Crawfishing on Work

Yesterday was a beautiful day, overcast and low 80's, we have had lots of rain, how could I not take half a day from work for some brookie fishing?  It was by far the best July trout fishing I've experienced.  Usually by this point in July, we have to hang up the small stream fishing in Virginia due to low water and risk of killing all the fish we catch due to warm stream temps and low oxygen levels in water.  That is not the case for this year however.  All the rain we have been getting has helped keep the window of small stream fishing open a little longer this July. 

I revisited the red crawfish stream.  It has been a while since I have fished this odd stream and I am reminded of why I should really fish this stream more.  I'll go ahead and address it now too, for some reason, this stream is chucked full of bright red crawfish.  Literally saw 200+ in the couple hours I fished.  I was told a few years back by a biologist that it is one of two streams in the southeast that produces bright red crawfish.  They think it has something to do with the mineral make up of the waters.  Quite wild though to see what looks like fully cooked crawfish crawling around the stream bed.

The Red Crawfish

They suck at hiding.

Two crawfish in background. 

Probably the most colorful brookie I've caught in a while.

Big brookie of the day.

Capped the day off with some fresh marked bacon and shrimp. The dog approved.

Bacon wrapped shrimp.

Sure beat work.