18 Mile

Happy New Year......

2011-12-31T14:05:00.001-05:00

To day I hit the water early with checking the flow data and of course my first stop of the day was high and muddy from the rains the previous evening. That will teach me a lesson or two.

I did find some green and slightly murked water today.

I ran into one of the regulars who got into a few but I had the skunk strip on me.

Frankly, I did not care a bit. 40 degree weather on December 31st?

I will take that any day.

May you all have a safe,healthy and happy 2012.

I have appreciated and will continue to appreciate my time on the water and my friends that share it with me.

Take care and thank you.

Until later.....

Perfect green, Perfect flow, Minimal fish........

2011-12-26T14:08:00.000-05:00

Today the water was a beautiful green. The flow was slightly up but it was looking great. I started out at daylight and shortly thereafter was joined by Bill and Frank. You couldn't ask for better conditions in late December with the moderate weather conditions. It felt more like early November than late December. The problem was there were only a few fish around to be had for some of the lucky fisherman today. A fish here or there or a skunk. No great fresh pods of eager fish moving in from the lake hungry for our offerings.

It was great to see Bill ,Frank, and Buda on the water today. A good number of fresh fish would have made it better.

Until later..................

Suckage...............

2011-12-19T15:24:00.002-05:00

I got out out for a couple hours Saturday morning tolerating finger numbing wind and muddy water. I pulled one fish out of the murk to prove a point to my self and then had enough.

Sunday afternoon I got out with the Commander in more moderate temps and greener water. The results were Nil. Either the fish had lock jaw from the frigid evening the night before or we just suck.
Either way the results were the same. It was good to get out with the Commander after countless time conflicts throughout the season.

Today I could have fished in balmy 45 degree weather with Bill and Frank but my body and mind just said screw it, enough of beating your body into submission with little or no results.

Today was a day of mental and physical recovery.

Not much to say............

2011-12-12T20:58:00.001-05:00

Today was slow and cold for most of the day. I met Bill and Frank out at first light hoping to put some damage on some fish. The day started out with numb fingers and and cold feet until the sun melted off some of the slush and heated the air.

Bill hooked up with a fresh silver fish despite his choice in hats but that was it in the first couple hours.

We decided to ping pong back and forth between tribs looking for slush free water. Our luck was not so good today but we gave it our best. After Bill and Frank headed back north, I hit a couple of spots and got the skunk off myself with two fish on jigs.

just not much to say...............

A respectable outing..................

2011-12-10T14:58:00.001-05:00

A chilly start in the mid twenties this morning but there was no windchill. The action was slow but as the sun rose in the sky and heated the water the fish came alive. I was in solitude walking through fresh virgin snow with only my tracks to be found. I did lose one pigger. I had beached after she took a jig and rolled herself in the the leader. Once I got her to shore,my Michigan Mitt was frozen like a rock. I tried bare handing her but I couldn't get a grip on her thick tail tail and she slipped back into the green with out posing for a picture.

Not a bad day.................

The hunch............

2011-12-05T14:30:00.001-05:00

Today I had a late start due to a few appointments I had to get out of the way. I hit the water at about 10:30 am at a place I had a hunch about. The water was on the high end of fishable a murky green/ brown...brown/green on the verge of clearing up. The forecast called for rain today so my window of opportunity was going to be small. I was graced with a few fish today which included mostly fine silver specimens and one dark male. The fish fell to jigs tipped with small egg sacks in the murky green water. They were stubborn and did everything the could to use the current to their advantage.

I'll take a few hours on the water like this any day.

Just me and the fish............

Marginally better than a skunk..............

2011-12-04T12:26:00.001-05:00

This morning ended up to be be more of nature walk than fishing expedition. I did come into contact with a few fish and the water still had a hint of green. I mostly came into contact with other fisherman on my walk and bitching at me that they weren't finding fish. I am not the river keeper nor the Department of Environmental Conservation.

We are all humbled from time to time and this humility makes our future success that much sweeter.

Still beats working............

zero.............

2011-12-03T12:31:00.001-05:00

After taking a week off to recharge the batteries,I hit a few tribs with eager anticipation. The water bumped up a few days ago and started to recede leaving me with hopes of fresh fish in all my usual haunts. Today the water was looking nice and coming she was coming into its own but there were no fish located.

A number of the numerous other fisherman I polled on my way back to the truck shared the shape stories of frustration.

Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose......

I felt energetic and did a lot of walking today.

The fresh air was great.

I shall endeavor to change my luck tomorrow morning.

Until later............

A day late and a dollar short............

2011-11-19T11:16:00.001-05:00

The high water has receded and for those who hit it on the drop, they did very well. I know Bill and the Premier had a good day prior to the weekend. As for today, the shallow water was clear and the pools were a light green to clearing. I had enough luck at first light to make it a satisfactory outing. As the sun moved higher in the sky the bite shut down and I called it a day.

Until later...........

This vacation day was worth it.............

2011-11-14T14:14:00.001-05:00

Another Monday vacation day and I was eager to see if yesterday's success would hold for a second day in a row. The weather couldn't be better. Warm temps, overcast skies and water in high 40's peaking into the low 50's.

Oh and the water............

That special green that we love to see.

I hit multiple spots in the system but when you found them they had their friends with them too. There was steady action at first light with fresh fish coming through and for the most part there were no skippers to be found. The fish were all muscular and healthy.

There was a the low light beast I caught at first light that was a long fine fish.

I also had one fat girl on today. She is the one posing with the Imperial. She took me down 30 yards in current before I could beach her. Tussling with her was the highlight of the day.

Later Brad Kania shared a run with me and he got into a few fish himself.

A little know fact about Brad is that he sold his soul to the devil this year or at least that is my theory.

While everyone else was putting in long marches to find sporadic fish , He consistently has been at the right place at the right time resulting in good numbers this fall.

I have had a blast the last two days. Fishing felt like fun once again and not work.

Now all I need is a camera man (Commander....Big Ed.......Bill....?) instead of the standard shore shots.

Until later.............

Ok I will not sell my Centerpin..............

2011-11-13T14:18:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was tough going on the tribs. I put in the miles and was skunked out. The sport I love has been feeling more like work lately and making me a weary SOB. I would say that this season the fish have been spread out and it is definitely not a lazy man's game this year.

I started off working a creek mouth with jigs looking for freshies being pushed in from the wind. Once the wind made it too difficult to get a good drift, I more on with the smell of skunk still upon me.

I made my way down the road and BING,BANG,BONG it was on like Donkey Kong. After telling big Ed the night before that I was selling all my equipment and recounting my conspiracy theories about the fishery; my optimism was restored. First three drifts and three fish and a relatively productive day began.

A few other pinners joined me some with permission after kindly asking and some who made themselves comfortable as if I was personally holding the pool for them. I ran into Mike Crehan who was one of only a handful of Americans I would see fishing a pin some twenty years ago when I got into the game. We had a good chat and caught fish from a pod moving through. He is definitely a classy guy.

Sorry no pictures of the fish today. I left my cell in the truck charging on my drive to new water and I was not about to go back and get it while the fish were hot and hungry.

High winds and some rain may screw up my plans tomorrow. We shall see if I end up on Lake E. or Lake O...........

Until later.................

Damn the dam and a stop in G Town.........

2011-11-07T16:05:00.000-05:00

This morning I attempted to cleanse myself of the putrid smell of the skunk by Scobifying my soul.
I headed up the system to where it began for me many years ago. I hit the dam at first light and there luckily was light pressure to deal with. Mostly bottom bouncing lead chuckers right at the base of the dam. They got a few fish from what I could see. I concentrated on the tailouts to no avail but it was nice to be there. This was one of the spots that Big Ed and his dad would fish with me back in the day.

From there I checked out the "Ham". The water was nice but my spider senses told me to blow it off and move down stream. I ended up in G Town by the school. There wasn't much pressure today and as I walked up from the truck I noticed Skiv occupying a run. In the first few minutes that I was there he started banging a few fish. The fish were full of piss and vinegar and gave both of us our money's worth.

While I was fishing below Skiv, he asked me if I wanted to share the run with him. I graciously declined and told him a man should never take another man's lucky spot while its hot :).

I then asked him if he minded if I took the fast water above him. He told me no problem and I proceeded to wade out knee high in the fast current. I threw on a pink worm; bulk shotted the line and gave it a whirl. My skuniness was washed away as I watched my float disappear under the gurgling and bubbling current. The fish fought hard and added a few leaps into their repertoire.

The skunk is gone................

Until later....................

Fishless and wishless............

2011-11-06T12:25:00.003-05:00

Last night I canceled with the Commander. I thought he would be better off fishing close to home or not at all instead of experiencing the spotty conditions down my way.

