Weekly Update...Brownie Edition...

Well, the week started off decent…then slowly went to shit on a few personal levels…but bound and determined to leave the world behind, my lovely wife and dog decided to join me in our first camping trip of the year. It was a bit impromptu, but we were happy to go…

Mission a success…

In pictures…

Finn's comfortable in camp...

The weekend sleeping arrangements, with welcome guest!

Some of PA's Best...

Buggy Drive Down Stream...

Finn and Mommy looking for risers...

Amy nymphing a run...

Finn waiting streamside...

PA 'bows...mmmm

Gotta love the stockers...

Classic U-bend...

Now for the best part of the weekend...the MASSIVE tank that I somehow coaxed out of a deep corner pool...

Long story, but I ended up having to land it alone, without a net...which was NOT an easy task. Amazing fish...gorgeous colorings...something that won't be forgotten...

Guesses floating around at the moment are around 23"...

No hatches really materialized due to some bad weather, but fish seemed to be happy eating nymphs...

The best part is that we're back next weekend to get into the action...

Hopefully we've got more stories and pictures to share. Weather outlook seems to have some good dry fly weather...but you never know...fingers crossed...we will anxiously wait...

'Til next time...

Dries

Why you're fly box is empty without Parachute Adams. Good thing I had them in PA for my only trout of the weekend...


"Some fly-fishers have known for months which fly they’ll tie on when they encounter their first rising trout of 2009. They expect the first mayflies of the season to swim to the surface of the streams and wriggle free of their exoskeletons to be little Blue Winged Olives or Blue Quills, or maybe the bigger, meatier Hendricksons, and they’ll have the appropriate pattern ready to go."


READ MORE HERE
via midcurrent

The Mad POTTER

More Potter Pics...all seen from Mike's glass...

Jimmy with his first ever trout on a fly rod...Big Old Palamino...

Mike's underwater housing got the release...

Mike's first fish in Potter...spunky little rainbow...

New Species for Mike...and the second Palamino for the trip

Talked with a few others from the weekend. Looks like the fishing was slow all the way around. Some people stayed and fished all day Sunday with a fish or two to show for it. Something was amiss with the fishing this weekend, and considering the stories we heard, we were happy with our results. Again, overall a great weekend, and wonderful company.

We shall be back soon my dear old friend!

POTTER COUNTY REPORT - STEELHEAD WHAT?!

Great Food, Great Company, Great Weather…Shitty Fishing…

Not sure if fewer stocked fish made it a tough weekend, or the unseasonably warm weather, but it was difficult pulling fish from “God’s Country”. We all managed fish, however the numbers certainly weren’t what we expected. All other anglers concurred, but had no real solid reasons why…even the veterans.

Soft Hackle Pheasant Tails were the ticket for most fish taken though. All in all a great weekend. My only two fish came on dries, which made them worth it. Also, getting Mike into his first Palamino, and Jimmy into his first trout ever on a fly rod topped off the weekend. Some good stories shared and made, not to mention the over stuffed people that walked out of the lodge… I’ll let some of the pictures do the talking…

One of mine on a dry...Blue Quill Imitation


Mike Fishing a nice little Run


Blue Quill Hatch

Mike's photography skills in action - He had a hot camera and good eye for shots this weekend!

Mike Rolling Some 'Boo

Should have more pics tomorrow...

Quote of the Week...LATE EDITION

Story from the lodge...

"Go ahead...it won't zap you"

As Justin's Dad proceeded to tell Jimmy about the bug zapper...and you guessed it!

You're EFIN kidding

first found on midcurrent

"The agency has scrapped a program it began five years ago in which it purchased hatchery trout from Tellico Fish Farm in North Carolina to make up for the 2001 closing of Pennsylvania's Big Spring hatchery. Tellico had charged the state an average of $1.15 per fish (last year it was $1.27) -- significantly less than the $2.14 it costs to raise a trout at a Fish and Boat Commission facility. When this year's Tellico bid came in at $3.38 per trout, the commission drew the line."

READ ON ABOUT PA TROUT...

Steelheading: Week #13

With the short week home, We didn't get to see much water at home this week...

Saturday was a Christmas Party...though lots of local waters fished...a group swinging struck out, but several others on Nymphs and Indicators cleaned up...

Sunday I managed to coarse Justin out of working the shop to fish...

The morning was a mistake...between miles of walking for only a few casts, we found a few canoes wanting to play leap frog with us for holes...which meant a 5 minute jaunt for them was a 25 minute ordeal for us. After 2 holes of that, and about 3 miles down river (crowds took for the first 1.5 miles), we called it quits...and yours truly took a shitter on the way back...yeah...the morning sucked...and we had no fish notched onto our belts...

The afternoon we moved closer to home and were able to scare up a few...

