Colours

There are those that only pursue big fish.  Small fish are bait to them. Small trout is an opportunity for me to break out the fly rod and challenge my abilities to read water and tye patterns to fool mother nature. Let’s admit, trout like any other fish can be easy to hook when they are in the feeding mood. But how successful can you be when they are not hungry or have become spooky and wary?

The other day, I set out with a good friend Tony for a morning of fly fishing for resident trout. Checking the evening prior, the conditions for fishing would say that we could be in for a challenge. The conditions for us would be nice. It was to be sunny, warm and no wind. I pulled up to the access first. Taking a quick walk over the small bridge, the air was cool and crisp but you could tell it would warm by mid-morning. Tony showed up minutes later. Sleep deprived but raring to take it to the trout. With only the morning to fish, we agreed to hit only the most productive runs.

Tony was a true gentleman and gave me the first run while he went up 50 yards to fish a small chute. I slipped on a weighted beadhead caddis I had tyed up on a no.10 scud hook. Should be a big easy meal for the hungry. Sure enough, with a few passes between two submerged boulders, I had my first resident trout for the season.

A nice little brook trout.

It would not be long after, Tony would strike his first resident for 2012. We would alternate drifting specific runs, plucking trout. It was not till we reached a run ( I dubbed to myself the “ boxcar”) where we started to see some vicious surface action. A very narrow but fast riffle running along a bush line. I was still getting hits on the BHCaddis however very tempted to switch to a dry fly. I had watched a trout come head over tail out of the water for a fly that landed on the surface. Tony was smart and quickly slipped on a big elk hair caddis dry.

First drift through the feeding lane and the fly was molested. I have yet to tire watching dry flies take fish off the surface.

“ DO IT AGAIN TONY!”............ And he did!

We worked our way downstream as far as we have ever gone in this stretch. The low conditions made the next bend less appealing. We decided to turn back and fish our way back to the access. On the last section (dubbed the “Wisconsin Flats”), we hit a double header. Small they may be but the colours are simply brilliant.

Our next trip together will need to be a full day (and then some). A few hours felt like only minutes shared.