Tuesday, November 12, 2013

NOVEMBER TRIP TO OLCOTT NY

On the 3rd of Nov I went up to Olcott NY to fish the 18 mile creek for the Brown trout and Steelhead that are now up creek to spawn. I stay at the Lighthouse motel 716 628 2570. I find it clean,warm and comfortable. But most of all  AFFORDABLE! My fishing buddies and I pay 660.00 for a 4 bed, two bedroom apartment with a kitchen and living room for a week, Thats 165.00 each and that is a deal.
The motel is on Lake Ontario and the creek runs down into the lake right next to it. Fisherman's park is 1 mile up the road from it and you can park your truck in a large lot and walk down the hill to the creek there. Burts dam is just a short walk upstream from there and the fishing can be fantastic.They have a new kobota utility vehicle that you can ride up and down the hill for a buck each way and its nice cause I can bring down my Coleman stove and make chicken soup creekside for all who want it.When its 40 degrees and blowin even lipton instant soup tastes good but my homemade beats that by miles, ask anyone whos had it.
This year it rained a lot and were talking 8 inches since Oct 1st, I was told. So that brought in the browns and steelies in big numbers with a few Chinook salmon as well.The water was off color and high. The fish were very willing to bite.We were using egg fly patterns mostly with pink or red being the best colors.
A floating line and an indicator up near the top of a 7ft leader tied down to 1x fluorocarbon. A couple split shot to take it down and let it swing though the current. You want the fly as close to the bottom as possible.
I see many fisherman using lighter tippet, I feel this is not necessary as I seem to Hook just as many fish as they do and I don't have to chase them all over to land them. Leaders and tippet are a personal thing, some guys will tell you this,others will tell you that. What works for one guy may not work for you, so nothing is written in stone.What works in one creek or river wont work so good in another. Go out and see what you like to use and use it .Once you find your "formula" you will catch fish easy and YOUR WAY.
On Tues I went to The Oak orchard river and fished the Archery club section and had a great time.
Here they have a great big pavilion right on the bank of the river that has a big kitchen and they make  terrific meals. For 5 bucks you get a great big breakfast til 10:30 am then at 11:30 they serve a great big lunch for 7 bucks The pavilion has a big wood stove and its burning hot. There are easy chairs around it and you can BYOB and smoking IS allowed.The river bottom is very smooth as the stones are all small so its easy wading. The place is awesome. here there seems to be a better variety of fish as the river supports Brown trout, Steelhead, Chinnok Salmon, Landlocked Atlantic Salmon and lots of big rainbows too. Oak orchard river is 28 miles from olcott on route 18 east, but about 24 miles out there you cross the Johnson creek.
Johnson creek is a little smaller then the other two and has the same fish in it as 18 mile creek. It also happens to be nicely uncrowded as its not as large and frankly overlooked by most fisherman.
Here you have to take the back roads to find the best fishing and I think that is why its overlooked.
Johnson creek runs along 18 but it is easier to fish if you go off 18 onto the other road that runs along it and most guys don't want to be bothered doing that, and nobody carry's a map anymore.Get the Delorme map of NY its like 40 or 50 pages and has ALL BACK ROADS IN IT. Thats what I have used for 20 years now and I find ALL the best spots easy. 

     
           

Sunday, August 11, 2013

TRIP REPORT 8-11-13

Captain Mike Corblies, Director of the American fly fishing schools and I just returned from our "Trout bum" tour of the north east. It was great. on Saturday the 2nd we went up to the Catskill fly fishing museum in Livingston manor NY to take part in "Summer fest" this festival takes place every year up there and fly shops and enthusiasts come from all over to take part. They have a cane rod casting competition that is sponsored by Hardy/Greys and that's pretty cool to watch as these guys can cast some fly line. The collection of bamboo rods there is very large you see every thing from Leonard,s to Payne,s to Garrisons to Dickerson, Orvis bamboo rods as well. I own many Orvis bamboo rods, mostly Battenkill and Madison as well as a 2wt Flea. I even own a mint Leonard Catskill and I fish them all. These rods were built to be fished, not put away in a closet. Dont let anyone tell you not to fish it cause its too valuable. Wheres the value if you cant fish it? If you break it, it can be fixed, if its lost, you can find another one. Orvis made THOUSANDS of these rods and they are everywhere on the internet. They are much more affordable then you might think.  Or you can call Orvis and they will put you through to rod appraisers that also sell these older rods and they will have one to sell you or find someone who does. I know these guys and they will give you a great price.  DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY... Fish that rod!       

