Saturday, January 23, 2021

They're looking up.....

Rowan made a comment in one of his posts referring to brook trout always looking up in a small stream. This is true no matter what time of year. I always say try it even if the probability is low. I will fish a dry fly any time and in winter when I choose that dry fly chances are it will be a "bomber"...that super creation on Fran Betters. Then there are times when I'll fish a dry fly pattern that has no place being in your fly box this time of year let alone tied to your tippet and floated in a stream. On this day I had the desire to fish a fly that  has not been seen anywhere in months not even in the warm corners of your basement. That fly is the ant. I tie a simple ant pattern using a foam cylinder with a white spot for visibility. I buy these cylinders from Bill Skilton. Along with some black thread and a few turns of black hackle I have a fly that floats and gets attention.
 

 

 

These foam flies, an ant and some bee patterns were in my box and were given water time on a stream.
 

 

It was an awesome day with several brookies rising to the ant. Many of them quite small. In the semi calm water is where most of the activity took place but I still had my share of strikes in the riffles.

This was my best of the day. He took the ant in a heavy riffle near a fallen log. One thing that stood out was the fact that these fish were so healthy and well fed. Maybe the reason is the amount of ants their eating.

Yes folks it's mid January and ants are working.




18 comments:

  1. There were a few rises here yesterday too but at my indicators. :-) Nothing doing until I switched to a UL spinning rod with tiny spoons. They went crazy on those.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. billp
      Thanks
      Bill you took necessary means to get it done. In my younger days I used tiny spoons with a small fly attached. This worked well. I think I have a few still.

      Delete
  2. Alan,
    I imagine the key to survival for fish in a small stream is to be an opportunistic eater. If they get too fussy they don't make it. He might think twice about it next time...but maybe not.
    JJ

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    Replies
    1. Beaverdam
      Thanks
      Joe make hay when...they have been put into these empty pantry streams and so you take whats presented to survive.

      Delete
  3. Huh. I never would have thought to fish an ant in January. I always learn new things from your blog, Alan. Thanks.

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    Replies
    1. Keith
      Thanks
      Kieth there may also another reason they took the ant. Perhaps a little black stonefly.

      Delete
  4. Ants in January, very nice! Fish up here tend to highly opportunistic as well. Throwing completely inappropriate patterns at them is half the fun some days.

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    1. mike
      Thanks
      Mike the trial and error plan can be fun. When you get them to take a unlikely fly you feel so good.

      Delete
  5. Hi Alan

    Many years ago, I fished the river Tees on a section high up on on the Pennines for winter grayling. It was a bitterly cold January day (cold for England anyway) with snow on the banks and ice at the waters edge (air temperature around -4 deg C / 40 deg Fahrenheit). I fished all day with bottom dredgers without any luck. By late afternoon I was ready to leave the river after being skunked, but in desperation I tyed on some soft hackles and greased up my leader and headed for a calm deep pool which is a favourite for summer trout. In 30 minutes I managed to land 11 good sized grayling from an area of around 4 square yards on a 3 fly leader - I don't remember the flies exactly but it would have included a waterhen bloa and probably a snipe & purple.

    It just shows that even in cold temperatures, if the conditions are right, fish will often be looking up!

    Take care and stay safe

    Alistair

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    Replies
    1. Alistair
      Thanks
      Alistair it can be tough to fish all day with no results. Then a simple fly and your ability change instantly that bad day into a memorable one. Spiders worked well for me the other day.
      Those North Country fellow may have something.

      Delete
  6. Alan
    No need to add floatnat to this fly; looks like you all still have a lot ice in and around the streams. Check you email----thanks for sharing

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    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell
      Thanks
      Bill some floatant is necessary but most of the lifting is the foam body. There is some ice, but over the last few days that has certainly increased. 16 degrees on the deck this morning.

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  7. Good call on the ant pattern, Alan. I think regardless of water temperature they know what they like to eat. It is an interesting time of year to fish. Last evening I saw a caddis flittering on the surface and not one fish took interest for the easy pickings. I tied on a caddis emerger and got a hit right away that did not stay on.

    Best, Sam

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sam
      Thanks
      Sam that caddis on the surface must have been a lovely sight. Bringing back a flood of warmer times on the water. Smart on your part to choose an emerger.

      Delete
  8. UK carp anglers spend fortunes on branded foam "zigs" as they call them. Others just cut a bit of foam and flavour it. Suspended anywhere in the water column, albeit often with a constant stream of attractant "spodded" over them. I suppose as fish do not have hands or paws they need to inspect anything that might be food with their mouth or it's gone.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Bureboyblog
    Thanks
    Foam cylinders and sheets can be bought at the craft stores and an be used to fashion lots of "bugs"...most fish are opportunistic and to fill the belly they must not be picky.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I always like a dry out of the shute. I rarely fish ants, but maybe I should vary my thinking since we have a plethora of those big black Carpenter Ants out here.

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    Replies
    1. Mark Kautz
      Thanks
      Mark I love the visual take of a fly and the dry fits. Ants are a big part of a stream trouts diet...try some.

      Delete