These are so common, but every one is different. Sights that most pass by seem to catch my eye. I was out roaming a stream in search of a few brown trout. The stream is one of my favorites for wild browns, and most times I can find a few who will light up my day. These browns are not huge and will never grace the covers of magazines but what they will do is bring a few moments of euphoria to an old angler. The notables have said that the brown is a fly fishers challenge, they are selective and must be pursued with extreme caution. This may be true but not so on a small stream. In the end they are just beautiful creatures looking for something to eat.
Flowing waters in times of sunlight and clouds...strong currents and soft sanctuaries.
Salmo trutta...He is a tough fellow, and handsome too.
A clump of dead leaves and some broken branches. A mess on your lawn but so beautiful in a small stream.
What lies below?
The orange striped brown trout. A quirk of nature on perhaps something else.
Other than clean cold water these trees that have been blown down are a necessity for wild trout to sustain life.
Pretty common. Maybe so but to me they are very unique and very precious.
Hi Alan
ReplyDeleteThose are some bonnie wee trout you caught there, especially the guy with the orange stripe. The stream looks so inviting too (it is so similar to those waters that run off the moors near me here in Yorkshire).
Thanks
Alistair
Alistair Corbishley
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Alistair Yorkshire waters...perhaps that's why spiders work so well on the little stream.
Lovely, as ever
ReplyDeleteBureboyblog
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Sir I wish I knew what your first name was. Would it be possible for you to let me know?
Alan
ReplyDeleteGorgeous stream, and colorful wild browns; I would assume their fight is a bit stronger than the hatchery brown. Do you have any of the steams you fish framed? These stream images would look good under glass. Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill they do fight well beyond their size. Also they are so much more colorful then their stocked cousins. I do have a couple of streams that I framed.
Those browns are some kind of pretty, Alan. I wonder why the one has that orange stripe? Maybe a genetic trait or the remnants of a narrow escape from a predator. That gem of a stream is flowing very nicely despite all the rain. The Swift was at over 600 CFS last I looked which is record flow.
ReplyDeleteBest,Sam
Parachute Adams
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Sam I have never seen that stripe on any fish I've caught. Sort of a Halloween look. The stream recovered well from the rain events, that's why I like small streams, quick recovery. 600 CFS that is way over my comfort zone.
Sam, when I fish the Farmington I like it about 300-325 cfs...There are a few side channels that will provide some lower flows and some nice fish.
DeleteAlan, 300 CFS at the Farmington would be right in my wheelhouse too. At the Swift normal flow is only 50 CFS which is beautiful for dry fly fishing there. When the Connecticut River is low and more water is required to feed it, flow in the Swift is raised to 150 CFS which is still real manageable flow. This 600 CFS is very high for that small river, but people are still catching fish including Ken Elmer. Salmon have come over the dam this year too.
DeleteI could see a fine dry day with a 50cfs flow. So with the Swift at 600 that must be really ripping....living up to the name "Swift"
DeleteI catch rainbows and brown trout here in Victoria, Australia. They are both beautiful but I have to admit that a brown trout in it's spawning colours is a creature of great beauty.
ReplyDeletePretty little stream and brown trout. Size doesn't matter!
Kindest Regards,
Steve.
Steve Hynes
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Steve what I like about the wild brown is their color differences. Also the spotting can be quite pronounced on some of them. No I'll take a small wild brown over any stocked fish.
superb Alan, you are really spoilt for small stream fishing and the fish are lovely, Great post again.
ReplyDeleteGeorge
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George is a guy who shares the same feeling I do when it comes to small wild fish....love them.
You are spot on regarding the coloration of browns, Alan. Almost every watershed containing wild brown trout has its own distinctive pattern of dots and colors.
ReplyDeleteWilliam Shuck
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Bill one of the reasons I like the brown is the diversity.
And they kick like hell.