We then we set off to the upper Delaware and stayed with A.F.F.S. members Ben and Cindy Rinker owner/operators of the east branch outfitters in Hankock NY. Here they own a beautiful old farmhouse right on the east branch of the Delaware river that is very large and very comfortable to stay in. My room had a window that was as large as the Queen sized bed and right next to it. I had the big dipper as my bunk mate for hours. In the morning we had to start our drive up to Willsboro NY in the Adirondacks to long pond lodge on long pond owned and operated by A.F.F.S. members Jane and Pete Casamento we stayed there for the night. and after breakfast we headed out to fish the Bouquet river just down the road. I caught one smallmouth bass that was very small and we went on to catch the ferry that goes across Lake Champlain to Vermont so we could continue on to Maine by way of Quebec Canada, its shorter to Go that way and drop back into Maine. We met A.F.F.S. member, Hal Blood owner of Ceder ridge outfitters in Jackman. Here we stayed in one of the many cabins he owns, it had two bedrooms and a main front room that also was the kitchen and living room. I love to cook so we bought groceries at the local store and I made dinner for Mike and I on a 4 burner gas stove with revere ware pots and pans that are in the cupboard. I have been to MANY lodges and cabins in my travels but this was by far the best place I have stayed ANYWHERE. Everything was clean and very comfortable. Tile floors throughout the whole cabin, shower stall was 4 ft by 5 1/2 ft  with Plenty of hot water and great pressure, about 1000 channels on satellite TV and everything. BEST CABIN EVER!

The next morning we were met by Tom Hamilton. He is the CRO fishing guide who took us 14 miles up a very rough road to fish a brook trout pond. Here Tom and Mike fished out of an Old town canoe That the outfitter supplied and I fished out of one of our sponsors kayaks, the KC12 made by the KC KAYAK COMPANY in Louisianna.  We fished wooly buggers and nymphs to some picky trout but had better luck on another pond down that rocky road where at about 700 pm we had some action on top with small caddis patterns.

That next morning @5.00am we headed out to Portsmouth New Hampshire some 210 miles away to meet A.F.F.S. member, Captain and guide Dave Guerard Owner of  RIP TIDE CHARTERS to fly fish for stripers out of his 20 ft Lund Alaskan.We had lots of looks and two hookups with one fish @25 inches boated The bait-fish were small spearing called rainfish and our flies were twice that size so the stripers were not sold so well on them.
The scenery was awesome with rocks a hundred yards long that had pine trees growin out of them and light houses that were very old and still in service. The water is crystal clear and stripers are everywhere.

We then drove 210 miles back and about 10 miles from the cabin, around 11.00 pm we saw three Moose in the road ,A Bull a Cow and a Calf.  They first looked like stains on the road but grew out of the surface to become Moose that were just hangin out on the highway (one lane each direction) We slammed on the brakes and they trotted off the road. As we started away the male then charged for the truck on my side thinkin he could not let us near the calf,.. I guess,.. and made me about poop myself right there in the truck. Fortunately he stopped just before hitting my door. I said, "lets get back to the cabin Mike so I can have a beer" Mike says, "A beer sounds good Pauly...WOW!"

The next day we meet our pond fishing guide Tom again and head off to another pond to fish Brookies with LOTS MORE LUCK! it is raining, and as they say, you want to be as about as wet as they are and we were. They were taking caddis on top and they were not at all picky today. We caught the hell outta them.
At times, it was as if the trout would real quick see where your fly was going and race there to eat it AS SOON AS IT HIT THE WATER, Like it was a game they play. This pond is only 10 to 12 ft deep in the middle and we were catching trout at the edges too. I missed one that jumped almost into my kayak and he was 16 inches @ about two lbs. Hook jawed and all!  most were much smaller 8 to 12 inches but some have been caught to 5lbs in that pond.

