Small Stream Report, or: I finally go fishing!

Feb2

We all know the scientific certainty that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. But add a bout with Covid, a never-ending string of home improvement projects, change Jack’s name to Steve, and holy cow, the dullness is magnified when there’s no fishing in January.

So, I snuck out during the last few hours of the month to visit a small stream. It was chilly and overcast, but the water was a good medium height, running clear with an occasional bit of decaying vegetation detritus tumbling by, and a surprisingly warm 42 degrees. Here are some details.

I pricked four and landed three, all on a swung/dangled/stripped Squirmy Worm jig. They had no interest in the dry nor tiny nymph dropper.

I interested, but did not hook, two behemoths (for this size stream) in separate locations. Both fish came out from their holes to inspect the fly, follow it, and then ultimately reject it. In both cases, I tied on, then offered, a larger micro Woolly Bugger in black, but neither fish reappeared. Round 1 to them. (Be advised, fishies, that I know where you live.)

Most of the fish came in water moving at a moderate pace, and all of those locations offered both depth and some form of cover, be it logjams, cutbacks, boulders, etc. Another smaller guy repeatedly whacked the fly as it dangled near his hideout beneath a cutbank.

The last fish was a spawned out female, 8″-9″. Please take care not to wade in gravel beds until mid spring s that the next generation can get a healthy start.

**On the board for 2024, and my first fish was a beauty. Please consider taking the Wild Trout One Photo Challenge. It’s better for the fish, the resource, and you’ll feel good about it, too.**

Edison Fly Fishing Show 2024: Best show ever?

Jan31

I always have a good time at the Fly Fishing Show. But looking back at this year’s Edison show, it might have been my favorite — ever. I think it’s because I reconnected with so many old friends, strengthened some newer friendships, and had more first-time meetings. I gave away and traded a bunch of flies. My classes drew well, and I had some impressive crowds for my talks. Oh. I also bought stuff — some I wanted, some I needed, all of it putting a smile on my face. Here’s my show experience in pictures.

I knew Jeff Currier was an exceptional angler. I didn’t know that he’s one of the best — really — on the planet. I’ve been saying hi to and chatting with Jeff and his significant other, Granny, at these shows for a couple years, but at Marlborough I spent more time hanging out, getting to know him, and giving him some wet flies. At Edison, I gave him some smallmouth flies to try, and I bought one of his mugs. You see, in addition to being a world-class angler, Jeff is also a talented artist. The mug isn’t for coffee. I’m going to put it on my fly tying bench and use it as a stash container. (I bought the striped bass mug, not pictured.) I also picked up a new chest pack for guiding on the Farmington, the Umpqua Overlook, and some zingers and a fly box and some spiffy new Dr. Slick nippers that are way too expensive for nippers — but they look so damn good. Reviews on all to come.

I also picked up Joe Cordero’s new flatwing book, *Colors In The Current*. You can get it from his website, and I will be reviewing here in the future. Here’s Joe signing my copy. Speaking of signing, I also finally got Ed Engle to sign my copy of *Trout Lessons*, and Landon Mayer to sign my copy of *The Hunt For Giant Trout*. Yes, I’m a total fan boy. Dang! I missed George Daniel.

Not a bad lineup to bat leadoff. I had a nearly packed house for my Friday talk, *Modern Wet Fly Strategies*. The 9:45am slot is the first seminar of the day, and it can be a tough draw. At 9:30am, the room was empty save for me. I needn’t have worried. A trickle became a steady stream, and 15 minutes later I had another strong audience. If you came out to see me, I want to thank you. I’m truly grateful for your attendance and your enthusiasm.

Jonny King as featured fly tyer. I always tell people to come say hello on the river or at these shows, and I was delighted by the number of people who did so at Edison. Jonny was one of them, and now I have a new friend. Author John Field, whom I’ve spoken to, but never met, also tracked me down. He said he’d tried to get my attention earlier, but I hadn’t heard his shouts. Rats! I’m hearing impaired, and on a busy show floor, even with my hearing aid, a lot of audio information gets lost. So If I breeze on by, my apologies, and please don’t take it personally. I probably never heard you.

Dinner time in Edison means a trip to my favorite Chinese restaurant, Shanghai Dumpling. It doesn’t get much more authentic than this. Tim Flagler turned me on to it a few years back, and I always get and extra order or two to bring home. Besides the dumplings, the spicy pork Udon is the bomb.

