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!