As We Move Into July

June has been a dry month, it has also been a hot month. The last ten days have featured five 90 degree days. Now as we move into July I can say that after a bad June the streams I have fished are doing fairly well. The freestone streams have very cool waters and though the flows may be down they are not critical.

A mist rises above the cool water of a woodland stream. The damp moss covered rocks give off a fragrance that I can't describe.

A task that is mandatory come summer. As you can see the waters are cold.

Places like this will produce brook trout.

A beautiful hen..her markings are outstanding. Hope is she will survive to spawn come autumn and pass the beauty along.

Ant and bee patterns have been work very well...

What Is, And What Is Not....

There have been numerous articles written about the "technical" aspect of fly fishing. I usually don't read them for the reason I don't have much need to. I'm sure one can say they are required to use some form of technical fishing when they are in waters with high angling pressure. But there is also the fact that a trout eats when it's necessary. They eat for survival, if there is a large caddis hatch they will feed heavily on them which makes perfect sense, not to technical...but say there is no hatch going on do they stop eating or do they find something else to consume? Again the answer is not technical, they will find something else.

A section of small stream. There are trout in here at times and they are feeding. Looking at the section and trying to figure out where trout are, again not technical. Your options are, fish the right, center or left. Doing this your probably going to hook-up.

This brookie was taken from the left side within the shady part of the stream.

Pizzelle and Espresso...not very technical but very delicious.

Now as to the pocket knife....it's meaning is the buck stops here when it comes to technical fly fishing.

"Natty" An Inspiration...

Last week while fishing a small stream I saw something that lifted my heart and spirit. It a sight that I do not see often and some of the most valuable lessons a parent can offer a child.

As I walked the path along the stream I saw a little girl and her dad fishing. It looked like they only had one rod and were sharing it. Suddenly the rod was lifted and a brookie was netted by the man. The net was placed in the water and the both of them looked into the water and were talking. As I approached them the man unhooked the brookie, the little girl wet her hands and the brookie was handed to her. She looked at it, smiled and put the brookie in the water.

This is Nattie..and her dad. We stopped and talked for a good fifteen minutes. And the talk was not only with dad but also Nattie. I was impressed how much she knew about brook trout, and fly fishing. She was aware of how to handle a fish and how to release it gently.

Nathan Camp Photo

This is Nattie working a brookie. The rod is a Tenkara 5'

Nathan Camp Photo

Here is Nattie gently holding and then releasing that brookie she just caught.

A snack and a drink is needed after awhile. When you see this it is an inspiration, a hope for the future. A future that looks good not only for the brookie but also for Nattie. Thanks Dad for your part in showing Nattie how precious the natural world is.

Back home again....

Last week I paid a visit to my "home stream"...a pretty little stream that flows through a beautiful valley. The terrain is favorable to old knees and it felt good to walk on level land instead of the usual boulders and briars. I probably know this stream better then any of the streams I have fished. I guess it's been over 15 years since I first tossed a fly in it's waters. Well I have not fished here since late March so I did not know what to expect. The town has been doing some tree cutting along one of the trails, most of the trees were dead or sick and taking them down was a good thing.

When I saw the stream I knew I was in for a good day. The flow was good "but some rain is needed"..the water cool and the shade plays a big part in keeping it that way.

The first fish of the day was a little brown. When I first started fishing this stream browns were not here. Over the years they have been showing up.

A fallen log created a deep pocket just as the water was about to flow over it. These are places where you can usually find a willing fish.

And as soon as the fly neared the deep spot the fish hit and hit hard. A few moments later and this wild jewel was at hand.

Below the log there was a very good looking plunge pool..so what the heck. It's a place where you only get one shot at presenting the fly....that's all it took.

This lady was in wait. She seemed to hit the fly before it actually hit the water. It was good to be back home.