After eating more food on Thanksgiving than I thought possible, I felt a hike to work off the extra calories was well needed. Friday morning, I found myself alone on the Westfield River with a light rain, but very manageable flows. I fished pocket water created from large boulders and deep pools with little success. Hiking further downstream I discovered a large bend pool with a set of riffles at the head followed by a tight current that hugged the steep rocky ledge. I nymphed the riffles, and hooked a colorful rainbow retrieving an olive BH woolybugger. Unfortunately, this fish was caught before by a fisherman that did not use barless hooks. The fish suffered from a damaged lower jaw, however this happen to be the most fiesty fish caught that day, tailwalking like salmon. I fished my way down to the corner where the wide riffles formed a small feeding lane along the rocks, hooking another rainbow (~13 in). Strike indicators seemed to spook the fish in the crystal clear water, as most of my fish hit on the retrieval of the wooly bugger and egg double rig system. A large submerged boulder suggested a prime hiding place for a large trout. I dead drifted the nymph rig in front of the boulder and "BAM!", big fish on!. These strong fiesty fish made long fast runs, until finally brought to hand, where a quick release from barbless hooks left them swimming healthy back into the depths of the pool. As the rain continued and the afternoon sun approached, I worked my way back upstream to the head of the pool to cross back over the river. Slowly wading in the slippery fast current, I flipped a few casts along the riffles, when all of a sudden I feel a large thump and "fish on"! A strong fish and a strong current provided an entertaining fight with another large rainbow landed (~17 in).
This morning, my father and I fished a similar stretch of the river. Bright sun and temperatures hovering ~50F, brought trout to the surface, sipping tiny midges off the surface in the tailout of pools. Most of the rainbows caught today were on wooly buggers and egg patterns dead drifted in the current. Although many fish were rising, the gin clear water allowed them close looks at their prey, thus matching the hatch and absolute perfect presentation was needed.
An above normal warm day on November 29 was well spent and the surfacing trout was just an added bonus.
This morning, my father and I fished a similar stretch of the river. Bright sun and temperatures hovering ~50F, brought trout to the surface, sipping tiny midges off the surface in the tailout of pools. Most of the rainbows caught today were on wooly buggers and egg patterns dead drifted in the current. Although many fish were rising, the gin clear water allowed them close looks at their prey, thus matching the hatch and absolute perfect presentation was needed.
An above normal warm day on November 29 was well spent and the surfacing trout was just an added bonus.
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