Justin bagged them all, with 1 indie fishing (Pheasant Tail), and 2 swinging an egg sucking leach. I had a few grabs, but almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades...

Anyways, waters are low close to home...with visibility about 2'. Many reports from the week reported that fishing has been very consistent on the home waters...

Anyways, here's Justin's fish porn...All fish were bright as dimes and ran like monkeys on cocaine...

Potter County 2009

It's Officially Booked...


Spoke with Linda herself and it's game on for opening weekend...


Few reminders of why we go...

Also found this little gem in the YOUTUBE search...makes me wish it was spring all year long...

Farewell Sweetness...

OK...for the summer time person, Winter blows. I was hit with the harsh reality that I need to give up on the summer of '08. Granted I’ve been pushing off the bass flies, and haven’t been wet wading in months, but I keep saying “man, I should run over to the pond for some bass”, when in reality, they’ve already gorged, and are now hunkered down for the long cold spell…They seem to accept it better then I…

To top off my Sunday depression of rivers being blown, cold temperatures outside, and the parting of a family pet…I get the following message read to me on the itouch…

“Issued by The National Weather ServiceCleveland, OH 3:46 am EST, Sun., Nov. 16, 2008
... LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 PM EST TUESDAY...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CLEVELAND HAS ISSUED A LAKE EFFECT SNOW WARNING FOR THE EAST LAKESHORE COUNTIES... WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 PM EST TUESDAY.
LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY TODAY. THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES BY TONIGHT... WITH 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW POSSIBLE BY MONDAY MORNING. LOCATIONS ACROSS INLAND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AS WELL AS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF GEAUGA COUNTY COULD SEE LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS... POSSIBLY MORE THAN A FOOT OF SNOW BY DAYBREAK MONDAY.
LAKE EFFECT SNOW WILL CONTINUE MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH ADDITIONAL MODERATE TO HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
IN LAKE EFFECT SNOW THE WEATHER CAN VARY FROM LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW IN NARROW BANDS TO CLEAR SKIES JUST A FEW MILES AWAY. IF YOU WILL BE TRAVELING ACROSS THE REGION BE PREPARED FOR RAPID CHANGES IN ROAD AND VISIBILITY CONDITIONS.”

Now as I wait for the gas heater to rally up the fly tying room (Converted 3 season room), I can’t help but wonder where the summer went. Below are my memorable’s from this last 6 month warm up…

• Married Life – She’s been great with the fishing hobby…something I was worried about
• Got brother into the fly fishing gig…
• Started TMT to help get rid of cabin fever…and it’s turned into a bit of a fun project…
• Found one of the most beautiful places on the earth…Potter County, PA. Not to mention some of the best food EVER at the First Fork Lodge (This also meant discovering Trout on the fly rod…completely different from spinning…)
• This last fall I went to Michigan to fish the salmon run with Schmidt
• Got the canoe out onto the water…
• Got the DSLR camera I wanted and have taken close to 10,000 pictures already…I just need to get into a sorting mood with them all…
• Made the donation to Bristol Bay…made friends at Felt Soul Media…had cards made for the wedding trying to bring attention…
• Got the new fish mobile (Subaru)…
• Fished steelhead early in September…and have done pretty well this year thus far…
  

So as I think back on the accomplishments, here are some pictures of the last 6-7 months that have made for a pretty good year…

Bassing began early for me...cabin fever and too many people on the rivers...

Big Brownie from the POT...trip with Dan...

One memorable hole from Potter...no fish found but I know they were in there...

Wife getting to experience Potter first hand...note fly rod on right...

RELAXING...

Jimmy's first REAL fish...fly fishing at it's best...

Just one of those shots you find on the storage card and think...wow...that was beautiful...

I remember this stretch very well...about 45 minutes from the lodge and the anticipation just kept on building...

Jimmy doing the trout thing...

Jimmy trying to hack a delicate cast...

TMT + Bass = bliss...

Conklin tied in...again, beautiful...and fun to watch!

Jim's photo of the year...

When Jimmy got bored, it was docks and 'seed sized poppers on the 5 weight...his slab of the summer...

Fenway franks + beer = bliss...

Great getting to be in Fenway...

More midnight piggies...

Finn's first swim...all natural...

MI Salmon this fall...blast...

hmm...

Schmidt's first trip up to CASA DE PAGE for some chrome action...

All and all a summer we won't soon forget...just sad to see it go...

Thats All She Wrote...

Well it wasn't quite a bust...a few trout saved the trip...but it was far from what we had hoped or expected. The water was a good 3-4 feet lower then Memorial Day. The temps were dangerously high (main river was above 70…small water was high 60’s). All in all, not a great fishing weekend…

However a lot was gained over the weekend. Jim found his rhythm with a fly rod, and actually got some nice throws in. Weather was nice and I got to spend some quality time with Jim…

Now for the pics…