Wet Wading in November

[Woolly Bugger]

November 6, 2020 #47

Gas $1.90

Sunny skies, temp 70.

Wet wading in November!

At a popular destination I saw a number of wadered up anglers on the DH water. I headed up a "Wild" tributary



There were a couple of cars at the trailhead, passed one spin guy down low and hiked in a mile before starting to fish. Couldn't get a fish to hit the dry fly, same stimulator that's been on for the last three or four trips. Maybe I should retie. Finally added a dropper, and still nothing for the longest time, felt like I was fishing behind someone, wouldn't that be my luck.









Finally, as the creek turned and sun hit the water the fish began to bite.





Most took the prince nymph dropper, but a few smashed the dry.













~fin

[Woolly Bugger]

November 8, 2020 #48

Gas $1.65 ( 30 cents grocery discount)

Temps in the low 70s, partly cloudy with a slight breeze.

I've been trying not to fish on the weekends to avoid as many humans as possible. Nothing new here. Anyway there was one car parked at the trailhead. I was planning on starting in the middle of where I fished the other day and kept a eye out for the other angler on the 1.5 mile hike in, I didn't see him. I had hoped that I would be high holing the dude(s)

The punes were hitting the dry and the bigger punes were taking the dropper.



It was a glorious day to be on the stream. The last of the fall colors were catching the sunlight and contrast with the muted tones on the shaded streambed. The tumbling water drowned out all worldly concerns, focusing on foot and cast placement. Often I started the guard fish at the tails of the pools and the rocketed up to the head alerting every other fish of danger.





I had planned to take a small landing net, but somehow managed to leave it behind, along with some bottles of water. I was forced to pack some Tonic Water, which was a pandemic purchase while I was on a gin and tonic kick.  A number of the fish that I caught managed to free themselves from the barbless hooks before I could take a photo. I've been using the iPhone although I still carry the TG. The phone requires a bit more dexterity, unlock, camera app,etc...





Found a Northern Dusky Salamander (Desmognathus fuscus) hanging out on a rock.



Old park (boundary) sign? 50 years old?



An average cooperative trout.





About two miles in the scenery really is specular.





I landed a nice 12 inch brown but it wriggled free just as I was ready to snap a photo. Oh well.



I took my son up through this gorge many may years ago. When we got to this pool he was chest deep standing in the water as we started to work our way above this little fall. He freaked out a bit and became a bit frightened about continuing on. We backed down a bit and then bushwhacked back up to the trial.



Since I was wet wading the prospects of going into this pool wasn't appealing and besides footprints in the gravel indicated that I was now fishing behind someone. So I took the route that my son and I had traveled so many years before.

[Big J]

Look at woolly getting all wild.  Mainly talking about that last selfie, but nice trout too.

[Phil]

Fishin and hikin! Good on ya and fine photos, Bossman. 

[Woolly Bugger]

Fishin and hikin! Good on ya and fine photos, Bossman. 

It's what we do...

[Phil]

Fishin and hikin! Good on ya and fine photos, Bossman. 

It's what we do...

Unfortunately, I've been doing more hiking than fishing recently.     It's OK, though. Trying to get my wife on a new (and better) path.

[Onslow]

Pure woodsy magic.

Water level is still at Springtime levels. We won't know how to act if the rainfall amounts ever revert back to normal.

[Sedition and Pockets]

Pure woodsy magic.

Water level is still and a Springtime level. We won't know how to act if the rainfall amounts every revert back to normal.

Bullshit.  We'll go fish for smallies.

[itieuglyflies]

Great Fall photos (last photo exception) and TR. Go Woolly!

[greg]

Spectacular indeed.

[Woolly Bugger]

November 15, 2020 #49

Overcast - 62 degrees. Still wet wading...

Quick trip up the road for a couple of hours of streamtime. The water was still up from the rain. Hiked in a mile and began fishing. Not many spots to fish as the water was just ripping. Fished a dry dripper, most fish smashed the dry with only a few on the nymph.

Broke in my new Spey Nation hat!

It sort of looked like this...















One day I'll remember to bring the net...

[Dougfish]

Good on ya, Chief. 
J and I wore waders hours to the north.

[Woolly Bugger]

November 20, 2020 #50

Gas $1.93

With net in hand, I drove off to catch a small fish for a photo contest with my local TU chapter's November Virtual meeting. I saw an entry with ta 5" rainbow, and was certain that I could hood a wild pune.

The first fish to hand might just be small enough to be a winner of the smallest trout prize, $15 gift certificate plus a fly box and 6 flies!



The stream was still running boisterous  and the fish were either under rocks or glued to the bottom.
This little grandiloquent rainbow took the prince nymph that I tied up the other day.



Took a shot with the gopro in its aquadome for the half and half shot...



I'm starting to photograph a "tree of the trip" and here is one that I found interesting with it's multiple trunks.



The low sun glared upon the stream making the fly difficult to see but made for some pretty pictures.





I dredged up this surprise from a deep run, I was hoping for a mythical brookie, but wasn't too disappointed when realized it was a brown.





Another well fed rainbow was the last fish of the day.



I was standing on a footbridge getting a beer out of my pack when i was startled by a couple hiking along the trail. I'm usually watchful but had my back to the trail. We chatted for a bit and the guy took some photos of his gal by the stream before heading back down the trail.

I took some photos and consumed the delicious SNTIPA.



If southern folklore is to be believed, we are in for a long cold winter as this Woolly Worm's 13 segments are all black.



Back at the car the couple, from Maryland according to their license plates, had cooked a dinner in there camper van, and I ate some cold fried chicken.


When you can't have members gathering in church because of the pandemic you should just Go Fishing!


I visited the Bob White Covered bridge many years ago before the flood took it out, but the signs are still pointing to it from the highway. I wondered if it had been reconstructed, all I found were the abutments.

[Woolly Bugger]

addendum

[Dougfish]

Noice.