Wednesday, September 30, 2009

@!@#$#$%$##@@!

A not so relaxing morning of drinking coffee and staring at brown water..............................

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Do I need to say anything??????????


I was bored in the morning so I pointed my car toward the PA line for about 34 miles looking for any fishable ditch. I knew I wouldn't find one but it was a nice drive when you were not deluged by torrential rains. There is a whole lot of brown flowing out of the tribs tiny,small, medium and large.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Surfing weather...........


Well this morning I let the weatherman scare me. There were projections for heavy wind and rain mixed with lightning and thunder. I can deal with everything but bolts rained down by God upon me with a 13 ft rod in my hands.



The bad stuff came but if I followed my heart and not my head I would have got in at least three hours of play time before the shit hit.


Right now the lake shore is chocolate with lots of big wave action and high wind. Good weather for our silver friends to finally surf their way in to all the tributaries.


There is more wind and rain expected over night but I am strapping on the boots in the A.M. looking for some tiny ditch which is fishable.


I also received a new toy today brought to me by UPS. The Orvis Safe Passage hydration pack.
My cervical spine will be jumping for joy as the old pack put the full weight and pressure of the pack right on my neck which was not fun after a long day on the water.
That is all today.
Now go out there and catch some fish.
Ouch lighting strikes outside.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

no fish ....


No fish today ...well real fish.

Tom and I hit some of the smaller tribs which were brown.
We fished the mouths and the lake itself to jumping and rolling fish but could get nothing to go.

Tom did catch a few lesser known fish called the smallmouth bass.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

UNO

Put in 4 hrs this morning concentrating up high and in the middle of the system. The hydro graph jumped a little and the flow added a little more stain to the previously light green color. I managed one 5lb female on a trout bead but that was it for the day.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Hot, Humid, Muggy........



This morning it was 70 degrees . It just doesn't feel like steelhead fishing when your wearing shorts and a light T-shirt under your waders.

I few more guys out today then yesterday and my plan was to quickly hit some spots seeking active fish and hoping the thunder and rain doesn't hit when I am a few miles away from the truck.

I fished the section today with roe all roe with only one native brown trout to show for my efforts. On the return trip I put on a pink worm and picked up one small brown and a nice silver female. Yes, fear the pink worm when all else fails. I put in about 4 hours today and called quits as I wasn't feeling the mojo like yesterday. There is weather that feels fishy to me and weather that doesn't. All this working is getting me in shape for prime time. Who knows maybe I will lose a few inches of my fat azz . LOL

That's all today....................

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

A few fish in and a some lost...............

A lot of walking today with a coudy morning and some showers. The precipitation had no effect on water clarity early on. ishing pressure in the section I fished today was minimal at best with just me,myself, and I for the most part all day.





I hooked into a large female that raced down stream under a small tree and rocketed herself on the opposite bank. I gave slack line and she rolled back in the water and swam back under the tree . I brought her in and took a long time baby sitting her until she could swim away. I hope her extraordinary antics didnt do her in.


A number of fish were hooked and lost in brush and down trees. Action was good until the weather went from cloudy and occasional light showers to partly sunny with some clouds. then she turned off for a while. Lots a walking and I saw a bald eagle to boot.


a nice morning with zero fishing pressure.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Going back to the honey hole once too often.......



Sunday I took a hike through the system with the Commander. It was a comparably slow day to the previous few days but Tom got one. She was very strong for her size and ripped out a lot of line on tom before she came in for a quick release.


I also picked up a male on an egg imitation but that was pretty much it for the day. A lot of walking and hiking trying to time the run in the right hole and in the right section of the system.


You have to like a day that starts out 45 degrees in the morning with your hands getting cold and then the temps shot to 74 degrees and you are getting heat stroke from the forced death march we were on.

But as always it is nice to get the exercise and shoot the shit with Tom.


Today was slow for me with one native brown trout to show for my efforts while Bill and Frank got a few. Every time I go out with those two gentleman it is a virtual steelhead seminar. It doesn't matter how long you have been doing something there is always someone who can do it better and have been at it longer.


I am immensely grateful for the knowledge they have shared with me and will be forever in their debt. They even bring me a sandwich and a beer when we are done fishing. I honestly don't know if they do it because they are just that nice of people or they feel that bad for me and my sorry state.


