The pool under the bridge

The lake...6000 acres of water with a depth of 150 feet. Many miles of beautiful shoreline with several tributaries. In the fall the trout and salmon look to spawn and seek these blue lines. This is when some of the finest angling can be had.

This one of the tributaries. Brook trout migrate to find the perfect place to make their redds. They find out that accessing that certain place can be difficult. Movement depends on water levels and when rains fail to come the trout will lie in deep pools and wait.

This is one such pool. It lies just under a bridge. Looking down into the stream one can observe small trout, probably year round residents of the stream. From time to time you will see trout that are very large in relation to the residents. These are the lake travelers. They are waiting for a heavy rain that will allow them movement up into the areas they seek.

If the angler can place a streamer into the pool without to much noise and strip it back at the right speed he may be rewarded.

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Concentrated

Every angler has that want to achieve objective of catching big fish, and I feel the same too. But so much of my pursuits are on small waters that large fish are not an option. What is available are those wild trout in a more compact size, sort of "concentrated". The waters and the natural environment where these wild trout are found are of the same "concentrated" size.

My thoughts are any wild trout with parr marks are the most beautiful creatures a person can take on the fly. It seems as if when they grow large they loose some of their beauty. This is only my opinion and I'm sure there are a few of you shaking your heads no. The stream where this post originates is one such concentrated stream.

It's dark waters, plunge pools and slow runs are a heaven for brook trout. Such places have and continue to inspire me.

Such concentrated wild beauty, taken on a dry fly makes me want to keep a 2wt fly rod in hand.

I have fished this stream up to this point. Beyond the fallen tree the water becomes harder to access, with thick laurel it appears to be a place left to be. I some day will attempt to explore it, and its wild inhabitants.

Independence Day

July 4th the birthday of the United States. I'd like to say Happy Birthday. And to all have a wonderful day doing what ever you find enjoyable, and be safe.

"Independence"

Recovery of a Small Stream

On this last day of June I decided to visit a stream I had not fished since last fall. At that time the fishing was very slow, and what brookies were taken were very small. In the past this stream had given up some nice fish and the thought was the hot dry summer, and the previous cold winter took a devastating toll on the mature brook trout. I did not expect to find what I did this day. The water level was in good shape and the stream was cold. In the pools I could see brookies scattering, and even a few rises. In these streams a rise could be for almost anything and the best fly choice would be a bomber, but since I had a parachute tied on already I let it fly. As it turned out that was all that was necessary.

It's hard to tell from these photos but the stream has some really deep holes and that's where the trout were holding.

They hit the fly as soon as hit the water. The fish were in good shape and starting to take on some vibrant color.

The wonder of nature....recovery from very bad conditions.

The magic of small stream angling.

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