Reports

December 7, 2013

I was stationed at Pearl Harbor  --  do not forget December 7, 1941---

Made a return trip with Nate to Cumberland Valley.  The stream had a few anglers on it and we moved around to give everyone their space.  Nate managed a HOSS 21-inch Rainbow Trout on a Slumpbuster.  The only fish of the day !  I thought the entire battle was captured on video, but upon getting home--  the memory card was full and I had only the early moments of the battle.  My awesome net job was not recorded ! 

November 24, 2013

Headed to Cumberland Valley with Nate.  The air temps were way below freezing and we spent all day removing ice from the guides.  If your fly was out of the water for a few seconds, it was frozen.  The wind was ripping but we had a great day On The Water.  Started out at the Ditch and then worked our way downstream.  Scuds, Slumpbusters and Globugs were the ticket.  There was spawning action going on and many skittish fish.  We managed a few fish and Nate busted off a hoss Rainbow Trout.  The colors on Big Spring Creek fish are nothing short of breathtaking. 

November 22, 2013

The warmer weather last weekend should have had many anglers out and about.  I certainly hope you took your kids fishing !!  The rugrats and I hit a few streams on Saturday and landed a few fish and had a great streamside lunch.   We fished with nightcrawlers that we collected and also used a fly rod.  Fish when the sun is out and if the kids get chilly, pack it up and head home. 

November 11, 2013

Happy Veterans Day

The leaves are making fishing hard to do.  Local wild brown trout waters have the fish in spawn mode.  Stay on the banks !!!  Mostly little fellas as of late, but I did tag a nice brown and had a HOSS playing with a stickbait--  the multiple wakes the fish made were nothing short of breath taking.   The old man is recovering from Chemo to treat Blood Cancer so I am trying to get out everyday to capture a picture and of course land a few fish.   

November 3, 2013

The wild browns are making their way upstream to spawn.  Steelhead fishing in Erie is starting to heat up, but they need water.  Steelhead and Brown Trout are all throughout the Salmon River and there are even a few Zombie Salmon left to catch.  Most local waters are crystal clear.  If you stay stealthy you should be able to get a swipe or two at your fly, lure or bait. 

October 17, 2013

The Salmon Run in Pulaski is dwindling down and more Steelhead are entering the system.  Local waters are on the skinny side, but if you put the time in and be sneaky--you might be able to land a fish or two.  Wild Brown and Brook Trout should be gearing up for the spawn.  Tread lightly and try to stay on the creek banks as to not trample any redds.

September 01, 2013

Fished Unami Creek this morning with Joe.  Joe had them chasing surface flies and I was catching a few fish using my SQUIGGLER pattern in orange and white/red.  Poured for a few minutes early but the sky cleared up and the sun came out.  I stuck around and fished after Joe headed home and the stream went from perfect, to a raging nightmare in a split second.  Getting out of the creek was a treacherous journey.  Most folks are gearing up for SALMON SEASON.  Get your orders in now for the salmon and Steelhead flies. 

August 13, 2013

Rain has been pletiful the last 2 weeks and there are salmon entering the Salmon River.  Don't jump in the truck and speed off just yet.  It is really early and the fishing will be HIT or MISS.  Instead, sit back and watch this video from my 2011 salmon fishing trip.  Just Click the LINK !!!

Salmon River Fun

August 08, 2013

There were a few pictures of King Salmon being caught at DSR on the Salmon River.  Don't go driving 6 hours to go and fish just yet.  Reports state there are a FEW fish at DSR.  Not a run yet.  Check out the DSR website:  http://www.douglastonsalmonrun.com/ .  Rain last night has the creeks flowing at a good rate.  Hopefully  fall tempertures are here to stay!!  Check out Vin's Videos page.  Vin's Bug Shoppe page is on the way.  It will be a page dedicated to fly patters that are for sale.  For now, if there are bugs you want--Just let me know and I'll get them tied up for you.  Get your orders in now for the Salmon and Steelhead season.  If you wait until the last minute, you might be out of luck !!  Crazy Spawn, Death Stoneflies, DSS streamers and Squigglers will certainly give you an edge over the guy standing next to you.

July 28, 2013

It has been CRAZY HOT the last few weeks.  This week cooled off a little bit and I headed out this afternoon looking for some topwater action fishing the Bamboo and Mothra Fly.  Landed a lovely 14 inch wild brown on the MOTHRA and managed to get some video of an ISONYCHIA hatching. The video is on my FACEBOOK page and YOUTUBE page.

