Well folks here it is December 1st. The first day of winter, meteorological winter that is. It will be a long time until we see fiddlehead ferns looking so green and pretty. In Connecticut we are about to get hit by our first winter storm and how appropriate it happens to come on the first day of winter. Well I'm of the mindset that I can't do anything about the season upon us so what the heck, "Get use to it"....
This place has been poking in and out of my mind since the last time I fished it which was about seven years ago. I can't really say why I have never returned there, it's not a far drive, it's a conserved piece of land open to fishing. Regulations state "catch and release", "artificial lures and flies single hook" open to fishing all year. As you can see it is a lovely stream and is pretty easy to access. Still I have not fished it....that may change this winter.
In this spot on the stream I talked about above. Back in February of 2013 I was fishing a Mickey Finn streamer. As the fly finished it's swing and stopped a big wild brook trout slashed it. A split second later he hit and was on. That brookie fought as hard as any fish I have ever hooked. Played out so I thought I reached for him and a sudden tail flap and he was gone...only a memory, a memory that still is in the front of my minds journal. I know that he is gone now. I hope I'll be fortunate to catch one of his offspring.
The Mickey Finn...In this day of modern streamers this classic seems to have taken a "back, back" seat...not with me, how about you?
The first day of winter, meteorological winter that is...Jeanette and I enjoyed this breakfast of "Makowiec" poppy seeded strudel...hot coffee and life is good.
Put me firmly in the Mickey Finn camp. Be they small stream size or trolling the lake as a tandem; I love the classics. I've got a mess of Fiddleheads in the freezer and along about February We'll make up a big batch of Fiddlehead soup and remember that winter doesn't last forever, it just seems that way up here. Your strudel looks mighty tasty...
ReplyDeletemike
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Mike one day I was in Oquossoc at the fly shop. The owner told me of a young boy who was casting a Mickey Finn from the dock. He then showed me a picture of a salmon that boy caught on that Mickey Finn, enough said. I've never eaten fiddleheads many have said they are much like asparagus.
Oh that strudel and coffee look mighty good, yum! Those Mickey Finns are beautiful ties too.
ReplyDeletebillp
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Bill the secret to a Mickey Finn is to keep it sparse. But when you read Nick Karas book he shows a photo of some fully dressed Mickey Finns, I mean really big ones for use on Ontario brook trout.
I often think about how short the lives of these fish are. Yet the species persists, even after all the abuse they've suffered in our marginal southern New England waters from dams, culverts, and pollution.
ReplyDeleteGary
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The brookies in our streams have a short life, some say 3-4 years. Most times the streams have poor food sources and get quite warm in summer. But their tenacity for is unmatched by any fish. I'm thankful that we have them.
Alan, when I was boy, my mother sent me to the local Polish bakery to buy boiled poppy seed and a piece of yeast cake. She made the dough and filled and baked the "Roll" at home. I remember the large pot with a blanket over it as the dough was rising.
ReplyDeleteMy most memorable brookie catch was at Tobyhanna Crick, in the Poconos. That Brookie leaped high out of the water and took the Micky Finn on his reentry back into the crick. Never forgot that image. Keep up the good work Alan. It's much appreciated.
Btw, I always tie my Mickey Finn's with yellow and red calf tail.
DeleteJohn Dornik
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John it's wonderful how those special moments remain with us for all those years. I spent some time fishing those small streams in the Poconos. Many wild trout both browns and brookies. One such creek that fed the Delaware had some really big browns.
Calftail is good when you find them with straight hair.
Alan, beautiful Mickey Finn flies !!! For me, they are located in first class seats without a doubt.
ReplyDeleteHumberto
Anonymous
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Humberto the Mickey Finn must work well for you in the waters you fish. Brookies love that fly.
G'Day Alan,
ReplyDeleteThe Mickey Finn--a fly generally not seen down here in OZ. A friend in the US sent me one with other flies that he'd tied. Did well with it as the local trout took a shine to that fly. Sadly, I lost it on a snag while fishing a stocked lake and it was too deep to wade in and retrieve it. Plenty of trout attracting colour and flash.
I like the look of your breakfast with coffee and poppy seed strudel. More appetizing than the yogurt I've had to have recently while recovering from a bout of gastro. Nothing against yogurt but poppy seed strudel ticks more boxes.
No fishing today, now that I'm home from work. Raining and blowing a gale. Maybe tomorrow--or the next day? I'd like to catch the small trout that I regularly see in the Badger at the bottom of my garden. He's a wary little fellow, that I've had rise and reject a fly a number of times. I guess he has to be wary or he'd end up as dinner for something.
Kindest Regards,
Steve.
Steve
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As you mentioned the fly has color and flash. It works well in still waters for bass and other warm water gamefish. Yogurt-poppy strudel there is no contest. The beauty of small stream trout is their ability to not get caught. Get well mate.
Alan
ReplyDeleteSorry I've missed your post but been really busy with a lot of odd jobs, that bread look delicious!!! Thanks for sharing