After learning two new patterns at the Annual Saco Valley Trout meeting at Hobbs’s Brewery, Bridget and I tied up a few.
But having the correct material made all the difference.
Small Streamers
Brook Trout
Until the end.
Trout season in New Hampshire closes on October 15 on most streams and rivers. I am going out as much as I can up until the end.
I hit a mountain stream that I really have fallen in love with. The water is quite a bit lower than just four days ago. I picked up a few nice wild brookies and half a dozen little tiny ones. I am amazed at how aggressive these little fish are. A beautiful fall day in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
Fishing hard until the end of the season.
The end of trout fishing season is fast approaching here in New Hampshire. The brookies are moving upstream to spawn and my old fishing haunts almost appear to be fishless. I have found a new tiny stream to fish it’s very much off the beaten path. Every time I go I feel like I spent the day rock scrambling which I have. This stream comes down off the side of a mountain it truly is a headwater stream. This is a waterfall plunge pool, waterfall plunge pool type of fishery. To move from pool to pool you have to climb up a rock jumble waterfall. I am amazed at the little pools that I’m catching brookies in. At the end of the day I’m quite tired. However like I’ve said hundreds of times the reason I love trout fishing is because of the beautiful places that you do it in.
New water
So I got out today on the Saco River in between rainy days. I wanted to check out the area where the proposed new fly fishing stretch would be. This is a beautiful area and a little bit difficult to get to. So the hope is that the fly fisherman won’t have to deal with the tourists and their float tubes all summer long.
I’m told there are some large brown trout and rainbows here. I hooked into one large fish from underneath the dead fall tree however by the count of 5 the fight was over and he was off. A long distance release.
I had one other small fish rise to a dry fly but that was it. It got very hot and all fish activity stopped. It was about 11:30 anyhow so I moved on to a wild trout stream where it stays cool and shady all the time. Where I know I would catch some fish.
Headed over to the Ellis River. This is become my go-to stream. I love to fish right at the base of Mount Washington. Almost always get a handful of wild brookies.
Finally
I got a little fishing in this evening. My first trip. After dinner I went across the street to the East Branch of the Saco. I have not done well here, but I that I’d give it a try. I didn’t even put on waders. I got 7 brookies in about a hour. Most were caught on a pheasant tail jig fly with a pink collar. One took a larger Pat’s rubber legs stone fly nymph. The water was about 55 degrees. I fished until I could not see to untangle my leader. A good night.
What better to do on a snow day?
It started snowing this morning. Marylynn, Bridget, and I are all home. I thought what better way to stay out of the way than to tie some flies.
This is a South Branch Chub. Originally tied by Bob Jacklin to fish the South Branch Of the Raritan River in New Jersey. I did really well with this pattern on The Ammonoosuc River in Bretton Woods New Hampshire. I am going to fill my streamer box for next spring. I have used imitation jungle cock cheeks here. I think it will look better with a natural jungle cock. In this article https://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw/101998fotw.php , Bob stated that he wanted to call it the Little Brook Trout, but the name was taken. I guess that is why it has worked so well here in New Hampshire. He also said the pattern will work well in ponds I will be giving that a try as well.
Tap 'n' Trout 