"Treat" of the week

Staying with the theme of my posts the "treat" of the week is coming from my time in Chile. A lot of my experience in Chile was tainted by the lack of organization and thorough planning by the lodge itself. For starters I arrived in Chile on the third of December, and I didn't see the lodge until just after Christmas. What was I doing that whole time? I was stuck in the basement of the lodge owners house in town stranded because of a lack of a vehicle forced to hike everywhere I wanted to fish, which didn't leave many options. I missed my birthday, I missed christmas, and new years before I even started working. Our first clients of the season came on January ninth in all that time we, Sam and I, still hadn't even seen one of the sections of river we were going to float with clients. That stretch happened to include my first class three rapid run. On top of that our "guide shack," appropriately named of course, was just that a shack. It was made up of four plywood walls a plywood floor and a tin roof. No insulation, a barely functional stove, and more mice that one would ever want to see. Sam and I gutted the place virtually unaware of how dangerous and deadly the hanta virus was without so much as a surgeons mask. We had to scour the area to find carpet so we didn't get splinters from our own floor. We put up a clothes line, cleaned the shelving system made a tying bench and created a screen for our window to keep the horseflies out. All this was done in our spare time after we were done working for the day simply so we would feel comfortable living there and not disgusted by the fact that we lived in a rat infested box. So all you future guides working for this establishment be thankful that we took that time to improve your living quarters because the guides before us didn't do us any favors. 

Chile: There's more to it then just the fish..

Spending four months in Chile is something I would have never been able to do without fly fishing. I have some very seriously cherished memories from my time spent there. That said, I think it's time someone spoke of the realistic expectations for trout sizes in that region. The lodge I worked for was in the Aisen region which is about a two and half to three hour drive from the nearest "city" of Coyhaique. We primarily fished the Rio Cisnes which is yearly in Patagonia's best rivers to fish, and to be completely honest I really was not that impressed. In my opinion it fished about as well as some of the lower tier Montana rivers. There was plenty of fish, most days, but there was no real size to the trout. The average was probably 12-14 inches. The winds were 98% of the time up river blowing 30 mph and sometimes gusting up to 60 mph. So much so that on several occassions I could only have one client casting at a time to avoid tangling and hooking each other.. and me. 


All that being said there are some big fish in Chile, you just need to find the right places, and be there at the right time. The big deep rivers where you are ripping streamers and sink tip all day. Or the lodges that have expansive spring creeks with tons of terrestrial insects (who also get a special diet of pellets) are your best bet. There is also a place on the Argentina side called Jurrassic Lake, if you get a chance to look that up you will be thoroughly impressed with the size of the trout over there. 


The rivers we fished held some larger fish as well, but I don't think for one second that it is a better fishery than the Missouri River, the Snake River, the Gibbon River, or any other big name rivers out in the western part of the United States. 

Cattle Drive traffic jam.

Love the colors on this brown. Not to mention the backdrop. (Renaud, Lago Los Torres)

The important thing to realize that with every good fishing trip there is more than just the fish to appreciate. Sure the majority of your time should be spent enjoying what you are after, another fishing memory and journey shared, but the most breathtaking part of Chile was what surrounded me day in day out, with the exclusion of the "guide shack." The backdrop while fishing in Chile is really something remarkable. Mountains all around you, water everywhere you look, flowers blooming, active ranch land full of sheep, goats, and other livestock, just nature at its purest; untouched, clean, majestic. There isn't a better way I can describe it other than to simply say it looks like technology hasn't scoured the landscape. There aren't highways running every which way, there aren't highrises in the background, there aren't people talking on cell phones and texting their friends in between fish. When on the river there are not any of the distractions we have in our everyday life. It's you, the river, the air, and a desire to catch your next fish. If I were to ever go back, I would spend some time fishing of course, but I would also allow myself to spend some time hiking and exploring because it truly is a beautiful country. 

Catch Magazine - A FREE Fly-Fisherman Must!

One of many Catch Magazines incredible photos.

Do yourselves a favor and add yourself to the e-mailing list for Catch Magazine.  The 1st day of every EVEN month will seem like (insert the politically correct term for the winter holiday you celebrate) each time you open up a new issue.    

