Monday, June 8, 2009
MOVE
As some of you know and some of you don't. I have recently moved to the adirondacks for personal reasons, and it is paying off in a big way. However, don't fret as I will still be making the trip back west for the lake run season. But as far as trout...eeeeh I have found my new mecca. I now operate out of Keeseville NY where my new apartment is located right on the banks of the Ausable river. The Ausable river, the west branch mostly, is a magical and beautiful place, a strong flowing river with steep gradient, phenominal pocket water and some very good hatches. The fishing so far this year here has been great and I hope that many of you will be able to make the trip up this year. I currently guide and work shop out of Lake Placid NY at Jones Outfitters. We have a great store and an awesome staff so please feel free to stop in and say hello, I am regularly found there on my days off as well as my scheduled days, im hard to miss being the shortest best looking of the bunch. Well here are a few fish porn photos for you freaks out there, and I hope to be back up posting again soon.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
BUG PROFILE
photo from www.biopix.com
photo from www.moscaclubvallesina.itFor me, the new spring means one thing. Paraleptophlebia or the blue quill. My favorite bug and the first decent sized mayfly to arrive on most streams in the Northeast can bring about some excellent fishing. Thank God these pretty little bugs hatch at a time when the trout we so love to catch just haven’t quite caught on to us yet, not to mention they are still working on fattening up from the tough winter.
Paraleptophlebia belong to the family Leptophlebiidae, the so called feeble-legged crawlers. For anglers attention there may be two species that can hatch in sufficient quantities but the differences in their appearance are subtle. The species that northeastern anglers may encounter are Adoptiva and Mollis.
Paraleps are around 6-8mm in length which puts them on a size 16 to 18 hook. Their bodies are brown to brown-grey and they have grey to dark grey wings and three tails. Paraleptophlebia Adoptiva is the predominant species and usually starts to hatch when the water temperature reaches around 50 degrees and stays that way for a short time. During my observations the best hatching activity occurs in the middle of the day from about noon until 3. Floating nymphs and emerger patterns can be absolutely deadly the first hour when these tiny nymphs begin to crawl out of the rocks and swim to the surface where they remain until they are able to free themselves from their nymphal shucks. It may be just my poor observations during other hatches but I have observed high cripple and stillborn rates with this species and make no doubt fish eat them. Most of the time these bugs are found in gently moving water but sometimes have problems taking flight and are swept into faster currents but due to their small size most fish will not venture very far from their lanes to eat them. Spinner falls usually occur earlier in the day than most others but as the hatching progresses it gets later and later until it begins to happen in the evening and even in the morning on occasion. This hatch usually lasts one to two weeks.
Paraleptophlebia belong to the family Leptophlebiidae, the so called feeble-legged crawlers. For anglers attention there may be two species that can hatch in sufficient quantities but the differences in their appearance are subtle. The species that northeastern anglers may encounter are Adoptiva and Mollis.
Paraleps are around 6-8mm in length which puts them on a size 16 to 18 hook. Their bodies are brown to brown-grey and they have grey to dark grey wings and three tails. Paraleptophlebia Adoptiva is the predominant species and usually starts to hatch when the water temperature reaches around 50 degrees and stays that way for a short time. During my observations the best hatching activity occurs in the middle of the day from about noon until 3. Floating nymphs and emerger patterns can be absolutely deadly the first hour when these tiny nymphs begin to crawl out of the rocks and swim to the surface where they remain until they are able to free themselves from their nymphal shucks. It may be just my poor observations during other hatches but I have observed high cripple and stillborn rates with this species and make no doubt fish eat them. Most of the time these bugs are found in gently moving water but sometimes have problems taking flight and are swept into faster currents but due to their small size most fish will not venture very far from their lanes to eat them. Spinner falls usually occur earlier in the day than most others but as the hatching progresses it gets later and later until it begins to happen in the evening and even in the morning on occasion. This hatch usually lasts one to two weeks.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Foul Weather Fishing
One of the most pleasant things so many of us enjoy are those rare bluebird days when the sun is shining, warm air surrounds us and cool breezes bring fresh air into our lungs, but unfortunately most of the time good fishing days do not usually involve these conditions. Many of us know some of the best fishing to be had is in foul weather but few of us venture out to brave these nasty elements. We have all heard the stories and listened to our elders in the coffee shop talk about the old days and the weather they “had” to brave to catch fish. Most of us roll our eyes and the most common argument I have heard is “fish gotta eat.“ This is true but think of it like this. Every once in a while we have to walk through a dark alley to get where we are going but most of us are a lot more careful and a hell of a lot more attentive when put in that situation. Trout experience the same thing, when the sun is shining its hard for the fish to see us therefore they are much more cautious and the same can be said for temperature. Most people cannot stand to be out in extremely cold weather and are a lot more sluggish when we do because our bodies are not built to handle that environment, it’s the opposite for trout. Ill admit the inspiration for this post comes from the fact that I looked out the window this morning and bailed out on a fishing for the day.
