This is my favorite spot. It is my go-to, my sure-fire. I don’t believe in luck, but a man who does would call it his lucky spot. The fish I catch there with consistency reinforce this designation. I do pretty well. But having a favorite spot is more than catching big/lots of fish. When you find it, you know it. I’ve known it in other places at other times.

There was the spot where the spring creek widened below a bridge. Here, a small island and some rocks created multiple channels. A number of fish could take cover in parallel. The structure broke up my approach. It was always good for a trout, and in a stream that didn’t give up fish easily – maybe two.

There was the spot with the big plunge pool. Even on a busy stream it was somewhat secluded. Scampering up to a position where one could cast to and/or land a fish wasn’t for everyone. The pool held a number of fish. Catching one always put the rest down. I’d hope for a brookie, or one of the wild browns.

There was the spot with the steep drop-off. Post-spawn, big bass would hide up in the weeds and wait for cruising baitfish. Being shorebound, I’d cast over the fish and hope my movement didn’t put them down. From my vantage point,  the largemouth would move away from me and all I’d see of the take was the gills flaring.

This is the spot with the deep pool just upstream from the bridge. Immediately above the spot, the creek comes in at a 45-degree angle after a smaller tributary flows in. On either side of the pool there are big, thorny bushes. Downstream of the bridge is posted. In theory, I could dap a fly straight down from the bridge itself. But that would make landing a trout cumbersome, and, more importantly, risk blowing up my favorite spot.

In a tiny, inconspicuous creek, this spot routinely produces at least one trophy fish. These gargantuan brook trout come close to a foot in length. If I were to catch one that surpassed that mark… I don’t know what I’d do. But I’d be happy. Everywhere else on the stream the fish run around 6 or 7 inches. This deep pool seems to always contain a large, colored-up, and aggressive char. Sometimes two.

Every time I fish the stream I debate if I should begin or end at this spot. There isn’t a right answer. With previous favorite spots, the anxiety that someone else might come would always push me to start fishing in those places first. With some, there was real anxiety that I’d catch someone already fishing there. This little run is so out of the way and remote that I don’t worry at all. So the question is really all about preference.

Fishing there is picturesque. At least looking  to the west. The eastward view is dominated by a concrete bridge. The bridge made the spot, so it is hard to complain. All the water funneling into the opening carved out the deep hole. Eddies and undercuts and cover are  the things that fish love. And the bridge provides all of it. It also means trash and noise. But it is a trade off worth making for the sake of the trout. With all the beautiful spots on this stream, and all the other wonderful  local waters, I can’t say that there is empirical data supporting it’s superlative.

This is the spot where I know I’ll be rewarded with a nice little trout if I fish how I am supposed to fish.  It is close to home and I know it well. It checks all the boxes: native brookies, year-round fishing, unpopular.   I usually catch fish. There’s more – but it is hard to put into words.  It is a challenge, but I have confidence. It feels good to be there.  What matters most? I like it.