The next morning we went 20 miles or so to Forks maine to meet A.F.F.S. members Chris Russell and Mike Pilsbury They along with Greg Caruso own the Kennebec river angler. We then headed out to the upper kennebec river gorge to float that river in avon rafts with rowing frames and two seats on each end for fishing out of. They lowered these rafts down a cliff on ropes and pulleys to the river shore and we walked down a 120 step staircase to launch. it looks a lot like the Lehigh river gorge with a lot more pines along the banks. It was also a very rainy day and the Land locked Atlantic salmon were on the bite. Kris Eaton came along as well. Kris works with them as a guide and was a lot of  help to us as our party consisted of two rafts.  
 We floated 7 miles and Fished a Caddis pattern of theirs and  green body Caddis bead head nymphs that I so happened to bring with me. I caught 6 land-locks up to 16 inches @ 2 lbs just like that Brookie I missed the day before. Then I hooked a very large Salmon that I played on film for many minutes til it slipped the hook just two yards from the raft.  The salmon don't get much over 22 inches and a 16 inches is a very good specimen, They said, so I was very happy even though I had lost A BIGGER ONE. Then we saw a young bull moose crossing the river downstream as we rounded a bend, and he stopped right in the middle when he saw us,.. stood there wonderin how we got there until Captain Mike Corblies in the camera raft floated down to him, then he turned back to where he came from and stumbled over to shore and ran up into the woods. That's now on film and will be shown at our seminars at  the outdoor/fishing shows this coming winter.  The guys all said they only saw moose in the river two other times in 23 years as the gorge is so steep they can't get in. That was cool... REALLY COOL!..... Not like our first encounter with another Bull Moose.

Then we headed off to Vermont to stay at the Red sled motel in Manchester for the night and then go to the  The American fly fishing museum to take part in the summer fly show on Saturday the 10th. It was good to see fellow fly fishers there that I know and to catch up on all things to do with our sport. We had great weather and smiles all around.  After a Wonderful diner at a very nice restaurant we then drove back home that night.             

                               

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

VIRGINIA BEACH TRIP 28-30TH JUNE

 Mike Corblies The Director of the American fly fishing schools and I just returned from the American outdoor show at the Virginia beach convention center in Virginia beach. We were joined AFFS sponsors, David Rose. the president of FREEDOM HAWK KAYAKS  and Dan Dietz, national  sales manager  for KC KAYAKS Who displayed and demonstrated their stand up fishing kayaks in our 50x16ft casting pond in the center of the show. Go to www.americanflyfishingschools.com to purchase one for yourself.   

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

TRIP TO CAMP ON PINE CREEK 27TH APRIL TO 6TH MAY

Went out to my camp in tioga county pa to fish the Hendrickson hatch. I found the fishing good, the water low! I guess the snow was not so heavy this year AND it melted very fast cause of such warm weather so early. Almost every day was in the mid to high seventies this trip with no rain, it was cold at night but not as cold as it should be for this time of year. So the creek warms up! It got up into the low sixtys in the afternoons and that made for crazy caddis hatches. Thicker then I have ever seen there! Of course the fish were on a smaller caddis then the size 16 green body that was most of what was hatching, a size 18 black body was working well and the Hendricksons showed up a couple days after I did and you could get some fish on the spinner size 14 seemed best. BUT! most of my fish were on a size 18 beadhead caddis nymph that had some sparkle to it. I would fish 2 of these little suckers and 2 Hendrickson beadhead nymphs size 14 to 16 all tied off the bend of the hooks, an indicator 8ft up the leader from the last fly and very small split shot to get it down. I want to catch trout, not just cast a dry fly all day and get three fish. I know the nymph fishing I do is rough,can be hard to cast such a unwieldy rig but IT CATCHES TROUT! That is what I want to do! not wait til the dry fly fishing gets good next week or whatever, I want to get TROUT NOW!
With low water you don't do too much on streamers so they did not do much for me but others had some luck as they beat the water harder then I did. As it turns out I caught fish every day both in the morning and after 6.00 pm til dark that is when the dry flies worked best, after 6.00 at night. The trip was great but I worry that the water wont be there for long if we don't get some real good amounts of rain.          

