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| Amawalk Outlet-Muscoot River |
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| One of the most productive pools for the day |
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A little Brown taken on a #12 green Brassie Sakasa Kebari   |
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| The pool where I caught most of the trout. |
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
One That Will Haunt Me
Well it's been a little while since my last post. The family and I have been on vacation enjoying time with one another and relaxing. Claudia and I took the girls to PA for a kid oriented trip. We had a great time visiting Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster and Chocolate World in Hershey. Then we spent a few days just relaxing at home by the pool. I even managed to spend most of my birthday fishing a small stream in Westchester County just north of NYC. The Amawalk Outlet-Muscoot River is a small stream that runs almost three miles between two reservoir's that are part of NYC's water supply system. This stream gets some stockings during the spring but has a well established population of wild browns and some brookies.
I fished roughly 300 yards of the stream but only seemed to come away with any fish in a section about 20 yards long. I had been there most of the morning without a nibble and was becoming dejected until I reached this one promising looking pool. Two or three casts with my Tenkara Iwana and WHAM! I thought my rod was done for sure but it held. for several heart pound minutes I shifted and maneuvered to keep it close then I got a view of him. Now I know there are bigger trout out there and other anglers have landed bigger ones but this guy was 16-17" and would have been, for me, a personal best for a trout. The key words being....would have been. I had the line with one hand and was within inches of grabbing him with the other when...Snap! And just that quick he was gone. I spent the next hour in a fruitless effort trying to catch him again. To add insult to injury he sped off with the only olive Bubble Kebari I had brought with me. I managed to have a good time despite the loss and brought a number of 8-10" browns to hand. It was just nice to be out on the stream but for days I have not been able to shake myself of the sight of that large brown speeding back off into the depths of that pool. I guess it gives me a goal to reach for the next time I return.
The last couple of fish were taken on one of my favorite flies a #12 Royal Sakasa Kebari including this 10" brown that put up a great fight.
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I had read an article years back about these streams. So close to so many people, and wild fish survive.
ReplyDeleteThe large brown was a tough loss, but the rest of those more than make up for it.
That second brown up from the bottom, that photo is magazine quality.
Thanks
Losing a fish maybe an inch smaller than that (on the Amawalk) is what finally convinced me to carry a net.
ReplyDeleteI have read that there are some brookies there, but I've never caught one. Have you?
Brk Trt...Thanks for the compliment. All the pictures were taken with the same cheap camera. My good camera broke after another fishing trip months ago. Sometimes you just get lucky with the light and compostion.
ReplyDeleteChris...I had a net but was so intent on handling the trout I forgot to reach for it. I usually fish farther upstate but the few times I have been in Westchester I have never seen a brookie, unfortunately. They are beautiful and I prefer them to any other fish.
Glad to hear you had a great vacation. Those are some beautiful browns. Sorry to hear about the big one that got away. I lost a big one a while back and still have flashes of the moment in my head. Next time my friend, next time :) Tight Lines.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh... the agony, but then that is what makes the big ones special. I'm glad you got a break with family, and a fishing break to boot. Time on the water means everything to us. I'll get mine tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteJT/FR
Dutchwonderland !!! My mom and dad used to take us there every year when we were kids, nice to hear it is still open. The ones that get away are the ones that keep us coming back !
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