Raw Water Productions

I am pleased to introduce to you Raw Water Productions.

Adam Kryder, Lucas Carroll and Matt Smythe have turned a passion and a dream into a reality. They’ve taken their love for film, photography, writing, and fly fishing and rolled all into one - Raw Water Productions!

And the best part about this new venture is that it’s local. So please stop by their web site, take a look around and make sure to leave a comment and help support this new business.

Here is a video for you to chew on while you add this site to your list of favorites!

The beauty of inland winter trout on the fly.

I have had many opportunities to fish our fantastic WNY lake run tributaries this fall and early winter, and the fishing has again been amazing. But as the fishing slows down during the winter, I find myself going back to our equally amazing and fantastic WNY inland trout streams. It is an attraction that I cannot ignore!

The fish here are wild and rested, and more than that, they are a welcome change to the giants from the lake. And what they may lack in size they make up for in beauty. They also offer a different challenge. Precision drifts with ultra light fly gear while drifting small nymphs, midges, and scuds are a welcome change from fishing heavily weighted egg patterns and swinging big flies with big rods. And if the water is just right, I can have a blast trying to find some big inland fish on streamers. It isn’t a numbers game, it’s purely about getting bit!

So with all that said I hope to lure you in with some photos of the beauty that can be had from some of our finest WNY inland trout streams.

#18 pink scud and brown

Streamer caught brown

A big 18" inland brown that couldn't refuse a big streamer

A beautiful wild brown

A #16 red worm pattern does the trick

Winter fishing with my boys!

My two boys have been wanting to get out fishing for a while, and up until this past weekend, everyone has been way to busy to even think about it.

Sunday afternoon my wife wanted to take our daughter out to do a little shopping and spend some of her Christmas money, no doubt on shoes! So when my wife suggested that I ask to see if the boys would want to go fishing, she didn't have to twist my arm, not even the slightest little bit. The boys didn't even let me finish my sentence, once they heard "fishing" it was all over.

So off we went in search of lake run giants at a local WNY Lake Ontario tributary, even when the thermometer read 29 degrees. At least it was sunny and when we would get a little chilly, we would just stand in the sun for a few minutes.

I made sure to set the boys up first. Big streamers were tied on, instructions given, and off they went to make their first casts of the day. And boy did they do a good job. They are fast becoming great little fishermen. They are casting well, letting the fly do it's thing, and even listening to dear old Dad on occasion. But even with all their hard work, and fabulous stream conditions, the fishing was very tough. We all fished for an hour with nothing to show for it. Then the boys attention turned to other interests such as how to climb the many trees that made up the little section of woods right near the bank. They also made boats, swords, and worked on their "Man vs. Wild" skills. And we all know how important those are!!!

Another half hour passed by as I worked hard to try and find at least one willing fish to take a fly. I then put my switch rod down and grabbed the single handed eight weight. It still had a rather large white woolly bugger on it, one that my oldest son had picked out. I walked a few yards down from the pool where we were all fishing and began to swing some broken water below. Half way down the run a strong pull jolted me out of my rhythm and I was finally into a good fish. I yelled to the boys to grab the net and in seconds they were both there ready to help. I handed the rod to my oldest son and he began to work the fish into shore, as my youngest son got the net ready. A few minutes later a healthy, somewhat large, lake run female brown trout was in the net. Finally!!!!!!

As I got the camera ready for some photos and coached my oldest on how to handle the fish as we got ready for some photos, I noticed something coming out of the fishes mouth. And then as my son hoisted the fish for few quick shots, that something fell out. It was a half digested five inch long baitfish. I guess I now have a better reference for what to tie in the future!

Sundays fishing was tough. But spending time with my boys doing something we all love, and having fun in spite of the conditions was worth more than a thousand good days of fishing by myself. In the not so distant future they will be ready to leave the house, all grown up and ready to take on the world.....so I cherish every minute!

My daughter is up next. Last year we rocked it and the fishing wasn't too bad either!

Late season tributary trout

The weather is finally starting to cool off a bit, and so too has the fall migration of lake run brown trout. But before this new changing of the guard ceremony takes place, and the world of WNY slides into the bitter cold and snow that we all know is coming, I have to say that the fishing has been pretty darn good.

Fresh steelhead have now been showing up more frequently and even the occasional fresh lake run brown has made an appearance or two throughout the past few weeks. I even had the opportunity to land a late run Coho salmon while swinging big streamers for post spawn brown trout. This was a great treat for me, as I haven't had the pleasure of Mr. Coho's company in some time.

The female brown trout are the first to get off the beds and look for food, as the males haven't figured out that the spawn is done. So up until this past week, most fish that I have heard that took a fly on the swing were post spawn female brown trout.