Each issue takes a look at the sport of fly fishing around the globe.  This issue (#21) delves into Colorado, Argentina, Miami and finishes up their three-part series of documenting Alaska.  One of the lodges that Brian O'Keefe visited in Alaska was at Cusack's Alaska Lodge where Brian and I have worked for a combined total of six seasons.

Since only few of us are fortunate enough to visit these destinations we have to find alternative sources to get our angling fixes.  This magazine is the closest thing that you will feel to being at so many different destinations around the world (I must reiterate, it's completely free).  The pictures are so remarkable that I often feel like it's a picture book for the fly fishing obsessed.    

I know once you take a look at issue #21 you will not be disappointed, so I'll make it easy for everyone and I'll post the link to sign-up for the COMPLETELY FREE chance to subscribe to Catch Magazine. There is a reason that they have subscribers in 148 countries and 11,053 cities, it's everywhere.

ENJOY!  

  

This Time Last Year...

...I was in the heart of fishing season deep in Patagonia, Chile more than likely rowing down the Rio Cisnes. Throwing gigantic foam bugs at fish lurking just beneath the surface waiting for a tasty treat to float their way. 


Before heading to Chile a lot of people described it as "what Montana must have looked like 100 years ago." That really is true. A ton of water, huge, expansive mountains, fish everywhere, and no people. If you are looking for a brown trout to eat your foamulator in February there probably isn't a better place to fish. 

Some days these trout couldn't lay off the thingamahopper

Nice underwater shot of a brown with a Fat Albert in it's mouth

Georges with a monster king caught on his 7 wt. in the "New Zealand Hole"

Sam with a big male brown on the Rio Cisnes

While I was in Chile I fished with a great guide Sam Duprey. We have spent some time fishing since then and Sam has become a good friend. Chile may not be a place we will ever return to but we shared some great memories caught some good fish, and saw some beautiful landscapes. 

Understanding Polarized Sunglasses

Polarized sunglasses are vital to truly understanding what is going on underneath the surface you are fishing.  Without a good pair of sunglasses a fisherman misses out on seeing EVERYTHING that is within their immediate casting range.  Structures can be worked thoroughly, snags will not happen as frequently, questions about "Is that a fish or another fish-like rock?" will be answered.  Additionally, a good set of lenses will offer you eye protection (Depending on the quality of lense) from harmful UV rays. Not to mention freak hooks whizzing by/into your face when casting or setting the hook on a potential fish.

A fisherman doesn't realize until they buy a quality set of polarized sunglasses that they can be a complete game changer for every future fishing endeavor.  The true underlying factor is evaluating the type of fishing and coming up with a sensible/economical purchase to suit your fishing needs.  Ask yourself these questions before making the final purchase, remember it's a purchase that you will use to enhance every minute spent on the stream.

How much money am I willing to spend on a pair of polarized fishing sunglasses?

Let's be honest if you are logging a lot of hours on the stream you will want to spend the extra bucks to gain another set of eyes. That way you will know what is going on at the bottom of the waters you are fishing.

What color lenses do you need?

Take some time to think about what you need as a fisherman.  Do you fish a lot during the morning?  Daytime?  Dusk hours?  Based on your decisions, choose the correct lens color to fit your own personal needs.  

Yellow: Yellow lenses help enhance the available light, making them a good choice for dusk and dawn, and other low light level periods throughout the day.  When the conditions are bright the lenses will not be worth the purchase if you spend most of your time fishing during the daylight hours.

"Gray fishing sunglasses absorb light best without distorting colors. These fishing sunglasses go great for open water fishing on bright sunny days. Copper fishing sunglasses have a soothing impact on the eyes, they increase the visual abilities, working great for fishing that requires lots of sighting applications. Brown works great for all circumstances too because of the great contrast and the real color perception. For bright sunshine or clouded days, for lakes or streams, brown lenses will serve the fisherman well. Amber lenses are effective on cloudy days or when the light conditions are low at dawn and at dusk."

-Great write up on lens color from Clutches for Less blog.

Do you want glass/plastic lenses? 

Glass lenses offer a better optical quality, are more expensive and heavier then the cheaper more durable and less scratch resistant plastic lenses.

Below I've done research and reviewed personal purchases on companies that offer polarized fishing sunglasses.    

