HopBack
Active member
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2013
- Messages
- 984
I had off on Friday and I was able to sneak out for a bit and fish a local little blue line. Most of the streams in the area have nice populations of wild brown trout however this one in particular yields a surprising population comprised solely of brook trout. Most people would agree that this is an extremely rare
find in the SE. For those unfamiliar with the area, there are a handful of known brook trout streams but most are either mixed brooks and browns or have been greatly diminished due to habitat loss and water quality issues. I have only fished this stream a few times but had seen enough to know that it not only contains a solid number of brook trout but uncommonly large brook trout as well.
I tried to hit the trail early to avoid the impending rain but it started almost as soon as I got out of my car. (It never really
stopped until I finished.) I was worried that the day would be a bust however when I arrived at first hole I saw a fair number
of BWO's and little black stone fly's buzzing around. A little hope! I tried tossing dries in the first couple of plunge pools with little success. I had been fishing for a while and at this point I noticed that the water had changed from crystal clear to a cloudy green color. I opted to go sub-surface with a blue and black crystal flash micro bugger. I started tying flies in December and this was the first fly I ever tied. Nothing very technical about this fly but it is very buggy. I tossed the fly into one of the largest pools on the streams and made a terrible cast. The fly smacked the water and the fly line got tangle in a tree and my heart sank. I thought that I had just screwed up my only chance to land any hungry fish in the pool. Fortunately for me the fish didn't appear to care about my poor technique and I connected with a fat 10" brookie. It wasn't the prettiest fish or the biggest brookie I caught out of this stream but definitely on of the heftiest brook trout I have ever caught. After I released the fish I proceeded to catch 3 more impressive brook trout from the same hole. Each of them were very unique but much thinner than the first fish. I have typically only seen 1 fish per hole in the past and they have all been very healthy. It was pretty clear who the pool boss was here she wasn't sharing the food. I wonder why the others didn't move downstream seeking there own holding lay's or move to a different spot in the pool? After that hole I figured I really couldn't do much better so I took the time to explore the upper reaches of the stream and to snap a few pictures before I was completely soaked.
On my way out I couldn't help but think if anyone else knew about or appreciated this place. I'm sure many people have seen the waterfalls and boulders but do they know what beauty lay's beneath the water? How many more places are there like this one and how long will they remain pristine and unspoiled. These are the types of questions that keep me going and searching for new and unique places to fly fish.
find in the SE. For those unfamiliar with the area, there are a handful of known brook trout streams but most are either mixed brooks and browns or have been greatly diminished due to habitat loss and water quality issues. I have only fished this stream a few times but had seen enough to know that it not only contains a solid number of brook trout but uncommonly large brook trout as well.
I tried to hit the trail early to avoid the impending rain but it started almost as soon as I got out of my car. (It never really
stopped until I finished.) I was worried that the day would be a bust however when I arrived at first hole I saw a fair number
of BWO's and little black stone fly's buzzing around. A little hope! I tried tossing dries in the first couple of plunge pools with little success. I had been fishing for a while and at this point I noticed that the water had changed from crystal clear to a cloudy green color. I opted to go sub-surface with a blue and black crystal flash micro bugger. I started tying flies in December and this was the first fly I ever tied. Nothing very technical about this fly but it is very buggy. I tossed the fly into one of the largest pools on the streams and made a terrible cast. The fly smacked the water and the fly line got tangle in a tree and my heart sank. I thought that I had just screwed up my only chance to land any hungry fish in the pool. Fortunately for me the fish didn't appear to care about my poor technique and I connected with a fat 10" brookie. It wasn't the prettiest fish or the biggest brookie I caught out of this stream but definitely on of the heftiest brook trout I have ever caught. After I released the fish I proceeded to catch 3 more impressive brook trout from the same hole. Each of them were very unique but much thinner than the first fish. I have typically only seen 1 fish per hole in the past and they have all been very healthy. It was pretty clear who the pool boss was here she wasn't sharing the food. I wonder why the others didn't move downstream seeking there own holding lay's or move to a different spot in the pool? After that hole I figured I really couldn't do much better so I took the time to explore the upper reaches of the stream and to snap a few pictures before I was completely soaked.
On my way out I couldn't help but think if anyone else knew about or appreciated this place. I'm sure many people have seen the waterfalls and boulders but do they know what beauty lay's beneath the water? How many more places are there like this one and how long will they remain pristine and unspoiled. These are the types of questions that keep me going and searching for new and unique places to fly fish.