A lovely small stream as it flows through a gentle piece of private land. It's odd in the fact that on one end it's public and the other end it's also public. The piece of private land I was not asked to leave and that made me feel good. There are some tangles here and there but it's mostly open. I did a post on a fly called the Partridge and Blue, a spider pattern. One of the comments was from Alistair who hales from the UK. He said the fly is popular there and it used mostly in the spring and is fished over sandy bottoms. I gave this fly a workout here and was happy with it's performance. The stream had some riffles and pools, my interest was the pools for it is there where I thought I would find the bottom to the be where this fly would best work.
The Partridge and Blue when wet. As you can see it is quite buggy. The sparse mole dubbing has some very enticing movement in the water.
In the pool that starts at the large tree is where I started fishing. The fly drifted and I soon felt a take. A couple of casts later and I had a small brook trout at hand. I then cast into the slack water at the tailout of the pool. The fly actually came to rest on the bottom. In a moment the fly was taken. Mind you there was no movement by me or from the water, truly dead on the bottom.
This was the brown who picked up that fly, like a nymph and tore up that little pool. Yes that is the Tiny Ten...
The day gave up an equal amount of brookies and browns and the Partridge and Blue has a spot in my fly box.
Alan,
ReplyDeleteThe partridge and blue sure looks great when wet. That tangled run is a fly fishers nightmare but they usually hold some nice fish.
JJ
Beaverdam
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Joe those brush choked sections are a real sanctuary for the trout. Even the herons don't go in there.
Well it's 21 right now but supposed to warm up enough to fish tomorrow, fingers crossed. That run looks like some of our streams.
ReplyDeletebillp
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Bill cold like your experiencing is tough. I tend to stay at home drinking coffee and.... at this time of year though the temps seem to moderate back to where they are bearable.
While I don't have mole dubbing to hand, I'll have to do a few of these!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful fish, glad to see that rod earning its spot!
Nathan Camp
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Nate most any sparse soft dubbing will work. One of the first things that was drilled into my head in the Army was the term "improvise" it' still with me. The TT is just perfect for certain streams and I love it...thanks for the introduction.
Hi Alan,
ReplyDeleteI think the Partridge & Blue will be on my leader next time we have settled weather here in Yorkshire and I am on the little River Leven - Lets see if those winter Grayling are partial to a Gravel Fly........
Take care and stay safe
Alistair
Anonymous
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Alistair we would love to hear of your Yorkshire adventure with the P&B....Grayling beware.
I've enjoyed your posts since you 1st started posting them. I too like fishing small streams for stream bread Trout. Take care, thank you for posting & shairing...
ReplyDeleteSincerely;
Hollen
Hollen M. Groff
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Hollen taking care is a priority now when I venture out. I don't seem to heal as fast as I once did. Slowing down does have it's advantages.
I too am not the bush wacking fly fisher I use to be, although I still think I am. A wading staff is a must have now, on some of the small streams that I frequent in the Adrondaks in NY & the Green Mountains of sountern VT. The farther I can get back into the woods, the more I feel at peace and closer to God. So keep on enjoying your adventures and thank you once again for shairing...
DeleteHollen,
DeleteThe farther I can get back into the woods, the more I feel at peace and closer to God.
I agree.
Learning how to comment here so bear with me. Old dog learning new tricks is not easy. I love seeing your wonderfully tied flies (they work on my Arctic Grayling friends). Great photos of the beautiful brook trout as one of my favorite authors Sigrud F. Olson said, "Fishing for brook trout is like fishing for jewels."
ReplyDeleteBoreal Barney
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Barney. no worries about mistakes and such. Computers are new to me (everyday)...I have always referred to brook trout as wild jewels. They truly are.
Alan
ReplyDeleteThe perfect stream for the tiny ten---had to be a blast landing those quality brook and brown trout. How long is the leader or line attached to the end of the rod? Are you using a furled or mono leader or line? Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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That tenkara rod has a place, and most of the places are streams like these.
Bill the leader is a 6ft Uni thread furled leader. And to that I attach about 2 feet of tippet.
Alan, I believe I have said this before, but before I discovered your site, I would have never imagined trout to be in the types of small streams you fish. It is simply amazing to me, what with the hot summers we have and periodic droughts. I think it would be a darned interesting study as to how these trout manage to keep on surviving.
ReplyDeleteBest, Sam
Sam
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Sam I know it's hard to understand how the brook trout manage to survive everything man and nature have thrown at them. But remember the brook trout has been here with us since the "ice age"...not a math major bus I'm saying is that's a long time. In that time before man was about nature was petty harsh on these fish and we all know how violent nature can be. The brook trout took it all and held on and in some places thrived. Man stocked the world with brook trout and now has a bounty on them to get rid of them...why the hell doesn't man learn.