Walks in the Woods

Saltwater species have dominated my fishing time for the last few months.  However, there is something about the fall that brings on the urge to stalk stream-born trout in a waterway skinnier than a car lane.  Before last week, I had not tied on a nymph pattern since June, yet a size#18 pheasant tail stuck out like a sore thumb in my fly box as I knelt down on the bank.  I dropped it off the hook-shank of a stimulator dry fly with a piece of fluorocarbon.  The dry fly acted as a strike indicator and went under twice as trout ate my nymph.  Getting outside was the goal, but a native brookie and wild brown trout were a welcomed bonus.   

A few days later, my family took a hike along another beautiful small stream. No trout were caught, but a few fallfish, often referred to as dace, came to the hand via that same nymph pattern.  Fallfish make great bait for northern pike, but these were too small to put in the freezer for ice fishing season.  I think Murphy, the family golden retriever, had the most fun of all and spoiled many a good pool by jumping in before I could get a cast off.