Musky Fly, is it fall?

Sat down behind the bench and needed to tie up some trout flies to replenish some of my fly boxes, but I ended up tying a musky fly.

I can't wait for fall to arrive so I can chase the musky again.

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.

New Addition to Family/Sneaking Out for Some Brookies

It has been a couple weeks since I've posted something in the blog.  That is because my wife and I welcomed this little girl to our family on June 12th. 

She has been great and a complete joy for my wife and I.  I've been adjusting from a life of little priorities, to a life with more important priorities when it comes to how I spend my free time for the past couple weeks.

The wife and baby have been doing great though and my wife gave me a pass to fish this past Friday.  My friend kidnapped me from the in-laws house and I headed for a trout stream that has been good to me over the years.

Brother was looking through my blog and said "you sure eat a lot of summer sausage".  Got that right, life is too short to eat a bologna sandwich on a trout stream.  I like to do it right. 

The stream thru the gorge section

Ring neck snake

Bushwhack out.

Good to get out for a little bit.  Might be the last time I'm able to hit a trout stream this summer if we keep getting 90 degree days.  Fingers crossed for more rain, cool days, and some free time soon.