# Small stream trout outings



## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

Last week I took advantage of some holiday time off and got two day trips in for trout. I really enjoy fishing smaller water, even though it usually means smaller fish. The WV day came first, before Thanksgiving. When I go to WV, if I go to my normal day trip location, I do fish some bigger water for a few hours early with streamers looking for a big bite before I hit the smaller water. It was 22 degrees when I arrived, and I caught nothing in the bigger water. I spent most of the time there dealing with this.










I headed for smaller water as the day warmed up quickly and decided to start with an experimental fly pattern. Lance Egan's red dart nymph has been killing it for me all year on trout, so I adapted the materials to make a Klinkhamer style dry fly. I honestly didn't expect action in late November on the surface, but I never had to change flies all day.





































I hit a new-to-me stretch of one of the more popular streams in the area, hoofing it away from the road, and found a gorgeous deep run with canopy cover overhead. I knew there had to be fish there and quickly popped the best rainbow of the trip, and probably the prettiest wild rainbow I have ever caught in WV.










I love small streams like this one.










After Thanksgiving, a buddy called and wanted to go to Clear Creek in Ohio for the day. I'll be honest, I usually avoid that place. I don't really agree with the stocking plan there, and catching cookie-cutter stocker browns that will most likely die in less than 12 months doesn't appeal to me much. But, it's close and it is a scenic place to fish. My day started slow with a tandem nymph rig of a caddis larva and guide's choice hare's ear. I switched up the deep fly for the trusty red dart and it was game on.










Many, many 6-8"ers were caught. Many were rolled and missed. Most of them were pale and ugly. This was the only fish I caught the entire day on that guide's choice hare's ear, and it was the best and prettiest trout of my day.










Hard to beat the scenery out there. The water was cold, clean, and clear. The trout were willing but you had to dredge your nymph rig deep. The normal bycatch of shiners added to the fish totals for both of us, too.


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## Tazmanme (Jul 5, 2017)

Nice, what county in wv


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

I don't know my counties. Eastern WV, near the VA state line.


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## gahannafly (Aug 11, 2012)

Great report! Those WV fish are beautiful.


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

Nice outing, I love using klinkhammer emerger patterns, fish just can't resist eating them when they see that tail below the water line thinking it is getting ready to fly off.


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## TheCream (Mar 19, 2009)

flyman01 said:


> Nice outing, I love using klinkhammer emerger patterns, fish just can't resist eating them when they see that tail below the water line thinking it is getting ready to fly off.


Usually my Klink of choice down there is a pheasant tail body with some peacock herl on the thorax. In your neck of the woods (you're in TN right?) a phesant tail body with yellow dubbing in the thorax has been known to fool a Soho trout or 92.


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## flyman01 (Jan 23, 2013)

You are spot on, that is my go too emerger a pheasant tail. Have not tied it with yellow dubbing although that makes complete sense on the Soho for the sulfurs but without it is still very effective.


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

That's some beautiful water, and fish. Plus a pile on dry flies this late in the fall........just awesome!!


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