dry flies

July 4th Weekend in New Hampshire

July 10, 2022 by Leigh Leave a Comment

With a four-day weekend in front of me and no immediate plans, I packed the car with gear, put Tippet in the passenger seat and headed to New Hampshire. Pre-holiday traffic lengthened our route, but provided better scenery and a chance to see roads less traveled. Less than 5 hours later, we were in our hotel scouting maps for the next day.

My plan was to fish the Saco River. I’d heard some good things and knew there were some smaller streams in the area as well.

Saturday morning I checked in with Steve at North Country Angler. He told me that waters in the area were low but fishable. During the day the Saco River was popular place for tubers, so I may want to give other places like the Ellis River a shot. Good advice.

Headed to the Ellis River. I’d describe it as a small stream that runs by the highway with easy access. Plenty of pocket water, but be prepared to do some rock climbing and crawling to find the good pools. As expected, water was cool, clear and low.

Was chucking streamers and picked up this guy, a wild tiger. Also landed some smaller browns.

In the afternoon I did some scouting. Drove along the Kancamagus Highway, which runs from North Conway to Bath, NH, through the White Mountains. Beautiful road with plenty of scenic overlooks and wild streams. The Swift River parallels most of the highway, but was also pretty low and clear. Saw a number of cyclists and motorcyclists, along with ambitious hikers and sightseers.

The next day I returned to the Kancamagus Highway, with a focus on sampling the many small streams crossed during my scouting trip. Scenes like below are quite common. Wading is fairly easy, but again, be prepared to do some climbing.

Found quite a few of these guys – hungry, eager, and colorful. Dries, nymphs and small streamers all worked.

Took off the middle of the day to do some exploring in North Conway, but that evening got a chance to fish the Saco River.

Went to First Bridge, the beginning of the fly fishing-only section. The tube hatch died down, and I had a large glassy pool mostly to myself.

Tied on a Usual, and a few minutes later I was catching these. Cookie cutter 10″ stocker browns, but a lot of fun to have on the line at the end of the day.

If you’ve never been, North Conway, NH is a great place to spend a weekend. Plenty of restaurants, shops and activities. Something for everyone. During the winter there is nearby skiing, and summers are for hiking, tubing, biking, fishing and taking excursions like the one below on the North Conway Scenic Railroad.

Hope you’re finding new streams and adventures. Enjoy!

First Signs Of Fall

October 11, 2020 by Leigh 3 Comments

For many of us in the northeast, the first sign of fall is cooling temps after a long hot summer. Others wait for the leaves to change from lush green to red and gold. And some may find pumpkins and flowers on their neighbors’ porches. A few look for baseball to get closer to the World Series and football to crank up. A select group may even herald the annual arrival of pumpkin spice season.

For me, fall signals the return of trout fishing on one of my favorite local rivers and the chance to get some water to myself. Even the roads seem to have less traffic.

This afternoon I spent a few hours chasing trout in a remote section of the Housatonic. It was an overcast fall day, with temps around 70 degrees and light intermittent showers. While autumn has not yet peaked, there were plenty of twigs and small branches in the water, reminders of the dreaded leaf fish.

For this reason I started with two streamers: The Orange Blossom Special and the Guinness Trout. The Guinness Trout has been a go-to for years, but the Orange Blossom Special is relatively new in my box. I tied it faithfully to the recipe, adding only a bead head. It uses the colors of fall, so I had high expectations. It delivered.

While debris and light rain made dry fly fishing seem more like target practice, the Orange Blossom Special pulled in browns and bows.

Later I used the Guinness Trout for this rainbow.

At one point I stopped and soaked in the beauty of early autumn and the solitude it brings. But then again, for many of us, solitude has not been much of an issue this year.

While I sit here typing, the vice presidential debates are going full force. Not exactly the best background to spur story writing. As the candidates spar from their chairs, weaving, jabbing and bobbing verbally, I’m even more thankful for the chance to get outdoors. In times like these, where politics, economics and finger pointing merge into one corrosive news feed that feels like a cross between a roller coaster and a carousel, we need places enjoy ourselves and recharge, free of the divisive rhetoric.

Hope you are finding time to get out and enjoy yourself in what has been a year like no other (and still has 3 months to go!)

Enjoy!

A Day Floating The Delaware

June 25, 2019 by Leigh 4 Comments

Spent the better part of the day and well into the evening floating the Delaware. It was my first time in a drift boat. Even with my mediocre casting, we were consistently on fish throughout the day, primarily wild browns. These fish know how to bend a rod and take notice of the slightest imperfection in presentation. But once they are on the line, be prepared to fight them all the way to the boat.

