Winter Scouting

Did a little winter scouting last Saturday in an section of Virginia mountains I have gone over on a map, but yet to explore.  I checked out three streams and it's tribs on Saturday and was pleasantly surprised.  I don't think there are going to be many 10 plus inch brookies pulled from these streams, but that isn't always what fishing is about.  Pretty streams these mountains hold.  One of the smaller streams I had a 10 inch brookie follow the nymph out of the deep pool he was sitting in.  I has in the tailout of the pool and the brookie took a swipe two feet from my feet.  I lift  the rod but the trout missed had the fly.  The trout just sat there holding off the bottom right under my nose in calm water.  I gently, while holding still, roll cast my fly back in front of him and he spooked back into his pool.  I thought he had saw me and now would be lock jawed.  I made another cast to the top of the pool and that same trout took the fly.  Can't believe he still ate after all that.  I unfortunately lost him after a short fight, but had him hooked long enough to see it was the same brookie.  Here are some pictures from the different streams.

Some snake skin

Probably the neatest rock wall I've seen and only one I've seen on a brookie stream.  I would love to know the history behind this.

Thanks for reading.

Brookies Do Eat During Winter

I was beginning to doubt brook trout eat in the winter.  Past couple trips have been rough catching wise.  I was planning on using last Saturday as a day to explore a new brookie stream, but changed my mind on the drive. I hit a stream that has produced well for me in the past, but also had other options close by just incase the trout decided to be lockjawed that day.  Glad I did because the fishing was slow on Stream A.  I managed to catch three brookies, but they were glued to the bottom and had to be worked hard for.

I thought at first this was a bear, but after talking to some people, seems like a Pileated Woodpecker was the culprit. Destructive little birds they are.

Decided to head to Stream B and see if it was fishing any better.  It was a little bigger of a stream, and while it gets a lot more pressure, it tends to hold bigger fish.  Stream B brookies were a lot more willing to play.

Stream B

Lunch: Pita Bread and Summer Sausage.

 

Better trout of the day.

I think this was man made.

Glad to finally hit a stream on a day where the trout are active.  While I enjoy just being out in God's country, I do occasionally like to catch fish.  Thanks for reading.