Friday, April 29, 2016

A Few Days With Clients

Spending most of your free time on the water with clients or even by yourself, you meet all kinds of people. Some that you would like to toss in the river, or just can't wait for the day to be over. Others are on the opposite side of the spectrum, ones that are a joy to be around, and listen to every instruction perfectly. This past week was filled with plenty of clients that I can't wait to fish with again. One couple, Tom and Barb are in the beginning of a 2 year road trip fishing the top 100 trout streams in the US. Part of their journey has them interviewing all the guides that show them a good time on the water. Bellow is a video interview I did with them.


Onto the fishing report, Caddis are everywhere. Take lots of dry flies, but remember that fish may not always be rising to flies floating on the surface. This means you should have an ample amount of nymphs and emergers as well. The Yellow Breeches and The Tulpehocken Creek are full of fish looking for caddis. Head out today and find your pod of fish.


















Monday, April 18, 2016

Jam Packed into One

It has been very hard to keep up with the blog this year. With the new shop, an hour and twenty minute commute, and being newly married, it is hard to find time to sit and type to give everyone some updates on the fishing around the area. I have however, managed to find time to do some tying and fishing over the past few weeks. It seems as if we are under way with all fishing on the east, the bass are starting to migrate to spawn, the muskies are adding a few pounds after the winter, the mayflies are coming off, and the stripers are moving up to the flats. I will be doing a write up of a very skilled guide down on the Susquehanna flats, He's one of my good friends and a fellow Maryland native that has spent countless days searching the Chesapeake Bay for stripers of all sizes.

On the trout side, Hendricksons are still coming off in the south east, grannoms are done but just firing up in central pa. We have plenty of tan caddis on just about every stream, so get out your pupa and cdc caddis. Its go time! Over the past week or so, any caddis pupa pattern has been working as well as some larger caddis larva. Of course when the fish start rising, we put all that stuff away and pull out the High Fly and dust up those dry flies.

Client fish from a spring creek

Client fish from the Yellow Breeches 



Rob with a nice fish, me with a bad picture.

On the bass and musky front, well they don't like me this year it seems. Every time I head out for them it is blowing, raining, and freezing cold. Some of my friends however are doing very well and have been finding some nice fish in the big rivers along with some of the tribs. Here are all the flies I have been tying for this coming smallmouth season.

Smallmouth Bass Fly Patterns




The Roamer in many different colors 


Feathered Game Changer flies 


Flies I tied at the PA Fly Fishing Museum Open House. 



Stripers, well I will get into that on the next post.

Thank you all for your continued support.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Some Trout Flies

As much as I want to be floating down the Juanita River throwing a popper for smallmouth, it is still trout season.  I have been trying to get out a few days a week down by the new shop, the fishing has only improved over the past couple weeks. I have spent a good bit of time behind the vise stocking the boxes. I have no more room in my nymph boxes, and I should be good on dries, now its onto the smallmouth candy. Here are a few macro shots of the nymphs I have been tying.

Modified Trigger Nymph - Sulphur 
Caddis Larva
Rubber Z Caddis Pupa 


General Mayfly Nymph