I started of hitting a few pools near the lake in hopes of some fresh fish trickling in. I got out there of there after 30 minutes of futility and went to the big trib to fish a section that was reportedly pounded to high heaven the day before.

Today there was minimal people. bonus!!!

But there was also no fish to be had by anyone I saw.

I fished a few of my favorite spots without harassment and headed home.

If you do what you always did. You're going to get what you always got.

Maybe its time to mix it up.

Everybody and their brother......

2011-11-05T15:22:00.000-04:00

This morning I set my heart on fish a spot on the big trib. I was up extra early to get to the spot before daylight. As I drove down the dirt road with anticipation, I became excited since I didn't see anyone around. I grabbed my gear and walked about 20 yards only to see two vehicles shoe horned down a tiny path ,dome lights still on, and their industrious owners making a run for the spot before I could get there.

Not a good way to start!

I jumped back in the truck and went up the road and hit a number of spots with no luck.

A beautiful sunny morning and perfect green water.

One problem......a large number of the competition were out too to enjoy the morning.

This put a little cramp in my style.

There were a number of Pennsylvanians escaping the insanity of the Elks and Walnuts of this world.

In addition there were enough of my favorite Ontarians to hold a parliamentary election.

I did not witness a lot of fish caught at all. I got one on my way back to the truck. A fresh fish that fought hard for her size and unbuttoned herself by shore.

Reports came in to me of a of a few fish here or there but no concentration of good numbers.

I ended it after 4 hours in and decided to stop at another trib that Big Ed was fishing.

I got a coffee and spoke to the DEC officer for a while before I headed back to see Big Ed.

Officer M. was a good guy and conversed with me for about a half hour.

Ed was fishing with his Dad who I haven't seen in ages.

His dad is a great guy and used to drive us to the Catt to fish as teens.

He hasn't changed at all. It's like I saw him a week ago and we picked right up.

This has been a sentimental year with a lot of time recounting the good ole days.

I had a great time just hanging on the bank talking while they fished.

Ed was fishing fast water that was clear with some fishing holding tight to the bank.

Big Ed's luck was horrible too.

He now believes that he must have been a bad man and the universe is paying him back for his sins.

Perhaps Edward perhaps.......

Until later...............

One from here and one from there...........

2011-10-31T14:35:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween Children!!!

Today was a slow day but it was sure better than a skunk. I started on the medium sized trib where the water still had good flow but was clear in the area I was fishing. I threw on a bead and on my walk back up to the truck I landed a nice male.

I spent about an hour there before I made a quick pit stop and decided to challenge myself on the big trib which was still moving about 650 cfs. She was still brown but she had a little green starting to mix in to her color. I changed over to 10 grams, long leads and double bagged it for a while then switched over to a jig made with UV yarn. I land one smaller fish there and saw one nice fish caught that took the fisherman down 30 yards with the faster current.

I left after a few hours as the waders are developing slow leaks in the seam at the heel on each foot. The socks get damp but not soaked. It may be time for another purchase.

Until later............

skunked wtf..............

2011-10-30T14:47:00.000-04:00

No pictures,no smiles, no accounts of steelhead victory.

I put work in today.

On the water at sun up.

26 degrees and busted out the Stanley's on the guides to keep things going.

One light hit down low but it was a ghost town the rest of the time.

Then I hit a few more "go to" spots and put in a lot of walking a little farther upstream.

Nothing,zero,zilch, nadda....

I threw everything at them: beads,roe, plastic worms, and jigs.

Quite peculiar to have a dropping green steelhead stream that should be jacked with a fresh run produce nothing. There were quite a few people out and I saw no one do nothing except for one guy dragging one on a stringer.

I have nothing but speculation and contrived tales by others.

Lamprey predations

reduced stocking in the tribs on the down low by the state.

Yet other Great Lakes are on fire this year.

I have some thinking to do............

Well he does kind of look like a bear....a grizzly bear.

2011-10-29T18:39:00.001-04:00

I cancelled a morning outing today as my responsible side dragged me into the office for a few hours to take care of a few pending issues. Big Ed called me at the office wondering what the water looked like and we decided to go out for an afternoon of leisurely fishing.

Big Ed and I go way back and it is always is great to get out with him and reminisce about the old days. He is a big man in stature. A lumbering bear of man who is on his own clock as to when he gets to the river and at what speed he navigates the terrain. And I may add he is one hell of a fisherman too.

He rocks it old school Pacific Steelheader style. Lets just say he has this baby broken in since he bought it original when they first hit the market. He is also in posession of its identical twin which I sold to him years ago.

I on the other had am currently an Imperial type of guy.

We touched a few fish

Enjoyed the afternoon as we were the second shift onto the water and there was little pressure to boot.

The pools and runs turned a hint of green and were clearing as the hours passed.

This fish fought so well................

I wanted to show it twice. She was a feisty bull when hooked.

A relaxing time but the big guy might think differently. I put him through a little bit of march this afternoon but we both survived with a few rest breaks on some fallen trees.

Until later..................

Murky Monday..................

2011-10-24T13:43:00.000-04:00

ONE FROM THE PREMIER WITH HEALING LAMPREY SCAR

Well this was going to be the day of days. The water had been up and was dropping nicely with the
expectation of green this morning. Bill and Frank met me at first light with hopes of hitting it just right.
The water was more murky than green and while the fish were not there in the number we were expecting, the fisherman were. I guess we were not the only ones with the idea that fish would be there on the drop coupled with the expected rain tonight and tomorrow.

We caught a few fish but didn't encounter any pods settling in after the high water.

I will still take the day off as a gift. The weather wasn't too bad an d the company was good.

After Bill and Frank made their way home. I hit one more spot and caught a nice female then called it a morning.

Patience and perseverance grasshopper....the fish will come on their own time table not mine.

Until later..................

A sacrifice to the steelhead gods..................

2011-10-23T14:35:00.002-04:00

The Commander doing his thing.

Straight from the lake.

A sacrificial altar to the steelhead gods.

The old ugly Chinook face!!!

Well yesterday was a morning affair at the Dirty B with about 160 of my closest friends. I got there at first light and secured my spot. the water was up and brown but fished pretty well. I hooked into some browns and a Chinook. At 10 am things died down and I had enough of the people.

The older I get the more I am motivated to do what ever it takes to put some distance between me and my steelhead competitors. But considering my water was high and unfishable I didn't have many options.

This morning after saying a few prayers to the steelhead gods and asking for some green water, the commander and I did some small trib fishing hoping for some fresh silver fish to get into.

The first trib which I scouted late yesterday afternoon dropped and cleared significantly. We fished first light there and the Commander had a fresh one on on a pinkie but that was it. The were no other signs of life on this stretch just more fisherman showing up every ten minutes.

We went to our other planned locations but they were occupied already so we kept heading down the milk run. We finally found a quiet stretch with some fresh fish around who had a penchant for head shakes ,head flips, and escapes off the line.

As the day went on the warm sun made the morning a pleasant experience.

Now Commander put all those new jigs to use!!!

Until later...........

Give me shelter...........

2011-10-17T13:52:00.002-04:00

Well my end of town has been hit by rain and high winds up to 50 mph over the weekend. My usual milk run of streams were up and brown which left me searching for alternatives.

After moping about the conditions on Saturday and Sunday, I summoned up enough motivation this morning and headed north for a day at the zoo. My plan was to find a place protected by today's high winds with the hopes of hooking up with a roe wagon to replenish my supply.

This morning at daylight I took my traditional spot among more gentlemanly anglers and away from what happens near the dam. Everybody was well mannered and friendly today. There was acceptable current flowing through the run with no sign of the murk or mud I left behind.

Though I did not hook up with any willing roe wagons, I did catch some decent browns which made the trip worth while. There was not much around as far as steelhead yet. I saw just a few caught today.

Today was worth trip.

Until later..............

Keep it in your pants.............

2011-10-11T20:22:00.000-04:00

Keep it your pants!!!

No not that..... your keys!!!

Well today I met up with Bill and the Premier for a morning outing of friendship,fishing, and frivolity.

We agreed to start at two different spots to increase our odds of finding fish and then would meet up at the better of the two spots.

I met up with the gentlemen after about an hour of fishing with limited success. As I pulled up the Premier was putting on a relative clinic. Bill didn't do too bad either.

After that we head upstream before the heat set in. The results were less that spectacular so we ended the day.

Oh the keys.....Well our Kingpin Representative was upstream of the Premier and I and left to his own devices. For some odd reason he was going through his vest and waders and decided to leave his keys and eye glass case on a rock as he fished. He didn't realize the mysterious disappearance until he was back at his truck. After a thorough review of every nook and cranny of his fishing attire he decided to march back down to the water and retrace his tracks. He luckily found them on the rock where he left them and not in the hands of any of the mischievous local teenagers that were out and about today.

