Going Dutch 4/4/09

Ideas of heading to Erie for spring Steelhead were shot down sometime around 1am with the recent rain turning the tribs to a washout of chocolate milk. Decided to stay closer and fish a new stream with Logan. Much closer and always fun to try a new stream.

The Dutch Fork Delayed Harvest section was up a bit more than usual and a little off color. I hooked one in a feeder stream pretty quickly, jumped twice then took me into a snag. Black buggers were the fly of choice, nothing new for me.

Logan with his Brown

Shadows of a fly fisherman

Right after Logan had a hit, I hooked and landed this rainbow, perhaps the same one!

What once was Dutch Fork Lake

Ahh Spring

Hit Piney Run for a couple hours after work today. Landed one pretty early under the bridge on a black bugger, maybe 12". Later tried a white bugger at the lower stretch with no luck. Have only had luck on the black buggers in Piney Run/Peters Creek. Hmm. No pics. Super nice to get out a few hours after work to take advantage of the day light savings.

Spring is in the Air, just not in the Water

Left Pittsburgh on Friday, 58 degrees, sunny, not a cloud. Weekend in Southern Ontario, hovering just above freezing, windy, but sunny. First weekend of spring and in Canada I needed to wet a line. Andrea and I went out for a hour or so with Jeff to a branch of the Holland River, which runs north through the fertile Holland Marsh and into Lake Simcoe. Not all the beer funnels in Keswick can hold us back from a few hours of fishing!

Not the swift river system I'm used to in Western PA.

We were a few weeks early for when the crappies start feeding. Water temps were below 40*.

Just a total Rebel

My Catch of the Day. A floating cattail, 24"

I'll surely try again in the summer for pike and bass on the fly!

Happy Spring!

In Love with the New 'Boo

No sooner was I back on US soil had my attention turned back to late winter trout fishing. Went with my dad and Andrea to the TU Cabin Fever show and that only fueled the desire. A week of warming temps teased me from the work desk.

Went to Smithton first thing Saturday morning to help stock some huge trout. They had more than enough help so I bs'd with some folks, and enjoyed a lengthy chat with Lou and his lovely young family.

Left there and stopped at my local stream. Met up with Tom and Kevin for a few hours. This was the 2nd time out with the bamboo rod. Here's my second catch, 15".

Saturday night Corey and I treated my dad to a night in Wheeling. Grubbed and drank at the River City Restaurant then took in the events at the Wesbank Arena as the Johnstown Chiefs visited the Wheeling Nailers. No fights. Lame.

Sunday morning got off to a slow start around the house. Dad and I went to the first hole and within 10 mins he landed this little fella.

Tried a bunch of different spots, the fish were not too hungry. Managed to land this Sucker on a prince nymph of all things...

Otter Creek Bamboo Rod. 6"6" 4wt Med Action

Dad was itchin' to go, but I needed one more cast, and strip with the bugger under a tree. About 10 yards up from where Kevin landed one on a bugger the day before. And I was rewarded with my persistence.

Like a Pro

Grip and Growl

14" and healthy next to the Bamboo set up.

Cancun n'at

Made the trip to Cancun, Mexico with Andrea during her Reading Week. My first time to an all-inclusive, my furthest trip South, and my first time in drug war ravaged Mexico.

Here's the view from the Hotel Beach Paradise room 1588


Most memorable part of it all was going snorkeling. Here's my snorkeling buddy ready for the dunk!

Saw a ton of these guys, one big manta ray and tons of coral reef sponges and other invertebrates.

I decided that it would be an injustice if I didn't manage to wet a line in Mexico. I thought about bringing down my own rod, but glad i didn't. The fly fishing for Bonefish tours were in the $300 range... roughly half as much as the entire trip cost... Booked a charter for $125 with Big Game Charters. 5 people to the boat. One guy from Long Island, one from Minnesota, and two ladies from Wisconsin. All fairly accomplished anglers, and we were hoping to rip some lips on the high seas.

The waves were ridiculous. Easily the roughest I've been on. The Captain and mates said the current was rough, not to mention the high winds and HUGE waves... The yellow finned fellas that we saw the previous day while snorkeling... BAIT!



No Fish, No Tips...

Our Boats catch... 2 Red Snappers, and 3 Triggerfish, which are basically glorified aquarium fish that were a garunteed catch for those Tips...
The only fish i landed in Mexico... an 18" 3 pound Triggerfish. At least I didn't get skunked. I've fished all three major countries in North America before end end of February, quite the mini-accomplishment. However, all that I have to show for my travels thus far is a handful of holdover trout and this massive scale-tipping Triggerfish.

Sunset over the Lagoon from the balcony of Hotel Beach Paradise Room 1588.

Gracias, Buenos Noches

SKUNKKKKKED AGAIN

Went to Confluence, PA early on Saturday morning. The weathermen were calling for mild temps all weekend and i had to get out. The air temp was 25*F when i entered the river just down from the outflow of the Yough River Res. and the water temp was 38*F. I drifted and twitched Lou's Minnow for about 45 minutes in a stretch under the first bridge that had a bunch of other anglers. A few were landing trout on live bait and one fella was missing hits on a small nymph. It was my first time out on the new waders, and my legs were frozen stiff. Headed over Sugar Loaf road to Ohiopyle for some pictures and while I waited for Adam.

Meadow Run was open for the most part. Very clear but i could see trout in one hole. I tried small egg patterns, small copper johns and had one trout on for a bit on a brown wolly bugger.

Adam arrived. He landed a few. One on sucker spawn, another on small nymph.
I went for a short hike to the mouth to look for more open water but all i found was about 2 feet of open water leading to the mouth.


Met up with Dr. Eric and Erica for lunch in town and tried to head upstream as far as Beaver Creek. The scenery was lovely, the stream was mostly frozen. Adam and I headed over another range to see if Dunbar was any better. The water was lovely, the fish were absent. Saw a few other passing fishermen, no luck on their end either.


Headed home, cold, tired, sore and ready for some Wheeling Nailers Hockey with Ian.

On Sunday my dad and I went over to Peter's Creek to see if anything was up. Me neighbor had landed a few on the lower stretches the weekend and day before so we thought we'd try. The warming temps melted most of the snow and muddied the Peter's Creek end of things. The Piney Run side was up and colored but fishable. Still only a few Creek Chubs were landed. Below is a picture of the Confluence of Piney Run and Peters Creek. The later being the muddier of the two. We tried a few old spots with no luck, but again it was nice to be out even if I've still been completely shutout while fishing with my new Orvis 3 weight...

Super Bowl Sunday

Nursing a wicked hangover and feeling very cozy on the couch didn't think i'd be doing anyfishing today. The weather was too nice though, climbing into the mid 40's and with the Steelers playing later in the Super Bowl there was plenty of time to get over to Peter's Creek for a couple hours with Dad. He landed two on my Loomis 4 weight on artificial waxworms. Took out the new 3 weight Orvis rod, but never got a bend in it; went home skunked!

Packed and Ready

Dad hooks up early

Lunker!

Fighting another. Must have a good guide.



The new Orvis reel in the snow.

STEELERS 2009 SUPER BOWL CHAMPS!