I’m not telling any of you something you don’t know but I am saying something we all forget from time to time. We make excuses for just wanting to be out enjoying the day so to speak and for some that’s true but its these same anglers that I have heard time and time again complaining about how poor the fishing was and in a much more expletive manner most of the time.
So lets get to the point. The reason we should all be out in cold and nasty weather is because the fish are more calm and relaxed and for the purpose of this post, the bugs are much more active. Fish get more and more accustomed to seeing flies as the season wears on and even in the worst of weather they learn what’s right and what is not (lucky for us season to season they have short term memory). With that said its usually the early season that we have the most success. The fish are cool and happy and don’t discriminate in their meal choices that much. Unfortunately we still have to walk a fine line, trout in western New York at least don’t rise well in water temperatures below 50 degrees and above 65, that of course is a general guideline and we all know good dry fly fishing can be found occasionally outside of this window.
So what we are looking for is a timeframe when the water is warm enough for the fish to rise well, overcast weather for dry flies and with a little rain mixed in there can be some awesome nymph fishing. Lucky for us some of the more important hatches of the year happen during this temperature window. Red Quills, Sulphurs, Hendricksons, Blue Winged Olives, and most notably Paraleptophlebia are all early hatches during the ideal temperature range. Hell, Sulphurs and Hendricksons can be some of the most spectacular hatches of the year but my favorite has to be the Paraleps. The pretty bugs are known as the blue quill and on most streams represent the first significant hatch of the year. Keep an eye out, they will be coming to a stream near you!
I’m not telling any of you something you don’t know but I am saying something we all forget from time to time. We make excuses for just wanting to be out enjoying the day so to speak and for some that’s true but its these same anglers that I have heard time and time again complaining about how poor the fishing was and in a much more expletive manner most of the time.
So lets get to the point. The reason we should all be out in cold and nasty weather is because the fish are more calm and relaxed and for the purpose of this post, the bugs are much more active. Fish get more and more accustomed to seeing flies as the season wears on and even in the worst of weather they learn what’s right and what is not (lucky for us season to season they have short term memory). With that said its usually the early season that we have the most success. The fish are cool and happy and don’t discriminate in their meal choices that much. Unfortunately we still have to walk a fine line, trout in western New York at least don’t rise well in water temperatures below 50 degrees and above 65, that of course is a general guideline and we all know good dry fly fishing can be found occasionally outside of this window.
So what we are looking for is a timeframe when the water is warm enough for the fish to rise well, overcast weather for dry flies and with a little rain mixed in there can be some awesome nymph fishing. Lucky for us some of the more important hatches of the year happen during this temperature window. Red Quills, Sulphurs, Hendricksons, Blue Winged Olives, and most notably Paraleptophlebia are all early hatches during the ideal temperature range. Hell, Sulphurs and Hendricksons can be some of the most spectacular hatches of the year but my favorite has to be the Paraleps. The pretty bugs are known as the blue quill and on most streams represent the first significant hatch of the year. Keep an eye out, they will be coming to a stream near you!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Warming up
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The waters of western New York are warming up and we are finally starting to see some very good midge and stonefly activity. That is not to say that there are huge pods of hungry rising fish but the fish are indeed hungry and some of them have started looking up. We are seeing some good fishing for the early season on small midge pupa patterns size 20-24 and if you hit it right like I mentioned before some OK surface activity. I have been fishing your standard zebra style midges in a size 22 and I had a great day with a #20 WD-50. I'm laughing to myself reading this and reminding myself that good fishing this time of year is not the the same as good fishing in May but I think you are all well aware. If you are thinking about heading out do so with confidence and a hearty supply of midges and early season stones, the flies in the picture are awesome patterns whipped up by Robert Lewis (please click the photo to see what an awesome job he did) and I am praying some of us run into one of the good stonefly hatches that can be so sporadic but still awesome when you're in the right place. Good luck and keep me posted, hopefully I will be able to post some great grin and grabs!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
BUG PROFILE
With the Catskills fishing season coming up everyone is getting exited for the big hatches to come around. For me and many others, that means Isonychia! Isonychias are prevalent in the Catskills and can be found on almost every rock during their hatching season. Another great thing about these bugs is that they are whats considered a swimming mayfly which means they can be found moving freely throughout the water column and fish do notice.
The Isonychia genus of the family Siphlonuridae consists of three recognizable species in the East and Midwest and three others in the West, Isonychia Bicolor, Isonychia Sadleri, and Isonychia Harperi are our eastern bugs and Isonychia Velma, Isonychia Campestris, and Isonychia Sicca are out western bugs.
