Winter Angling, and More

Winter trout fishing is usually reserved for those days when the sun can be expected to reach earth and take the bite out of the cold and give the angler a fighting chance to fool these wild salmonids who swim these waters.
We have been fortunate this year to have many of these days, and the results have been wonderful. Monday was one of those days that found Kirk and myself fishing a small stream. While catching a few trout is the objective it's not the only reason we're out. The beauty of winter waters are many, I especially love the ice formations on the stones and branches along the stream. To see a winter stone fly hatch from 40 degree icy water and fly to safety before a hungry trout ends it short life. The sounds of the water as it rushes over obstacles, the sound increased by the crispness of the air. These are a few of the reasons we fish winter.
I started fishing a dry fly, because I like fishing dries. Kirk fished the Picket Pin. We each brought a wild brookie to hand and after a quick photo sent them on there way. Kirk soon changed to a dry fly and had taken his first winter trout on a dry.
This day ended very successful in many ways. A day etched in my minds journal.

A winter brook trout and an elk hair caddis.

Kirk with his first winter dry fly brookie. Is he a convert?

The stream is in great shape, and the brook trout are too.

Care, admiration, and respect are shown.

While the stone flies were taking wing along the bank, the trout were taking along the log and the small rock on the right.
RKM Photo


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Super Day Alternative

Well if you were not aware of it yesterday was Super Bowl Sunday. To many this is one the years greatest holidays, and is celebrated with everything imaginable.
This past week with so much coverage of the event, it becomes a bit tough to take and by Saturday I was at the point where one more useless fact about the game would put me over the top.
So Sunday morning Jeanette said why don't we take a hike along that little stream, what stream I said. You know that stream, that little stream in the woods with those rock walls and mountain laurel, oh that stream I said. Well we put a few things together and off we went.
The stream was beautiful, flowing like crystals out of the hills. A water temp showed it was cold, 38 degrees cold. I knew it was going to be tough getting one of its residents to come to the fly, and I was right. Several flies failed to bring any interest. The lack of activity from the fish, along with icing of the guides told me to give this day to the stream.
We continued to walk the woods and took many wonderful photos,  and stopped to have a lunch on a rock close to the running water.
So as this "Super Sunday" in the woodlands of Connecticut came to a end, I realized my mind had been cleared of all that Hype.

Flowing crystal

Lunch....chili and.

I also tied a streamer in the morning. I haven't given it a name yet, maybe "Super Hype"

Groundhog Day, 2012, a Tail

Groundhog Day 2012 turned out to be a winter buster here on this small freestone stream. The air was quite cool with a temp of about 40 or so, I think it was colder though. The sun never made an appearance, which probably made for better fishing.
I met up with Kirk and we set out to fish this stream. We started fishing the typical cold water flies, pink midges, beadhead nymphs and Picket Pin wets.
Soon Kirk had a taker on the midge and the first brookie came to hand. We continued to move upstream and continued to seek a few more willing trout. Kirk changed to a Picket Pin and had a taker, a beautiful brookie, well colored and healthy.
Not being able to do much with the underwater feathers, I changed to a Bomber dry fly, the reason being it's tail is tied with groundhog guard hairs. A few drifts and a trout rose to the fly. I failed to hook this fish, but a fish that took a dry fly. The next hour pretty much went the same way,brookies would rise to the Bomber but not one hookup. I thought the size 16 fly was maybe to small, although it drew a lot of interest. I changed to a 14 emerger/dry pattern and soon had my first fish to hand. A photo and a thank you and off he went. I soon had another take an Elk Hair caddis, my first February trout on a dry fly.

It was a fine day, this Groundhog Day. Company, brookies, and dry flies.

More of Connecticut's past.

Kirk with a a wild jewel.

This stream is small but it has all that's needed for the brookies that live here.

The little char of the springs. I was able to coax them to the surface this day.

It was 40 degrees today, and this was the perfect dish to ward off the cold.
"Chicken Corn Chowder"

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February and Some Streamers

Here it is the first day of February. It's now 4:50 AM and I'm enjoying my first cup of Nantucket blend waiting for the black brew to do its magic and put some meaning to my thoughts.

These are a few streamers of mine, one a bucktail conversion of a featherwing. The Footer Special is a very successful featherwing streamer that has a good track record of taking brook trout and salmon. It actually represents the forage fish swimming upside down as if it were wounded.
A few words about the book in the first photo. Streamer Fly Tying and Fishing, by Joe Bates. This book is considered by streamer tyers as the bible of streamers. Bates did extensive research on hundreds of patterns. The accuracy of the streamers is true, as are the recipes. This is a great book for anyone not just those who tie streamers. Its a great streamer history book as well and a good read in general.

The Footer Special, Bucktail Conversion.

This is a featherwing pattern, "Northern Lights".