Flyfishing Germany, may 21st.

[Marcel_Karssies]

Slipped out for a short morning session to Germany to
fish the small feederstreams of our main stream.
The water was low, fish where very active.
Many places where so overgrown that I hardly recognized them
from a few weeks ago.

All the shrubs prevented dry fly fishing - there was simply no room to make a cast. I fished the deeper places first with nymphs to get to the shiners and trout.
Pools where the nymph did not yield takes where probed with streamers.
Got my largest rainbow trout on one of the small feeder streams, unbelievable that fish of that size are in that ditch.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Marcel_Karssies/2009/Beek-X-21-05-2009/DSC_2050.jpg
A roach, got several of them on the goldbead pt nymph.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Marcel_Karssies/2009/Beek-X-21-05-2009/DSC_2052.jpg
Small rainbow, missed several fish - two stayed connected.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Marcel_Karssies/2009/Beek-X-21-05-2009/DSC_2055.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Marcel_Karssies/2009/Beek-X-21-05-2009/DSC_2058.jpg
Feederstream nr. 1, it was good for one shiner - hardly any water left in there.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Marcel_Karssies/2009/Beek-X-21-05-2009/DSC_2060.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/Marcel_Karssies/2009/Beek-X-21-05-2009/DSC_2063.jpg
My best rainbow caught in feeder stream nr. 2, a strong fish that put up a hefty battle on the four weight.

[CaptMikeStarrett]

SWEET..

Big bow is very nice looking..

Capt Mike

[Marcel_Karssies]

It was a nice fish, much larger than the regular stockies they put
in at years beginning - either a stayover from last year or a fugitive
from a hatchery.

The bow hit the fly in a pool I had already probed with nymphs and I had even
waded through the pool on the way to another honey hole.
On the way back I fished a small zonker streamer upstream and after
a few casts I was in to the bow.

Streamers are often the ticket to get the trout to strike in that stream.

[spilunkr]

Marcel,

Nice rainbow. Looks like some pretty small water. Have you considered a smaller fly rod for such tight casting conditions? For years I fished with a 5' 3" flyrod on very small brook trout streams in Maryland and Virginia.

Guy

[Marcel_Karssies]

I am looking at some of the smaller rods but I do not
want anything below a 3-weight.
If you have any suggestions for a small stream rod let
me know.

[spilunkr]

Marcel,

I'll see what I can find. My 5' 3" rod is fiberglass and was made by Fenwick. It is for a 5 wt. line. I've had the rod for at least 25 years and bought it used back then. I think that rod actually dates from the late 60's or early 70's.

Guy

[Marcel_Karssies]

Actually Fenwick was on my list.
There are Fenwick glass rods available in Japan, I red that
they are marketed by Tiemco.
I was looking at a 3 piece 6'3" model named "glass midge".

http://www.bluedun.net/TMC/fenwick_yellow_glass_2005.jpg

[spilunkr]

I did not realize that rod was still being made. Years ago, back when I was still living in Maryland I heard some very good things about that rod from some fishermen who frequented the spring creeks in Pennsylvania's Cumberland Valley.

Guy

[Marcel_Karssies]

I came across the fenwick when I was doing some research on glass rods.
I am not sure if they are still available, will check that out soon.

[spilunkr]

I did not see that rod on Fenwick's web site but that does not necessarily mean that it is not made but sold under another brand name. I looked through a bunch of my catalogues and did not find much in the way of short rods and most of them were either for 2 or 3 weights. In looking at split cane rods on E-bay, there seems to be a number of short 5 wt. rods available from China, but I do not know anything about them.

Orvis has a 6' 6" - 4 wt. and a 6' - 2 wt. in their Superfine Trout Bum line. Cabela's has their TQR (Tight Quarters Rod) Line which has several short rods including; 5' for 2 wt., 5' 6" for 4 wt., and 6' for 5wt. each of which runs $109.99. They also show a 6' - 4 wt. in their PT+ line at $165. Cabela's does not make rods, I believe they all come from Asia; so I suspect those same rods may also be available under other brand names.

Guy