Friday, April 26, 2013

MUSCONETCONG RIVER POINT MOUNTAIAN SECTION

Lately I have been fishing the point mountain section of the musky and it has been great. I,m fishing mostly bead head pheasant tail nymphs sometimes with some split shot to get them down deep and slow the drift, small size 16-18 work good. I tie them on to the bend of the last one so I can fish three in a row. This is very effective but many fish foul hook themselves on the loose hooks that are floppin round when they fight. if I fish one fly I don't hook nearly as many fish two work better but three seems to be best. It can be a bear to cast at first but a slow roll cast does it and most of the time I only have 6 to 8 ft of fly line out of the tip as I,m high sticking anyway. This section is LOADED WITH TROUT! I have been there 5 times in the last two weeks and have caught trout every trip. it seems to fish better later in the day and drys work well in the slow pools. However I fish almost all nymphs as the local sharpies do just that and they know this section very well. Its a very rocky stretch and some boulders are the size of a pickup truck. This is what makes it such good holding water but also very tricky to wade. 4x fluorocarbon is what I fish as I find fish dont care much about fine leaders like so many say they do. I got crushed twice the other day by big trout that broke the 4x like it was 7This placed is so beautiful and easy hiking too as the trail is very good and easy to follow.        

Saturday, February 23, 2013

SAT FEB 23RD TRIP BACK TO THE PEQUEST

Going back today to the same pocket I got the TWO BIG RAINBOWS from on Tues. Its going to snow then turn to rain. I think that should do something for the bite. The river seems to be holding at about the same level as Tues according to the USGS. site.  Hope to have more great news when I get back.
SUNDAY 24TH REPORT ON YESTERDAYS TRIP.            
Okay that's fishin! I went to that same run and within 10 mins I hooked AND LOST another great fish.
It looked to be over 20 inches, at least as fat and a rainbow also. I decided to rest the pocket and try another spot downstream. I find an Island in the middle of the river and go to the downstream side of it where there is a rock about the size of my truck right in the middle of the tail out. I cast a few times and down goes my indicator I lift and I,m on what turns out to be about a 21 inch female rainbow and she slips my hook and foul hooks herself on the next hook down my leader. I play her for maybe two mins til she pops off at my feet Where I could clearly see she was ABOUT 21 inches.It seems today that the trout are just barely kissing the fly so it cant get a good hook set into them.   I fish there some more with no luck so I go back to the magic spot as I now call it and find no takers there either. All in All I fished for two hours and had four strikes, so,.. not really a great day, BUT! If I had not gone, I would not have hooked those two big trout.  Its Still better then watchin tv!!

If you want BIG FISH?..... Go to places NOBODY FISHES!
Most guys fish within 100-200 yards of their truck, right next to all the other guys.
IN THE HERD!.. Like Buffalo trampling over the same piece of water. 
Hike away from where you parked,.. like a 1/4 MILE AWAY, until you see no bootprints, then go a little further until you come to the next pool or run/pocket. There, you will be over "unmolested trout", trout that are not fished so hard. I find that the best fish will leave water that is Unsafe and swim up or down to where it is safe.  AWAY FROM THE CROWD. Also Rainstorms spread them out. They still have good holding water with plenty of food and are left alone, Until I come along, it might be a week or more since they have seen any people.
It takes 10 mins to walk there or less if the trail is not too overgrown with thorn bushes, watch out for these as they tear Gor-tex.  If you follow my advice you will find  IT PAYS OFF!!               