For the fisherman in the northeast Bicolor seems to be the predominant species and Sadleri seems to be the predominant species in the Midwest. They are more commonly known and most anglers know them as the leadwing coachman, the slate drake or the mahogany dun. These bugs are strong swimmers as nymphs and seem to prefer faster moving water, most likely because they are a predacious mayfly that is equipped with good forelegs for trapping prey in the current. Isonychia nymphs are easily recognizable by the gills lining the sides of their abdomen as well as by the seemingly white stripe running the length of their back. These nymphs are know to be fast swimmers as I mentioned before but they are also known to be shy quickly diving down into the rocks when danger shows itself. During the hatch the insects make their way to slower moving water where they crawl out onto the rocks or stay right in the shallows to emerge,. Expect to start seeing them in early June into mid July.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
SKUNKED
I had the pleasure of fishing the Wiscoy today and for the first time that I can remember I was flat skunked while trout fishing.
I fished for the entire day and I do mean the entire day. There was limited and sporadic caddis activity throughout the day but I never saw a fish rise. During the evening there was some light midge activity as well but once again no rising and no noticeable feeding. I threw everything in my box and even tossed streamers for a while which as some know is against my religion. I did manage to raise a monstrous brown out of a back eddy but as soon as he came out from under some bankside roots all he saw was me standing there on the bank with the sun shining down on me like a heavenly spotlight, a rookie mistake on my part and one I assure you that this angler will not make again. After a few more hours of fishing into dusk I missed a decent fish on a small baetis nymph in the C&R section, again my fault, I was not paying attention. All in all though I had a great day exploring this river that I should have visited many times before and I assure you I will visit many times in the near future.
The Wiscoy is a beautiful river, and one that I have not fished. I have lived in western New York and fished the surrounding waters almost all of my life but the Wiscoy had never really appealed to me due to what I know know was a false story I heard about the river. Fishing the river was a true treat. This river offers every imaginable kind of water you would find trout in. It has beautiful long pools, swift lengthy riffles, undercut banks, and gorgeous back eddies that fish dream about living in. The Wiscoy is a small river 20 to 30 feet in width that meanders through farmland and woodlots with a gorge section mixed in (this was some of the best trout water I have seen in a while). There is a one mile long C&R section that fishes more like a spring creek, ten feet in width on average with some nice deep holes.
The Wiscoy has been known to yield some decent fish and boasts an impressive 1600 wild browns per mile, for you mathematicians that is about one trout for every three feet of river! In a recent sampling from a section of the river the DEC estimated that section held 2600 fish per mile, and the C&R section produced an average of around 1700 fish per mile. It is a tributary of the Genesee and is about 15 miles in length with around 13 miles of PFR access including parking areas and footpaths. Another great point is that there are many cold springs feeding the river that keep it a low enough temperature to avoid large scale kills.
I fished for the entire day and I do mean the entire day. There was limited and sporadic caddis activity throughout the day but I never saw a fish rise. During the evening there was some light midge activity as well but once again no rising and no noticeable feeding. I threw everything in my box and even tossed streamers for a while which as some know is against my religion. I did manage to raise a monstrous brown out of a back eddy but as soon as he came out from under some bankside roots all he saw was me standing there on the bank with the sun shining down on me like a heavenly spotlight, a rookie mistake on my part and one I assure you that this angler will not make again. After a few more hours of fishing into dusk I missed a decent fish on a small baetis nymph in the C&R section, again my fault, I was not paying attention. All in all though I had a great day exploring this river that I should have visited many times before and I assure you I will visit many times in the near future.
The Wiscoy is a beautiful river, and one that I have not fished. I have lived in western New York and fished the surrounding waters almost all of my life but the Wiscoy had never really appealed to me due to what I know know was a false story I heard about the river. Fishing the river was a true treat. This river offers every imaginable kind of water you would find trout in. It has beautiful long pools, swift lengthy riffles, undercut banks, and gorgeous back eddies that fish dream about living in. The Wiscoy is a small river 20 to 30 feet in width that meanders through farmland and woodlots with a gorge section mixed in (this was some of the best trout water I have seen in a while). There is a one mile long C&R section that fishes more like a spring creek, ten feet in width on average with some nice deep holes.
The Wiscoy has been known to yield some decent fish and boasts an impressive 1600 wild browns per mile, for you mathematicians that is about one trout for every three feet of river! In a recent sampling from a section of the river the DEC estimated that section held 2600 fish per mile, and the C&R section produced an average of around 1700 fish per mile. It is a tributary of the Genesee and is about 15 miles in length with around 13 miles of PFR access including parking areas and footpaths. Another great point is that there are many cold springs feeding the river that keep it a low enough temperature to avoid large scale kills.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Videos Uploaded
Two new instructional tying videos have been posted on YouTube. They were filmed in low resolution with no audio to make for easier downloading. The videos feature two Upland Outfitters patterns "Gibby's HE Pupa", and "Gibby's HE Cadmerger". Both of these flies have proven themselves to be very effective, at least on the waters I fish. Look for more videos to be uploaded in the future
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