July 06, 2013

Well, the heat is on !!  Fishing early seems to be a great option.  The temperature at 1045pm on July 4th was 89 degrees !!  That is crazy hot.  You might be able to find some MINISCULE SURPRISES if you hit your local trout waters early in the morning.  Warmwater streams should provide some smallmouth action.  Hellgrammite patterns and poppers are bringing fish to hand.  Local waters are up and moving.  Be careful while wading and always, bring some cold H2O to drink.  This is the perfect weather for a boat, canoe or raft ride down the Schuylkill River. 

June 15, 2013

The past week was filled with water and lots of it. The creeks are at fishable levels.  Hot fly over the past 2 weeks has been MOTHRA.  If you don't know what a MOTHRA is, you need to order a few !!  The fly induces some very dramitic strikes.  I wouldn't be On The Water without a few of them in my pocket.   

June 3, 2013

The last few weeks have seen many bugs On The Water.  This past week, there have been Little Blue-Winged Olives, Sulphurs, Cahills, Stoneflies, Craneflies, Caddis and Moths On The Water.  Fishing emerger patterns throughout the day has made the hours spent On The Water very exciting.  Creek temperatures are still very cool and not near the 70 degree mark.  Fished with the kids one morning and the Berkley Pink Trout Worm was the ticket.  Panfish are cruising the shorelines in search of an easy meal and are easy to catch if you can find them.  With river temps starting to climb, Smallmouth Bass fishing should nearly be in fullswing.  Opening Day of Bass Season is June 15.  You can still fish for Bass even though the season is CLOSED with NO HARVEST.  You can fish for BASS with catch and immediate release rules being implemented.   There are different regulations for Bass Fishing in Lakes and Bass Fishing in Rivers.  Check the PFBC Summary Guide Book for exact dates, creel and size limits.  With all that being said, Go Get Your Carp ON !!!

May 19, 2013

The past week has seen Sulphurs and Cahills make their presence known.  Caddis in a few sizes and colors have also fooled a few fish.  Fishing emerger patterns throughout the morning and early afternoon should get you into some fish.  Evening is the time To Be On The Water, with Cahills hatching and then Sulphurs following closely behind.  Have a few spent spinners on hand also, white, claret or rusty brown colored.  Take a headlamp, keep the light off the water.  You can catch fish well into the darkness with a spent spinner pattern.  Picture of Erik wih a nice Manatawny Creek brown that was taken on a Hatcher fly.  You should check out Erik's 43 second video that shows a nice-sized wild brown trout eating a smaller trout.  Click here to find the video:  Big Wild Brown Trout Eating a Smaller Brown Trout     Erik is certainly Living to be On The Water.

May 12, 2013

The recent rains have left the creeks no worse for the wear.  Waters are fishable with Sulphurs and Cahills making an appearance.  Fishing a dry caddis has brought many trout to hand over the past two weeks.  Turtles are out and about--so keep your eyes open as they cross our roads to find a mate.  

April 28, 2013

Fishing in the evening this past week paid off with many fish brought to net by means of dry flies.  Early morning or early afternoon caddis hatches have been sporadic, but if you find some caddis doing their business--the fish will be on them and you should have a nice time.  There have been Caddis, Hendricksons, Quill Gordons, Craneflies and midges out and about this past week.  I did see a Quill Gordon get off the water this afternoon.  I promptly switched to a Quill Gordon dry fly and fish on.   Wildflowers of all colors are blooming.  There are many fishermen out and about with most folks catching fish on a variety of baits, lures and flies.  I have seen many happy fisherman this past week and many stringers filled with trout have left the creek.  My goodness, how many ways can you cook a trout?  My favorite is to fill the cavity with CHUNKY APPLESAUCE and wrap the fish with bacon.  Wrap the fish in tin foil and throw it on the grill.  YUMMY !!!

April 22, 2013

Happy Earth Day !!!

Thanks to Nate, Zoe and Vinny for cleaning up along Manatawny Creek yesterday.  We took some garbage and two tires off the banks of the creek.  Thanks to Vin, we picked up a plastic bag that had dead fish and dead worms inside of it.  THE STENCH WAS HORRIBLE.  I had to remove my outer layer of clothing and scrub my hands in the silt of the creek to get the smell to dissipate.  

Hendricksons are still the bug of choice.  Caddis too.  I noticed a few BWOs yesterday on a Class A water.  

April 13, 2013

Much of the same still going on.  Caddis throughout the day--found them popping off the water in the morning pretty good-- Hendricksons and Quill Gordons in the afternoon. 

April 11, 2013

Just when you think it couldn't get any better !!  Another day with many bugs in the air:  BWOs. Stoneflies, Caddis, Hendricksons, Spring Blue Quills and Quill Gordons.  The fish were all over the Hendricksons.  Hendricksons and Quill Gordons were hatching nearly at the same time.  I was tossing Hendrickson Dry Flies--go to the FACEBOOK page and purchase a cup or two of FLIES---and Hendrickson Emergers.  There were some brutal battles going on this afternoon.  Zoe's Wright and McGill 7 foot 3wt Fly Girl rod and Damselfly Reel have been getting a good work out as of late. 

