The "Family Secret"......

Several months ago a good friend and fishing companion left this earth to fish heavenly streams. "Pete" aka "TROUT1" was a fly fisherman beyond compare. His knowledge was so vast that I think he never realized he had. A guy that was willing to share this knowledge with anybody. He also had more stories and most of them required a follow up, I think that was by design. He was a master at fishing soft-hackle flies, his favorite was the soft-hackle pheasant tail. Back in October of 2015 Pete and I fished a beautiful stream together. It's a stream he gave the name "Family Secret"...that day we fished various flies but the soft-hackles won out. I did a post on that outing, and I'll get it to you. "Small Stream Fishing" 10-20-15.....

Yesterday I fished the "Family Secret", with a good feeling. I selected the same runs and pools Pete and I fished that day in October of 2015.

The flies used then were not used by me yesterday. I had a streamer tied on that I used on my last outing to the Cape. Pete must have been OK with the selection for the brook trout responded quite well.

The "Family Secret" was running with more water then that day Pete and I did back in 2015.

These fish were not shy at hitting a streamer. Their color seemed a bit dark.

This run is slightly downstream from a place where Pete was fishing. I cast the streamer and worked it through some deep holes along the bank. In one of those holes I connected with a solid fish.

An outstanding trout anywhere, and a true trophy here in the "Family Secret"

This is the place Pete fished that day in October 2015. I did not fish it but instead looked upon it and said...I would but I don't have Pheasant-tail soft-hackle....

Here is Pete fishing that spot back in October 2015.....by the way Pete hooked an awesome fish that day just a few yards from where he was kneeling.

The Brook Trout Streams Of Coastal Massachusetts

To spend time where life enters the sea revitalizes both the body and soul. Jeanette and I just spent that time at such a place. The streams of coastal Cape Cod at this time of year are the alive. Not only are the "salters" taking up new sections of the streams but the new life that was spawned last Spring are making their way to the sea. The air was crisp, a slight breeze moved the trees about. The sun shined and the brook flowed. Along the stream there were shadows and in these shadows were the iconic wild brook trout that take to the sea.

Lyman Reserve...Red Brook a welcome sight, like that of an old friend. We walked and fished here many times and still we feel like it is a first.

Where were we going to find our first willing fish. This time of year that could be anywhere along the entire reserve. I found the first brook trout to be quite small, perhaps 2-3 inches. He hit the fly as I was pulling it from the water to recast. I love seeing fish this size in a stream, I think you know why.

The next trout was a bit larger and dressed in fall attire. I have caught brook trout all over New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and none of them could compare with the power and tenacity of these salter brook trout. Tough ass New Englanders.

Not your typical freestone stream is it?

Quiet and cold waters. Streamers fished at various speeds. A slight bump, and then the pool erupts....wow.

I saw it's large back come up from the bottom to grab the fly. Once to steel struck the fish hit the bottom and raced for any tangle it could find. The fish was so strong that I said to Jeanette I will never land this fish. I kept looking at it's body twisting and running. I had to turn this battle in my favor, and I did. As the fish came to me Jeanette handed me the net. With the fish safely in it I glanced down and saw an incredible creation of nature. The brook trout was a female and heavy with spawn. A quick photo and revival and off she went.

Well that was the first part of this wonderful trip. Part two soon.

One Fish

Did you ever have a day where frustration was the headliner? Where almost everything you decided on was not the best decision? A day where a heavy rain would be a blessing. Oh my...yesterday was such a day. Please keep in mind this frustrating day only encompassed my time on the stream, the rest of my day was quite lovely. I arrived at the stream and was soon walking along it's banks. Looking at the first photo you can see an assortment of foliage, quite thick I will say. It was somewhere in that foliage that some strange sounds were being heard from. I can at most times identify what I hear but these sounds are still a mystery. That little incident put me on edge somewhat. Now to add to this I realized I left a fly box at home. Not a big issue because it only contained a few flies that I had tied and wanted to try.

Walking along and fishing I felt like I had no fly tied on my tippet, the reason I thought that was I had not received a single hit. The fish were not being nice at all. I changed flies multiple times with the same result. Now let me tell you I had already fished for 3 hours with only a meager 2 fish takes and not a single fish to hand.

Look at that beautiful run. Now hear about the hell I endured trying to get to it. Looking at the far side of the stream it looks pretty easy, but I was on the near side. It was thick with blow downs, the soft mud was up to my knees. The footing when I was not knee deep was like walking on ice. To say I was frustrated is an understatement...but. Have I ever mentioned to you how much I love Fran Betters? Well it was his influence in the fly I was fishing that made my day.

It was that fly that so pissed off this fine wild jewel that he went for it three times, one of those times it stuck him and I actually was able to bring him to hand. As it turned out it was to be my only fish of the outing. It was worth the frustration.

Soft-Hackles And Spiders

Soft-hackles or spiders, what to fish and where to fish them. A small stream requires different tactics then larger bodies of water, with different tactics comes a choice between flies that we select to enable us to get the job done. In the stream pictured above a small sparsely tied spider pattern is almost useless in drawing a trout to strike. In a section as this a soft-hackle with some fullness to it would be a much better choice.

This soft-hackle is what I would use in a stream as pictured above. The fly has a tail, thread body and a pheasant feather tied with several turns, perhaps even using the whole feather. The fly would be noticed in the faster moving current.

This piece of water would be where a sparse spider pattern would excel. The spider would drift slowly in the mild current and would be seen easily by feeding fish. In this pool I have taken many brook trout over the years. I have cast spiders and watched them drift. At the end of the drift the fly settles to where it's almost at the bottom. Brookies would look at the fly and would attack it once it's twitched.

This spider pattern is perfect for fishing in places I described above. The fly is the same as the first one. Tail, thread body and a pheasant feather for the hackle. The difference is the feather is wound sparse, perhaps only two turns. These flies offer the best of both in fishing various places on a small stream.