On the board, an awesome New Years Day Meet

Yesterday morning a few of us got together for now what is quite a special day in our lives. The annual New Years Day fishing meet. It was held at a small stream we have fished before and a favorite stream of our buddy Pete who passed away last July. When we got there the sky was not friendly, thick clouds took hold and a drizzle started to fall. The temperature was balmy by January standards and we were promised by the weather guessers that the sun would come out. While we got our gear together Kirk broke out the Dunkin coffee and the plastic donuts, a name given to those little chocolate covered donuts by Mark several years ago. I might add they are pretty good. While drinking coffee we laid out a game plan that was to fish until about noon and then go back and have lunch.

Mark and I headed upstream while Kirk headed downstream. We fished for sometime before Mark had what was the first bump and hookup. The fish was not going to be subdued and left. This is pretty much what happened for a log time. Different flies but the same result. We would take a hit and soon the fish was off.

Mark working the soft spots. I would also like to add the stream was up and off color. A swift current did not help us.

I worked up to a waterfall. Below was a deep pool and some real fast water. I had a streamer on the "doe tail"...I cast into a soft eddy and worked the streamer through it. "Bang" the fish struck and it was game on. He new the pool and showed me his moves. A few moments later and he was at hand. The brown was my first trout of 2019.

While at the falls Kirk joined us and relayed the same info which was strike and no hookup. We headed back to the vehicles for lunch. While warming up the deer stew the small stove and the pot on fell over. The stew went one way and the stove another. Quick thinking on Marks part saved a potential fire. He got the stove upright and shut off. We managed to salvage three good bowls of the stew and along with some biscuits and coffee all was good again.

The afternoon spot was a tributary that is know to have a few brookies. Here is Kirk working the stream. Again it was the same results as the morning, a strike and a long distance release. Mark while fishing a verity flies finally tied on a classic wet fly, "Silver Doctor" he though it would be great to take his first trout of the year on a classic fly...unfortunately the trout did not respond.

A first of the year wild brookie taken by Kirk. The fly a soon to be classic..Bomber Wet....

Mark, Myself and Kirk

We had a great day. I enjoyed sharing to first day of 2019 fishing with these guys...the tradition continues.