Thursday, April 10, 2008

Small Wild Browns


I often fish this beautiful spring creek in early season... known for its cold water and smaller fish. Its upper reaches are kind of a place where you will use every casting technique you know. Tall dry grass, leafless branches and gusts of early spring wind play a wild dance with the fly line. You are using every bit of concentration to throw a pretty loop through the trees. The water feels like a melted ice and the fish are sluggish.

Suddenly, the sun is breaking through the clouds and the fish are lined up in sandy shallows like little soldiers. They are taking something from the surface-swirls and splashes are everywhere. Looking closely at the water, I see a tiny regatta of Baetis duns and midges skimming nervously across the water surface. It is midges they are after! Fish like my little emerging pupa, with banded body and CDC wing. The activity ceases as abruptly as it started. Little later, I watch early dark stoneflies near the faster, rocky stretch upstream, doing their egg laying routine. Little trout are going wild again, and a couple of them smack my bushy fly.

The sun is playing hide and seek and it finally disappears. The shadows deepen, while I take one more glance at my favorite open stretch. The wind picks up and I can feel the cold seeping through my waders. It is time to go...

4 comments:

Cameron Mortenson said...

Vlad...the striking color of that brown in the top photo is wonderful. Nice to see that you are getting out again. Which fly rod did you take?

flyfishingunlimited said...

Thanks Cam... As you can guess, I took my trusty Lami 7'6". While there are very nice open stretches on the creek, a good portion is lined with the thick brush. The shorter rod helps there. In the summer I often use 7 footers. I love the way Lami bends even with smaller guys on the other end of the line...

BLUEANGLER said...

Beautiful report! Vlad,
I enjoy reading the story!

The fish are gorgeous!Like Cameron mentioned... it is striking colored brown! I would just walk along the little bend and watch the trout feeding behavior...if catching is too luxury... I will never get bored with this kind of creek! keep them coming! : )

flyfishingunlimited said...

Thanks Mark! I love those browns with white edges on the fins (they almost look like brook trout fins.) It is a great area for birdwatching too...as you said catching fish is a bonus indeed.