I Needed Redemption

I had one of my better days with dudeman. I’m pretty fortunate that I get out regularly and thankful for my supportive family. I’ve had a bit of a slump the last month or so, and part of that was on me. I have hooked and lost several fish that would have been the best of the year. I’ve also missed a few dry fly eats that stung. It’s been a grind.

Between low water and high water and large temperature and pressure swings it’s been an interesting and challenging early season. I’ve been fishing either 3” long jigs streamers with 5.5mm beads, or size 18-22 dries and not much between. I need to spend more time nymphing and hope to do so when more bugs are moving around starting now.
 
I don't know about you guys, but I am off to some of my worst fishing of any spring I can remember. I just haven't had many banner trips. Wait! I haven't had any banner trips! I've caught some fish here and there, but I have been struggling. Today, after striking out on a slightly bigger stream (but still small) with stockies and wild browns, I decided to drive to a trib to the stream I was fishing and redeem myself. I needed this. I was tired of fishing and finding nothing, so having brookies swarm my fly in all of the likely spots just felt good.

I have fished this stream before, and I like it a lot. It is a good stream. That one brookie was so silver that I had no idea what I had on at
 
Since you find the silver one fascinating, here are a few more pics. They're all pretty much the same pic at different zooms, but still....

1000004152.jpg
1000004153.jpg
1000004154.jpg
 
I agree. That brookie was so silver. At first, I thought what I had wasn't even a trout, but when I saw that it was a salmonid, I for sure thought it was a rainbow.

You know this system, btw. You fish and enjoy the stream that this dumps into.
Looks like a sardine!
 
Been a weird season so far for me too
Have had a few good says
But more not so good

I’m thinking that the mild winters the last 2 years may have spoiled us
Not really normal to have good fishing so early in the year, like we had then
And this year is a reality check
 
I'll let this one go cheaper than that, Chris. I will ask $150 for the stream and parking location. If you need specific driving directions because you don't know how to follow a GPS, that will be $175. If you would like me to personally guide you a day on the water, which includes getting you out of the trees, tying on the only fly you'll need all day because these brookies eat anything, and landing your trophy brookie as you battle the behemoth, that will be $300. For a "shore lunch" where I will batter brookies and fry them butter in cast iron on an open fire accompanied by fresh, seasonal asparagus, that will be $500.

Oh, this spot is on PA public land, too. It is actually a gamelands, but I don't mind profiting from the state's property. It belongs to me too, right?

Just a note, our shore lunch option is by far the most commonly bought package. Did I mention the asparagus is organic and picked directly from my parents' front yard?
 
I'll let this one go cheaper than that, Chris. I will ask $150 for the stream and parking location. If you need specific driving directions because you don't know how to follow a GPS, that will be $175. If you would like me to personally guide you a day on the water, which includes getting you out of the trees, tying on the only fly you'll need all day because these brookies eat anything, and landing your trophy brookie as you battle the behemoth, that will be $300. For a "shore lunch" where I will batter brookies and fry them butter in cast iron on an open fire accompanied by fresh, seasonal asparagus, that will be $500.

Oh, this spot is on PA public land, too. It is actually a gamelands, but I don't mind profiting from the state's property. It belongs to me too, right?

Just a note, our shore lunch option is by far the most commonly bought package. Did I mention the asparagus is organic and picked directly from my parents' front yard?
I love the 200$ cost for the lunch 🤣.

Honestly sounds like a great time if I were into pampered fishing.
 
I don't know about you guys, but I am off to some of my worst fishing of any spring I can remember. I just haven't had many banner trips. Wait! I haven't had any banner trips! I've caught some fish here and there, but I have been struggling. Today, after striking out on a slightly bigger stream (but still small) with stockies and wild browns, I decided to drive to a trib to the stream I was fishing and redeem myself. I needed this. I was tired of fishing and finding nothing, so having brookies swarm my fly in all of the likely spots just felt good.

I have fished this stream before, and I like it a lot. It is a good stream. That one brookie was so silver that I had no idea what I had on at first. I had to inspect it because I thought it was a wild rainbow, and that would have blown my mind coming from this location, but it is a brookie.

I hope everyone else is finding tight lines!
Supposed to stay below freezing up here all day tomorrow. Highs in the 40s after that in to the weekend.That could really shut activity down for another week or so. Ill still go out and maybe something magical happens.
 
I'll let this one go cheaper than that, Chris. I will ask $150 for the stream and parking location. If you need specific driving directions because you don't know how to follow a GPS, that will be $175. If you would like me to personally guide you a day on the water, which includes getting you out of the trees, tying on the only fly you'll need all day because these brookies eat anything, and landing your trophy brookie as you battle the behemoth, that will be $300. For a "shore lunch" where I will batter brookies and fry them butter in cast iron on an open fire accompanied by fresh, seasonal asparagus, that will be $500.

Oh, this spot is on PA public land, too. It is actually a gamelands, but I don't mind profiting from the state's property. It belongs to me too, right?

Just a note, our shore lunch option is by far the most commonly bought package. Did I mention the asparagus is organic and picked directly from my parents' front yard?
This is a classic! 😂
 
Thinking about that very odd brook trout Josh caught, how would someone who doesn't take streamside pics begin to describe that trout to anyone? I wouldn't be on a stream without a camera. To each their own, I guess.
 
I am really hoping that Mike chimes in. This has to be some sort of weird, rare genetic thing. There was a huge logjam nearby. Maybe the brookie spends 99% of his life in there, so it is adapting. Kind of like critters who reside in caves their entire lives losing their vision and color...

Seriously, though! I can't find any info by browsing the web about silver brook trout. What in the heck is up with this thing. I am so interested. If none of us have ever caught and/or seen a silver brook trout, this has to be a pretty rare thing!
 
Last edited:
Top