Comments on: Going Small, Scoring Heavy (or, Fly Fishing, Phases, and Those Damned Bugs)

By: Fly Fishing Your Home Waters, Wherever They Are | The Trout Underground Fly Fishing Blog

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:33:50 +0000

[...] fishing itself wasn’t that dramatic, and rather than risk repeating my recent small stream reports, I’ll simply say [...]

By: Flykuni

Flykuni — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:51:41 +0000

Tom Chandler: He normally fishes the ocean, and you know – go with your strengths. Hopefully, I won’t find anyone on that stream. But more on that later.It was a #12 stimulator (no kidding). Love to, but I don’t own such a unit. Still, you can’t miss it. Take the dirt road until you reach the big tree, then turn right.

I know the place. Will arrive soon with plastic tub, 20' mono gill net and 5 ga. of Clorox. Culling's necess on some streams, yes?

By: troutdawg

troutdawg — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:24:21 +0000

That looks like a great place, I have some friends out that way that love fishing there~

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:00:38 +0000

MikeL: Tom, Nice pix and story. Do you have any books on backcountry fishing in Cal that you like? thanks, m

I hear Sierra Trout Guide (Cutter) is pretty good, but I haven't fished down that way for a long time, and haven't ever used the book. Don't know of anything up this way.

MikeL: One other question. What model of camera do you use on the stream? I like the close focus.

Same old beat up Pentax Option W10 (think they're like on the W60 model). Mine's got all sorts of issues, but keeps on ticking.

By: MikeL

MikeL — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:46:17 +0000

One other question. What model of camera do you use on the stream? I like the close focus.

By: Gareth

Gareth — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:54:26 +0000

Tom, that is one awesome looking place! And the colours on those browns are amazing! Thanks for the report and photos :)

By: MikeL

MikeL — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:42:45 +0000

Tom,
Nice pix and story. Do you have any books on backcountry fishing in Cal that you like? thanks, m

By: Benjamin Rioux

Benjamin Rioux — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 02:02:37 +0000

Good stuff T.C., as usual. Northern Maine has a ton of small streams filled with Brookies. Unfortunately I'm not IN northern Maine very often this summer (huge mistake on my part). It's never been the size of the fish that's drawn me to Fly Fishing, although a giant Brookie or Salmon is always welcome. I love the peace and quiet of natural surroundings, and it's the simplistic nature of it all that really makes fishing trips like the one you just describe above that sets casting a fly apart from anything else on earth.

Jeremy: I have been drawn to small brookie streams and smaller rivers that very few people fish and that have no names to speak of.Its really nice to take a break from fighting the big waters and even the ocean for that matter … and spend some time on some more intimate streams and just relaxing and casting dry flies behind little boulders and into little tiny eddies trying to trick wily little brook trout.

When we fishing? I need to burn some stream off on these intimate streams you speak of!

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:05:21 +0000

samistopdog: Not to throw cold water on your trip…but looking at that spey rod lying next to your partner in picture #1, might be a bit of over kill.

He normally fishes the ocean, and you know - go with your strengths.

DS Fly Fishing: More likely you will run into them on that trickle of a stream loaded with those tiny brown beauties.

Hopefully, I won't find anyone on that stream. But more on that later.

Ray: Well no kidding. Stimulators should be big. Even for small water, a 10 is a bout right, 12 OK, and an 8 is not too big for fast water, pocket water, small stairstep pools, and riffles.

It was a #12 stimulator (no kidding).

Flykuni: Please post gps coord’s. I won’t tell anyone.

Love to, but I don't own such a unit. Still, you can't miss it. Take the dirt road until you reach the big tree, then turn right.

By: Flykuni

Flykuni — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:14:47 +0000

Please post gps coord’s. I won’t tell anyone.

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:11:33 +0000

“The small stimulator didn’t fly.”

Well no kidding. Stimulators should be big. Even for small water, a 10 is a bout right, 12 OK, and an 8 is not too big for fast water, pocket water, small stairstep pools, and riffles.

If they’re not hitting the stimmie, its probably laying on its side, I tie a variant to help fix that, no body hackle, but I wrap a 1mm foam around the body instead of dubbing. then a nice bushy wing and a big hackle up front.

Don’t forget the rubber legs!

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:59:10 +0000

Great article/post. I seem to be going through a similar phase right now and I am really enjoying it. Here in Maine, we have some very big rivers and historically I would fish those. Big burly water and seemingly miles of water between both banks. I still love those type of rivers and the promise of big trout and salmon .. but so far this season, it has been a bit different for me. I have been drawn to small brookie streams and smaller rivers that very few people fish and that have no names to speak of. Its really nice to take a break from fighting the big waters and even the ocean for that matter … and spend some time on some more intimate streams and just relaxing and casting dry flies behind little boulders and into little tiny eddies trying to trick wily little brook trout. There is just a feeling that small stream/river environments provide .. that can not be duplicated in big water environments. I am sure the big water will draw me back at some point …. but its been too long since I spent a fair amount of time on the little water… and I am really enjoying it.

By: DS Fly Fishing

DS Fly Fishing — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:45:02 +0000

Tom, wanting to search for small opportunistic browns far from humanity surely means you are losing your mind. Unfortunately, you may have to wait for winter to see that shrink… in their office. More likely you will run into them on that trickle of a stream loaded with those tiny brown beauties.

By: samistopdog

samistopdog — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:41:56 +0000

Not to throw cold water on your trip…but looking at that spey rod lying next to your partner in picture #1, might be a bit of over kill.

possibly comes under the heading of, “Beware of the man that owns but one gun and hunts all creatures, he probably knows how to use it”.

Roberts has a couple of three weights he is not using these days.

Beautiful photos …again. But where is wonderdog?