Dr. Gonzo
Stuck in my cabana, livin on bananas and blow.
So I finally got my girlfriend Pam to stop making fun of me for fly fishing and to accompany me on a trip to see what all the fuss is about. The fact that one of her best girlfriends loves the sport helped me persuade her. I guess it helps when there are other women around, in case she needs an emergency conversation about gossip girl I guess :dizzy:.
Matt and Laura, the other half of our fly fishing double date, live up in the Bronx so we picked them up in our borrowed car on the way to the river. On the way, we stopped in Darien at the Compleat Angler to purchase a rod so that Pam and I would each have our own rods. I walked out of the store with a TFO Finesse 3wt 7'9" (see my review in the tackle box section). Up to this point it had been a fairly uneventful trip.
While digging in the trunk for something I dropped the car keys and walked away - not sure why. Someone else in the group, not realizing what was going on closed the trunk. So there we were, sitting in the parking lot with the car doors locked and the car keys in the trunk. So much for fishing
.
Fortunately for us the Compleat Angler is run by some really cool guys, especially Scott. He went into his truck and pulled his dry cleaning off the hanger so that I could use the hanger to break into my girlfriend's parent's car. Amazingly, with Matt prying back the corner of the door and me fishing for the lock mechanism it only took about 5-10 mins to unlock the car. After thanking the staff at CA profusely we headed to the river.
The Trout Management Area on the Mianus starts where Merriebrook Lane crosses the river and runs upstream for about a mile. We ate our lunch on the bridge and headed to what looked like some great water above the bridge.
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</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
There were some nice boulders in the stream and good riffles and pockets.
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</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
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</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
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</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
Things were looking good. There we didn't see any other anglers, though the park around the river resembled a dog run. The dogs were chasing each other, barking and generally doing what dogs usually do.
I rigged Pam up with a beadhead prince nymph and a strike indicator. I explained how the indicator works and when to lift the rod tip, briefly taught her how to roll cast and pointed her to a promising looking spot where should could fish from the banks without having to cast much at all, mostly all she needed to do was high-stick and follow the drift to avoid drag.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
Matt and Laura tied on dries and went upstream; I tied on a beadhead hares ear and went downstream.
I was surprised at how quiet things were. Nobody was getting strikes, and I didn't see any signs of fish despite the fact that the river had been recently stocked and the terrain seemed like textbook trout water. What the hell are they managing in the Trout Management Area if not trout? My midstream musings were interrupted by an enormous splash about 20 yards downstream. Almost immediately afterwards a large golden retreiver leapt from the bank and bounded through the water towards the source of the splash, a stick.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
On the bank about 30 yards from me stood its owner who must've seen me. Now I understand why there aren't any fish here. Fishing pressure is one thing, and beavers chasing away the rising fish are another, but I never thought I'd have to contend with dogs and inconsiderate dog owners as a major obstacle to catching fish.
With our new-found understanding, we moved upstream to find some undisturbed waters. Fortunately there was no shortage of promising trout lies here so we had no problem finding another spot. Unfortunately, the same dog owner came and found us and transgressed in almost exactly the same way, this time he threw the stick within 10 yards of Laura. You can imagine how I felt. I didn't say anything though because he was an older guy, and I doubted my ability to say anything constructive. Out of respect for my elders, I bit my tongue and moved upstream. I'm not in the habit of telling off senior citizens but this guy definitely deserved a piece of my mind.
We moved further upstream to a section where there was actually a large fence separating the hiking path from the river. Finally, some respite from the hounds of hell. We found a beautiful pool with a couple of deep holes.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
Almost as soon as I walked up I saw a fish rise and take something off the surface of the water. We spent the rest of the day casting here. Matt and Laura casted to the rising fish and managed a few takes but couldn't set the hook.
I alternated between prospecting the rest of the pool:
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
and untangling snarled fly line on Pam's rod.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
Pam spent most of the day getting the line stuck in trees, talking on the phone and napping. She did squeeze in some fishing and over all she said she had a great time. I started to work my way upstream to some other promising water but had to leave the water when the ladies started to get cold. Damn those slower metabolisms and lower body temps!
All in all we fished for about 3 hours, not nearly enough time. At least half of that time was spent fishing the dog-ravaged lower stretches of the river where any trout had been driven out hours before by the labrador hatch that was in full swing.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>
Had we moved upstream sooner the day would have been much more productive.
At only 45 mins from NYC this is a place with a lot of potential and the water looked great. I would imagine that weekdays are the prime time for fishing the lower sections of the river when the dog-owning masses are at work. Downstream from Merriebrook Ln looked very nice as well, though we did not make it down there due to limited time. This area is supposed to provide a decent chance at some searun browns and brookies. I'll be headed back there at some point, so expect some updates from me, though I will probably wait until after Dec 31st so I can get a full year CT license.
