Streamers, Brook Trout, And Sore Knees...One Of My Best Days

Yesterday I can honestly say was one of the ten best days of fishing in my life. I experienced in a few hours the pure joy of doing everything that one needs to do to be able to say that this is what truly what fly fishing is. The stream I chose is one I'm familiar with. It has a gentle side to it and a nasty side. The walk in can be seen as a gentle one as pictured above. There is a mix of hemlock and hardwood with open banks. It is here that many brookies were slashing at the fly offered.

This is a small stream anglers dream. Runs, riffles and small pools. The area is open and tangle free. It is here where I was catching many brookies in the 3-4 inch range. They were viciously attacking the streamer I was fishing. It is here where the fishing became a challenge. The exposed roots became a dominant factor in the comfort factor, I mean they raised heck with my ankles and knees. I try my hardest to stay out of the water at this time. Most of the fishing is from the bank and you can get yourself into some precarious positions standing on roots and rocks and I probably should have found a more stable casting place, but that's small stream fishing.

It was in this pool that I was forced to use the upstream streamer technique. This is a method I first learned of while fishing the Upperdam pool in Maine. It involves casting upstream and stripping the streamer back at a fast speed.

This beautiful male brook trout found that streamer traveling at the speed of sound to much to resist. He hit that thing and actually began to take off line. It was a memorable battle with all of the tricks we both had in our play books coming into use. As he rest at the bank I slid my hand under him and lifted him to take a photo. The streamer slid out and he lay there for a few moments. He then swam off into the stream.

This pool was a challenge. A nice flow coming in and heading to a pile of wood. The pool was deep and its bottom thick with silt and fallen leaves and hemlock needles. I tried to stand on the small rocks but could not keep my footing. I wandered to the area where I could get out onto the clump of woody debris. It was here that I could make a decent cast into the pool. On the third cast I felt a fish take the fly, a surface splash and it was off. Several more casts and the pool seemed dead. I said to myself there has to be a few more in there. Several more casts and then I felt the tug of a good fish.

My goodness you talk about a fight...this guy was mean and was not about to be subdued. Luckily he did not try to go into that nasty tangle of wood. I was able to get control and brought the regal native to hand. A wild brook trout in all his glory...carry on my friend.

This was a special day in Brook Trout Forest.

October's Knocking And A Brookie In The Foam

September's closing. Yesterday I was up and out of the door by 6, a crisp Autumn morning. As I drove to the stream drinking my first cup of coffee and violating one of my steadfast rules. That rule is to never start fishing for brook trout until 8:30 in the morning. I have found it to be that brookies don't actually bite until that time. Well I was streamside long before that. After gearing up I chose to drive a short distance to a small store and get my second cup of coffee heck I had the time. Driving back to the stream I had plans of fishing mostly dry flies and maybe a soft-hackle or two. The fly I had already tied on was a bomber so I figured that was a good fly to start with.

I finished my coffee and saw it was near 8, close enough. I walked to the first place I was to fish...it was beautiful.

All sorts of sweet places to drift a fly. Not one response. I fished a couple of dry flies, and switched to wets with no one offering. It was almost 9 and and still not a fish had offered. I came upon a deep pool, it had some pretty violent water spilling over some big boulders and it did not look like a small stream. Years of fishing in places like Maine where pools like these are common made me reach into the streamer section of my box. I plucked out a white marabou streamer called a Montreal ..... I tied it on and cast into the deep swirling water. The fly did what the current allowed, together the produced a solid rip at the streamer. A second cast was made and this time I had a hookup. The brookie went to the bottom and tried to put me in a bad place, I managed to change his mind.

I had not intended on taking this photo, it occurred by accident as I was trying to bring the fish to a quieter spot...it came out pretty cool though.

A better picture of the brookie before it was released. I fished that streamer for awhile and never caught another fish...I had numerous hits until I snagged it on the bottom and lost it. It by the way was the only streamer in the streamer section. Note to myself, put a few more in the streamer section.

I continued to fish for several more hours. The brookies finally came to their senses and started taking dry flies.

It was good to close the door on September...today I hear October knocking.

Some Streamers

"Carrie's Favorite"

A few years back a group of streamer tyers got together for a challenge. As you know or probably not know Carrie Stevens tyed her streamers without a vise, a feat that most tyers, let alone commercial tyers would not even think of. The streamer selected was "Carrie's Favorite"...we all tied our versions of the streamer with out a vise. It was fun, but something I'd probably never do again. During the process my wife told me I had invented 10 new swear words. The experience gave me so much more respect and admiration for what this lady had accomplished.

This is a streamer I tied to commemorate the birth of my grand-daughter. The streamer is named "Morgan's Fancy"

A streamer I tied to commemorate the birth of my grand-son. The streamers named "Ethan's Dragon"

This streamer was a request from an old blogger by the name of "Midgeman" he wrote a fine blog that was devoted to the midge, there were hundreds of patterns. One day he told me of a hairwing streamer that he favored and asked if I could tie it in the "Rangeley" style. The fly is called the "Platte River Special"

Two Small Streams

On one of those cool mornings we experienced last week I found myself checking a couple of small streams. With the tough summer here in the northeast I was not certain what I would find. Both of the streams hold good populations of brook trout and in the past they have given up a few surprises. While walking in to the first stream I was happy to see water flowing and in some locations deep pools. The stream is in deep forest with plenty of hemlocks and hardwoods which help to keep its waters cool, on this day they were 62 degrees. The fly chosen first was a dry. It soon brought a fish to the surface, several as a matter of fact but not a hookup. These brookies were small but spunky.

