December 30, 2016 – A Handful of Berks County Wild Browns to End 2016??

A wild brown still colored up from the fall.

Today was the day my wife and son took my mother-in-law to the airport for her return flight home, so I had a good chunk of the day free to fish or do something.  I couldn’t figure out what the something could be, so fishing it was.  It was cold, only reaching about 40 degrees, and the breeze picked up right as I was leaving the house around 11 AM.  I assumed it was going to be too cold to get trout in a freestoner to play ball, so I decided to head out to Berks County and try a couple streams that get a limestone influence.  My expectations were not high, but I knew I could get a couple fish to cooperate, even if the forecasted high winds and cold materialized as expected.

Close to wood and overhangs for cover.

I suited up at around 12:30 PM in snow flurries, but I had the right clothes for the occasion, so I decided to give it a go.  The first stream, and the only one I bothered to check out since I ended up being rather sheltered from the wind, was a bit stained from the rain earlier this week.  The water temperature was a good 38 to 39 degrees—not 50 but not 34 either.  I chose my little 3 weight that was rigged up to fish midges and hoped that the wind wouldn’t blow my light line all over the creek (it only made me look like a fool when I tried to reach for the flies or adjust the indicator).

The average was only 8 inches, but fun on the 3 wt.

I had a destination in mind, a wintering hole that usually holds a few fish, but I am glad that I didn’t skip other good, slow eddies and smaller pockets on the way up because the wintering hole did not pay off yet (maybe a another month, I bet).  Instead, I pulled 4 or 5 wild browns out with an olive scud pattern near wood and overhangs.  A size 18 baetis nymph only scored a chub or two, so I am glad I didn’t stick with midges all day either.  The best of the day was only about 11 or 12 inches, but he was fun on the light rod, and it was an accomplishment to hook and land anything under the conditions.

Maybe 11 inches on the scud.

By the time I reached my favorite wintering hole, my feet were getting pretty frosty, and I had to piss, so instead of throwing midges or scuds, I tried to plumb the deep hole with a white bugger.  That allowed me to move around a bit more and not have to concentrate so hard, but it also scored zero action, even at the head and tail of the pool.  I finally disrobed enough to relieve my bladder, which made me feel a bit warmer—though not the feet—and tied on a scud and a midge anchor fly.  I was able to concentrate on a good, slow presentation for a fishless half-hour, and then I decided to call it quits.  I don’t foresee getting out tomorrow even though milder temperatures are coming, so this will likely be my last trip of 2016.  Rain next week, so I may have to dust off the spinning rod and break in my 2017 license!