Winter Fishing...The Nook and Crany Dry Fly

People who have fished with me, and those who have followed this blog know that I have a thing for fishing riffles, and broken water. It can be either deep or shallow, any time of the year. Now most anglers will agree that riffles are productive places to fish and I agree, but how about winter, 35 degree temps, and with a dry fly. I call this type of riffle fishing "nook and cranny". One day last week I fished a small stream in a section I have not been to in some time. The usual starting fly, the "pinkie" brought nothing. Several more flies yielded the same. It was a good thing there was some excitement on the stream bank, a scared a deer who was hiding in some willows busted out and really woke me up. Getting back on story...I tied on a big skater pattern and worked it through a set of riffles. Second or third cast and a fish responded. That little guy came up for it again on another cast.

I changed flies and tied on a smaller dry. I worked the fly over the same set of riffles and the fish hit and this time he was soon at hand.

In the riffles there are various sized rocks, some bigger than others. The brook trout hold in these spots and will respond to a fly drifted down and also when retrieved. Those little places I refer to "nooks and crannies".

On this day I was able to bring two of these wild winter jewels to hand on a dry fly.....sterling day for January.

A good fly...thorax dun...a"great" fly for January a thorax dun.

"Madame"

As of last Friday we have returned to winter. Snow and cold have taken hold for now but a moderating trend is coming. So with the time available I turned to the tying desk and pumped out a few streamers. This is one that I find to be pleasing, both to tie as well as view.

This featherwing streamer is tied in the "Rangeley" style, as are the others I tied over the week-end. I hope you enjoy...."Madame"

"Madame"

Little Streams, Little Brook Trout

As I sit here typing this post I glance out the window and see the snow falling, right now it's at a good clip and there is several inches on the ground. Seeing this I think back to those rough days of last August and the conditions that our streams were in. The trout in these streams were reduced to living in mini-pools with barely a trickle between them. I know this snow will help and the rains of the last weeks have also helped.

One of the streams that took a hit last summer is this one. I visited it the other day and found a tumbling crashing flow of water that seemed to be singing as it moved over the rocks and fallen trees. Areas that were void of water were now covered...such a beautiful sight.

Now that the stream has water the next question was how did the fish do under the adverse conditions that summer laid on them. The question was answered very quickly. The little wet fly drifted and as soon as it straightened out I saw that swirl and a brook trout took it.

This is a brook trout from this stream, while not a giant, none the less a colossal achievement to the tenacity of this Connecticut native.

In my time on this stream so many of his brethren were observed. I was so happy to see this, another cycle of brook trout comes through.

"Legends" and "Winter Spiders"

I received a gift of a most wonderful book a few months ago. It's title is "Limestone Legends" The Papers and Recollections of the Fly Fishers' Club of Harrisburg...1947-1997. The book is a delight to read for it is like being there as these stories were being told. Many of the writers were just folks who had a story to tell, and some are pretty eloquently written. The members of this club are icons that I remember reading about as I entered into fly fishing, and the stories told were that of the famed waters of Pennsylvania's Cumberland County.

I'm not a guy who reads a book cover to cover "in that order" but thumb through it and when I spot something interesting and read it. Such was this fine piece written by Charles Fox.

In the article Mr. Fox compares two types of dry fly fishing. One where the angler uses a fine crisp Catskill dry fly, one that matches the hatch, and the other dry fly is an attractor or big bushy dry fly that gets the trouts attention. And this is so Pennsylvania..most anglers here also hunt, thus a precise Catskill dry "rifle" and a gaudy bushy dry fly "shotgun" applies so perfectly. I wish my typing skills were better for I would put forth the entire article for it's truly a gem.

I tied up some of those "winter spiders"..although they can be used successfully all year long.

The "Winter Brown"..Body Pearsalls Orange Silk- Hackle, Woodcock, and the head is Peacock.

The "February Red"...Body Pearsalls Red Silk, Hackle Grouse.