We all like spending money on shiny new gear, but classes are a much better investment if you want to become a better angler. Thank you so much to the keen students and enthusiastic anglers who took this class and my wet fly class on Saturday. Fish on!

All good things must end, so I left the show the way I started it: at the Blue Quill Angler booth. Pat Dorsey and Chris Steinbeck, on the bookends L and R, have become good friends. They let me park my stuff at their booth when I wanted to wander the floor, and I’m grateful for that. I got to know Landon Mayer better at Marlborough and this show — we trade flies like kids trade baseball cards — and he is an exceptional tier and so enthusiastic about fly fishing. I wish I was heading out west some time soon to see my friends and fish, but that will have to wait. So I’ll console myself with a little Colorado dreaming…and chuckle at Pat and Landon Bogarting my wet fly presentation board.

Back from the Edison Fly Fishing Show, and CFFA Show this weekend

Jan29

What a fantastic show! This past weekend in Edison, I reconnected with old friends, made some new ones, bought some stuff I really needed (no, really!), walked the floors, took in some tying demos and bits of seminars, lead a couple seminars, taught two classes, and had about as much fun fly fishing as you can without actually being on the river. I’ll be giving you a more detailed report later this week — in the meantime, here I am converting the masses to the ancient and traditional art of the wet fly.

A tremendous start to Edison 2024! It’s always gratifying to speak to a larger audience, and the size of the crowd that came to see me present my seminar “Modern Wet Fly Strategies” at 10:15am Friday morning was a wonderful sight to behold. Thanks so much if you took the time to see me, and kudos to you for looking to expand your knowledge base. Fly fishing show seminars are included in the price of your ticket, and are the perfect way to see experts and discover new methods, tactics, and strategies. *Photo by Landon Mayer.*

Speaking of shows, this Saturday, Feb. 3, is the “best little fly fishing show around.” Yes, it’s the CFFA Show, 9am-3pm, at Nomads in South Windsor. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend, but there will be other tyers and speakers and the usual assortment of vendors. I’ll see you there next year. In the meantime, you can make sure you don’t miss any of my appearances by following currentseams or following me on Instagram @stevecultonflyfishing. See you out and about or on the river.

Currentseams Best of 2023: #7-#5

Dec28

#7: Marlborough and Edison Fly Fishing Shows and another International Fly Tying Symposium. You already know that I’m a big fan of The Fly Fishing Show. Where else can you meet and talk to some of the best fly fishers and tyers in the world, find all kinds of cool gear, and get those hard-to-find tying treasures — all under one roof? When I’m not speaking or teaching or tying, I’m walking the show floor, shopping, meeting and greeting, and sitting in on as many seminars and classes as possible. You should be, too. My 2024 Marlborough Schedule for January 5-6-7, is here, and here — now just over a week away!

#6: The Great Diving Caddis Wet Fly Revelation. I’m a professional fly tier, guide, instructor, speaker, and all-around fly fishing nerd. Still, I don’t know it all. Far from it. And thank goodness! Learning new things and making new discoveries one of the things that makes fly fishing continuously thrilling. As evidence, I offer LaFontaine’s Diving Caddis wet fly. I read about it last winter, tied and fished it in the spring, and wow, did it ever produce. The first evening I fished it, positioned as my middle dropper, it accounted for two-thirds of the two dozen trout I landed. It produced untold numbers for my clients. It’s now a seasonal staple on my team of three. Brilliant!

**All kinds of sizes and color combinations are possible. This is a size 14 in tan. You can find the recipe here.**

#5: Completing My First Book Outline and Sample Chapter Draft. For years, people have been asking me, “When are you going to write a book?” Okay…how about now? The first pass stuff is off with a publisher, and I’m waiting to hear back from them. Fingers crossed. Oh! You’ll want to know what it’s about. The West Branch of the Farmington River.

Small Stream Report: First foot instead of last blast

Jan11

As a creature of habit, I lovingly cling to my routines. So I was as surprised as anyone when I decided to not go small stream fishing on New Year’s Eve. Logic trumped tradition; by delaying a few days, the water would be a little warmer and hopefully any residual ice would be long gone. On the drive up, we did see some sheltered woodland streams where mini-glaciers abounded. But when we (myself and surfcaster extraordinaire Toby Lapinski) arrived at the stream we were relieved to see that frozen water was almost non-existent.