Smith Optics: These sunglasses range in price from $80.00 - $199.00 and have 46 frame styles.  You can mix and match what lens color you want with the style that fits your head or you can purchase interchangeable frames to use a variety of lenses.

Notable technology: Photochromatic technology is a tool that Smith has been utilizing where your lenses will self adapting to the amount of light present.  Plain and simple more sun, darker lenses, the less sunlight the lighter your lenses.

Costa del Mar: 51 frame styles, ranging in price from $128.00 -$249.00.  Costa del Mar's website is very interactive and has a myriad of informational pages on lens selection, lens color and frame descriptions.  

Take these informational tools on their website and figure out the specific color lens you want in the 400P or the 580P plastic lenses or the 400G or 580G glass lenses.

The glasses are a solid purchase and have a lot of customization available to create your perfect pair of sunglasses.

Oakley:  Sunglasses range in price from $160.00 - $230.00.  When you narrow your search filters down to sunglasses, polarized and fishing on their website 5 total frame styles pop up with minimal variety in frame style.  The lens selection is moderate based on what specific frame would fit you best.  For the money you are going to spend, you want to make sure that the sunglasses conform to your head and are not uncomfortable.

My personal take on these sunglasses is that unless you love the fit of Oakley sunglasses you should go with another brand.  

Sun Cloud: The least expensive of the four companies ranging in price from $49.99 - 89.99.  They have a 38 different frame styles but lack the ability to create-your-own glasses by combining any frame style with a specific type of lens color.

Sun Cloud technology offers a quality lens and functional frame styles but are not in the league of Costa del Mar and Smith Optics.  If you're going to try fishing with polarized lenses and you do not want to jump in to spending $100's of dollars on sunglasses then maybe you should go with Sun Cloud.

All in all, the decision of what frame style and lens color suits you best is something to research and take your time in making your final decision.  Think about the questions above and put some time into visiting a retailer to try on a variety of frame styles.  If it's not comfortable you will be sorry that you made the purchase.  Comfort, clarity, warranty options and good set of sunglasses straps (Most glasses are not made of floatable material so your optics will sink and most likely be gone forever) are the key to purchasing a successful pair of polarized sunglasses! 

Fly-Fishing Legends

Don't miss your chance to sign up for the 2nd annual Fly Fishing Legends program on March 17th, 2012. Thirty lucky fishing enthusiasts will have the opportunity to spend a day on Spring Creek with four of the most knowledgable fly fisherman.  Joe Humphreys, Vance McCullough, Mark Belden and Greg Hoover join forces again to raise funds for the ClearWater Conservancy Programs.


Sign-up now to spend a day on the stream and learn from four of the best fishing minds today!  If interested call (814)-237-0400 or contact katie@clearwaterconservancy.org. 

Fly Spotlight

Golden Stone

As per our recent post the Golden Stonefly seems to be the meal ticket on Penns Creek these days. Just flipping over rocks we have seen these big meaty guys everywhere! It seemed like no matter the tandem of flies we were sending down runs the trout were chowing on the golden stonefly with more regularity. I mean what trout wouldn't want this giant source of protein in the form of a stonefly? I would eat one if I was a trout, hell I'd eat one if I was hungry enough these suckers are huge! 

Golden Stonefly on Penns Creek (Photo by Jake Villwock)

Kauffman's Golden Stonefly (Shown here without the bead)

Recipe:

Hook- TMC 5262 #6-12

Thread- 6/0 Yellow
Bead- Golden Bead
Body- Kaufman's Golden Dubbing or Life Cycle Dubbing golden stone
Wing Case- Turkey Tail or Thin Skin mottled oak
Rib- Ultra wire brassie copper or red
Tail/Antennae- Brown Goose Biots
Weight- Lead sized to hook (I use .020)
Legs- Brown Rubber (optional)

Alaskan Rainbows!

Doctor Charlie Nelson (left) with a nice Chrome Sockeye!

All of these pictures were submitted by Charlie Nelson. Charlie's been fishing with me since I started working in Alaska and I was always the guy taking the picture so I was never fortunate enough to have that photo evidence of some of the monsters he has landed over the years. So thank you Charlie for sending these in.

A massive rainbow on the Gibraltor River

Another huge male!