April 10, 2013

Winter to Summer?  Wowsers, nearly 90 degrees today.  The past week has seen many bugs on the water.  Hendricksons have started to show up and the fish took notice.  Your best bet for success is fishing a caddis.  Skate it, swim it, just move it !!   The thunderstorms this evening should provide the Oley Valley with some much needed rain. 

April 2, 2013

29 degrees this morning at 8am.  Where is Spring?  I wonder if there are any fish left in the streams?  The only way to find out, is to go fishing !!  The water is cold.  The air temperatures have been cold.  Just cold, cold, cold.  I have seen a few fish chasing emergers, a mayfly here or there and a fish rise every now and then.  The warmer weather will be here soon and so too, will the bugs.  I hope everyone had a great opening weekend dunking worms, salmon eggs, flies or lures!!

Photos Courtesty of Logan McCoy and Toby Michalowski

March 29, 2012

Not sure where SPRING is?  It was windy, sleeting and raining when I made out and about.  I saw a few mayflies on the water and a few little Black Stoneflies.  I opted for a Petitjean styled CDC caddis.  Also fished a Little Black Stonefly.  Both flies were effective and in a short amount of time, I was able to land some beautiful wild brown trout.  The takes were outstanding with fishing LEAPING out of the water to take the fly.  It was fun !!  But I must say, bring on the warmer temperatures.  Opening day is tomorrow.  Have fun everyone and enjoy the start of another Trout fishing season.  Taking fly orders !!!  I'll be posting cups of flies shortly !!  Get your orders in.

March 23, 2013

OPENING DAY OF TROUT FISHING

Mentored Youth Trout Day

Another family and ours headed out to Antietam Lake to fish opening day with the kids.  We were able to get the spot we wanted.  The wind was brutal and the temps were on the cold side, but all 4 kids sucked it up and had a great opening day of Trout Season.  This was the first Trout Opener for all 4 children.  Most of the fish were Brook Trout and the one Brown Trout that was landed by my kids buddy, was 16-inches.  Snacks, Hot Chocolate, Power Bait and Night Crawlers under a float.  Great start to the new Trout Season.  

March 22, 2013

Welp spent a day here or a day there with the kids picking up some fish on Little Black Stoneflies and the Berkley Pink Trout worm.  Hit the Little Schuylkill River today for a very short amount of time.  I though my waders were leaking, but it turned out---my left foot was just frozen.  It was windy, flurries in the air and the water temperature was soso cold you shouldn't stand in it.  I picked up one rainbow on a white leech pattern.  Wowsers did the wind make it miserable.

March 04, 2013

Trout stocking is right around the corner !!  Time to clean your gear and get it ready for the 2013 season.  Here is a link to the PA Fish & Boat Commission's webpage-- select the county you want to see and hit the GO button....

Pennsylvania 2013 STOCK DATES

March 02, 2013

I was sent this photograph yesterday.........it is a resident of Valley Creek.............Thanks to Erik Kallberg for sharing this great shot !!!

March 01, 2013

I was sitting at home, making an attempt at a WOOLHEAD SCULPIN TUTORIAL when I checked my YOUTUBE page----  100,000 VIEWS !!!!  Thanks to everyone for taking the time to watch my videos.......I am planning on doing a few more this Spring and Summer !!!

Feb 21, 2013

Started out heading to Ontelaunee Lake for some "gotta go ice fishing before the ice melts" fishing.  I was TOO LATE.  The quarry hole along Rt. 73 was wide open.  So, I drove back home.  On the way home I stopped at a drainage ditch, put on a wax worm and landed a nice wild brown trout.  Swapped out my ice fishing gear for my fly fishing gear and drove around Berks County in search of some Wild Brown Trout.  I landed a few real nice fish, with one being 15-inches and another being 16-inches.  Beautiful day, considering the wind was ripping and the temperature was in the mid-20s.

Feb 18, 2013

Took the rugrats out to do some ice fishing.  About 27 degrees when we headed out the door.  Our first stop was to get some snacks: chips, beef jerky and vitamin water.  Off to the lake.  Well, the first place we stopped at was a bust.  Second spot was very good with 5 inches of ice.  Both kids were into panfish nearly immediately.  We didn't stay long--the wind was making it very cold.  But, they fished for about an hour with minimal complaints.  Vin landed the biggest fish of the day, which was a largemouth bass.  The day ended with a double.