The water was barely into the high side of medium, which is just about right for winter fishing, and the brook was running clear and cold. Overcast skies didn’t hurt, nor did temperatures in the low 40s. Toby started out bottom bouncing and jigging, while I went the dry/dropper route. The action far exceeded our expectations. As you can imagine, going deep won the day, but I had enough action on both the dry and dropper that I kept them on for hours. (If reading this is getting you fired up for small streams, I have a presentation tonight in Danbury, The Eastern Brook Trout; later this month, you can see me present Finding Small Stream Nirvana at the Marlborough Fly Fishing Show, and a week later in Edison.)

**The first fish of any year is noteworthy, even more so when it’s a stunning display of nature’s paint box. Taken on a size 14 Improved Sofa Pillow.**

When I was a kid, I ruefully wondered why tropical fish had all the cool colors. Cut to 55 years later when I now know better. Since fish like this aren’t ever getting replaced by the stocking truck, it bears repeating: barbless hooks only; keep photos to a minimum (I landed dozens and took shots of only three); make sure your hands are wet; keep fish in the water in your net until ready to shoot; never expose fish to air for more than a few seconds; and never lay a fish down on rocks/gravel/leaves/grass. Thank you. (Photo by Toby Lapinski)

Small stream fly fishing for native trout may be fly fishing in its purest form. *(Photo by Toby Lapinski)*

Halo, I love you (again). Besides pulchritude, this fish is noteworthy because its thinness indicates a spawned out fish — and therefore a redd may be nearby. It’s a good idea to limit walking within the stream bed from mid fall to mid spring; the last thing anyone wants to do is tread on a redd and make all those future brookies dead. (Yes, I know it.) *(Photo by Toby Lapinski)*

Hello, 2023! Don’t forget your CT license, and there are some new regs.

Jan3

2023 is spread out before us, an immense blank canvas upon which we may paint glorious fishing pictures. Yeah, OK, there will be some blanks and some crappy conditions and days where it just doesn’t go our way. Whatever. It all beats the crap out of sitting at a desk.

To start: don’t forget to get a 2023 Connecticut license. (I only mention this because someone who looks a lot like me did.)

There are some new inland sport fishing regs for CT, too. You can get all the fishing regs from the CT DEEP website, but the one that is most meaningful to all of us is that there is now no closed season for fishing on all lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. That means if you want to fish for trout on an off-the-books thin blue line in March, have at it. A great change and a long time coming.

Catch ’em up!

Small stream anglers, take care: the spawn has begun

Oct15

The spawn is taking place on some northeastern wild brook trout streams. I recently fished a brook on consecutive Thursdays, and the changes over the course of a week were dramatic. Seven days ago, there were only a few leaves in the water and no visible signs of spawning activity. A week later, the brook was congested with foliage and several redds were apparent. I spotted a large hen on one, and a few active fish on another.

In case you don’t know, a redd is a spawning bed. The fish select an area with enough water and current and the right size gravel, then clear the area of debris and other sediment before depositing eggs and spreading milt. (This is why spawning and post-spawn fish often present with scraped bellies and frayed fins.) Redds are fairly easy to spot; they look like light colored patches contrasting against much darker substrate. On a small stream, redds may be anywhere from a couple of square feet in area to significantly larger. A distinct light colored patch with fish darting about on the bottom nearby is a sure sign that you’ve discovered a redd.

Every small stream angler should know how to identify a redd, or spawning bed. Here’s a classic, can’t-miss-it redd: A dramatically lighter patch of gravelly stream bottom surrounded by darker substrate. There were a few fish milling about, but they scattered when I stood up to take this photo.

Maintaining the integrity of redds and protecting spawning fish is vital to the future of any wild trout stream. The stocking truck is not coming to replenish what humans destroy! Here’s what to do if you see a redd: First, leave it and the fish that are near it alone. Don’t try to catch spawning fish. Let nature take its course. Next, make a mental note of the location. Chances are that the fish have been using the general area to spawn for dozens or hundreds or thousands of generations. Finally, stay out of the water near the redd for the remainder of the fall, winter, and early spring. If you crush the eggs or the developing fry, that would be bad.

