Letort Report

It's happening, seasons are changing. The sulphur hatch is dwindling, can still manage to fool a fish or two with 'em, but they're getting progressively smaller as the days pass by. Which means if you wanna catch 'em on top, it's all but a terrestrial game now. Ants, ants, ants. I've lost more ants due to snags in the last few outings...gotta fish 'em in tight to the shrubbery, which means teacup accuracy. And I'm only ever able to achieve on about every 4th cast. Breaking out the 7'3" 4wt for a change of pace might not have been the best idea, but how else do you learn? The summertime grasses are getting tall, standing stream side in anywhere from ankle to knee deep marshiness, and this is what's at eye level...better keep that backcast UP!

SO, with the shorter rod, a newish to me stretch of water and really annoyingly tall grass and shrubberies, there might just be a skunk in the building. Yeah, it finally happened, I got skunked last night. Didn't bring a single fish to hand, the Letort finally shut me down. The first one I missed on an aggressive take of the ant. Meh, no worries, it was early. Then the second one I broke off on the take and left him with a fly in the lip tied to a bit of dangling tippet....I apologized for my clumsiness, and hope that that fish is doing ok, I hate doing that.

Then I hopped uptream just a bit to check out a lie where I've seen a nicer sized fish working. Sneak up into the spot and there he is, active. Sweeeet, a beautiful 18"+ brownie. The light was getting weird, flipping from overcast, to pre-sunset brightness, an odd angle at that hour and I lost track of him trying to get a fresh fly tied on. Finally get rigged up and roll a cast into that spot, second drift, and there's a take! Gun shy after popping off that previous one, and not sure if this is indeed the big one, I set lightly, then watch a 12 incher make a run downstream. Didn't really set into him, so he overruns my line, gets a bit of slack and spits the hook. Damn. damn, damn, damn. Finish the night by burying a hook into my finger trying to untangle from the grass....leave the stream in the not best of moods. grrrrrr.


Tonight. TOnight I sat down for a short bit and tied up some flies. Tinkering with a recipe that I hope will match whatever tiny little thing they're taking out of the surface film, couple of 18's and 20's, then tie up a couple backup sulphurs too. Take my time getting out there, it's been blue bird white puffy clouds all day, those trouts will be under cover at least until the sun comes off the water. Park the bike in a new spot and work out thru the marsh, snapping turtles on my mind. Make a few blind casts to find the rhythm then start stalking, scanning. One slow step at a time.

Still bright out, not much at all happening, then a dimple here. And then out there again. No clue what they're taking, it's gotta be small cuz I don't see shit on the water. Try to peer thru that goofy angled sun glare, can't even see where they're lying. Here we go again, smelling another skunk....fish a small stretch, then back off of it, and move upstream, trying to find the mood of the stream. Get back on the water, and observe. And then see a goose or two upstream from me. Shit. Gotta get above those fuckers, or they'lll flush and ruin the entire stretch. Back off and move up around another portion, getting to the water I really wanted to concentrate on anyway.

Stalk, and observe. Be quiet enough, and then out of nowhere a fish dimples the water within 15' of me. But the glare on the water has him hidden. Risk spooking him with a stupid cast? Risk him alerting the entire pool? Uhhmmm, no. Couple of fish start dimpling elsewhere, cast to them and keep the eyes & ears open. Try not to disturb that upstream spot....slow and low, that is the tempo. Eyes on the water and a golden brown subsurface flash catches my eye. No. Shit. A decent looking fish has come out to play. He's working the weeds hard, nosing down, rolling and backing up to eat whatever he broke loose. Not just working a lane, he's got a small territorial area claimed. Nice.

Breath deep, clip off the dry fly, tie on a scud. Breath deep, breath deep and make a cast. Damn, that was way off to the right. Nice work, chump. Then just as the line alights onto the water, Mr Trout slides back and to the right. Hmmm, ok...leave that bad cast in the water and follow where you think the fly might be. Drifting...drifting....the trout looks, flinches. Did he? Did he just???? bring in some tension....feel the weight, set and fuck yeah!!! IT"S ON!!!!

He turns and runs straight downstream, and runs and runs and even takes some line with him, heh, that's cool. Uh oh, he's running for that drowned tree snarl, I get him turned back upstream, and he immediatley burrows down into the weeds. Again? Man, this is getting old. Well, I guess it's time to get in the water, which I'm not a fan off on this stream, I don't like to intrude, ya know? But it's either that, or break him off, and that's really kinda rude. Cautiously wade in, and yeah, it's deep, quickly in over my waist, knee deep in the weeds trying not to trip & take a swim. Finally make it that 30ish feet downstream, grab the leader direct and tug. Woah! yep, he's still hooked. Back him out, back him out and he turns to run, taking another nice length of line. Finally get him to hand after one more close call w/ that tangled tree. Standing out there midstream, managed to get him to pose for a picture, boy that flash really brings out the colors. Make a mental note referencing the freckles on my arm, and the tale of the tape at home shows not quite 16 inches, nice...if memory serves, that's the second biggest fish I've caught on the mighty Letort. What a way to make up for last evening.


oh, yeah, I actually rode a bike thru the woods last wknd, and that was fun too. It had gears on it, and they weren't quite as annoying as I'd remembered....