Tenkara madness versus specks

A couple weeks back Gary from Jewett took a ride over from his northern Catskill lair to annoy fish in a different setting.

The Housatonic flow was still pretty robust at 740 cfs and the wading was challenging. I was testing out a Dragontail tenkara rod, a 13-footer, and put a few trout in the net.

Gary was fooling around with a trout spey rod and having trouble with the footing. I suggested we adjourn to the more placid Blackberry River in North Canaan.

Which we did, and we enjoyed ourselves.

One of the spots we hit was what I call the Silty Pool, largely because it’s a pool with a sandy bottom and a lot of silt piled up on the sides.

It’s pretty thick in spots. It wouldn’t be hard to lose a boot in the muck.

In the weeks following Gary’s trek, the weather vacillated between broiling hot and downright chilly. There was a little rain, but not enough to move the needle.

The Housatonic went into smallmouth mode, with water temperatures at or nearing 68 degrees and rising.

But for some reason the Blackberry stayed cool, and I spent a few evenings offering mostly dry flies at the Silty Pool to rising rainbows.

It took a while to crack the code, and I’m still not sure I’ve nailed it.

Light Cahills, size 16-18 were the most consistent producer, followed by a blue Barr’s emerger (size 18).

These flies are also known as “specks.”

They also took their shots at a size 16 Stimulator and a size 10 Parachute Adams.

They completely ignored everything else I tossed at them.

There was one largish rainbow in particular that got to me. I hooked this fellow not once but four times. Twice with a fixed-line rod, and twice with a regular fly rod.

Only once did I get him in the approximate vicinity of the net. He busted off on the fixed-line rod, taking the flies with him, and ran wild the last time, actually taking line off the reel.

This is not standard operating procedure for the mostly put-and-take Blackberry.

I suspect this fish, and some of the others in the Silty Pool, came up from the Hous with some idea of spawning and hung around.

They did not behave like fish that were living in a tank two months ago.

What was simultaneously fun and frustrating about the experience was this:

There were innumerable bugs floating on the surface.

Why should the fish choose mine?

Mostly, they didn’t.

“Look ma, no reel!” A trout comes to the net, sort of. Photo by Patrick L. Sullivan

Latest News

Frederick Wright Hosterman

KENT — Frederick Wright Hosterman passed away peacefully in his home in Kent on April 16, 2025. Born in 1929 in Auburn, Nebraska, he was the son of farmers. He attended a one-room schoolhouse just outside of Brownville, Nebraska, adjacent to his family’s farm. The little brick schoolhouse is still standing! After graduating from high school, Fred attended the University of Nebraska (Lincoln), eventually earning a master’s degree in agronomy. He took a job with Monsanto in Buffalo, New York, where the company was a pioneer in applying biotechnology to agricultural sciences. In Buffalo, Fred met his future wife, Dorothy. Fred and Dorothy moved to New York City for several years in the early 1960s, before settling down in Norwalk. In Norwalk, Fred and Dorothy had three children. The family later moved to Kent. In 1980, Fred and Dorothy divorced, and Fred bought a large tract of land on Carter Road in Kent. He built a house there, largely by himself, which he maintained until his death at age 95. After taking early retirement, he spent the following decades working on his property, adding various buildings, woodcrafting, landscaping, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nancy (Case) Brenner

CANAAN — Nancy (Case) Brenner, 81, of Canaan, passed away peacefully in her sleep at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington, following a long illness on Good Friday, April 18, 2025.

Nancy was born on April 10, 1944, to the late Ray Sargeant Case Sr. and Beatrice Southey Case. She was the second youngest of five children, predeceased by her three brothers, Ray S. Case Jr., David E. Case and Douglas C. Case, and her sister Linda (Case) Olson. She grew up in New Hartford and Winsted, where she graduated from Northwestern Regional 7 High School.

Keep ReadingShow less
Adam Rand

SHEFFIELD — Adam Rand, 59, of Sheffield, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully in his home on April 22, 2025, after a long battle with ALS.

Adam was born on April 6, 1966, to Lee and Charles Rand II of Boston, Massachusetts. Adam spent his early childhood in Nantucket, where his love of fishing and water was born before moving to Sharon. It was here where he made many lifelong friends and later graduated from Housatonic Valley Regional High School in 1984. He attended Hiram College in Ohio before settling in Connecticut.

Keep ReadingShow less