"Brian you'll notice I'm not holding these fish, that's because they are all too heavy for me."


Thanks again Doc! Hopefully we'll get to fish again in the near future! 

Headline of the Week

Starting this August Simms will be selling directly to the consumer. CEO K.C. Walsh answers all the questions in this interview shown here. 

http://www.simmsfishing.com

Here is my first and only problem with this, this will inevitably crush some small specialty retail stores that heavily rely on the sale of Simms products. Basically Simms is going away from what made them what they are now. Unfortunately, this will mark the end of the good old days and soon we will have Simms stores popping up and all the little fly shops gradually go out of business. Because lets face it, it will be tough for a shop to survive by selling only tying materials and flies. Who is going to drive an hour out of their way to visit a simms dealer when they can buy the good stuff online? Certainly not your average lazy american angler. The same people that don't walk a half mile from where they park their car to fish that's who. Sadly, that demographic makes up the majority of fly fishermen and women. In the interview with K.C. he talks about the large number of people who go into the fly shops because of the atmosphere. Well speaking as a fly shop employee, the people we see regularly are the people that don't buy anything. Those people are just looking for a water cooler to chat around. I'll be curious to see what happens in the coming months and years, but it's only a matter of time before this decision by K.C. will hurt the local specialty store.

"Treat" of the week

The treat of the week goes out to Ron Walsh (not his real name). Ron was and still may be one of the worst clients of all time. He talked us into doing the big float trip only at first he wanted to go in and be picked up on the same day. Keep in mind this is normally a three day two night float trip. After convincing him that it didn't make sense to float that in one day, he agreed to stay over night, "But only one night!" Ron managed to complain his entire way down the river, the fishing was good but we were covering a lot of water. It was important to set up camp far enough down river that we could make it to the take out in time.. Night one came and surprise surprise Ron complained about dinner; "I was told I was going to get steak, air dropped for dinner, and where is the dessert?" I also didn't bring him facewash or contact solution (I don't even wear contacts). Needless to say we had an awesome time around the campfire, the conversation was full of positive energy. Day two rolls around and let me tell you breakfast was "positively inedible" so he eats my oatmeal after eating two bites of his own. I was pretty tired of Mr. Walsh at this point and the day was coming to an end so I decided to take the lead and just try to stay out of ear shot.. Big mistake, Ron decides it's time for a nap and falls asleep in his raft. Since he won't row and we are a little behind schedule I tie him to my boat and tell him "Just steer yourself around rocks and gravel bars, I will do the rest." Twenty minutes later we're stuck and Ron is sitting in his raft on top of the gravel bar I just told him to avoid. Not only will he not get up or row or anything he doesn't say one word when I tell him to work his way off the bar. I have to trudge up river, reach under his raft and lift him off the gravel bar. Then when he starts floating I have to run back down river to catch my boat because being the asshole that Ron is he doesn't stop his boat once it starts floating... The only saving grace to this day was that Ron took a header into the airplane strut at pick up and that I didn't have to fly back with him. Kirk and I fished our way back to the mouth of the river and I caught this fish.

A Few More Pigs

"Attached is an assortment of pics I have from State College, PA.  Kirk Hoover was my guide on Spruce Creek, he did well and I ended up catching a few fish."   

-Bob Kalantari 

We still fish together whenever we are around the same area and I look forward to the next time that Bob and I can be out catching some of these brutes!

He has since moved to Somerset, New Jersey and does some additional work in Canada.  I'm trying to make it up to log some hours with Bob on the Credit and the Quinte Rivers in Canada.

Weekly Fishing Report

We fish every week somewhere or someplace. Of the five major rivers in the area: Spring Creek, Spruce Creek, Fishing Creek, Little Juniata River, and Penn Creek, we are bound to fish a few of those every week. Our goal is for you to be able to reference our site as a way to get an idea for how one or several of these rivers are fishing and what we were using that particular day. We won't put anything on this site that hasn't caught a fish that week. It seems like everything that we look at these days isn't up to date. Plain and simple if it isn't working we won't tell you it is. As we improve this site and continue to grow we would hope you all would send in some pictures of bugs and comment on what was working and where. That way we can continue to build a forum where all anglers can come and see what's working, and what's hatching all around us! 