Good times today........

Until later.....................

A day off.................

2011-10-10T12:41:00.002-04:00

Today was a needed day off from fishing,from working, and hopefully a respite from whatever allergies are knocking the crap out of me. It's tough hiking up and down a stream with your sinus cavity blowing up, a constant dry cough, and some type of upper respiratory thing going on.

I took a drive to some of the lesser tributaries this morning to soak up some morning sunshine like a snake on a rock. They lesser flows are woefully low and at mid-summer levels. A good rain fall would go far in bringing up water through out the region and thus distributing both fish and fisherman.

Until later......................

I smell like fish.....................

2011-10-09T11:27:00.002-04:00

I was twisting and turning in my sleep trying to figure out where I would start this morning.

There are fish around but you need to pick the right section on the right today to get in to them.

I got out well before dawn and high tailed my way to where I wanted to start. My God a holiday weekend and I got there first. Who would have thought.

The sun slowly rose over the horizon leaving a yellow halo in the distance and it was time to gett rolling.

As I waited for sun up I could here a few splashes which filled me with some anticipation.

My prized run produced zero for me. I guess they are either there or they are not.

As dumb luck would have it, I was fishing my way back down to the truck while most others were just starting their fishing day and working their way up in the other direction.

I hit a couple of spots and in some B grade water I had a surprise flurry of action in about 15 minutes time.

The day was saved by a few very acrobatic fish that made my legs shake not for their size but for their intense energy including airborne cartwheels and runs.

Until later..................

2011-10-08T11:38:00.000-04:00

Only fished 7 to 10 am this morning. I think I out smarted myself today by not following my gut and going with my adled brain. Fished a few areas with just one small fish as a result. All the fish I saw caught this morning were dink skippers.

After the first few of early daylight, the sun shined brightly and things died down.

It may be just too nice this weekend as far as the weather goes. It was 67 degrees by 10am so I decided to end it early as I wasn't feeling the mojo today.

Get out and enjoy the wonderful weather....does it meet the requirements for Indian Summer?

I still have three more days to lay the hammer to the chrome if God, my mojo, the weather and the steelhead gods permit.

Until Later

You get the picture.................

2011-10-03T14:55:00.002-04:00

44 degress and light rain...................

2011-10-02T12:26:00.001-04:00

A misty rainy day found me alone on a muddy dirt road to no where.

The Commander didn't make it out today. A text from Bill and Frank found them aborting a trip down after an exhaustive meteorological survey of precipitation models for the area.

Not a lot of people out today. Rain makes people melt I guess or on second thought maybe they were the smarter human beings as I dragged myself home wet,soaked, and my sinus cavity blowing up.

The water surprisingly greened up a little more from yesterday and I found a couple of feisty fish to play with. It was one of those "first hour of the day" days. Things slowly died down after that but it was a wet soggy beautiful walk.

It's raining pretty steady now. I'd be surprised if the green holds.

Sure feels like November out there.

Until later..................

Blah..................

2011-10-01T14:36:00.001-04:00

I made it out at first light in hopes of some fish. I walked out to the lake in the darkness and rigged up only to be pounded into submission by high winds . Hooked up with a smaller fish on the third cast and that was it. The relentless winds firing off the lake murked up the water and that was the sign to move on.

There was not a lot of competition out there today except for this mobile steelhead unit camped out in the parking lot.

I switched up tribs and found some greener water. On my walk I wandered into two willing dance partners but that was all folks. Not too verbose today maybe I need a little nap.

Until later....................

Savor with gratitude............................

2011-09-27T20:54:00.003-04:00

Well fall is here. It is a special time of year regardless of what species you are pursuing. Steelhead,salmon,muskie, or bass it is trophy time.

You see my friends and I had a friend named Tim Wittek. He was a muskie fisherman. Weedball as we called him was tough as nails. His endurance on the water was legendary and he caught some special fish in his day. I pretty much thought old Weedball was invincible. Well earlier this decade one of the toughest men I know was stricken by pancreatic cancer. He fought it like a son of bitch. He appeared to even be getting better for a while. Well the last year of his life he waited to the last day of the muskie season to release himself from the affliction of his disease and go to another world. I believe it was November 30th 2004. I could be wrong about the year it both feels a hundred years ago and like yesterday all at once.

Tim comes to me every once in awhile. Always the same way, I'm driving down the road in the dark and I look over to the passenger seat for brief minute and he is sitting there in a Carhartt. He looks at me with a little attitude and says"What the hell are you looking at?" then he disappears as sure as he showed up. This happens every few years and it's always out of the blue.

Well it happened tonight on the way home from dinner.

Tim left a wonderful wife and two beautiful children behind and he was only in his thirties.

I still don't understand how the toughest of the tough gets taken down.

Well here is the gist of my thoughts tonight.

In honor of my old friend Tim, I want us to savor with gratitude our time on the water this fall.

Do you know what I mean when I say savor??????

I want you to appreciate the the smell of the wet leaves falling from the trees.

The emerald green water lightly shading the presence of beautiful silver steelhead.

The sound of a light rain hitting the water while your balls deep in your favorite run.

I want you to have gratitude for the time you have been allowed to have on the water and the special friends you share it with.

The laughter and smiles while you give each other a couple digs while walking to your next fishing hole.

The beaming smiles on each others faces when we are victorious in our catches.

The childlike state that our pursuit of the outdoors brings to us over and over again.

On the water we are powerful,fulfilled and whole in spirit and soul.

We never know when fate is going to punch our dance card like it did my old friend Tim.

Savor with gratitude..........................

sign it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2011-09-26T05:36:00.001-04:00

I have not had the opportunity to make it to B.C. yet, but I think we can all agree that the sacred headwaters of the Skeena are one the most environmentally sensitive areas on the planet as the home to enormous runs of life sustaining salmon and steelhead.

Please take the time to sign this and email a letter to Shell in regard to their polluting and potential destruction of this special place on earth.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/281/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5503

also check out this:

http://flygal.ca/blog

Choking the chub.................

2011-09-25T12:09:00.000-04:00

This morning I went for a little walk. I knew the conditions would be less than stellar but a little fresh air and exercise can't hurt anyone. The water had dropped and was still off and murky.There was a humidity in the air that laid a layer of sweat on ones brow. I ran into some nice deer and a little bit of serenity. The best I could scrape up today was a couple of chubs and that was it.

We are all waiting for the steelhead slot machine to spin up with the magic jackpot of timing and conditions. You know what I mean:

The optimum tributary and lake temperatures
The optimum air temperature
The emerald green water flowing at the perfect cubic feet per second after a rain that naturally brought in fresh dime bright steelhead eager to take your offerings.

Oh yes and timing all of this on a day you have off and found water away from the crowds.

Now on to other things...................

You no doubt have heard me extoll the virtues of our new tackle shop in town, Ja-Wens.
It is just great to have a shop with friendly people that speak the steelhead language.

I think I have blown about 100 bucks in the place over the last month.

Well they did it again this weekend for me.

Friday after work I stopped in the shop after noticing the ceramic insert of the tip top guide of the Loomis 1562 had popped out. Two years ago this happened and Bill Shearer was able to do some emergency surgery for me before a mornings outing and well it happened again.
I talked to Dan and Dave and inquired if they new a rod builder that could replace the guide. Luckily their friend and rod builder Frank Zak was in the shop hanging out with them. He said he would take care of it and have it back to me in 24 hrs. I couldn't have been more happy and grateful for his efforts and turn around. Dave also showed me some fine work that Frank did for him on a custom rod.

Once again if your in the area and fishing one of the New York tribs off of lake Erie stop in and say hello to the guys at Ja-Wens. They are friendly,knowledgeable, and accommodating. They know steelhead and are putting together a wide range of toys from Kingpin to Raven and from Drennan to KJV.

Ja-Wens Tackle

Address	7366 Erie Rd Derby, NY 14047

Email	jawens@roadrunner.com

Until later....................

muddled up..................

2011-09-24T10:31:00.001-04:00

Not much going on this morning. We received some rain last night but it was a warm rain so not so good. I brought the head lamp down for a quick check before the morning light and it was chocolate milk. I decided to stop at 5 tribs with the same brown cow color to the water so I decided to kill an hour fishing in the lake itself by the mouth of a flow with no results.

The highlight of the morning was a DEC creel study by a pretty Blondie. Yes mam no fish but ask me what ever you'd like.

Until later....................

Sweating it out..............

2011-09-18T12:17:00.000-04:00

After canceling a Saturday outing with Bill and Frank due to a bout with a 24 hr bubonic plague, I summoned up a little strength this morning in hopes of burning the virus out of my body. I spent just a few hours on the water and was graced with a couple of fish. The walk and sunshine did me some good this morning but a little more rest is in order.

