My 6½ ft Vision Cult Fiber arrived after several weeks waiting. I took it to fish some wild Vermont Brook Trout this evening. Here is a small spruce canopied Vermont brook trout stream.



I found a bear cub front paw track in the sand where I parked the truck before entering the woods. It was dark in there and getting late. I fished a few pools and raised and caught fish immediately.

The first fish landed came from this dark spot.



Here is the brook trout before releasing.



This fish was a bit camera shy so there are two pictures of him. He calmed down for the second shot before release.





All in all it was a good 1½ hr outing with three fish landed, one too small to photograph and several fish lost. Two of the fish lost were nice one may have been 12 inches, a whopper for this brook. All were hooked on a little dry fly a #16 green stone fly I tie which my son called the Little Greenie. I fished it down stream walking/skating it on the swing on top to appear like the hatching green stone fly which were about. I landed three, lost three and raised another four fish.
Darkness set in. I left and tried another place which is large water but much easier to be in darkness. I did nothing there and went home.

The Cult Fiber 6½ ft #4/#5 is a full flexing rod. I used a #4 line and 7 1/2ft leader with it. Even the small fish here put a bend in the rod and I am very pleased with it. The action is as close to boo as I have handled in a long time. I suspect a #3 line would work fine on it but the four worked well for me and my needs here. The reel is quite large for the rod but then it is what I have on hand. Perhaps down the road a Hardy Featherweight will dress it just fine. The Cult flexes down into the cork for those who like that action it is refreshing.
I took the time to see what it will put out for line and I cast 20 paces with it using a double hall repeatedly. It is the brook rod I have been looking for.

Tight Lines from Vermont!

Bobby

Bear tracks in the sand and THEN you went into a darkening wood
And we worry about the occasional cow in the field!
Those Brookies are beautiful fish Bobby, nice post.
Ade.

Beautiful looking wee troot, wild surroundings, i can almost hear the stream bubble, but i don't fancy meeting a bear in the woods . I'll put up with the Scottish midge any day
Tommy

__________________
“What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

"I can resist everything except temptation"
Oscar Wilde

Sweet! That stream is gorgeous and those brookies bring back memories. Happy you found a small brook rod that suits you but you might want to try a furled leader. I've found that those really allow a better presentation and a more delicate pick up due to their limpness. Has the bear population rebounded? When I left Vermont back in '89 they were talking about no longer giving out bear tags as they thought the population was too low. I have memories of hiking down from Silver lake near Lake Dunmore and meeting up with a bear on the trail as night was falling. Don't know who was more surprised, me or him! As to midges, these guys have never experienced black flies and the reactions they can cause!

Take care

Terry

__________________
"He either fears his fate too much,
Or his desserts are small,
Who dares not put it to the touch,
To win or lose it all!"

Thanks all for the replies and I am pleased you enjoyed the post. It was a blast. I wanted to get out earlier but no luck on that. Family things can sometimes hold up the fishing. I had never fished this brook before as I have been stuck on big rivers and big fish. Sometimes I need a break from it. Now that I have a small stream rod much thanks to this thread I will be at it more. The brook holds promise.
I really don't wish to get between the cub and mama bear! Black bear can and do harm people from time to time but for the most part they take off as they are hunted and have a fear of man.
Vermontdrifter, black bears have made a grand recovery! The hunting season starts September 1st and ends shortly after the start of the rifle deer hunting season. It appears that the regulation on use of dogs has reduced the pressure on them. Also I don't think hunters have the same interest in hunting them as in years back. The turkey hunting season is on at the same time and I believe many hunters have turned to turkey hunting instead of bear.
I'll be back to that stream soon. I thought I took a picture of an old stone mill on that brook which has come undone but I guess I didn't! Next time I will include a picture of it and hopefully that good trout that got away!

Tight Lines from Vermont!

Bobby

p.s. P.S. What!!!!!!!! No Black Flies? How about noseeums?

If you go down in the woods today? Eek, but just as mother nature intended. Great post - and the photos. It's so refreshing to see what you guys across the pond are up-to!

Regards

Mostyn

Mostyn

I have to say that your many posts and great photos as well as other members here have helped rekindle my enjoyment of small stream fishing. It was a good thing to start Small Stream Fishing.
It is refreshing to get back to my roots. This is what fishing was always about for me and I have missed it. I gave up brook fishing for Atlantic salmon and big river trout fishing but I am glad I am back, not that I don't enjoy the big game outings but fishing small streams like this one is real fun.

Bobby

Hey Bobby;

Nope, no noseeums either! These guys don't know how good they've got it! Ticks on the other hand.... I've pulled two off of me so far this year so next time I put the Frontline on the back of the cat's neck I think I'm going to do myself as well! No fishing this weekend as I'm off to Poland on Sunday for a business trip but the 27th I'm back on the water!!!!

Good to hear about the bear population. I never could figure out why people hunted them except for the fur because as far as I'm concerned bear tastes like cr*p! Wild turkey on the other hand now that's a meal fit for a king! I've also seen that moose have really moved in which probably means that the white tail have become a lot more scarce. Oh well, more meat for the freezer with one shot I guess.

Keep on hitting those small streams and you might get the surprise of your life one of these days. It's amazing how often there are a few BIG fish hiding out amid the small ones in those brooks and that's when you discover how much fun fishing with light gear can really be!

Take care

Terry

__________________
"He either fears his fate too much,
Or his desserts are small,
Who dares not put it to the touch,
To win or lose it all!"

Great fish mate, and a lovely spot. I was fishing on Lake Champlain in Vermont in April, and had a great time catching Smallmouth and Largemouth bass, great fun.

Trout season wasn't open when i was there though! D'oh!

Vermontdrifter,

Have a good time in Poland! If you get to fish let us know about it.

Moose have made a dramatic return to Vermont. I have my hopes set on getting a moose permit this year. I even changed arrow shafts to a heavier shaft and a one piece Montec broad head in preparation and anticipation of a tag. We almost had an archery season this year but the board put it off until 2011.

As of April 1st 2011 you will no longer be able to use felt soled boots in Vermont fishing. It is now law so as to prevent the spread of Didymo which is doing quite well here now.

Atlanticspringer

You have the bug now! Lake Champlain is awesome! It has outstanding LL Atlantic salmon. They are hatchery or stream reared fish from fry stock out but they are great fish. I have landed them up to 28" long on #10 salmon wet flies using my grilse gear on their fall spawning run into tributary rivers. There is plenty wrong with VT fisheries but then there are places like the one I pictured and the bass fishing I know you must have had on Champlain and plenty more.

Bobby

P.S. No noseeums!