Mickey Finn Cove....located in the West branch Reservoir aka "Hogback"....This area is where I caught a spectacular brook trout one day. The sky sort of overcast, no wind and a few small mouth bass in the shallows. Hogback is known to hold some very respectable brown trout and that is what I was looking for that day. I tied on a Mickey Finn and worked that streamer in every way I knew how. Fast, short slow jerking near the surface and near the bottom. To the point on one of the retrieves I took a good hit. The fish fought hard taking me some time to get control. As the fish neared I could see it was a trout, not a brown but a brook. I fish this spot several times a year and I have yet to be disappointed.
The Mickey Finn bucktail. It has the colors needed to attract trout and salmon. Another story. While visiting a fly shop in Oquossoc Maine. The shop is located at the outlet of Rangeley lake. A young boy about 12 was fishing from a dock. He was using a Mickey Finn. There was a lot of yelling coming form the dock. When we went out to see what it was about we saw that boy with a salmon of 20".
This streamer pattern was found in an article about streamers used in the Adirondack's. I have never fished it, and I don't know why. Perhaps this winter.
A "simple minnow"...Jack Gartside influence all over this one. I learned so much from him in such a short time. I have never caught a trout on this fly , but plenty of bass and snapper blues.
I regret that I got rid of my copy of "Streamers and Bucktails the Big Fish Flies" by Bates. It was a great book. Nice photo below.
ReplyDeletebillp
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Bill that book is the "bible" of streamers. Extremely accurate. Lot's of Connecticut people in that book.
Alan,
ReplyDeleteMickey Finn Cove looks like a beautiful spot.
I think I'll try some Mickey Finns on the steelhead and see what they think of them.
JJ
Beaverdam
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Joe a real nice spot. I don't see why a Mickey Finn would not work on steelhead. Try casting the MF upstream and strip as fast as you can downstream....
Joe check this out....your steelhead Mickey Finns
Deletehttps://globalflyfisher.com/patterns-streamers/mickey-finn
Jack Gartside certainly left an impression, didn't he. He was the first fly tier that made me sit up and pay attention. Love your Mickey Finn cove; beautiful water.
ReplyDeletemike
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Mike the guy was "real" and for a starting fly tyer he was so understanding and supportive. Peaceful is Mickey Finn cove.
Nice to see that piece of water still open, Alan. Glad you connected with a good one. Not too far north of your position ponds are icing over, much to the delight of ice fishermen I imagine. 40's later on this week may compromise that ice, but I am sure that little thaw will be short lived at this point.
ReplyDeleteBest, Sam
Sam
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Sam I would assume that icing up will take place on most ponds. Ice fishing is something I enjoyed at one point in my life.
Looks like a moderating trend in temps, maybe I'll try my luck today.
Alan
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of fly fishermen get locked in on dries and nymphs and sometimes forget that there are a third pattern for trout and warm water fly fishing. I am guilty of that myself. I could see a hungry trout or smallmouth taking a streamer in the Mickey Finn Cove. Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill choosing only one type of fly does put limits on what you can accomplish on the water. Try a dry in January, a streamer in July, have fun...