I would think, there are not many days of ice fishing left in Southeastern, PA.  

Feb 15, 2013

Fished a Wild Trout stream this morning.  Not much doing.  Didn't see many Little Black Stoneflies and the fish were not working the surface.  I did land one fish on a very small nymph while using a THINGAMABOBBER.  Air temps hit around 55 degrees today.  Can't catch them sitting on your couch.  So, get outdoors and Live to be On The Water.

Feb 14, 2013

Happy Valentines Day !!   Spent the morning traveling around the area.  Antietam Lake is toast--- unless we get a serious cold snap, no more ice fishing there.  Antietam Creek had a great flow to it.  Spent a hour or two in the afternoon chasing some wild browns.  Landed 3 fish and one on a dry Little Black Stonefly.  The other two fish took a black beadtail stonefly nymph.  It was a beautiful 40-degree day.  The water was FREEZING !!!

Feb 03, 2013

Planned to make a trek to the Little Lehigh, but didn't make it there.  It was a nice 25 degrees or so when I hit the water.  Fished a wild trout stream, but didn't move any trout.  Started out casting DSS Streamer and switched to eggs and worm flies just to catch a few fallfish and one sucker.  The sucker took a gold-ribbed hares ear nymph.  Fought like a brick. 

I'm hoping the ice will be thick enough in a few days so that we may all go ice fishing.  Be Safe and Live to be On The Water.

January 29, 2013

No school yesterday for the Oley Valley.  My son went with his mother.  Zoe and I stayed home and tied some flies.  Mostly Glo Bugs, but Zoe has got it down that I don't have to help one bit with the fly.  Vin gets back from his mother's house, sits down at the vise and ties up a Glow Bug.  When he was done I asked if he wanted to help me organize some loose hooks.  He says, Sure Daddy.  After a few minutes he turns to me and goes, Daddy-- I Heart You.  I was like, Huh?  Then I looked into his tiny hand--- and there it was, the most beautiful heart shaped item I have ever seen.  I couldn't kiss him or hug him enough.  So, Fly Tying--it can bring a family together.......it can open young eyes to a sport that needs younger people in it.  There is no time like now to get your children involved in the Great Outdoors.  Teach them to care about more than themselves.  Our environment is under attack on a daily basis.  Sometimes, those folks whose job it is to protect the Great Outdoors--- are the ones to blame for its deterioration.   There will come a time when I won't be around, you won't be around---and who is to carry on that burning flame to protect the Great Outdoors?  Our children.  So, when they ask to go for a hike, to ID Flowers or make a campfire---jump on it.  Don't put it off.  When the kids have played enough video games and have nothing to do---take them to a creek and turn over some rocks.  Look for some bugs !!  They will love it.  As with anything, the more you do it--the more likely it will become a habit.  Being in the Great Outdoors, Fishing, Hunting and Tying Flies are great HABITS to HAVE.  Stay safe and Live to be On The Water.

Jan 27, 2013

Headed over to Antietam and fished from 10am to about 1pm.  The ice was skinnier than I had expected it to be.  Most of the holes that were drilled had an ice thickness that ranged from 3 to 3.5 inches.  Plenty of folks out on the ice.  There were a good number of shelters on the ice.  I fished a pair of holes where a shelter was and whoever was in the shelter was so kind as to leave a huge pile of cigarette butts covered up with ice.  Flat out disgusting.  Take that stuff with you, it does not belong in the environment.  I managed a good number of Yellow Perch, one Rainbow Trout to the top of the hole and one Largemouth Bass to the top of the hole.  I moved around a good bit.  No Bluegills or Crappie.  Please be careful. No ice is safe !!!   Know where to get on the lake and where to get off the lake.  Not sure when I'll be out again, but if we get the predicted warm weather or some rain, ice fishing might get put on hold.  Certainly more ice already this year than last year !!!  Be safe and Live to be On The Water.   Check out the serrated edge on the operculum.

Jan 25, 2013

Fellas and ladies, if you are going ice fishing---please be smart.  I understand it has been VERY COLD the last 3 days, but prior to that---it was in the 40's-50's.  There is no such thing as safe ice and dying for a bluegill or a trout is certainly not worth it.  I have not been out checking on ice thickness, my rugrats have been sick and so have I.  Four inches of nice ice is perfect for one man and his gear.  If you plan on going with friends and turning the ice into swiss cheese---please wait for 7 inches of ice.  Be smart, be safe and as always: 

"Live to be On The Water". 

Check out this "Ice Safety Thickness" chart available through the PFBC.  This is their "guideline" for ice.

Ice Safety Thickness Chart

Jan 23, 2013

Very cold this morning--  11 degrees when I took the rugrats to the bus stop !!!