05scab

I looked at maps online this week for a new place to fish near home that hopefully some had trout.
I have been hitting my regular holes and getting 12 inch stocker here…8 inch brookie there.  But few small fish and not many. Figured I would try my luck and Google mapped my next outing.

I almost stayed inside with the heavy rain.

 

With all the rain I managed to drag myself out after a nice hot breakfast.

 

After hiking to the water I tied up a home tied Hornberg. I used loon floatant for the dead drift from upstream. Stripped it back up to me from the swing streamer style.

Water was about 20 feet across 3 ft. deep and a swift current chilly at about 58.5 degrees. Because of the small water I opted for my 6’6” 4wt superfine rod.

 

Small water small fish is my normal trip on the water. Little did I know?

 

When the Hornberg swung 20 feet down stream I started to strip it back and though I got hung up on a log. No log just a pig……….about 21 inches.  My largest brown trout to date.

 

Fished my way upstream changing over to a tung head soft hackle with a hotspot. (tied this one too)
Managed to hook into a nice little brown.

 

After a cup of coffee the rain picked up and I was wet and tired. Started heading back for the truck. A few more casts first and bam….This one hit while dangling the TH Soft hackle straight down stream in swift current. Little movement on the fly but I imagine the flow made the hackle look alive. 20+ inches and I thought it would snap my rod or my arm. Heck of a fight and a fat fish.

 

 

One of my best days on the water and the two biggest browns I have ever caught. Best part is I tied the flies myself and they put up a heck of a fight and bend on the 4wt superfine. 

I may never fish a sunny day again.

Thanks for looking.

Sorry did not see it was already posted.  Please delete.

I am very new to fly tying and self-taught from books and online videos.

 

 

I have a question for you old pros.

 

 

I have whiting dry fly capes in four colors. (The introductory pack)

 

Can feathers from these capes also be used for streamers or does the fact that they are not "webby" enough matter?

 

 

I know going the other way would matter as the webby wet fly hackle would not float well but does it matter on streamers?

 

 

I was hoping to spin up a few streamers without having to fork out bucks for hackle again. Thanks for any help and suggestions.

 

 

 

 

After having a slow few weeks that I blame on real high water on my normal haunts.
I finally got a break on my first time out on this new small stream.


I moved to an upstream spot so not to crowd the other fisherman.


It all worked out.
I ended the day with a half dozen nice trout on my first adventure with my new Orvis Superfine Rod.






Hope the luck keeps up for a few weeks sure was fun.