The lake run steelhead are still on the egg bite, therefore about 90% of them have been taken on various egg patterns. This will change as the cold sets in, and everything slows to a crawl.

I have enjoyed the company of new friends and old over the past couple of weeks. Bob B., Joe K., Lucas C., Mr. Rich, and Matt S. have made the hours of standing in near freezing water bearable. And watching them hook, fight , and land fish has reminded me that fly fishing is as much about fellowship as it is about the process of catching fish with a fly. They all, like me, have spent many hours in search of fish with a fly rod in hand and have photographed, written, and blogged about it in their own way. A way that is artistic and inspiring. So please click on their names to view their work.

But to everything there is a season, and the beauty of autumn must die away like the salmon to make way for new life. Or in this case winter. It is now time to play a different game, one that requires a dedication unlike anything else in my neck of the woods. And by dedication, I mean a dedication towards building a tolerance to the cold. A tolerance that comes easier with each new battle fought with giants from the lake.

October & WNY Lake Run Giants

I have been way too busy to keep this blog updated like I would want over the past month or so. But I did start the fall by blogging about fly fishing WNY tributaries and how the season could be broken up into three separate parts. And I made sure to put as much info as I could into the first segment.

I am happy to report that I have finished the remaining two segments weeks ago, but like I said - I have been way too busy to post - so I will have to redirect you to www.jprossflyrods.com for the second and third parts, as I would much rather post some pics from this fall.

Fishing for lake run trout and salmon can be at times very frustrating. Some days you can often see many giant salmon, up to 30lbs., holding just feet from where you stand unwilling to take a fly. But then, on the very next day, they become more aggressive and will take that same fly they refused just the day before.

Even the trout can get picky, especially when they are being bullied by salmon and or fishermen on a constant basis. But I refuse to complain! I really have it good here in WNY. And even if I end up landing just one or two trout in a day, that average a good seven pounds, it is still better than most have it. So I take full advantage of the amazing fishery we have, when I can. And I do it with those who would have me as a fly fishing companion, even if for only an hour. And I take it all in before it is gone.

So here are just a few photos from this fall......so far!

Fall tributary fly fishing - Part 1

I know the fall tributary season has been going on for some time now, especially at the Salmon River. And our WNY tribs are starting to see some fish too, but that has been a more recent development. So before our tributaries really start to heat up, I want to take some time to share some thoughts on making the most out of this early part of the season. And in my experience, there is a difference between early season salmon and trout fishing on the tribs as opposed to mid and late season salmon and trout fishing on the tribs.

First of all let’s break down the season. For those of you who fish the Salmon River, you already have figured out that it is quite a bit different than most of the other rivers that flow into lake Ontario, and therefore gets the best early run of fish, sometimes as early as late August. And for that reason, it is the exception, not the rule. For most of the other area tribs, they will see fish a bit later, usually early to mid September, as do most of our bigger WNY tribs. When and why the fish start to run is a debate that has been going on ever since I can remember, but in the end, it is up to the fish. So in this first installment I will go over some of the lessons I have learned over the years.

This early part of the fall can be a whole lot of fun. It’s the time when you will see your first salmon or large trout, and even though you may only see that one fish, it’s enough to send you over the edge! The weather is usually still quite warm, and you can often get away with wearing a t-shirt. You also tend to have the last bit of the summer time “low water” conditions, and if conditions warrant it – your first crack at catching that first tributary trout or salmon. But the icing on the cake is the amount of water you will find all to yourself. It usually takes a good weekend or so of multiple confirmed catch reports, and photos, to put the crowds on the stream. So until then, enjoy your privacy!

Because of these reasons and more, I have found that fishing to these early run fish is way different than those fish that have been in the system longer and those that enter toward the middle part of the season. And here are a few tips to help get you that first trout or salmon of the early season.

1 – Fish the early part of the day and again in the evening. The early season fish that enter often do so in smaller groups until they decide to run in big numbers (figuring that out is a crap shoot.) The fish will feel more at home in low light conditions than when the sun is beating down on them in a small stream, and low water conditions. And the smaller the stream or river is, the smaller the group of fish will be that enter the system.

2 – Keep back from the fish if you can. When fish are just entering a system, they are often very wary of every movement and sound. And fishing smaller tribs will only amplify this effect. The shallow water of a stream or river is a whole new world for fish that are coming from a deep lake - This will change later in the season as fish numbers build, water temperatures lower, and salmon start to spawn – So it pays to be extra careful in the early part of the fall tributary season. It’s also a good idea to stay back from the fish when fishing in the low light periods of the day because the fish will often hold right near the bank, and many times you may not even need to get into the water.