Crystal clear water, a brook trout can be seen coming off the bottom for a dry fly.

Moving on to the second stream I also found a good flow along with cool water. In one pool a rise was observed, I suspect it was an ant or a beetle. I tied on a black ant and soon found out that was the right choice.

This beautiful brookie, in great condition was at hand.

Moving along the stream I came to this pool. I have never taken a trout out of here and was convinced there were never any in here until my brother-in-law John took a nice brookie here back in the spring. I figured it was deep, good flow and an undercut rock so maybe.....the ant was cast and nothing, a soft-hackle was cast and nothing even a shiny brass bead head could not bring a strike. I then tied on a streamer, remembering that's what John was using when he took the brookie last spring. I cast the fly, by the way the little "Cane and Silk" 5 foot rod did quite well in casting the #10 featherwing. The fly landed on it's side and floated for a second until it was wet. As it began to sink I saw a dark shadow move to it, and then back away. I cast the fly again and began to strip the fly in. The strike came fast and hard, I knew I had a good one.

Everything worked, the fly , the rod and the angler. In moments the wild trout was at hand. It was dark like so many of the brook trout in this stream, and it's blue halos were amazing. As I released the jewel I could see it move to the darkest place in the pool. "Farewell friend".....

"Fire in the Mountains"

These are some memories of time spent in the mountains of Maine.

Golden friends.

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More "Stuff"

Along about six years ago I walked into the LL Bean Outlet store in Freeport looking for a bargain. The store has many products that are placed there for quick sale. I saw this green rain jacket an item that was much needed. I picked it up and checked it out. The fit was good and it seemed to be in good shape. I then looked at the price tag. I was surprised only 29.00, not bad for a non rubber or vinyl rain jacket. So I bought it. Well that jacket is still with me today. I wear it in the rain and snow, I use it in winter as the outer layer, it has been a super wind breaker, and has been like steel when I crash through those nasty thorns. What's in a name? Lots.

The other day while fishing Kirk and I observed trout taking their food just below the surface. Various wet flies and soft hackles seemed to work at times. I tied this wet fly and I have a feeling it may be what they might want.

"Gray Ghosts" tied by various fly tyers. The background is the booklet from the "Carrie Stevens Day" in August 1970.

"Windswept"

"Windswept" in a different light.

"Comet"

The other day while going through some tying material, trying to get things organized, I came upon a ring necked pheasant skin. It had been dyed red, and while this is not something exotic, it did look brilliant the way that the sunlight cast upon it. So I plucked a few rump feathers and placed them on top of a few claret saddle feathers and held them up in the light. They were very striking. So along with a few other items I tied up a streamer. The addition of a bright yellow throat, and the peacock herl gave the streamer a sort of bursting effect to the eye, "comet like", is how I saw it..... thus the name "Comet"

I hope you enjoy it.

"Comet"

"Comet"

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Hogsback and Tanic

The West Branch Reservoir also known as "Hogback" is located in northwest Connecticut. It was built about 1955 and is a deep cold water lake. One of its residents is the rainbow smelt, and where this little fish swims there are many who find him to their liking, including brown trout.

This reservoir was the inspiration for this streamer.

"Hogsback"

"Hogsback" is tied with natural grizzly hackle. This not only produces the smelt color, but also has that thin smelt profile.

"Tanic"

This streamer is called "Tanic". The name was given to this fly for the tannin stained waters of the northeast.

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"A View From Coal Creek"

There are a lot of fine outdoor writers in this world. Enough books published that one could not even read in two life times. And for all that ink and photo images there are but perhaps a hundred of these books that I would consider to be the best. "The View From Coal Creek" is one of the top books, and it is very near the top of that list. The author is Erin Block, and some may recognize her as the writer of an excellent blog "Mysteries Internal".

Well this is my take on her first book. I have read it and found it an easy to read, informative, and entertaining book. It tells of fly fishing, life, and an achievement of creating a living piece of art called a 'bamboo fly rod". My favorite chapter is "Days Like Molasses". It's a half dozen pages that say so much. Do something wonderful for yourself and pick up a copy of her book.

I have tried to capture my feelings for this place"Coal Creek" and have created this streamer which I think does just that.

"Coal Creek"

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Smelt Patterns..."Yankee Smelt"

Many of the feather wing streamers created for fishing in the northeast were tied to represent the smelt. Smelt are found in many cold water lakes and are the primary food sources of salmon and trout which also inhabit these same lakes. The smelt can vary in color depending at what depth they may be found. Some when looked at seem to be transparent. I know of a few lakes in Connecticut where smelt can be found. When ice fishing we seek out these little fish, they are excellent table fare.

While most of my fishing is done in small streams, there are times when I'll fish a few of these smelt lakes, primarily in the early Spring. Fishing one of these smelt patterns will usually bring a nice brown to the net.

"Yankee Smelt"

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