Frosty mornings where the air temp is hovering around 30 and the sun is starting to make itself a factor in the day is a time for some incredible photos. These winter berries with a hint of frost upon them make such a lovely sight as I walk to the stream. These days can be very erratic in the trouts feeding time. It also makes for a hit or miss decision on what they will eat. A rule of thumb is that winter food sources are scarce and usually small, perhaps a small nymph is the best choice. Over the years I have come to realize that small is not always the way to go, and bottom bouncing is not always the best method. I have been fooling around with spey type flies for trout and have had some success with them. These flies are tied on #8 salmon hooks and are on the large side. Wow you say, that's big, and that's true but so is a Mickey Finn tied on a #8 streamer hook and that is pretty common for a trout fishing fly.
Well on this day I fished one of these spey flies and it did it's magic. While fishing these flies so many trout came up from the bottom to wildly swipe at the fly. It surprised me how they liked the presentation. As the fly was swinging across they would hit it, and as the fly straightened out the trout would not touch it. I have seen this before, I just don't quite know why they do it.
I have a few of these fly patterns to share with you and will do so on my next post.
These brookies were not shy about crushing the large fly.
Not exactly a fly for framing, but a worker for sure. Simple construction, with a minimum of materials.
Last week we made some homemade sausage. Fried it and put it together with mashed potatoes, gravy and peas....so good.
