This past Saturday was my opening weekend for fly fishing, and I celebrated on the quinine. Good enough weather and water flow made it for a great day to be out. I was able to get away from the pre-Easter festivities for a few hours and hit the familiar spots. Trout brook area and River rd. There were a few others out there with me. Reports were not much biting by creek chubs. I started at the run above the cable pool, one of my underrated favorite spots. I like drifting caddies through that run. Nothing doing so I head downstream to the turn. Started with the cassis again in the run just above the turn, casting from the inside of the turn to the opposite bank. Nothing, so I decide to switch to my go-to bugger: black body and tail, with flash, and a chartreuse green head. Swinging through the run just above the overhanging tree I got a nice hit on the 4th cast. A nice 12 i
nch rainbow (pictured). Most likely a stockie. Fought well and felt like a 20incher on my 3 weight. I released him and headed downstream.
I enjoy fishing the quinnie with my three weight because it makes it easier to get into the tighter spaces and underneath the vast amounts of tree and shrubs near the shore. The rod is an Echo and the reel is a Lamson 2 I got for dirt cheap because it was a "demo reel" at a fishing show. As noted above it improves the feel of the catch. Not to mention, it can make it easier on the smaller fish increasing survival chances after release. The feel is a huge plus, and it just looks damn good too.
Downstream I hit all the familiar runs pools and rifles about halfway to the rail trail bridge. Getting skunked there so I decided to make one last try at River rd above the resovoir. Water looked GREAT. There were even some caddies coming off, but nothing doing and after an hour I called it a day. My guess is the fish were put in at solely the northern section of River st/rd.
Did anyone else head out this past weekend? How'd you do?
Hears hoping to a full spring and summer of flies on the quinnie.
-NC