LOL........ either way I should pay them for the education they have graced me with and I will never forget their generosity.


This evening we have light showers coming down. No doubt it will be enough precipitation to mud up the Catt but not enough for the bone dry smaller tribs but you know I will be out there checking them out.


Later my friends.......

Friday, September 18, 2009

todays walkabout..............


Today early morning walkabout with Bill and Frank included this obscenely obese male. If you use the the centerpin as a scale reference you get the picture. He has a smile on his face as I took the picture because I booted of one of those bastard lampreys from his opposite side.









I caught a few fish today in new placed as the flood waters have scoured and changed the flow of the stream. You just never know where they will be sitting and the beauty of it is no one else does either.




This girl was a feisty burner who headed for the lake.


The third pick was just a beautiful specimen. she was long and wide and the pick doesn't do her justice.
That it today, I'm suffering from too much fresh air this morning. I'm sure I will get back to my longer narratives soon.
Once again, Bill and Frank it is always a pleasure even though we were split up and hit different parts of the fishery due to unusually high pressure.
Bill thanks for letting me play with the Kingpin at the vehicle. all I can say is Jesus! What a difference.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

A late start and mild heat stroke.....


I got a very late start on things today. I had to take the truck in to get a pair of tires and didn't get on the water until 11:30am. Probably not the best idea on a sunny baby blue day.

I hiked up and down the bank for a few miles. I got into this obscenely fat female which was the width of my hand and landed one other fish today.

I thought I was getting heat stroke as the sun beat down on me later in the afternoon but that just because I was walking so far.

I had the pleasure of meeting Brian Kelly from Watertown on the bank today. He was in the area on business so he brought his fishing stick to keep him busy in his free time.
Good job on some nice fresh runners Brian.
I will be at early tomorrow.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Monday, September 14, 2009

More scouting


Scouted the Catt with Bill and Frank today in the early morning for a few hours. Nothing overly exciting to report yet.
To the left is a picture taken by Bill displaying large chunks of 300 to 500 lb pieces of shale that were pushed down stream by the flood waters from god knows where. Quite a display of the power of water.
These morning walks are going to shed 15lbs off my frame if I keep it up. Bill is going to put me in my grave. He is half jack rabbit and half billy goat. He just never tires. I just look at Frank and he shakes his head as Bill navigates himself over boulders, shale fields, and swift water.
Give me what ever he is eating.


Friday, September 11, 2009

Das Boots Scouting Report



It's about time I get off my lazy rear end and start posting. I have been giving the new waders and boots a workout as I have been scouting the streams for changes and fish since the third week of August.



First of all I love the boots. They are lug soles with studs so when you get walking through muck or up muddy banks they really dig in. Thank you Bill Shearer for the advice on this boot. I would still be sitting on the fence about what I should buy if it wasn't for you. I love the toe room too.


Now only if I can get that Kingpin I dream about....................:)




Back to the fishies. I am sure you all remember the wet rainy summer we had capped off by some very cool nights toward the end of August. Well during my scouting of streams both big and small starting the third week of August; Steelhead showed their pretty little faces in a few of our mid sized and small streams much to my joy and surprise. One morning I nearly shat myself to find 30 steelhead sitting in a hole. Well I did a little fishing back then and caught a few but most of the time was spent observing stream changes and just enjoying my little early season steelhead Easter egg hunt. You never know unless you look I guess.




The bummer is that the last few weeks have had warmer temperatures and a lack of rain. The above conditions resulted in the mid sized and small streams drying up to just about nothing and the majority of the steelhead that I previously encountered made their way back to the lake. So best bet is to cast the spoons and spinners at the mouth or heave some streamers out their in the great big blue.




The flood waters of August have really done a number on the Big Girl. You know how that goes? Bends where their were no bends;pools where their were no pools, and unfortunately some pools and runs filled right up with gravel and rock. She tends to be murky and chalky most days even with low flows which I would surmise that when it does rain, she is going to stay muddier for longer periods than normal. But as you know we are all at the mercy of the steelhead gods and must play the cards we are dealt every year.




Sorry I don't have any great stories or pics right now but it is early and we need precipitation and cooler nights to get things rocking.