What did I learn over my last few outings?

Well I tried Sufix Elite instead of the Siege and I was not impressed. While it has low memory it seems to stretchy to me. I like to play in submerged timber which means your going to lose gear. With the Siege it seems the leader would break at the hook when you snagged up but with the Elite it has been breaking above the float. That's 5 floats in the last two outings including the double secret hand crafted Buda float. So as we speak I am going to spool on some fresh Siege even if it is all in me head.

That's all folks and here are a few links that may or may not interest you.

https://www.nysdot.gov/regional-offices/region5/projects/r5-rt5-rt20-bridge

and

https://www.nysdot.gov/portal/pls/portal/MEXIS_APP.WEPIDYNPAGEMULTI.show?p_arg_names=p_pin&p_arg_values=513438#a_loc

Way up a creek without a paddle

2011-09-11T10:48:00.000-04:00

Well the steelhead jones was calling me this morning. The weather dude called for AM showers followed by afternoon thunder and rain. The weather was cloudy with a slight sprinkle when I hit the water.
I love fishing in a rain shower and I love it even more when I get to a few spots on the flow with no evidence of other human beings.

I fished some fast water and I heard what I thought was thunder but I couldn't tell if it was the water playing tricks on me or the construction up the road. So I continued to hike up stream in search of good water. About a mile upstream from where I started I could hear the distinct sound of thunder rumbling in the distance. The sky darkened and the rumble sounded as if it was coming my way.

Well I went into risk management mode and started calculating my odds.

There are three methods of dealing with risk.

1. mitigate
2. avoid
3 transfer

Well I sure as hell decided to avoid that risk before Thor, the son of Odin, transfered 100 million volts of labotomizing go juice through my 13 foot IMX. I double timed it back down stream somewhere between a fast walk and a slow sprint over gravel,rock, and boulder. In addition to two wades across the flow.

I got back to my truck huffing, and puffing with lungs burning. I was a puddle of wader soup and shower drenched from my hump back to safety.

By the time I got out of the waders and slugged down a bottle of water the thunder claps dissipated. I contemplated throwing the gear back on doing it all over again but I thought better of it.

I stopped at the Timmy Ho's for breakfast and made my way down to Ja-Wens Tackle to shoot the shit with Dan and blow $40.00 bucks of stuff I don't need.

Better safe than sorry.

Until later.....................

I took her for a spin.................

2011-09-10T13:34:00.000-04:00

This morning I decided to take the Imperial for spin. It gave me the opportunity to do a little preseason scouting for the fall and see how the new reel spins in lower flows. The reel was great and I have no complaints whatsoever. I can't wait to get it out in prime time and put her to the test.

It was a nice morning walk down the the banks and I even ran into a familiar face and his trusty dog. We shot the shit for a few minutes trading beads,jigs, and yarn. We shared our hopes for the coming season and lamented conditions of the past.

My time of year is almost here......

Pre-Dawn Black Ops Imperial Mission

2011-09-07T07:01:00.000-04:00

In the darkness of a wet damp September morning a clandestine meeting took place between two foreign agents of the crown and an American operative. The meeting was brief and efficient. The focus of the meeting was the exchange of state of the art British steelhead technology developed somewhere deep behind the highly guarded gates of the Nuffield Industrial Estate rumored to be the home of the Kingpin skunkworks. The technology and workmanship from the skunkworks is world renowned for its high tolerances and silky smooth orbit.

OPERATION IMPERIAL: COMPLETED

Crossing the bridge into September..........

2011-09-04T12:10:00.001-04:00

and getting ready..................

Float, Floats, Floats..................

2011-08-28T10:02:00.001-04:00

I was killing some time on a Sunday morning before going into the office and stopped into JA-Wens Tackle in Derby, N.Y.. I haven't been in the store since they moved and the cooler weather this morning had me thinking about fishing. Undoubtedly if I walk into a tackle shop, I leave with stuff I don't necessarily need but want anyway. Though Ja-Wens is expecting their fall shipment of steelhead goodies to come in this week, I took the opportunity to pick up some some KJV butterfly and Streamside floats to add to my stock of Drennan floats. Floats are just too damn sexy not to buy at times even if you don't need them.

The owner Dan was a great guy to talk too and I look forward to stopping in when he gets loaded loaded up with new product. It looks like he will have a great supply for all your steelhead needs.

Ja-Wens Bait N Tackle

7366 Erie Rd

Derby, NY 14047

jawens@roadrunner.com

Until later.............................

A Saturday Drive........................

2011-08-06T13:35:00.000-04:00

Bone Dry.............

2011-07-26T20:02:00.000-04:00

Praying for a wet August and September to bring back some October flow.

Toad Orgy..............

2011-05-13T15:50:00.002-04:00

Thursday Bill and I got for the morning on the Catt. For me it was the first time this spring the tributary was fishable. Our hopes were with the colder spring that there may be some time left on the steelhead clock for us.

Spring was in full bloom with everything turning green, the geese leading their goslings here to there, and a toad fiesta of mating littering the banks.
Well neither Bill nor I were successful in hooking up with our targeted species but Bill got a Carpasaurus and a few small fish while I had one lone bass.

The path of the creek has changed in many places and will probably change even more by next fall. Favorite runs and holes from last year will be filled in or moved new holding areas will be created and discovered.

It still was a damn good day to be out.

As for today I was scarred of by the weatherman's reports of thunderstorms that have yet come.

Until later..................

A May Day............

2011-05-07T13:23:00.004-04:00

I took a morning walk this morning on the creek. It was a mild morning with a few light showers.

The water was a nice green color. I was hoping to find a few willing combatants and I had litte success.

I ran into Budda and he had a little luck too so we share a few runs for a couple hours and enjoyed the day.

Budda nailing another fish.

Pink worm special

Winding it down............

2011-05-01T12:41:00.003-04:00

I managed a few hours on the water yesterday with a little luck. the steelhead clock is slowly winding down the spring seasons with a few more weeks to go. The bass have started to show up in the lower reaches along with a few pike.

The air temperature is projected to remain relatively cool this week which hopefully will keep the fish around longer.

I'm hoping to get just one shot at the Kitty this spring before the clock strikes zero.

Still getting rid of the rust.....................

2011-04-09T15:07:00.003-04:00

I met big Ed out for a morning of fishing and to burn off a few calories from last nights festivities.

The fishing was on and off but enough there was enough going on to keep me interested for a few hours.

It's always a pleasure fishing with the big guy as we go way back had enough old stories to get both of us in trouble.

We had a few laughs and continued to rid our game of the rust of Winter. Here is to a good Spring on the water.

Skunkeroo..........

2011-04-03T11:18:00.002-04:00

I haven't been out since around St. Patrick's day and I guess I have not been missing much either. The Commander and I went out for a few hours this morning with no luck. The water was nice and I had a few bumps but no takers. We called it a day a little earlier than usual as my spider senses were not feeling the mojo today. In addition, my trusted and respected sources have not been feeling the steelhead love either lately. I have heard every hypothesis and conspiracy theory as why the fish are not there yet. Everything from the water is still too cold to the DEC secretly was under stocking the tributaries the last few years. I prefer to think that mother nature gives us something a little different each year to hone our own adaptability on water. Until later..................

2011-03-17T17:23:00.002-04:00

A day on the water with Bill .

An escape from the office to enjoy all that is spring. Temperatures in the mid 50's with sunshine. You just cant go wrong.

The fishing was slow with few signs of life but I was in my glory just being there. As I said before, it has been a long winter and today did all I had hoped it would.

I am a rejuvenated man.

And of course the opportunity to share a day with a friend made it all the better. Bill allowed me an opportunity to test run a CTS and I was not disappointed.

Very nice. Very very nice.

We ended the day promising to make a date for a follow up visit to the streams and expressing our thoughts on the quality of the outing and the weather.

Until later and keep Japan in your thoughts...............

The longest winter ever...................

2011-03-05T16:00:00.003-05:00

Well today the tributaries both big and small are up high and moving fast with all this rain and melt. I am hoping for a few opportunities to get out this month with some old friends in hopes of getting some of the rust off my game.

This winter has been mentally punishing to me for some reason which I can't explain.
It just has a done a number on me. I spent an hour or so this afternoon sitting in the truck just staring away at the muddy Catt attempting to recount the sounds,sights, and smells of spring.

I miss birds chirping and fresh spring air but what I miss most is bullshitting with the guys on the stream. You can't buy that camaraderie.

That shared excitement of catching fish that brings us all back to being little boys filled with adventure and wonderment.

Looking forward to a little steelhead therapy.

until later my friends.............

Everything's quiet on new years day..............

2011-01-01T10:55:00.004-05:00

A Tim Horton's coffee run this first morning of 2011. I brought the fishing stick in case I saw anything fishable.

