Wild Thoughts...

Walking to the stream. Pine needles and fallen leaves carpet the ground. I feel such walks enhance my times fishing. My mood is placed in total relaxation and if a fish is caught so be it. But already the trip has been a success. I know most of us get the same feelings and that is the greatness when one becomes part of something so much bigger but yet it's so small.

Such outings like this I remember so vividly, like it was just happening. In the series of  photos I hope you'll find the same feeling of satisfaction and peace that I find out along a small stream.

 

 

The season can be seen upon this rock. Multi colored leaves awaiting their final place in the seasons end.
 

Such a tangled mess. To the trout who live within the waters it is a safe haven.
 

A young wild brown trout that called that tangled mess within the stream "home"...to think he may very well live his total life within a few yards from where he was caught.
 

 

 

The "Futsu Kebari" and Other Musings

In this photo you can see a waterfall. The stream that flows above this gorge that is the spillway of the Hogback Res. is a stream that I have fished twice. I was told that it never dries up and it's flow is pretty consistent. The times I fished it I caught some beautiful brookies, but what I most remember is the trek into that stream. I was a lot younger and now that I'm writing this I get pains in the knees and my backside from sliding down the ridges. It's a stream I would gladly share with an adventurous soul. There are some awesome views back there.

 

 

The Futsu Kebari...I think that's what these flies are called. A simple thread body and hackle. The thread is silk and it's wrapped with a somewhat large long head. The hackle is dry fly rooster wound on using 3-4 turns. Even though the hackle is dry fly, the fly itself is a wet fly. There is probably a reason for it but I'm not certain of it.
 

Here is a Futsu Kebari tied using a dubbed body. The dubbing used is a  mix of life cycle nymph dubbing and Shetland spindrift wool, "thanks Lou"...this fly was featured in a post not long ago.
 

This orange blonde Futsu Kebari was a killer for me the other day. What surprised me was the amount of salmon parr-smolts that this fly brought to me.
 

Are you ready for some brown trout? These guys are really showing up.
 

It's Here, Or Very Close

Yesterday morning was my first taste of winter. The air temperature was about 30 and the wind chill quite a bit colder. I was dressed for it and I did not feel that bad. The one positive about cold weather fishing is that I don't change flies often, my fingers do not function well so I usually stay with the first fly I tie on. As the morning progressed the the sun took over and warmed things a bit and so the ice jammed guides were done with.

The fishing was slow at first and even in the softer water strikes were few. I was content with the fact that I was out and soon my luck would change.

Along the bank in the quiet water this silver bullet struck a soft-hackle just at the surface. A bullet indeed for it shot all over the place trying to shake the piece of iron in it's mouth.

Another fisherman...obviously he had his eye on a spawning couple. My being close changed his plans.

As rough as this water is it had several pockets that were OK to fish. And a couple of those pockets held fish.

I was happy to manage to pick one out of a soft pocket.

Winter ferns? Such bright green mixed in with the brown of the forest.

A pretty good pocket water fly.

One of my better days.....

Monday and Monday night we had some pretty decent rains. This was well needed and I was anxious to see the stream levels, as well as how the fishing would be. Small streams rise quickly and fall almost as fast. In each stage the stream can become somewhat dirty and cloudy but will usually clear up before to long. The places to fish when this clearing process is happening are the riffles. It is these areas where the cobble bottom and faster flow clean the water to almost perfect conditions. Such was the case yesterday when I took to the woods in search of some willing brookies. The air was damp with the spattering of rain from time to time. A few instances the sky brightened for a minute and soon the clouds took control.

The streams bottom doing its work of clearing the water.

The brookies were active with several taken in a few minutes.

Now looking at this section of stream it seems to shout "brook trout hiding here" a near perfect place to hold and ambush a meal. The fly drifted near the undercut and a fish rose and missed, but continued to follow the fly as I drew it in and swiping at it again. I waited a few minutes before I cast again, and this time the fish was on. I could feel the power of the fish as it wen straight for the nasty stuff along the bank. My thoughts were of a good sized brook trout, but as I turned the fish I could see it was not a brookie but a brown. That brown owned this section and was not going to let a 5' 3wt fiberglass rod take him in, and for the most part he had the upper hand. The only issue that crossed my mind was if the hook would hold....

...it did and this beautiful wild brown was at my feet. As he lay there I reached for him, I slid my hand under him and lifted him. A quick photo and as I placed him in the water I could see the fly had come out as the fish lay in the water before I lifted him up. A few moments later he swam off.

These are the places my friends....

...where the wild jewels are found.

More on this fly later.

Beauty abounds.

Checking Back....

I'm in the process of checking out some streams that I have not fished since early spring. The reason for this is to see how they have fared as well as the residents who live in them. We are slowly creeping into that "glorious season" and in the past these streams have produced some spectacular fish. The stream I selected today is one I'm very familiar with and the first few yards of stream I could see some real changes. Between some very large blow downs and erosion of banks which combined to change the flow of the stream. Now change at my age is not always something I look at with favor, I decided to fish the stream before I pass judgement.

