Rain and more rain, bring it on. This year will go down as one of the finest years for brook trout spawning here in Connecticut. It's hard to think of a year when the streams have been this full at this time of year. I have seen brookies in spawning positions in little creeks where they have not been in years past. The high waters also move these fish all over the area. It's so great to see.
Since finding the "baffle pool" I have been a bit obsessed with the brookies that live within it. I have been frustrated by the amount of strikes I receive within the pool but I have yet to bring one to hand. Well I'm here to say I may have figured it out...with the help of you guys.
Several have stated that because of the clarity of the pool I was easily detected by the finned sentries. So a suggestion made by a few of you to go to a lighter tippet, I use 5x flurocarbon to a 6x...I did this.
And along with the lighter tippet I chose a couple of flies that I thought would also make a difference.
A Futsu Kebari..natural insect color with some lively hackle.
And the "Road Kone" Kebari. A bold fly to say the least. I was introduced to this pattern by Mike Agneta. Mike has the blog "Troutrageous" He sent me some of these flies and I gave them a shot and was really impressed with their ability to bring brookies to hand.
So armed with the 6x fluro and the two flies I took on the
baffle pool"...Now I'm not sure what did the trick, be it the 6x or the flies but I just may have solved the baffle pool issue.
This was the average size brookie in the pool. A fine spotted hen that may have been spawned out.
And then this guy who took the fly near the culvert pipe. I don't know if these fish will stay within the "baffle pool" or move out into other areas of the stream, but I'll take my slow self to further pools up and downstream over the coming weeks.
It's always satisfying to think that we figured out something that had baffled us previously. Very nice fish, congratulations on the success.
ReplyDeleteDave H
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Dave I figured it out with a little help from my friends.
Brk Trt, ahhh success with some real beauties to boot...Phil
ReplyDeleteDRYFLYGUY
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Phil they were indeed nice. The second one was the boss of that pool.
Mike knows his Tenkara.
ReplyDeleteMark Kautz
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Mike shines when it comes to tenkara. Mike and I go back a long way. A site/forum named "small streams"....a site just for small stream junkies from around the world.
Well done Alan, your perseverance has paid off! You can now rename that pool "the less baffled pool.....
ReplyDeleteTake care and stay safe
Alistair
Alistair
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Alistair that's a good name, and it fit's so well.
The road kone might have been a good fly that would have a chance of being seen in the high water yesterday. If not by the fish, then at least by me as I tried to figure out what to do with the much stronger than normal currents.
ReplyDeleteShawn
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Shawn we got a lot of rain Saturday and Saturday night. Kudos for getting out there under not so good conditions. Was the water also off color?
The water was surprisingly clear given the volume. It must have been much higher on Tuesday. Unfortunately, I left home yesterday without my pack and had just a few flies scrounged from the console in my car to choose from. A reliable small olive and black wooly bugger saved me from getting skunked.
ReplyDeleteShawn the clarity was in your favor but perhaps the volume scattered the fish. I found it rough going Monday as far as locating fish. That woolly bugger is a good fly to have no matter where you might find it.
DeleteGreat looking fish, Alan! Now I am intrigued by the rest of the stream. No browns, all brookies? And I too often forget the additional dose of steathiness a fluorocarbon tippet can provide.
ReplyDeleteKevin
Ned Zeppelin
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Kevin the times I have fished the stream I have not found any browns. There is more to explore but it's going to be slow going. And that one step of thinning out the tippet really helped.
Great call, Alan, using the 6X fluorocarbon with your flies in such clear water. I have become a fan of the fluoro when fishing both subsurface and dry flies. Beautiful brook trout you caught in full spawning colors which can't be beat.
ReplyDeleteBest, Sam
Sam
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Sam in that particular pool it was the right call. It was at the suggestion of a few readers that I try it. Now I find out you to are a fancier of slightly lighter fluro tippet.
Yes sir, I like the fluoro and don't hesitate to use a foot and a half on dry flies too. It has sinking properties, but I haven't found that a small length will take my dry fly down. I had some success this year using it on the top fly of a dry-dropper set up. We all keep learning and it paid off with me finally hooking up with a few nice sipping browns that have rebuffed me in years past.
DeleteBest, Sam
Sam, great points...we all keep learning. And the fly fishing evolves/changes daily when we can see just how much enjoyment we can get from learning.
DeleteAlan
ReplyDeleteGlad you had success fishing the pool; I forgot to mention in my last comment concerning the pool is you might want to try the Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon Fishing Line/Leader Material. This is the tippet line I use all the time because it is virtually invisible in clear water. I use the smallest Berkley spools in the 2 lb, 4 lb, and 6 lb. test. If you use a tippet ring or size 14 barrel swivel you can keep using the same leader for more than a year. Thanks for sharing
Bill Trussell
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Bill I'll check into the Berkley tippet. I had some RIO and that's what I used. My choice which usually works for me is Orvis 5x fluro.