Everything blew out with the 53 degree weather. I spent an hour on a small brown trib playing needle in a haystack with no results.

The only fish I came into contact with is this old warrior.

3-5-0.....................

2010-12-31T13:54:00.002-05:00

Out with the Commander today.

Three tribs..........

Five hours...........

No Fish...................

Have a happy new year.

Until later...................

Merry Christmas 2010................

2010-12-24T10:14:00.003-05:00

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.

It has been an odd few weeks with the early winter blast putting the crimp on my stream walking but there are a few other options out there.

I'm hoping for an active Spring on the water as there were a lot of fish that stayed in the lake due to the low water Fall season.

Thanks for stopping in and I value our time on the water for those I fish with. In addition I would like to thank those of you who have authored their own blogs. Your piscatorial accounts both keep my passion for fishing fueled and keep me thoroughly entertained on the cold fishless days of winter.

Until later..............

More fishing than catching........

2010-12-12T14:36:00.002-05:00

I made it out at first light in hopes of putting one more on the bank before the hard freeze comes in this evening.

The weather was wet and drizzly and a foggy mist hung in the air.

Now that's my kind of day. The snow melt added a touch more green to the water from the day previous.

I put my best effort out today in the middle stretches. The lower end was still locked up with ice.

I concentrated on holding pools and gentle flowing runs where fish may sluggishly rest without exerting a lot of energy.

I pretty much threw everything
at the fish today roe,beads, plastic worms etc..

I briefly had a fat sliver female on slowly shaking her head in the current barely attached to a size 12 hook.

As I tried to move her to shore the hook let loose and off she went.

That was it for action today but I had an excellent if not slightly soggy hike today that was worth the effort.

I wouldn't rather be anywhere else today.

Until later.......................

An Afternoon Walk...........

2010-12-11T16:55:00.002-05:00

I got out for a few hours on an afternoon walk. The water was low and clear with a light green in a few spot.

Today's weather was godsend after the crap that was sent our way last week.

The mild temps revitalized me just enough before the shit hits the fan again tomorrow.

until later.............

Some= A Few.......

2010-12-04T16:01:00.003-05:00

I found some greenish water this morning on my morning walk. The water had a little murk to it and it seems we have gone from early November into January conditions. All the fish I caught today were smaller males and the were sluggish in their fight.

Until later.................

slim pickings...............

2010-11-28T15:42:00.002-05:00

The water was almost coming into form this morning. Its color more of a green/brown than a brown/green.

I more around alot not falling in love with one spot for too long.

The water was very cold with the snow melt. Two females I had on were sluggish on the take just slowly shaking there heads like dead wood on a rubber band both came unbuttoned before I brought them to shore.

\

The last fish of the three was a little feisty male who inhaled my offering in some fast water.

Not a good day but not a skunk.

until later.............

Abort....Abort.....Abort.......

2010-11-26T07:12:00.003-05:00

I got up at 5 am this morning and checked the hydro graphs. There was a bump from the 2am front that moved through bringing sideways rain and gusty winds. I geared up hoping the water would be somewhat fishable.

I shuffled my turkey laden body down the path in the half light only to see roiling chocolate.
The creek was pushing some heavy silt and it wasn't even worth a cast.

Well better to live down the street than over the border and be disappointed upon arrival.

Snow tonight 6 to 12 inches and gusty winds.

Until later................

Happy Thanksgiving............

2010-11-25T13:33:00.004-05:00

This Turkey day was rated PG for Perfect Green. The water had the best color of the Fall season and it did not disappoint. All of my victims were fresh silver fish with a lot of spunk.

I had an opportunity to fish all the spots I wanted to hit and I felt guilty I called it quits at noon. If I did not have to go to dinner later ; I would have gone on a forced march from top to bottom.

The PG was accompanied by a little drizzle which turned into a rain shower by noon. I don't think the water will hold its color with more anticipated rain and the possibility of 6-12 inches of snow tomorrow night.

I thank God today for my friends,family and a decent job to go to every morning.

And of course I am thankful for theses silver ghosts we chase.

Until later........................

They're are back..........

2010-11-22T22:20:00.004-05:00

I got home tonight and there was a big box on the steps from Orvis. My replacement pair of waders have come back 4 weeks and 1 day since return at the local shop.

I would like to thank Donna Jarman in their repair department for her excellent customer service and for making it happen. Evidently there may have been a snafu with the return from the local store to home office repair dept which extended the delay but Donna got it done.

My first impression is the bootie is a size 9-11 and I take a wide 11 to 11 1/2 at times. I threw them on tonight with a pair of wool socks over sweat socks and they appear to be a snugger fit than the previous pair in the neoprene bootie.

The bootie might be a different design than the last years version. Either way thank you Orvis for coming through.

Until later..................

2010-11-21T13:48:00.002-05:00

Today I worked murky water on a very cold morning. I was pleased to be all alone for hours on end and left alone with my thoughts.

Today was not yesterday and my results tallied up to one silver and a chub.

until later.......................

Competition.................

2010-11-20T18:25:00.002-05:00

We all know that steelheading is a competitive game that consumes us all. In addition it grows in popularity every year with fisherman traveling far and wide to enjoy the fruits of this sport.

This morning I smiled as I got to the access spot and there was not a car in sight . I made my way to my chosen spot with my head lamp on only to see see two or three head lamps glowing in the distance like fireflies.

My next option was to move to a pool below my chosen spot and reassess my situation after I thoroughly worked spot B. As I made my way to pool, one of the three head lamps sprinted to pool B ahead of me and set up at the head of the pool.

I released a few grumbled curse words from my mouth and worked my way down stream. As I was 20 yards from spot C and thinking I was finally alone in my solitude, I saw two kids sliding down a steep cliff to get a jump on me. MF'ers, I was not going to get blocked a third time this morning so I sprinted in the first light through brush, boulder , and burr with lungs burning to get to my spot.

F... them I say.

Yes it's a little juvenile to sprint to a hole but its gets tough out there sometimes. I wont low hole people nor will I jump into their pool and crowd them out.

But I do want room to play and room to play alone.

The two kids Heckle & Jeckle to their credit left me to my own devices and made their way down stream. I then tried to relax and calmed my self down.

I did not hit fish right a way but in my journeys I got into some good fish and lost a fine 12 lbs buck who wanted nothing to do with me today . And later I got my revenge on those first two spots that I did not get a chance to fish at first light. Though I was probably fishing third water as they say, the fish were buying what I was selling and I wacked them.

I guess competition keeps us strong but I remember days in the early nineties when you might run into three people all day on the water.....I am getting old.

Until later..............

Kingpin Imperial Performance Test On You Tube

2010-11-16T05:32:00.002-05:00

Fumble!!!!!!!!

2010-11-14T21:55:00.004-05:00

This morning I got out with the Commander at first light. The morning weather was cloudy and 47 degrees.

We hit our first spot at sun up and were amazed we had no other company around. For a Sunday it was a virtual ghost town in comparison to Friday and Saturday.

There was another one of those anomaly spikes in the graph last night that no one can explain and a little rain was expected at 3 pm.

We could find no takers at our initial pool. While the water was still lower than normal it was in better shape than the day before and had a better green tinge to her color. On our way we went skipping some occupied water. It is always better form to walk by an occupied pool or run instead of barging in on someones business on the water. There is allot of fishable water so we kept moving.

The Commander struck first today on his Mr. Pink. He pulled in a fine 10 lber. The beautiful fish must have been camera shy as she decided to dash back into the green as she was lifted for a picture. Tom was never the less a happy man. He got to see her and as he put it she can go on her way and make babies this spring.

I hit a feisty male that gave me a good fight and we both hit a few skippers to boot. Most of the day was cloud covered with a light drizzle here or there that I think was the key to our success. The water looked fishy today and we commented from time to time that there has to be a fish sitting there.

We made our way back to the truck and on our way we passed a few locals. I over heard them say are we going to put in the gill nets yet???

Ooooh that's a touchy subject to many a steelheader so I wont get into today.

Until later..............

No fish today and just kicked up the feet......

2010-11-13T11:48:00.003-05:00

Today I fished alone and concentrated on the lower sections. I was looking for stacking or staging fish ready to make their run upstream.

After a cold morning it warmed up nicely and I was afflicted by the blue bird skies once again. It felt like picnic weather not steelheading weather.

The water had dropped quite a bit and is starting to clear. More rain is needed to get things going again.

I wasn't feeling the the Mojo down stream and Big Ed said nothing was going on upstream so I reverted to a common theme for me lately. I lounged on big log and stared at the sky just listening to the water. I thought of a conversation I had yesterday with Bill and Frank about a fly guy named Jim who is still at it almost everyday and is into his 80th decade on this earth. Bill commented that he hopes he is still that healthy to walk the stream like a young man when he hits his 80's and I agreed with him too.