The most important thing that happened that day was that we all had a great time, and lucky for me, it looks like Pam wants to go again.
Matt and Laura, the other half of our fly fishing double date, live up in the Bronx so we picked them up in our borrowed car on the way to the river. On the way, we stopped in Darien at the Compleat Angler to purchase a rod so that Pam and I would each have our own rods. I walked out of the store with a TFO Finesse 3wt 7'9" (see my review in the tackle box section). Up to this point it had been a fairly uneventful trip.
While digging in the trunk for something I dropped the car keys and walked away - not sure why. Someone else in the group, not realizing what was going on closed the trunk. So there we were, sitting in the parking lot with the car doors locked and the car keys in the trunk. So much for fishing
. Fortunately for us the Compleat Angler is run by some really cool guys, especially Scott. He went into his truck and pulled his dry cleaning off the hanger so that I could use the hanger to break into my girlfriend's parent's car.
Amazingly, with Matt prying back the corner of the door and me fishing for the lock mechanism it only took about 5-10 mins to unlock the car. After thanking the staff at CA profusely we headed to the river. The Trout Management Area on the Mianus starts where Merriebrook Lane crosses the river and runs upstream for about a mile. We ate our lunch on the bridge and headed to what looked like some great water above the bridge.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>There were some nice boulders in the stream and good riffles and pockets.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>Things were looking good. There we didn't see any other anglers, though the park around the river resembled a dog run. The dogs were chasing each other, barking and generally doing what dogs usually do.
I rigged Pam up with a beadhead prince nymph and a strike indicator. I explained how the indicator works and when to lift the rod tip, briefly taught her how to roll cast and pointed her to a promising looking spot where should could fish from the banks without having to cast much at all, mostly all she needed to do was high-stick and follow the drift to avoid drag.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>Matt and Laura tied on dries and went upstream; I tied on a beadhead hares ear and went downstream.
I was surprised at how quiet things were. Nobody was getting strikes, and I didn't see any signs of fish despite the fact that the river had been recently stocked and the terrain seemed like textbook trout water. What the hell are they managing in the Trout Management Area if not trout? My midstream musings were interrupted by an enormous splash about 20 yards downstream. Almost immediately afterwards a large golden retreiver leapt from the bank and bounded through the water towards the source of the splash, a stick.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table><table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>On the bank about 30 yards from me stood its owner who must've seen me. Now I understand why there aren't any fish here. Fishing pressure is one thing, and beavers chasing away the rising fish are another, but I never thought I'd have to contend with dogs and inconsiderate dog owners as a major obstacle to catching fish.
With our new-found understanding, we moved upstream to find some undisturbed waters. Fortunately there was no shortage of promising trout lies here so we had no problem finding another spot. Unfortunately, the same dog owner came and found us and transgressed in almost exactly the same way, this time he threw the stick within 10 yards of Laura. You can imagine how I felt
. I didn't say anything though because he was an older guy, and I doubted my ability to say anything constructive. Out of respect for my elders, I bit my tongue and moved upstream. I'm not in the habit of telling off senior citizens but this guy definitely deserved a piece of my mind. We moved further upstream to a section where there was actually a large fence separating the hiking path from the river. Finally, some respite from the hounds of hell. We found a beautiful pool with a couple of deep holes.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>Almost as soon as I walked up I saw a fish rise and take something off the surface of the water. We spent the rest of the day casting here. Matt and Laura casted to the rising fish and managed a few takes but couldn't set the hook.
I alternated between prospecting the rest of the pool:
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>and untangling snarled fly line on Pam's rod.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>Pam spent most of the day getting the line stuck in trees, talking on the phone and napping. She did squeeze in some fishing and over all she said she had a great time
. I started to work my way upstream to some other promising water but had to leave the water when the ladies started to get cold. Damn those slower metabolisms and lower body temps! All in all we fished for about 3 hours, not nearly enough time. At least half of that time was spent fishing the dog-ravaged lower stretches of the river where any trout had been driven out hours before by the labrador hatch that was in full swing.
<table style="width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td>
</td></tr><tr><td style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 11px; text-align: right;">From Mianus River</td></tr></tbody></table>Had we moved upstream sooner the day would have been much more productive.
At only 45 mins from NYC this is a place with a lot of potential and the water looked great. I would imagine that weekdays are the prime time for fishing the lower sections of the river when the dog-owning masses are at work. Downstream from Merriebrook Ln looked very nice as well, though we did not make it down there due to limited time. This area is supposed to provide a decent chance at some searun browns and brookies. I'll be headed back there at some point, so expect some updates from me, though I will probably wait until after Dec 31st so I can get a full year CT license.
The most important thing that happened that day was that we all had a great time, and lucky for me, it looks like Pam wants to go again.
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