Some big ol' golden stones on Penns Creek

Penns Creek:

Conditions - Water levels are a little low and river itself is very clear. Most of the fish are coming out of deep runs and pocket water where they can seek a little cover. 

Techniques - Nymph it! Big golden stones were all over the rocks and so were hendrickson nymphs. 

Hot flies - Golden stones - woven bead head stones, rubber leg stones size #6-10, Midges - Zebra Midges #20 and smaller , BWO emergers,  pheasant tail nymphs #18

** little stuff calls for little tippet go 6x

Spring Creek:

Conditions - Water is super low, looks like it dropped a foot this week alone. That being said the fish are still pretty active, especially for how clear it is.

Techniques - Nymphs were a good choice, but you have to stay small with your bugs and smaller with your tippet. 6x was by far out fishing 5x. Streamers were moving a couple fish but the pressure was high so the normally aggressive fish may have been put down. 

Hot flies - BWO CDC emerger #22, Pheasant Tail nymphs # 16, Krystal Bugger brown #8, Slump Buster olive #10 

Winter Stream Tactics

This 28" rainbow works just as good as a set of hot hands!

Fly-Fishing in the winter can be one of my favorite times of the year to visit streams that are overpopulated over the spring/summer/fall months. For numerous reasons anglers do not want to spend time out on the streams during the "dead months" of the calendar year.

With a little proactive research an angler can follow forecasts and take advantage of the the winter warm spells where water levels are fishable and temperatures elevate above the mid 30's. My general rule on trout tactics in the winter is to fish a variety of fly patterns (woolly buggers, slump busters, leeches, sucker spawn, hare's ear, muskrat nymph, pheasant tails, san-juan worms and even the occasional little blue-winged olive or a midge dry fly pattern).

I will mix and match my strategies but I usually start with pitching and casting large streamer patterns to entice those large more aggressive trout. The water temperatures play an important factor in how active the fish are and an even more important factor of whether or not the water temps are on the rise or the decline. If the water temperatures are rising the fish will be more likely to feed than if the water temperatures are falling. Articles are written about optimum feeding temperatures between 50 - 68 degrees but I've been able to land fish over twenty inches when the air temperatures were in the teens. That being said it's obvious that the fish will still feed when the temperatures fall below the optimum feeding zones but it's important to think about the overall water temperatures trends.

To all the naysayers who keep telling me, I hate dipping my rod into the stream to unfreeze my eyelets. My hands get so cold even when I wear gloves, I feel like Ralphie from A Christmas Story when I put on all my extra layers. Well suck it up for the couple hours you are out on the stream and think about all the fish that haven't watched 1,000's of wishful casts go by due to lack of fishing pressure! 

Be sure to think about looking at the weather, putting on a few additional layers and be ready to dip your rod into the stream to battle those freezing eyelets and entice those lethargic trout to feed (They have to eat too!). On a side note, make sure you are cautious about wading because the cold air and water temperatures can be a daunting feeling if you accidentally take a plunge. Be smart about wading and do not put yourself into the dangers of not being able to get safely back to your car to avoid hypothermia.


Here's another look of the big rainbow pictured above, caught by Jeff Scipione on February 18th, 2012.

Jeff, we get the idea, it was big and couldn't fit into the entire shot.  Thanks for the submission!

Streamer Spotlight

Slump Buster

A lot of people will choose to be inside waiting for the warmer weather to come before heading back out and going fishing. Those same people are missing the opportunity for a lot of nice fish. Winter fishing may sometimes be slower and the conditions a little more rough but a lot of the biggest fish I have caught in Pennsylvania have been in the winter months. The pressure on the streams are low and those big fish need to feed. My thought is to present them with something they deem worthy of coming out of their hole for! Slump Busters have been my go to fly in PA for years now. It works all year long but especially right now when it's cold and the fish are looking for a solid meal. I don't want to pick vegetation off my nymphs when I can barely feel my fingers and I certainly don't want to patiently cover a run. I walk down the middle of the river, I hit both banks repeatedly and cover water. Two casts.. Two steps.. Repeat. Yea I'm probably missing some fish, but I don't want those fish anyway, I'm targeting hungry aggressive fish that even though they're 14 inches they try and rip the rod out of my hand. Imagine what a 20 incher will feel like! If that doesn't excite you, then stay on your couch waiting for spring. I'll be out fishing.

