One day, it happens. You set the hook, you feel snagged on something really heavy, but, then, the heaviness moves. You then realize: “This is it–The Big One is on.” I get the same feeling everytime I hook a big fish: excitement and fear. When I first hooked what ended up being a 21″ holdover
The Chesterfield Gorge Area of the Westfield River
I fished the Westfield River, in the Chesterfield Gorge area. It was a beautiful day. Not too hot, water at 63 degrees and running at about 200 cfs. Landed six. Two 14″ browns were the highlight. Hooked about 12. Still having problems hooking well trout on the downstream swing. And, for fun, I was super-aggressive
My #1 Go-To Fly: The Frenchie
(Tightline Productions) I have a few go-to flies. The ubiquitous Hare’s Ear is one. The other is this: the Frenchie. It was the fly that landed 38 trout for me one autumn day on the Westfield River. A day I will never forget! It’s an attractor nymph, meant not to match the hatch but to
Panfish on a 1-wt.
I visited a local stream for a few hours. Had a great time landing on a 1-wt. a few dozen panfish. I could see the takes much of the time, and some pretty hefty crappies pounced on the fly. A soft-hackled Hare’s Ear (pumped up and down) was the winning fly, although the the trailing
