Christmas Eve Brookie Trip

Swattie87

Swattie87

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May 3, 2011
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We're kind of in that winter lull in terms of posting about fishing outings, and I know I haven't posted any pics in a while, so here's a few...

Got out this morning for a few hours before company arrives for the holidays later this afternoon. Headed north (haven't done that in a while either) into Schuylkill County and fished a stream that usually produces some nice fish. The fish were stacked up in the deepest wintering holes already, so after no response to the usual attractor dries in the first few likely runs and pockets I switched to a small BH Bugger and focused on the deep holes. Brought a few nice Brookies to hand on the Bugger, but I will always remember today for the one that got away...

In one of the nicest holes on the stream I was dead drifting the Bugger when I thought I snagged on a rock, so I didn't go through the hookset motion as I didn't want to set the hook into the rock. Well it wasn't a rock, and it turns out I would pay for that lack of a hookset. I played the fish and brought it to my feet to find out it was a 12" range, fire orange bellied, dark olive backed Brookie. It seriously looked exactly like the Brookie illustration on the PFBC site. This easily was the largest wild Brookie I've ever had on my line, and was a true monster for a small freestone stream like this. It was one of those fish that takes your breath away and makes your heart stop for a second (you all know what I mean). Anyway, as is usually the case with fish like this, as I was getting my camera out of my pack, he successfully threw the hook at my feet and swam off. I don't usually carry a net on small Brookie streams like this because it's almost never needed and usually just gets in the way and is one more thing to get stuck in the brush...would have been a good idea today though. Kind of a bummer, as I do enjoy the photography aspect of the sport as well, but it's great to know that fish like this really are out there. I know where he lives...at least for the winter anyway, so the next decently warm day, maybe after a rain, I'll pay him a visit a throw a bigger Bugger through that hole and see if I can catch him again.

Anyway, a couple of pics...this was the second nicest of the day...a nice fish, but a BIG difference...



 

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Nice pics and trip. I hope to get out early next week to a brookie mountain stream. Have never done that kind of fishing and look forward to trying to catch fish on dry flies in the winter.
 
Nice report! Were you in my neighborhood by chance? Looks familiar.

Boyer
 
Got a gift early this year a 5 foot 6 inch 3 wt 4 piece easy trail walking rod in a back pack. Plus have Monday off looks like its brookie time
 
Boyer - Not quite in your backyard but yeah, we've talked about the stream before, and you know it. The 12 incher came out of the same hole (below a culvert) that you mentioned getting a big one. How long ago was that? Same fish maybe?
 
Good report and nice looking stream. I try dries first also, then if the water is just too cold, Ill switch to something subsurface or the pcray dryanddropper. I really like dry fly fishing,but one good thing about the subsurface flies is that they are more likely to let you catch the larger brookies.

Counties like schuylkill and luzerne are tricky: some amd water without fish, but there are some very good brookie streams out there too.
 
Matt - Nice report. We have to meet up in 2012 and hit some streams. Have a good holiday.
 
If its the same creek im thinking of, I love that stream. I caught a nice one in that deep hole too last spring.
 
Neat stream, I'll have to check that out nice post.
 
I would have sent that as a PM, because I did not even notice the name untill you pointed it out.
 
Good call Becker.
 
Theeel89,
While we usually don't edit photos unless they're clearly in violation of site policy, I made a decision to delete the photo you posted above based on some possibly incorrect assumptions. Please feel free, if you care to, to re-post it again.
Dave W
 
thanks for taking it off. i didnt realize the name was there.
 
Great stream, one of my favorites
 
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