We booked a day trip with Cross Current Guide Service through Whitetail Fly Shop. We met our guide Tim at the shop took a brief ride to the launch. I was expecting to put on waders and boots, but he explained that the river was a little high and we probably wouldn’t touch the water. I stayed in shorts and sandals until dark. It was a warm day and I was comfortable the entire trip.

Tim did exactly what a guide is supposed to do: set expectations for the day, ask us about our skills, put us on fish, pick the right flies, and help us improve our casting and presentation skills. I had some trouble mending from the boat and he demonstrated and then guided me on how to do it. He also navigated around a number of other boats and was spotting fish and positioning us well before we even saw a rise.

We fished dry flies all day. I would call this target angling, because we only cast to rising fish. Most that we caught were in the 14″ – 16″ range, but the one above was 19″. We went well into the darkness and really only stopped because we could no longer see the fish or our flies.

My only complaint is that even after spending over 8 hours on the water and fishing well past sunset, the day seemed too short. If the Delaware is not on your bucket list, add it. I would also recommend Tim and the Cross Current team if you are planning to hire a guide.

Enjoy!

What Are They Bitin’ On?

June 15, 2019 by Leigh 2 Comments

One of the most famous lines from “The Movie”, and often what we ask or secretly want to ask is, “What are they bitin’ on?”

Last night was epic, catching trout after trout from late afternoon until dark. I used mostly dries, but nymphed long enough to catch one (Note: Wanted to prove that I could do it. I’m a lousy nympher.)

So what were they bitin’ on? In between these pics, I’ve included links to some of the recipes I tied and used for last night’s session.

Sulphur Gnat – I started using Jim Misiura’s pattern two summers ago, and will tie it on during a sulphur or any evening hatch. Last night it was slammed so hard that the hackle unraveled.

Sulphur Comparadun – This was my first time using it. Caught the first fish of the evening on it within 3 minutes of hitting the water. The Tightline video series is one of the best I’ve found.

Rusty Spinner – One of my most frequently used flies.

Caddis – Another Tightline video recipe, but there are so many out there. This was the last fly of the night that I tied on (primarily because I could still see it). I picked up 3 hungry trout looking for a meal.

Bonus: This Peacock Caddis Pattern is one of my favorites.

Dry fly season is here! Hope you’re getting out on these long evenings. Enjoy!

Starting June the Right Way

June 2, 2019 by Leigh Leave a Comment

It has been way too long since I’ve written a post.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that I’ve been fishing. Most trips have been to the local bass pond or short jaunts to smaller rivers where I’ve picked up a few trout on streamers or nymphs.

The first day of June was largely dedicated to yard work, playing catch up from what a long, wet spring left behind. By the afternoon I was spent, but the Housatonic was at 1130 cfs, only slightly above my personal limit of 1,000. What the heck.

I packed the fish+mobile with gear, cooler and Tippet. We headed west along the backroads that take us to the Housatonic. Along the way we saw a handful of anglers wading and 3 drift boats along a relatively short section. Two of the boats were playing fish, so I thought my chances would be good.

I arrived to find that I would have my favorite pool to myself – I thought. Within seconds I was joined by two other anglers – one casting dries, the other nymphs. It’s a large pool so we spread out and gave each other room.

I watched both men hookup within minutes and figured that the fish wanted mixed grill.

I started out nymphing, which brought a few quality fish to hand. After watching sporadic rises, I tied on a rusty spinner, which also brought in a number of healthy browns. By dusk I was satisfied and planning a return trip.

Tippet is always happy to join in, especially if the adventure includes pre- and post-fishing walks. She spent half of this trip in the backpack wading with me, and half in the car watching. I park in the shade and crack the windows so she can take in some fresh air and nap as needed.

Before leaving I took a couple of pics. Even without the excellent fishing, this is truly a beautiful spot. I feel lucky to live so close to the Housatonic and other fishing and hiking opportunities.

Heading home, I always stop before driving thru the covered bridge. It feels like I’m leaving another world. And I am.

Public Service Announcement: While I was home unloading the fishmobile, I rubbed my hand along the back of my neck. I felt a small smooth bump. It started to move. I pulled it from my neck. Yes, it was a tick. I live in Connecticut, which means we take every tick encounter seriously due to Lyme’s disease. I’ve had Lyme’s before, and don’t wish to test my luck again. If you live in a state with similar concerns, please take every precaution to protect your family and pets from these stealthy terrors. It was a mild winter and a wet spring, so expect them to be in full force.

That said, get out and fish soon. Enjoy!