middle or tail of the run, and most times I could hook a fish in each area on a series of consecutive casts. Today I fished it and was surprised to find one willing trout, and that trout came from an unlikely place.
This handsome brown took the fly in the shallows near the near side of the stream. Something different about this brown, it had no parr marks. Most trout from small stream all have them.
After seeing this along the stream a note was made to find the Pearsall's purple silk thread and tie a few soft-hackles.
The stream was pushing some water and in most cases I had to fish the soft areas to catch fish.
With a big fly which offered up a nice meal I was able to connect.
This is new. This log jam was not here in the spring. Storms over the summer caused flows to bring wood and create this jam and beautiful pool below. I never pass up such a place to float a fly, and folks you should do the same.
Right in the middle of the white water this guy found that fly. Well I think with what I saw and if all things hold the same this stream is ready for the "glorious season".....
Now I'll have some corn pancakes for breakfast.
I like the loop of fly line in the second picture. Lovely photographs all through, Mother Nature's spontaneous garden again. Snipe and purple spider? Those corn pancakes are revenge for the sourdough!
ReplyDeleteThe Two Terriers
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John, I can't recall another late August with so much green, so beautiful. Snipe and Purple crossed my mind.
And yes we are even, but I would still love a slice of the sourdough.
Alan, spun hair on a hook with a clipped head is a deadly combo. Add your own condiments (body, wing, tail etc.) and you will have a killer pattern with your own "spit on the ball" so to speak. Plenty of H2O this summer.
ReplyDeleteJohn Dornik
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John that deer hair floats forever no mater how rough it is. You may be interested in this post....http://castingacross.com/they-only-care-about-hackle/
Interesting article Alan. Thanks. My take, if you're happy with small trout, by all means simple patterns will suffice and btw sloppy casts, as well. If you're trying to catch "Grandpa" elegant patterns with sometimes difficult to source materials and proper presentations are demanded. This is my personal reality, Alan. I'm aware most will probably disagree. We all fish for our own pleasure. Its what pleases me. At my age, I'm not likely to change. Allistair's Bombers. Mucho ropa. Dos centavos mia, solamente.
DeleteJohn, hard fished waters will produce some very picky trout. They know what lives in their waters and if your presentation is not what they are used to seeing then ignore, ignore.
DeleteThis passion we have entitles us to choose what how and where we want to practice it...it's truly a beautiful passion.
Looks lovely. Same thing here in the Smokies including a lot of new trees the climb over.
ReplyDeleteRay
ray henley
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Ray so you have some new pieces of lumber to negotiate.
Well as long as the storms provided rain we won't object to a few new obstacles.
Nice to see a good healthy flow for mid-August, it's been a wet summer this year!
ReplyDeleteMark Wittman
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Mark it's been a good summer. I know your familiar with this stream, and I can't remember it looking like this in August.
I've been doing the same lately. Though the flows are nice and I'm seeing and catching brook trout in places, I've also found too many streams with water temperatures well over 72 degrees! YUCK! Let's hope for cooler nights in the next couple weeks, these 70 degree nights are killing me.
ReplyDeleteRM Lytle
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Rowan the warmest stream I've come upon has been 68. The stream here was 60 and what I found surprising the little tribs were in the high 50's. I agree the warm nights help nothing except tomatoes.
Hi Alan,
ReplyDeleteOh how I wish for your verdant river banks! That stream looks so clean and fresh.
I have not been to my local stream since the 15th of June due to the drought and high temperatures. It is a lot cooler now and we have rain forecast over the next few days here in my small part of Yorkshire, so I may get a chance in the last few days of my summer leave.
There has been lots of rain in the Pennine Hills this week and that has freshened up and cleared out my new water no end.
Alistair
Anonymous
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Alistair the streams don't look this good in August normally, lot's of rain.
It's good to hear of the rains that have put your streams back into shape, and perhaps you can fish and tell us of your success.
Very pretty looking stream and trout, Alan. That stream looks much like the Grace Burn and Badger Creek which both run near to me. Even though we get high temperatures here in Australia, I've never taken water temperatures, maybe because I dont own a portable thermometer. I think if I did find the stream temps a little high, I'd just wet wade any way. Better than sitting inside in front of the AC.
ReplyDeleteI find small stream rainbows I catch often have parr markings, the browns rarely. Maybe even though the browns are often small, they might be a little stunted due to the scarcity of food and they might be older than their size suggests. Dont know.
Read your post and wrote my comment while downing a bowl of oatmeal porridge with milk and brown sugar. Those corn meal pancakes look mighty fine breakfast fare. When we were in the US and travelling through some of the southern states, we got to really like corn grits. Breakfast of bacon, egg, sausage, grits and maple syrup were common for us. Memories! Cant get anything like grits here.
Only two weeks until the streams reopen for trout fishing in Victoria. I've actually got opening day off work, so I can kick off the season on that day.
Kindest Regards,
Steve.
PS I'll dunk a fly for you and the SSR family!
Steve Hynes,
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Steve AC is a wonderful luxury, but I prefer the natural crispness cooler weather brings. Going for days with hot humid weather drains more than we know.
I really have never seen small wild browns absent of parr marks, not that there have never been some before, just didn't notice. Grits are big in the south. When I was stationed down there in the Army I developed a taste for them. We would love to see a photo of opening day. Good luck.
The brookies there seem to have color year round. So pretty.
ReplyDeleteKevin Frank
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Kevin some of the brookies hold their color. I have caught some that were pretty much void of it. Maybe some of it is due to diet or stream temps.
I look, I see, I enjoy. Thanks for the tour.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mark so much to enjoy, especially the pancakes.
another lovely stream and interesting read all the best George
ReplyDeleteGeorge
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George it's good to go home.
Alan
ReplyDeleteThe ever changing stream structure is whats makes fishing these streams so enjoyable; with each super flood one gets a new look---thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill spot on in your assessment. Those little changes seem to produce a surprise once or twice.
Thank you Alan for another beautiful fishing outing. Those cakes look good enough to eat!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you Alan for another beautiful fishing outing. Those cakes look good enough to eat!!! :-)
ReplyDeleteJames-Florida