Kids were back in school today, wife had a bunch of appointments and I don't have to work again until next week. Air temp promised to get above 40 degrees west of Beantown, so I made the only logical decision and went out swinigng streamers on my TM 8'6" 7 weight. Love that rod for this kind of work and nice to get the skunk off my back for the year on the first trip of the year!

My super secret cone head rubber leg olive wooly bugger. She's not much too look at, but I have so much confidence in this fly it's always what I start with. Probably would have caught more bobber fishing with size 32 midge nymphs, but the feel of a take on a stripped streamer in current is just a drug to me ....

Nice fish. Will have to try tying one of those buggers once I get my tying desk re-assembled.

Man, that's a sight for sore eyes. Cold is no problem, but the wind keeps blowing me off of my local ponds.

"Simpler is often better"

Absolutely right.

Over the last decade I've caught 90% of my trout and 99% of my Landlocked Salmon on that bugger. And in the salt I've caught 90% of my stripers on 2 flies - hollow bodied deceivers and a variant clouser minnow I tie. To me it's all about confidence in a fly that I can tie lots of quickly and cheaply. Fishing a confidence fly becomes a self fulfilling prophesy ......

Really a great way to start the year off! I wish I could be chucking streamers right now.