Besides, it’s pretty cool to simply sit on a rock and watch the beginnings of the next generation of Salvelinus fontinalis.

Small Stream Report 10/6/22: Nature finds a way (and then some!)

Oct10

I hit a hidden gem last week that takes about 2 1/2 hours to get to. That may seem like a lot of effort — you’ll get no argument from me — but it’s usually worth it. And on this day, it was.

Over the years, this brook has seen its ups and downs. I’ve been moderately disappointed by it my last few outings, especially by the size and number of the fish. But you get what you get, and the fact that it still has native char, like it has for thousands of years, is a true blessing. So: I won the weather lottery. A warm, sunny, gorgeous, Indian summer day. After the rains, the water level was spot-on perfect, running cold and clear. In terms of numbers, the fishing was off the charts. I landed dozens (despite my best attempts not to, in order to reduce stress) and pricked dozens more. No beasties in the mix — you like to get a couple in the 9″+ class — but I did dredge up a few 7-8-inchers in the deeper pools. The brookies were everywhere. I started with a dry/dropper, which was moderately successful, but when I switched to subsurface (a tungsten bead head nymph/worm thingy) I couldn’t keep the char off the fly. What a wonderful day to be out in the woods.

This was typical of the size of fish I was landing. I also had dozens of smaller char attack the fly, the vast majority of which did not result in a hookup. I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll repeat: please try to limit the number of fish you photograph. The less time they spend out of the water, the better their chances for survival. It goes without saying that you’re wetting your hands and using barbless hooks, right? What precious gems, our beloved *Fontinalis*.

Life is mighty good when you’re taking a shot like this one. Another word of caution: we’re getting close to the spawn, so be on the lookout for redds. They’re fairly easy to spot, usually a lighter patch of gravel beside darker surroundings. If you notice a redd, make it your policy to stay out of the water, period. And of course, be a good sport and leave any fish on or near a redd alone to do their thing. Remember, the stocking truck isn’t coming back to replace what gets wiped out. Thank you for your consideration. 🙂

Small Stream Report: Nature finds a way, Part MMXXII

Oct7

This is a very late report from last week. After a hot, dry, droughty summer like the one we experienced in 2022, I like to head to a few small streams to get a handle on how the natives fared. This trip was last Friday, well before this week’s much-needed soaking. As I suspected, the water level on this brook was on the low side of low. Much of it was unfishable. But there was plenty of good news.

The water temperature was bracing and cold, certainly colder than it ever was this summer, but this brook has many places for the char to go to escape the summer heat, even in low water. I saw dozens and dozens of fish, many of which looked to be young of year. I also found a few pods of bigger brook trout — nothing really huge, but in the 7-8″+ class. On an outing like this, I do get to do some fishing, but a lot of it is more inspection-oriented, with the intent of spooking fish. Often, with the water so low, the natives want nothing to do with the sight of you or your rod waving around. I got no interest of the dry fly, and pricked two with a weighted jig-type fly.

Then, yesterday after the rains, I visited a different stream. What a bounty! But you’ll have to wait a couple days for that report…

At a normal level, the flow should be covering the rocks you see center photo. This pool is usually good for a couple of hungry swipes; on this day it was a barren brookie wastleland. A reminder as we get near spawning time: be on the lookout for redds. Consider not wading into brooks at all. Redds are pretty easy to spot; usually a lighter area a foot or two in diameter against a darker gravel bed.

Way Out West, Part Two: The South Platte River

Sep2

I’d known about the South Platte for years, but never got the itch to go fish it, until I did — and now I am faced with a matter of difficult settlement: my favorite trout water is almost 2,000 miles away.

It’s so easy to fall in love with the South Platte. Since it’s a tailwater, it’s a viable fishery year-round. It’s got so much productive water that you could very likely stumble into fish (and if you know how to read water, you could quickly become a dangerous machine). In addition to being cold — I didn’t take a temperature, but it had to be high 40s-low 50s — the water is clear enough that the eagle-eyed among us can sight fish for trout. And the trout — ah, the trout — are fat and feisty and fantastic. Plus, there are lots of them. Subsurface invertebrates are everywhere and provide the trout with a daily smorgasbord. It’s almost like someone imagined, then created a trout theme park fantasyland. Really, it’s that good.