I also thought to myself that when my time comes hopefully when I am walking this very water and in my eighties that this is where I want to die. Peaceful on a bank in the domain of the steel. It would be almost as good as a viking funeral.

Until later...................

Death March Under Blue Bird Skies............

2010-11-12T21:39:00.004-05:00

Today I had another opportunity to take a day off and sneak away to meet Bill, Frank, and Gabe. We met up at sun up with the temps in the 30's and the water temperatures hovering around 39 degrees. Frank caught a few and I had one that came unbuttoned on a size 10 hook but I guess that's part of the game.

After putting our time in at one stretch of the river, we moved on to the next area which was populated by a number of fisherman. We decided to put our time in and explore a little outside of our usual spots.

So as the gang comfortably started the death march in their breathable waders, I tagged and lagged along in my back up neoprene's feeling restricted, constricted, and wobbling down the stream like a humpty dumpty like stuffed sausage. The Orvis waders are still in for repair. I was told two weeks and this Sunday it will be my three week anniversary of their non-return for repair.

So of course Bill and Frank took the lead. Older , wiser , and definitely in better shape than most men their age and men half their age; we went on a search for our special fish. The pickings were slim today with temps expected to hit 62 by noon and blue bird baby blue skies.

I hate sunny blue skies while I fish. If it was my choice everyday on the water would be cloudy,dark,drizzly
and in the mid 40's but a day on the water with special friends is exactly that....special.

I did luck into one nice fish on our walk back up that made my day and gave me some fodder for the blog.

Bill hooked into a few brutes and lost them on his extended journey too. We all hoofed back to the trucks for a little lunch at which time I surrendered to the neoprene fueled heat stroke and and aching muscles and left the guys before they tried one more spot.

My old bones weren't coming back into form until about 8pm after a few Molson's to end the day at a local watering hole.

As Bill puts it: "it is always good to meet up on the water and keep up our friendship/torture/fraternity" and it is always good to see Frank aka the Premier ply his trade so well on the water. And for Gabe who ended the day a little frustrated and lamenting his performance in front of the old guys. We have all put our time in on that river learning not only from our successes but also from our fishless skunked out days too. You will have your glory days on that water trust me.

Until later.................

Buck Wild....................

2010-11-07T12:11:00.004-05:00

I took a solo run in the darkness of early morning. The air was crisp and there was a light dusting of snow on the ground that added to this November Sunday. There was no wind just cold.

So as I walked down the path into the darkness , my hot breath held in the air like a small fog in the light of the head lamp as I huffed and puffed like an old steam engine.

I chugged, waded and stumbled my way to the run I wanted to hit at first light. As the light came up, the snow started to come down steadily and mixed itself with a little freezing rain.

My presentation was perfect and I was overly confident about the morning. Well my first two spots did not produce and the only thing I caught was myself as I some how hooked the back of my jacket as I fumbled through my vest. WTF!!!

At spot number two I filled myself with second guessing/ I questioned my bait, my hook size, my floro lengths, the poor runs of the early season etc...

As I was lost in thought I heard an ungodly sound of breaking bushes ,branches and grunting. Twenty yards below me three does and two bucks came charging across the creek and made way back into the brush. In fast pursuit behind them were two bigger bucks trying to chase down the pack. I refocused myself on the water for a few minutes until the herd of deer came flying down the path just off the bank plowing over everything in site. Then about 20 seconds behind them came the two big bucks separately. One of them did not even notice me and came within 15 feet of me. He looked at me and froze as I kept still as I looked at him. hHe then just started grunting and tore ass down the path toward the herd. At that point, I said to my self,well there probably will be no fish today but to see those deer was worth the price of admission.

I worked my way up stream as the morning went on and struck gold in a few spots. This season has been all about the fish being spread out far and wide. To get your fish you were walking a lot and hitting many spots. But today I lucked into a pod or two. Today's fish were mixed in size but it appeared finally some bigger fish were mixed in the pods finally.

A good morning to wash Saturday's skunk off my mind.

Until later...................

I got nothin'........................

2010-11-06T11:46:00.003-04:00

The Commander and I got out at the crack of light this morning in hopes of setting out world right with a few fish. We stopped at a few tributaries and all of them were various shades of brown this morning.

We did our best to find some action
but it wasn't to be. We worked hard a number of sections thoroughly. If they were there even in off colored water they would have taken our our offerings.

A double skunk stripe today for both of us.

Our bad luck has motivated me to such an extent that I have decided to go into the office for a few hours and forget about this morning.

until later.................

Clairvoyance gone wrong...........

2010-11-05T17:43:00.002-04:00

Well I knew Bill was going fishing this morning and as always hope springs eternal for him on the waters. Yesterday evening as I smelled the damp cool air, I had a psychic vision that Bill would catch 17 fish today. The conditions yesterday and today were very similar to a magic day we had on the water and my gut told me he would repeat that day today.

So I sent Mr. Bill a text message recounting my clairvoyant vision of his would be steelhead greatness today. Unfortunately when I returned from meetings today at work , He sent me word of quite a different reality which he encountered today on the water.

Sir, I apologize for fanning the fires of optimism but I would have bet the bank that today would have been the day.

A day off with a friend or two..............

2010-11-03T13:50:00.002-04:00

I took a much needed vacation day on short notice today. The local forecast called for some rain over the next few days and I didn't want to risk getting mudded out later in the the week.

So I met Bill and Gabe on a couple of our favorite sections of the creek. I gotta say the water was a beautiful green and after a morning in the low 30's the sun warmed my scruffy old face quite nicely.

We had some success today. I use the word success based on this years outings and environment not days of yore.

We all caught a few fish and all were silver. But..... but....but....they continued for the most part to be small to middling size steelhead. The bigger fish we have not seen yet. Now I know there are a few people that have hit a pod here or there with a few bigger fish in it but it has not happened to anyone close to me yet.

It was nice to meet Gabe for the first time and from his picture above he could look like my brother from far away! LOL. In addition to being a good guy , he makes a great mortadella sandwich.
Mmmm.....can you say MORTADELLA?

And of course I cherish my time on the water with Bill as if it were gold. Over the last couple years we have had some good days on the water and we share our special obsession with these damn fish.

I could have sat on that big rock sunning my self for the rest of the day. There is something special about flowing green water that is good for the soul.

Amen to that and good luck on the water.............................

Halloween Report.....................

2010-10-31T15:13:00.003-04:00

Got out at the crack of dawn this morning for a 4 hour tour. The weather was nice and crisp and I got to a few spots before the late risers.
I ended up with a few today but still had to work for them. One fisherman even caught a Chinook.....Go figure.....

As the morning came to the end the water dropped a little more and started to clear. Another good rain would be nice to keep the fish moving.
Happy Halloween and have a safe evening.........

Burt is Burt.................

2010-10-30T13:38:00.004-04:00

Nothing like getting up to the Dirty at what you think is an early time and you are the 35th car into the lot.

A little more of the same at Burt this morning. The first hour of the morning showed a little action and then as the hydro flow reduced and so did the action. I was out of there by 9:45 am with a Steelhead and a Brown to show for my efforts.

Until tomorrow..................

Steelhead Surfing Time........................

2010-10-28T07:43:00.002-04:00

On the way to work this morning the winds were howling down the length of lake. There were powerful waves hammering the lake shore with intensity and pushing up water levels. It was hard walking in a straight line downtown this morning.

I am hoping the medium shot of rain we had the other day which brought up stream levels a little but not as much as I had hoped coupled with the intense gusts of wind do the trick.

It should bring in some fresh runs to the lower reaches of medium and smaller streams and I don't worry about the big girl as she is on her own time table.

Just a few thought s from the home office before I down a Tim Hortons...........

Planned Obsolescence?

2010-10-25T05:28:00.004-04:00

Planned Obsolescence?

Must all waders leak after one year of use?

I took back my waders yesterday to where I bought them . Since they were a little over a year old I was hoping they would tell me to just take another box off the shelf and send me on my way.

I was using my warranty issue as a moment of truth with the company in question. They instead told me they would ship them back for repair for $30 bucks which isn't bad but we are getting into prime time and going without or wearing sub par back ups is frustrating for a period of 2 weeks or longer. I do have back ups but what a pain.

I told the guy that there was faulty taping on both neoprene footies that were leaking. He questioned me "do you use them a lot?" Should that be the issue? Should you have to buy a product and use it less or not at all for it not to fail in one year?

So let me know what you think.

Is the universalism that all waders fail after one year acceptable to consumers?

Are we a civilization that puts men into space and rescues miners below the earth unable to create a wader that lasts for more than one year?

Am I to upgrade from $300 plus dollar waders to $600 dollar plus waders to find satisfaction with a product?

