August Rainbow

August 2022 Rainbow

Fishing Creek PA

 

September Rain

 

As summer would have it, August and the first week of September gave us some of the lowest water we have had in awhile.  Levels were easily 1/4th what is shown in the above photo.

But thanks to the rain gods, we now have normal flows restored.  And after a few days of muddy water, things have cleared up nicely.

Since clearing up, the fly of choice has been a #14 Squirrels Nest.  Prior to that the off-color water was kind to the Golden Retriever and Apricot Egg.  

Tying the Squirrels Nest

This fat 18" bow closed out last night as the largest of a 1/2 dozen or so fish.  

Thankful for the rain. 

 See you on the water.

Topwater Trifecta

 

An evening's walk around a pond offers up a Topwater Trifecta.

 With bass raiding beds and gills chasing anything that gets close.

Add to that crappie rising for damselflys in the lily pads and you can have a pretty special evening.

4th of July Brown

 

20" Brown

No fireworks or crowds, just a quiet hand release while swallows swooped in chasing Sulfurs as the sun went down.

A Bamboo Morning

 This morning felt like a good time to dust off the PHY Perfectionist. With gin-clear water and hardly a breeze, A 4wt bamboo presentation seemed appropriate.

Dave Cottengim, Lulbegrud Creek Fly Rods (Builder)

With the low and clear water, fish were skittish. But eventually the creek gave up a few.  

I large brown on top took a Sulfur LTD, then broke me off after an impressive fight.  A nod of the cap to him.

The Sulfur LTD

And this fat 16" brown  finally came to hand, taking an RP Starling fished wet.

The RP Starling

All-N-All, a great morning on the water with the bamboo.

Big Bow of June

 

Big Bow of June

24" Rainbow

Orvis Far-&-Fine

June gave up some great fishing with nearly perfect water. Memorial day break brought this  Bow to hand.  

June Poppers

Summer temps bring on top-water action 

On both large and small warmwater haunts, summer signals popper time.  Nearly all species on a given water will start aggressively hunting the lilies, shorelines and shallows. 

Deer hair bugs and foam Wogs can provide exciting takes and great action.

Bluegill will take poppers they aren't even capable of swallowing

Tying the Firecracker 

Tubes and kayaks in the lily pads provide the perfect situation for dropping poppers in those tiny pockets

Top water fishing is such a visual method of fly fishing, which absorbs your focus.  

Tying the Gurgling Frog

Walking the banks of smaller ponds and catch basins can bring nice fish to hand

Scenes such as this...water glass calm...become violent acts of nature when bass begin to look up

Dust off the bass rod and grab a handful of poppers.  

See you on the water!

 

Wading Through Memorial Day

 

The Flag, Trout & Heat

With gobblers shutting down & heat going up, the water was a welcome respite.  Fortunately the fish felt like playing along.

The C2C nymph carried most of the weekend bringing a few nice fish to hand.  Along with a few nearly too large to land that promptly taught me what happens when I make a mistake.

Tying the C2C Nymph

Mostly Browns on the weekend with a few Rainbow mixed in.

Hatches were to be had as well, but surface action was tough to find. The 3M Midge fished in the surface film made the difference.

Tying the 3M Midge

It was a good weekend.  Hope all had a good holiday as well.

See you on the water.

The Many Shades of Gills

 

The common Bluegill...the best friend to every young angler is the most targeted warm-water fish.  Easy to entice on average and usually found within easy reach of a bank angler with bobber and worm.

Yet for a short time in the spring, there are those of us who search for the spawning bulls as they grow shoulders and become painted in some of the most brilliant colors found in nature.  The largest of fish in a given water, they require accurate casts in the tightest of lily pad lies.  But put your fly in the correct place, and it will strike like a 5lb bass on a frog.

Each fish is different, wearing their own painting for the spring event.

  Some are breasted in yellow gold with moss green lateral lines and turquoise gill plates.

Others are solid gold a mossy-back appearance resembling a small-mouth.

Amazing blood-red breasted with turquoise and red gill plates

One of my favorites are the pink breasted fish with pearl hued sides.

My personal favorite is the copper-breasted bulls. Each spring this variety accounts for my largest fish. 

Try counting the colors on this heavy fish.

Pound-for-pound the hardest fighting fish.  A fish colored for spring with aggression enough to feed on flies they are not even capable of swallowing. 

They are to me, the spring gobbler of warm water fly fishing.

See you on the water

Easter Colors

 

"Easter Colors"

New Jersey Gills

With a chance to get on the water in the float tube Easter weekend, the gills did not disappoint.  

The fish were willing to look up and if pressed with accurate casts the bulls were aggressive enough to  move.

A couple dozen fish came to hand showing off a myriad of colors.

Few small fish with colors ranging from brilliant Oranges and Reds, to Silvers, pearls and bright blues.

It was a great few hours in the tube tossing the FBC with the Mojo Bass St Croix.

Hope everybody had a great Easter!

Spring Gold

Nicest Brown to round out the Opening Day trip

After 10 days of sporadic weather and water conditions, the trip gave up a nice 21" Brown.  

The last fish of the trip was the best. Buttery Gold.

After a short reviving, a clean release

Hopefully we shall meet again

A well-earned release after a great fight.

Hope you all have a great season.  

See you on the water.

 

Opening Week 2022

 

Opening week 2022 

Opening day began with normal early spring weather. On-and-off light rain and temps in the upper 50's, with fish not too sure if it's warm enough to feed yet and #16 Dun Caddis coming off with each break in the clouds. 

The fish came to hand, but not without pounding a lot of water.  Most came to the C2C Nymph, with a few willing to take the Little Crappie Fly and one taking the RP Starling.

RP Starling

Little Crappie Fly

C2C Nymph

Another spring, a few more days on the water with the Livingston Glass and another chance to stand in trout water bringing fish to hand.  

See you on the water.