Thursday, February 14, 2013

WINTER TROUT FISHING TECHNIQUES

22 inch female Rainbow caught on a size 22 trico Christmas eve.
UPDATE. FEB 19TH PEQUEST RIVER CAUGHT 2 TROUT TOTALING.. 7 AND A  HALF POUNDS!! 19 1/4"  2.15 LBS MALE..25 1/2"  5.45 LBS FEMALE BOTH RAINBOWS

The short days of winter can be brightened by a trip to your favorite river or creek so long as the weather is warming a bit. This can be a great time to hook and play trout. Just like us trout have to eat EVERY DAY!
As winter goes on, we all fish much less then we want to, in fact most of us don't fish at all.
That should not be. I fish whenever I can, and find fish are willing to bite just about every trip out.
They don't always bite but that's fishing. Its nice just to be casting a fly anyway and fishing is like the lottery,
"YA GOTTA BE IN IT TO WIN IT"  I have heard guys say there is not enough food for trout to eat all winter and they have to wait until spring to start feeding again, living only on their fat reserves.
I am not a fisheries biologist, but many fly guys talk like they are. I find that trout do feed all winter because I,m out there fishing. Sure, some days you cant see anything going on as far as a hatch, but I still can get a few bites on Prince or Pheasant tail nymphs. Other days Trout will  come to the top for blue winged olives and trico flies but that can  sometimes last only a little while as warm temps cool fast in winter and the hatch will likely be sparse. Most of my fishing is with bead head nymphs this time of year. Dry fly fishing is slow but can be pretty good some days.
25 1/2 INCHES 5.45 LBS FEMALE RAINBOW PHOTO TAKEN THE NEXT DAY
  
Don't forget to use a streamer as trout will swim right out of a safe place to get a big meal. Sculpins and Dace minnows are still in the rivers and creeks in the winter and trout will dash out to eat them. You may find that you have to cast over and over before a hookup, big trout get pissed when you bombard them with casts but they will crush the fly sooner or later, just on Principle. Change colors, rabbit fur is best I find, leach flies and so on. Zonker flies work great for this. Just keep working each run then move on to the next and sooner or later the line will go tight. For Steamer fishing I like to use a sink tip line.RIO DC 150, this keeps the streamer down near the bottom and will get more strikes. I find that my largest trout will be on Streamers. With nymphs I can often catch more in numbers but not always in pounds. Streamers, maybe only three all day  but 7lbs or more in fish.      NOW ITS 2 FISH...  ALL DAY!  

      
 SAME FISH THE NIGHT I CAUGHT HER. ALL FINS FILLED IN PERFECT, IN THE RIVER A LONG TIME SHE WAS
 

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

FEB 11TH TRIP TO THE POHOPOCO CREEK




                                                    FEMALE BROWN TROUT  12 INCHES
                                MALE BROWN TROUT  13 INCHES
           BOTH FISH RETURNED WITHOUT ANY HARM RIGHT AWAY

Mon the 11th was forecast to be 50 degrees so I made sure to go to my favorite spot on the Pohopoco creek locally known as the Big creek.
It was running at a nice level, not too high and fast as it sometimes can after snow and then warm weather.  When this happens The Dam (Beltsville) will be opened up and it can run very high and fast. This can make fishing tough as you cant get a slow enough drift. But this was not the case on the 11th or 12th.

I waited til afternoon to fish so the water had more time to warm up. I fished my 5wt Winston LT with a Rio 5wt nymph line and a 6ft leader tied down to 4x Fluorocarbon. On my leader I tied three pheasant tail nymphs, second and third tied off the bend of the hook. Two size 18,  last one size 16 all Beadhead.

The fishing was very good and in the first hour I caught 4 and missed two, all browns to 13 inches.
I,m using a fish pimp indicator and have fed the leader trough the middle of it and used the rubber tube to hold the line in place. This keeps the indicator where you want it. With the line Though the indicator it wont fall off my leader. I also used two very small split shot about 8 inches up from my first nymph to get them down to the bottom and slow the drift as winter Trout wont move awful fast or come off the bottom to far the eat.

I fish til 530 and catch 6 total and missed about 3, dropped two,  All browns,
 one was wild @ 8 inches.  ALL IN ONE RUN!  I did not have to move up or down creek at all.
Trout will come up out of the Lehigh River to the warmer water of this creek and stay all winter. 

This just proves that you can catch Trout anytime of year.
 Just like us TROUT HAVE TO EAT EVERY DAY!
The New Moon helped as I do find there can be more action during that time.  

Go out and fish anytime it gets a little warmer. it makes winter go faster and a little less of a DRAG!