Is this done by the manufacturer on purpose so we come back every year to blow more money?

Is there any pride left in manufacturing a good quality product?

Have a great week and catch some fish......................

Ontario Trib change up....................

2010-10-23T20:38:00.003-04:00

This morning I decided to go try a Lake Ontario trib which is infamous in the minds of many. I was hoping for a female chinook to replenish my roe supplies but for the second time this year I couldn't buy a female Chinook.

The people were not that bad today and for the most part everyone was friendly and had manners.

I fished a combination of roe and beads today with some success but not a blockbuster day.

I did get the Lake Ontario Grand Slam today and I should be happy about that.

The slam included a Chinook,Brown,Steelhead, and an Atlantic.

I stayed from sun up to sun down . The one year old waders are leaking in both footies and I'm not happy about that. So the waders are turned inside out drying out and I plan on kicking back on the couch tonight. I wish I had Bill's fountain of youth and super powers to get me through a long day.

Until later....................

Slow Slow and Slower

2010-10-17T11:45:00.002-04:00

The action was slow today and weather felt more like late April than mid October.

Tom caught this nice one on a pinkie.

That's all for day. It's time to rest the old back and take a nap.

Holiday Steel................

2010-10-11T12:17:00.003-04:00

I got out for a few hours this morning and hooked into a few fish. A little more people out today as it is a holiday on both sides of the border.

The water was finally greening up and there was a periodic sprinkle in the sky.

I still think the runs are about three weeks behind from last year but thats my own opinion.

unitl later............................

2010-10-10T13:48:00.000-04:00

Dropped like a rock........................

2010-10-09T10:13:00.003-04:00

I got up this morning with eager anticipation after the rain we received this week. Unfortunately my hopes were dashed as the water flows dropped like a rock yesterday.

As the sun came up on the run I could see the water was low and clear. Most of the pools became frog water.

I only stayed out for about 2 hours and killed a half hour talking to big Ed. He said he got one on the first cast which to him was a very bad omen. He had no other success this morning.

Well it was a nice walk any way and on the way back up I ran into Kohan too. I wont be back there until we get more rain.

#$^%$##!!!!

2010-10-03T16:03:00.000-04:00

More of the same.......................

2010-10-02T13:22:00.002-04:00

The big streams turned brown and the small streams stayed low and clear limiting options once again this week. The rain simply did not do enough to make things worth while. It was still nice to get out this morning for a nice walk and a drive to all my special places.

Please rain......Please

2010-09-26T18:19:00.004-04:00

The Commander and I got for two days with limited success consisting of small fish. Not much too report. The small tribs were not fished as they are very low and clear. The other trib was green and low for this time of year. Good to see the guys up at Chautauqua Lake for the weekend. Maybe we should have pursued the warm water species like the rest of them.

That's all folks.............

Calling the rain gods......................

2010-09-18T09:08:00.002-04:00

All the mid sized to small tribs need a whole lot of water to get things going. I don't see a good soaking any where in the 15 day forecast so it may be awhile before everything gets firing on all cylinders.

Out and about........

2010-09-12T11:55:00.002-04:00

While I have done a few rodless scouting trips over the last few weeks, I rigged up and went for a few walks this weekend. Some tribs are off color and others are bone dry. I was happy to encounter a few signs of life but conditions are not what they were last year at this time. It was good just to get out and get some exercise.

Getting the itch..............

2010-07-24T08:59:00.003-04:00

High humidty and hot the last few weeks but for some inexplicable reason I have steelhead on the mind. I went on a Tim Horton's run and stopped at some of my favorite spots taking in the air and lush foilage while dreaming of what the fall will bring...........

Monday Monday..........

2010-04-13T10:54:00.004-04:00

My fishing report is weak so I borrow Bills. I took Frank Miskey out on his maiden run with a float reel. I hoped to get him into some fish at the mouth of a stream but all I could manage were bass. We tried a few spots but the water was down in most spots and heavy with suckers.

Bill and our outer Frank aka the Premier chose right and got into some fish. their day started early very low on a trib where they were great by
seven other fisherman.

They worked their way up the system and found a combination of smaller fresh fish and drop backs

In addition Bill got his truck stuck on one of the dirt roads and luckily was pulled out by another fisherman.

Bill and Frank good going.

Bill have a good trip to Florida and we will save a few fish for you.

Until later...............

A morning out......................

2010-04-05T16:59:00.002-04:00

I attended a morning meeting of Steelheaders Anonymous on the banks of one of our favorite tributaries. In attendance today were Bill, frank and Buda.

This time of year you never know what you will get. a mix of fresh fish in from the lake, drop back spawners, and some other rougher creatures of the water.

Today there was more fishing than catching but they guys got a few fish to wipe the skunk of their backs.

I on the other hand stayed skunk striped on this sunny day.

Not much to report other than it was great to have the Premier himself(Frank) back on the water.

He seams to be adequately repaired
and ready for action.

I on the other hand am still not up to fall fighting form physically.

Time to get in shape or be left in the dust by my counterparts.

Until later............

A few drifts with the Commander.............

2010-03-29T14:10:00.004-04:00

I got out with the Commander a few days ago with some success. We chose the wrong spot to start at in the morning. We were close to the lake with 17 mile per hr winds from the South which screwed up our drifts.

After attempting to deal with that situation; the next six spots we stopped at were loaded with vehicles and fisherman. At that point we decided to not enter into battle with the unwashed hordes and made our way to Tim Horton's for a breakfast.

After our breakfast break we made our way to a few other spots and finally got into a few fish on pinkies and micro jigs.

Tom was smiling and I was relieved we finally hit pay dirt.

Until later...................................

Making lemonade out of lemons..............

2010-03-26T14:31:00.003-04:00

After putting my unwarranted worries of forecasted black ice aside, I met Bill out for a trib tour of duty.

The first trib we met at was off color and not worth our while. We headed south at our fall back spot. As exited the truck we were both rudely greeted by a ball shrinking brisk north east wind that instantly numbed our fingers as we geared up.

Our recon of the water showed off disappointing off color conditions so plan C was put into effect.

Plan C turned out better than the two previous. We hit a few spots I haven't fished in twelve years and we both got rid of the skunk smell off our bodies.

Luckily we were out of the wind and the sunlight warmed our frigid hands.

Bill always makes a fishing experience better. He is a good story teller and great company on the water.

A few fish made all the difference between misery and contentment.

Until later..............

Thursday/Friday...........................

2010-03-22T10:37:00.002-04:00

I got for a morning by myself and Friday I teamed up with the Commander. I would say the fishing was a little slow at the spots we hit but there were others that reported to me that they did quite well.

I got a few fish and Tom was inexplicably shut out for the day.
Oncw good thing is the Commander has the passion in spades for fishing right now. It is a godsend because while I have been out my passion has not been lit as it was last fall yet.

Hopefully a few good days on the water will get me back in the swing.

I stayed away from the water this weekend but the cars were out everywhere and Big Ed report he did pretty good danggling his pink worm.

Until next time..................

I have arisen.............

2010-03-17T10:32:00.006-04:00

Yes it's all true. I have arisen from my deep sleep. I had been cryogenically frozen and placed in a decommissioned

cold war missle silo until the spring thaw came to pass.

Yesterday I got out for my first fishing trip of 2010 with Bill and Buda.

A glorious sunny day filled with birds chirping and fresh spring air.

We hit a number of tribs on our route. some were off color and some were just coming into form. But all that mattered was the water was not frozen over as they had been for the last two and one half months.

I was rusty in my technique but saved myself from any major malfunctions. Bill and Buda fished as the professionals that they are. They started of slow but made up for it by the end of the day.

I on the other had ended up with only one fish for the day but enjoyed laying down on a large log while I soaked up the sun like a large reptile.

It was stellar to be out with the guys on the water and enjoying a laugh or too.

It is what is best in life.....

Thanks Bill and Buda for taking the pictures.

Until next time................

Out with the old and in with the new...........

2009-12-31T18:22:00.005-05:00

Fasten your seat belts and put your chairs in the upright position. You are about to enter 2010: The year of Joe. So part like the Red Sea because I'm rolling through.

2009 was as Dickens said it was the best of times; it was the worst of times. We shall focus on the best times.

I want to give a shout out to Bill and Frank for making my fishing experience all the better in 2009.

My God remember that dank drizzly day with green water when we couldn't stop smiling?

We were on our game that day or at least the cooperative fish made us feel that way.

That day is forever etched into my memory and I hope we hit it that way in 2010.

A shout to Tom for the day we went to the Dirty Burt and it was crap. Our plan B kicked ass and it was a good call on your part.

Mike P. every time were out and you catch a fish I take pride in your catch and the look of excitement on your face. This stuff is fun isn't it?

