Furnace Brook Clears Quickly

May 22 — Woke up to grey skies and rain in the official Daily Wild Guess from the National Weather Service.

The Housatonic was still a little high for my wading tastes, so I went to Furnace Brook along Route 4 in Cornwall. This is a small stream, sometimes squirrelly, sometimes fairly open. It's lovely water and holds a surprising number of trout.

It has one big disadvantage — it is right along Route 4. There is nothing like casting to a trout with the roar of traffic in your ear.

Naturally, no sooner did I arrive than the skies opened and it rained hard for about 20 minutes. I watched as the stream rose and became discolored.

"OK," sez I. "Let us put on something big and hairy and continue in the muddy water."

Which I did.

But what was interesting to me was that the stream cleared out almost as quickly as it became discolored. An hour later, you wouldn't know it rained from the water.

I finally got someone to take a Copper John in this deepish run at the second of two pulloffs with picnic tables along Route 4.

Then the LSD kicked in.

Woodland Valley pre-stocking report 2014 (part one)

I made a flying visit May 7-8 and fished the brook from Botchford/Gillespie pool to Nakamotos. Flow per USGS was 57 cfs, which is a nice level. Didn't see a lot of fish, but took on nice holdover brown on a Prince from the run immediately above the BG pool (second photo).

First photo BG pool. 2 — Immediately above BG pool. 3 and 4 — Riffles and pockets between BG and Nakamoto. 4. Pool as you approach Nakamoto. 5. Nakamoto home in distance; stream stubbornly making its way back to the road.

I hope to finish the assessment next week.