Recipe:

Hook: TMC 5262 #2-10 or a TMC 300 #6-12 (300 is 3x long)
Thread: 3/0 Olive
Cone: Brass or Nickel, sized to hook (I use nickel when I am tying them in black)
Weight: Lead wire, sized to hook
Rib: Brassie- Medium Ultra-Wire, color of your choice, (chartreuse used here) I use copper always.
Body: Holographic tinsel or flashabou, anything to wrap with some shine to it greenish when olive, silver when black.
Body: Dyed Rabbit Zonker Strip, olive
Collar: Dyed Rabbit Zonker, olive wrapped up like a hackle

We All Started Out This Way!

Carter with his first fish, so big that he needed help from his father Chad!

"I have a picture of what it's about for me now, which is Bluegills, Sunnies, and the like. Between my kids and coaching, I don't get to go like I once did. The attached picture is my son, Carter, who caught this big 'ol catfish out of a nearby pond using a Spongebob rod. He was heavy enough Carter couldn't reel it in, so dad had to help him out. He was three at this time, and it was his first catch. That'll keep him coming back for more!"

Thanks to fathers like you, the fishing legacy will continue and the stories and tactics will be passed on to the next generation! Well done!

Another nice fish!

Chad Weight hoisting his hog caught on Elk Creek, 2006

"So as I said, I don't take many fishing pictures...I guess I'm just too busy fishing!  Here's one that was taken with a throw-away camera that I took a picture of with my phone (yes, resourceful!).  This hog was caught on Elk Creek I think about 5-6 years ago.  You can take a guesstimate of the lbs."

Spoken like a true fisherman, we'll let everyone guess how much it weighed.  Let's be honest that's how fishing stories originated, thanks for your photo Chad!

Another Follower Shares Some Fun!

Thanks Tommy!

17.25 lb Striped Bass Smith Mountain Lake (July 2008, Virginia)

Large Mouth Bass Sayer's Lake (June 2009, PA)

"Hey fellas,
I love the website. Such an awesome idea and it looks professionally done. I attached a couple pictures of fish I caught that I wanted to share. This large mouth bass was caught in June 2009 at Sayers Dam (Bald Eagle State Park).  Funny story attached to this catch. It was the first time I had gone out fishing that summer and it was on the first cast of the season and the lure barely had a chance to hit the water before it got hit. That's when you know it's going to be a good summer of fishing, and it was.

TK"

Well Tommy, we appreciate you sending us some of the fishing memories you have and keep them coming, they look great!

First Photo Submission

Thanks Uncle John!

Steelheads caught in Lake Erie, Eastside Mile Creek, 2011 (John Gentile)

USGS

A Great Resource Before You Go To Your “Secret Fishing Hole”

With gas prices continuing to increase a fisherman can sometimes be swayed to stay at home due to iffy weather or uncertainty about what condition a stream is in.  Sources estimate that the price per gallon of gasoline will continue to increase into the spring/summer months.  With that in mind every angler should take advantage of an invaluable resource provided by the U.S. Geological Survey government website.

Essentially what this website does for an angler is that it will provide graphic and statistical data to help you determine what the stream will look like when you arrive to suit up.  Some people do not have the luxury of being in close proximity to blue-ribbon stream(s).  This forces an angler to make a decision to take day off or heaven forbid we “call in sick.”  By using this resource it will take some of the guessing game out of determining whether or not to make the long haul in a car or to spend some of your hard earned money on that black evil, we know as gasoline.       

My computer is littered with countless bookmarks to be one click away from getting an accurate reading of real-time current stream flows of some of the wonderful fishing options that I have around me in Pennsylvania.  Pictured below is the graph that will pop up and the data given from each specific stream gauge found around the United States.

Most anglers are aware of this exceptional resource but sometimes we forget to take advantage of something that is so easy to read and completely free of charge!  If this is a new resource to you, have fun with it and use it to make your decision on whether it will be worth or not to spend some time on the water.

Min (1992)	25th percentile	Median	Mean	75th percentile	Most Recent Instantaneous  Value Feb. 16	Max (2005)
33	46	55	63	77	83	133