To my little tribs both big and small which have been my friend, my church, and soul nurturing sanctuary.

I would be lost with out our gravel runs and shale cliffs.

Thank you God for gifting to me the wonderful experiences I have had over the last 12 months.

It has shown me that it is truly the little things in life that make us the richest men on the planet.

As for today, I did get out and was able to end 2009 with a relative bang.

The temperatures hit 32 degrees in the morning. A far cry from the single digits a few days ago. The water was green, the slush was gone, and I banged a few fish with a bonus brown trout thrown in the mix.

A good way to move on from this Godforsaken year.

Come on 2010!!!!

You cant get here soon enough......................

A race to beat the arctic express......

2009-12-29T12:01:00.004-05:00

Yesterday presented what we had hoped would have been a small window of opportunity to get on the water. The thaw raised water levels and flushed the tribs of ice and fresh fish would be available for our taking.

The Commander and I hit the water in the morning greeted by fresh snow cover from over night and temps in the mid twenties. We were not happy with our morning findings . The water was filled with with enough slush to make fishing difficult to impossible.

On our march back to our vehicle we met up with Bill and Frank who agreed with out our assessment of the conditions and decided to try another trib together.

The next trib murky but the slush was flowing down more lice ice flows and not a slurpy slush. We fished closer to the lake and in the distance we could see the arctic express coming through with increased high winds and snow squalls. We did our best with no success.

While we were there Buddha met up with us and recounted his morning attempts at fishing. He had ventured farther down the lake and was hammered by blinding snow making fishing impossible. We also ran into Joe M. and his trusty Labrador. He had the same idea as the rest of us. Beat the Arctic express before the heavy snow and single digit temperatures forecasted for Tuesday.

Today the creeks are slush filled and the air is frigid.

Merry Christmas.......

2009-12-25T16:06:00.002-05:00

I took a walk this Christmas morning in between events to clear my head in the fresh air and in hopes of pulling in a fish.

The water was very low and clear. The walk was stellar just me and the hawk in the sky.

Most of the pools and runs I fished the last time I was out were iced over and un fishable. I did some walking in hoes of finding some water green enough and deep enough to get one to go .

But that would not be the case today. The water that was prime today had fresh steelhead blood spilled on the the white snow with remnants of fresh steelhead roe scattered in the blood. I would assume someone got into a few fish yesterday afternoon and decided to harvest the fish.

I did not put too much effort in those areas as they will be useless now until the next freshet from the thaw we are experiencing this afternoon.

Still great to be out and one with nature

On a much brighter note. Merry Christmas to all my friends in the steelhead world.

Thank for the gift off your friendship and your company on the stream.

Happy Holidays................

Quiet and at Peace...........

2009-12-21T16:56:00.004-05:00

Quiet and at peace today. No words are needed to express having the water to your self for 99.8% of your day.

Two......

2009-12-20T17:49:00.002-05:00

I got for two and a half hours today. As long as the sun was on the water the line stayed ice free and two fish played nice today. Then the sunlight shifted it's gaze out of the gorge and then ice caked up on the line and float.

I will take the two hours as a welcome break from life.

Finding open water.................

2009-12-13T16:12:00.009-05:00

I put in a 5 hour shift yesterday morning in section of the creek that were not ice jammed. There were sections completely locked up with ice and others that were open if you could get to them

I found a shoulder of the road that was plowed enough to park my vehicle and then proceeded to trudge through 16 inches of snow pack to get to the water. Crossing the water consisted of walking over, around, or through shelf ice which is always tricky but you all know the drill this time of year.

The water water was green and as the slush and 16 inches of snow started to melt the water raised and changed color. It was a good day with hungry fish but they were in classic winter mode. The fish were light biters and lazy fighters for the most part.

The commander had previous commitments so I was solo along with a new reel to try.
I had the opportunity to use a Kingpin 4 7/8 Bronze reel today with the ceramic ABEC 7 bearings. A pleasure to use in the slower flows today. she was smooth and started up with the slightest current. It's definitely on my to do list for the next year.

Today with the snow melt the tribs are shot. They are high and muddy and the ice locked sections are free from ice. It will be a few days before I get another shot at them and that damn 10 lb silver female I lost behind a fast water lip. The float went down. I lifted and she shook her head. She came up and rolled a few times and ran around the current until she headed for some up turned shale at the back of the run. The floro rubbed up against the rock outcropping and poof she was gone.

Until later..............

Well it was a try..................

2009-12-09T09:17:00.002-05:00

With severe weather on its way I wanted to hit the creek one more time as it wont be fishable until Sunday or Monday once the weather hits. The water was low yesterday and I was hoping a bump in flow might push a few fresh pods into the lower section.

The timing was off.

There was a bump in flow but the melting slush from the rapidly rising temps turn her high and brown within the first hour.

Timing is everything in life.

See you in a few days after the thaw.

Low and slow...........

2009-12-08T16:49:00.005-05:00

The water over the last few days has dropped to either clear or a light green. Success has been there but in lower numbers than usual. Sunday I got out with the Commander for a few fish and more company than normal. It was a chilly morning with sunlight glistening of the icicles slowly forming on the shale cliff walls.

Monday it was an outing with the Kingpin Crew Bill and Frank and Buda met up with us a few hours later. Once again water getting lower as the day went on and fish numbers limited. I did get a feisty 7 lb male on a pinkie but the company was better than the fishing.

Come to think about it. Regardless of the numbers ,the company is always better than the fishing.

Good people on the water makes a difference not only in your day but in your life also.

Until later.................

Coffee and cream..............

2009-12-01T18:15:00.002-05:00

I wasn't going to fish today but after a little hesitation I geared up and hit a smaller trib in hopes of finding a little green water. There surprisingly wasn't any snow at this trib but the winds were howling off the lake and raising the stream levels by a foot or so every few minutes. Then the water would reverse as if someone pulled a plug from a drain.

By 10 am the water turned green but there were no fish to be had. I then shot over to another tributary hoping to find green but I knew this trib would be brown and she was.

She was a coffee with cream color and I decided to go for a hike just for exercise.

I ended up with three respectable females in the 5 to 7lb range on chartreuse.

A lot of hiking and looking at brown water.

Sorry no pics today. I was too lazy to snap pics and I was just happy a few fish cooperated today in the brown.

On the drop............

2009-11-29T15:35:00.002-05:00

I fished alone this morning for a few hours as the Commander was getting over some type of flu like event. The water was still a little up and a little murky at first light. As this was a Sunday I entered the abyss in darkness and crossed the flow twice in darkness. I knew exactly where I wanted to start and where I wanted to work my way back from.

My first two spots surprisingly didn't produce but with the water a little up I looked for fish in spots that I may usually walk by and it paid off. It was a relatively successful day. With one special fish that came in an area that I was least expecting it to come from and not paying full attention.

The unexpected fish was a thick girl that gave me a great fight with a run down stream through a run and a pool and almost into some dead wood laying by the shore.

I have caught bigger but for some reason she left me once I released her with my knees shaking and a little out of sorts.

I felt like was a just in a car crash with the adrenaline pumping.

I needed a few minutes just to take it all in and remove the smile from my face.

A welcome surprise..................

one for two............

2009-11-28T13:16:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning to see my first two choices doubled in flow overnight and would most likely be brown. I hit a smaller trib and fished off color water with limited success. I caught a small male and lost a larger male.

No pics today..........

A Birds Eye View..........................

2009-11-25T17:25:00.006-05:00

This morning I met Bill and Frank for a morning outing. We attempted to catch her a little before the drop with hopes of getting into a pod or two.

The water was a murky chalky green with a flow around 478. We threw standard size to golf ball offering into our pools in runs with limited results.

Bill and Frank hooked a few and I was happy to get the skunk stripe of my back with one fish.

We also had a large winged visitor to a run. He flew up right as I fought and released a fish. At first I thought it was a turkey vulture and he was foreshadowing the impending demise of either Bill or I but that was not the case.

Bill suggested it was a juvenile eagle and from a few image searches on the web that appears to be the case.

What a beautiful creature.

Though we did not hit it right and a few fisherman I talked to at one of the pools did not either today or yesterday; It was nice to be out with a few good friends and a special stop at Sprague's General Store.

Now that is a the way to end a days fishing. Thank you gentleman.

Until tomorrow....................

Today with Frank................

2009-11-23T17:28:00.002-05:00

This morning I fished with Frank until lunch time. Bill was being the great husband that he is and couldn't make it down. Another lucky day with minimal people to contend with. We were able to relax and take our time. We fished our familiar spots but were able to hit the secondary water to and thoroughly fish the section of the trib.

The water was 42 degrees and green.

Other than both of us losing our floats and having to re-rig no complaints.

another great day to be out in the sunshine.