“It won’t catch fish – until it does.” These words crossed my mind as I waded into the Housatonic on this late October morning. The streamer on my line was a Goblin, a hasty creation that I entered in the Instagram #spookystreamer Halloween fly tying contest created by @svenddiesel. I didn’t expect it to catch fish, but then again, you never know . . .
The water was cold and clear, with strong gusty winds that usually precede an upcoming storm. Forecast is 1-2″ of rain, so this was my only day to fish. Yes, I know you can fish in the rain, but downpours are not my strong suit.
I stopped in a section of the river that has been productive all year. Three casts later I felt a nice tug on the line and proceeded to bring in this rainbow.
I laughed that a simple and gaudy creation brought in such a nice fish. It reminded me that it doesn’t hurt to experiment, and that sometimes fish just want something different.
The next few casts brought nothing, so I switched to a double nymph rig with the same autumn theme. One tan, the other bright orange. Both had a sparkle collar and dark tail. The tan nymph attracted this brown, which spooled my line several times before unwillingly coming to the net.
While my catch numbers are not as high as they are in the summer, fall is one of the most beautiful times to fish, especially in New England. The colors are spectacular and the air is crisp. Feels great to breathe it in.
I also want to thank Mianus TU for letting us join their barbeque. I’ve been to some of their other events and they are always great hosts.
If you do nothing else after reading this post, go to Instagram and type #spookystreamer. You will see some amazing (and spooky) creations. There are some very talented tyers out there.
Hope you’re enjoying the hungry trout and scenery that autumn has to offer. There is more to this season than pumpkin spice. Enjoy!