This run has always produced fish. I could bet with certainty that a fish would take either at the head, middle or tail of the run, and most times I could hook a fish in each area on a series of consecutive casts. Today I fished it and was surprised to find one willing trout, and that trout came from an unlikely place.

This handsome brown took the fly in the shallows near the near side of the stream. Something different about this brown, it had no parr marks. Most trout from small stream all have them.

After seeing this along the stream a note was made to find the Pearsall's purple silk thread and tie a few soft-hackles.

The stream was pushing some water and in most cases I had to fish the soft areas to catch fish.

With a big fly which offered up a nice meal I was able to connect.

This is new. This log jam was not here in the spring. Storms over the summer caused flows to bring wood and create this jam and beautiful pool below. I never pass up such a place to float a fly, and folks you should do the same.

Right in the middle of the white water this guy found that fly. Well I think with what I saw and if all things hold the same this stream is ready for the "glorious season".....

Now I'll have some corn pancakes for breakfast.

"Cabin Creek" Almost A Zero For.......

Sunday morning dawned quite crisp, well cold. There was a breeze that made it feel colder. With a decision to fish made already the only thing left to decide was what time to leave. I had to be home by two and it was almost ten so quickly the gear was loaded and off I went. The stream I chose was close to home, "Cabin Creek" a stream I'm familiar with and have written about before. The stream has both brook trout and brown trout with the latter prevailing. I started fishing a dry fly and it was not welcomed. The pools held enough water to fish a nymph but a soft-hackle was the fly selected....partridge and orange.

As it turned out it was the right choice for I had a hook-up on the second cast. Great......

Up stream I moved fishing beautiful pools and hooking fish. I assume they were browns but I was not certain for I was given the slip in all of the hook-ups.

Upon the time of arrival at this pool I was 0 for 5. That would be a good day but you would like to bring in one for a photo. I cast the fly near the branch sticking out above the water. As the fly drifted I saw the fish chase and suddenly back off...perhaps I was spotted. I cast several more times in different areas of the pool. And on one of those casts a fish struck. The brown jumped and cleared the water....stop that I said, not wanting to loose another.

Moments later I finally had him in close. I lifted him up and a quick photo and back into the stream. I went 1 for 6, but it was one of my better days.

Restocking the box......

"Cabin Creek" A November Day

Cabin Creek, this lovely little stream that flows through some very pretty scenery. The mix of hardwood and fir is so pleasing to the eye. I have not been fishing here in some time so I was anxious to see how it fared over the summer and early fall. The waters were flowing and although a good rainfall would help it seemed to be just fine. It did not take long for the first fish to pick me out and he was soon gone. I did not know if it was a brown or a brook trout for this stream has both.

With low water as this it's better to fish a dry fly, at least that's what I think. I chose a few that have always produced for me. Moving upstream I had some response to the fly with several rises and even a hookup but nothing to hand. I consider such a day as productive for there is so much more to this than catching a fish.

I came upon a stand of these little fir trees. They stood straight and strong. Their branches seemed almost perfect. Later this month Jeanette and I will come back to decorate this little tree. The ornaments will be pop corn, suet in various colors, and an assortment of nuts.

I know I said that fishing is not catching but a tug on the line would help. Coming upon a place like this told me there is a trout in here. The fly entered the water and the fish grabbed it. I was fortunate to bring him to hand.

A handsome wild brown...the only fish that came to hand, but what a treasure.

This small run produced two hook-ups but both were lost.

A wonderful day on Cabin Creek.

A Walk-About..."Outback"

As I enjoy my first cup of coffee this morning I'm saying to myself "glad I was able to get out yesterday an fish", for it's windy and cold and snowing. Yesterday was a bleak day, typical January I guess. As I pulled off the paved road to park I had some thoughts on what I wanted to take place this day. Catching fish was one of them but not the only reason. I was here to check out the "outback" or maybe a better name would be the "upper outback". I was geared to walk some so I chose to leave the waders in the car and instead chose hiking boots, a lot more comfortable. I started walking in through the woods and found numerous little streams, they were all running scantly but so very clear. As I neared the stream I found it to be in fantastic shape and anticipation of a fine day came forward.

I had visited this section of stream only once, that coming in this past summer so I knew the area a bit but not much about the trout I had hoped would be there. I came to a nice run that held some deeper pockets and tossed out "pinkie" because that's what I had on from my last outing. I tie my "pinkies" without weight and that was not helping me to get the fly down. I changed to a bead-head fly and that was just what I needed, or should I say what the fish needed.

There were some surprisingly deep holes along this stretch.

And a few of them held willing trout.

My first fish of the day. A stunning wild brown. His orange spots so brilliant....wish I could have seen him in sunlight. And he was also very acrobatic.

The stream was very generous, giving many strikes, and some hookups.

These browns were very healthy as you can see....

Behind the boulder is a eddy with lots of swirling water. I had a nice fish on be it so briefly...I'll remember to hit that spot again.

This brown was some what pale in comparison to the others....the parr marks and adipose fin really stand out though.

A beautiful few hours..."a walk-about" in "brown trout forest".....