Putting A Brown Into My Creel and Getting A Monkey Off My Back



Last brown trout for the year?

I think I know, to a certain extent, how an athlete feels when they finally break a slump.  If your a baseball player and you have gone 0 for 29 it finally feels good to get that hit even if it is only a single.  For me the last 6 fishing trips to various places has yielded nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch (you get the picture).  This even includes recently stocked ponds here on Long Island.  What was even more frustrating was the sight of so many fish within reach of my fly and nearby anglers pulling them in one after another.  I can be alright with the occasional skunking because I get to spend time outdoors just getting away from it all but 6 trips without a fish! Come on!  Well after another near skunking I finally landed a nice brown.  This last trip to Upper Yaphank Lake seemed to be going just like the previous trips.  I was used my 12' Yamame and about 14 feet of line (including tippet) and proceeded to run through every fly I had on me.  For the most part, the browns ignored every fly with barely a second glance until I reached for the guy pictured below.

Chartreuse sakasa kebari

I had one chartreuse sakasa kebari in my box that I have used for bluegill.  I thought what the hell?  I cast it once or twice then it barely hit the surface and then wham!  I had broken my slump.  It was a nice one maybe 12-13".  It may not have been a homerun but it felt good.  Who would have thought a "picky" brown would take such a fly but I was glad to have one with me.  On my next cast I promptly landed the only tree behind me and lost that single fly......figures.  Oh well.  Even with fishing slowing down in many places I hope everyone else is having better luck...tight lines!