Sunday, March 27, 2011

TROUT TAILS - MAR 27 2011


NUMBER: 2011-011
DATE:  03-24-2011
WEATHER:  P-CLOUDY 22 OF
LOCATION:  ERIE TRIBS
FLOW:  GOOD FLOW, SLIGHTLY GREEN IN COLOR

MY DAD, BRAD AND I DROVE UP TO ERIE EARLY THURSDAY MORNING FOR THE LAST STEELHEAD TRIP FOR THE YEAR (I THINK).  WEATHER WAS BAD ON THE WAY UP, SNOW, ICE AND RAIN ALMOST THE WHOLE WAY, BUT SUNSHINE SKIES BY THE TIME WE MADE IT TO ERIE.  TEMPS WERE STILL COLD THOUGH, AND WITH HIGH’S IN THE LOW 20’S, ICING WAS AN ISSUE.  WATER CONDITIONS WERE GREAT, NICE FLOW WITH A  NICE GREEN TINT TO THE WATER.  GOT INTO A FEW FISH, BUT THE NUMBERS ARE DEFINITELY DOWN THIS YEAR.  FISHED MOST OF THE DAY AND EACH LANDED A DECENT NUMBER OF FISH BEFORE HEADING INTO TOWN FOR A FEW BEERS AND SOME DINNER.   



 
NUMBER: 2011-012
DATE:  03-25-2011
WEATHER:  P-SUNNY 22 OF
LOCATION:  ERIE TRIBS
FLOW:  GOOD FLOW, SLIGHTLY GREEN IN COLOR

GOT GEARED UP AT THE HOTEL AND WENT TO START THE TRUCK……..NOTHING, BATTERY WAS DEAD!  APPARENTLY THE IPOD WAS RUNNING ALL NIGHT (IRONICALLY ENOUGH, IT WAS PLAYING A DEAD “BOX SET”).  THANKFULLY THE HOTEL MANAGER WAS ABLE TO GIVE US A JUMP AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY.  ALSO DISCOVERED WE HAD APPARENTLY RAN OVER A MOUSE THE LAST NIGHT AND SOMEHOW THE REAR TIRE THREW HIM TO THE TAILPIPE WHERE HE WAS FUSED AND HANGING IN THE MORNING.  I TOOK A PHOTO, BUT DECIDED BETTER OF POSTING IT ON HERE IN CASE SOMEONE HAD NOT EATEN YET. 

DECIDED TO FISH THE UPPER END OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE TRIBS IN THE MORNING.  ANOTHER COLD DAY, SO COLD THE RUBBER BAG ON THE NET FROZE SOLID. FISHED FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS, BUT ONLY SAW ONE FISH!  HEADED BACK TO THE LOWER END WHERE WE WERE YESTERDAY.   MANAGED TO SALVAGE THE DAY WITH ABOUT A DOZEN FISH, INCLUDING SOME PRETTY FRESH ONES. ANOTHER COLD DAY WITH ICED LEADERS AND GUIDES.




 
NUMBER: 2011-013
DATE:  03-26-2011
WEATHER:  P-SUNNY 28 OF
LOCATION:  ERIE TRIBS
FLOW:  GOOD FLOW, SLIGHTLY GREEN IN COLOR

VERY COLD OVERNIGHT.  ARRIVED TO THE CREEK TO FIND ICE SHELVES HAD FORMED AND THERE WAS A GOOD BIT OF SLUSH FLOATING DOWNSTREAM.  I THOUGHT YESTERDAY WAS COLD, BUT I GUESS WHEN ROCKS FREEZE TO YOUR WADERS, THAT TRUMPS THE NET FREEZING.  FISHED UNTIL ABOUT 12, AND HOOKED INTO ABOUT 6, AND EACH LANDED 1 BEFORE CALLING IT FOR THE DAY AND DRIVING HOME.  WE WERE SURPRISED TO SEE ONLY A COUPLE VEHICLES LEFT IN THE LOT WHEN WE WALKED OUT.  GUESS NO ONE ELSE WAS LIGHTING THE WORLD ON FIRE EITHER. 

THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE IT FOR STEELHEAD THIS YEAR.  TIME TO GEAR UP FOR SOME MOUNTAIN CREEKS.  AS COLD OF A WINTER AS IT HAS BEEN, ITS HARD TO IMAGINE ILL BE CLIMBING WATERFALLS IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY IN A COUPLE WEEKS.  

 
PRINTS WERE DROPPED OFF AT TCO IN STATE COLLEGE YESTERDAY, ILL SEND AN ANNOUNCEMENT WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW YOU CAN PICK ONE UP SOON!

Monday, March 21, 2011

TROUT TAILS - MAR 21 2011


NUMBER: 2011-010
DATE:  03-18/19-2011
WEATHER:  P-CLOUDY 40 OF
LOCATION:  LITTLE JUNIATA RIVER
FLOW:  780 cfs

SPENT THURSDAY NIGHT PACKING AND DEVELOPING ONE OF A SERIES OF NEW STREAMER PATTERNS TIED WITH ABOUT HALF A CHICKEN’S WORTH OF FEATHERS TO USE ON THE CLARION THIS WEEKEND AND ANY OTHER TIME I’M HUNTING FOR BIG BROWNS…. LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON, I DROVE 3 HOURS TO THE CLARION TO RUN SHUTTLE FOR MY BUDDIES TOM AND JOHN.  RIVER HAD SLOWLY BEEN CLIMBING ALL DAY AND WAS A LITTLE OFF COLOR, BUT THEY DID MANAGE A FEW NICE SIZED FISH.  AFTER I PICKED THEM UP, WE GRABBED SOME DINNER AND A HOTEL IN HOPES OF FLOATING IT AGAIN IN THE MORNING.  WOKE UP AROUND 6AM AND CHECKED TO FLOW TO SEE THAT IT HAD ONLY CONTINUED TO CLIMBED OVERNIGHT.  CALLED AN AUDIBLE AND PACKED ALL THE GEAR AND HEADED BACK TOWARDS STATE COLLEGE TO FISH THE LITTLE J.  GUESS THE ONLY BROWN TROUT I WAS GOING TO SEE ON THE CLARION THIS WEEKEND WAS THE CARVED ONE AT THE RESTAURANT LAST NIGHT. 





ARRIVED ON THE J A LITTLE AFTER 8AM.  WATER LOOKED GREAT!  GEARED UP,  RAN SHUTTLES, AND MANAGED TO BE FISHING BY 9.  TOM’S NEW TWO MAN PONTOON WORKED OUT GREAT.   MANAGED A GOOD NUMBER OF 12-14 INCH BROWNS, POUNDING THE BANKS WITH STREAMERS AS WE FLOATED.  WE ALSO DID OK NYMPHING A FEW RUNS ALONG THE WAY.  EVEN SAW SOME CADDIS COMING OFF AND AN OCCASIONAL RISER. PRETTY GOOD DAY ON THE WATER.   IN THE END, I THINK WE MADE THE RIGHT CALL, DESPITE TRAVELING ACROSS HALF THE STATE.   











SOME EXCITING NEWS: COMING SOON TO TCO FLY SHOPS, WILL BE SEVERAL OF MY PRINTS FOR SALE.  PRINTS WILL BE 8 X 10 IN AN 11X14 ACID FREE MAT WITH A FOAM BOARD BACKER.  DETAILS TO FOLLOW SOON!!!!!

END REPORT