3 – Don’t fish egg patterns…yet! This sounds easy enough, but I have seen tons of early season anglers come armed with plenty of egg patterns to throw at fish when the salmon haven’t even started to spawn. It is better to stock your fly boxes with fly patterns that resemble what the fish will see, such as large minnows, shiners, sculpin and other aquatic insects such as nymphs (stonefly and mayfly) along with caddis larvae and pupae, not to mention a few dry flies! So carry woolly buggers, comets, rabbit strip streamers, and any other favorite pattern in both naturally subdued colors such as brown, black, olive along with bright attractor patterns such as white, chartreuse, pink, orange, etc., in sizes #12-#2. I would also carry plenty of stonefly patterns, hare’s ears, caddis larvae and pupae, along with wet flies in similar colors in sizes #6-#14. All these flies can be either dead drifted, swung, or both! The morning and evening will be the best time to swing the big bright stuff on heavier tippet, while the late morning through the day light hours into late afternoon, may be the best time to lighten up the tippet and go small with a more natural colored fly like a nymph.

4 – Pick your spot well! Depending on the water you fish, salmon and trout will be in the greatest numbers in either the lower part of the system or at the top. For instance – The Salmon River has already received some good runs of fish so far. And when that run comes in, the lower end will fish really well, as the fish are still concentrated together. Once they get into the middle part of the river they really start to spread out. And then as they finally reach the top end of the river their numbers once again build, as they can’t go any further. This also holds true for many of our WNY tail water tribs. Fish will enter the lower part together, spread out in mid river, and then congregate at a dam. Fish can still be found mid river in deeper holes and long pools, and it’s worth the effort to scout the head of these spots early in the year when fish are still on the move. Again – this will change as the season progresses and more and more fish fill the river and spawning starts to get under way.

5 – Trout vs. Salmon. Both fish can be very aggressive when they first come into a system, but the salmon will be on a mission to get to the spawning grounds, and the trout are there to follow the salmon to get a free meal when that time comes, and until the brown trout spawn starts in Late October and all of November. The point is their behavior can be very different at times! You may be able to pick up a few salmon while slowly swinging a wet fly deep at the head of a pool, and then while fishing a transition piece of water like a run or riffle section, pick up some fresh steel while dead drifting a stonefly pattern under an indicator. It pays to either carry two rods with two different rigs, or be ready to switch it up at any time. This of course doesn’t mean that you can’t catch trout while fishing for salmon or vice versa (I have done it many times), it just means that they are different fish and will often hold in different spots and behave differently, so it pays to be observant and willing to change when needed.

6 – New Perspectives & Expectations - Early fall fishing on the tribs can be at times long and fruitless, due to the fact that there aren’t as many fish in the system yet. So re-evaluate your expectations to fit the season. I know this sounds a bit crazy to do, but it can really make your day a whole lot better. When I was a younger less experienced angler, I would try and tell myself that I could still have those great days of hooking and landing fish early in the season that I enjoyed so much during the height of the run. And more often than not, I would come home very disappointed because of it. If only I could have had changed my perspective and expectations to meet the reality of the situation, it would have made for a much better experience. So instead of getting frustrated that you aren’t catching fish, even though you saw a photo of a few guys catching a few fish here and there, maybe you could try and work on a new technique or go explore some “off the beaten path” water you’ve always wanted to try. You never know….you may be surprised!

Next time I’ll go over what to look for during the middle of the season.

End of summer fishing in WNY

The end of summer is always bitter sweet for me. I am sad to see the last of the summer hatches end on my favorite WNY inland trout streams. And there is always a transition period at the end of summer that can be at times difficult to wade through, which only means that fishing can be at times on the slow side.

This year, however, many things have been a bit different from the get go. Spring decided to extend its self into summer and dump copious amounts of rain that put off much of the great fishing that can be had during the first early season hatches. And for me personally, it put an almost permanent damper on any successful dry fly fishing for the year. I also had many projects to attend to this summer, both in and around the house, which also contributed to my frequent absence from the stream during those peak hatch times. But as you may have guessed, I did find some opportunities to stretch a line, even when the fishing may have been less than stellar, and have found success. And a part of that was due to the fact that I was able to take part in a different kind of fly fishing – but that is another story that I will tell at a different time.

The only part of the end of summer that seems to have stayed the same this year for me is the opportunity to catch some big fish in the local inland trout streams. On average these fish will reach between 10-11 inches with 1 out of 5 fish being somewhere in the 12-15 inch range, and on occasion, a fish that will push a good bit beyond that. So in truth this is small to medium sized stream fishing that requires light rods and tippets. But every August I seem to get some of my biggest fish of the year at these places and so do some of my friends as well. Much of the fishing at this time is with small flies. Tricos, midges, small nymphs and wet flies in sizes #20-#24 are the key to consistently hook up with fish. And with the low water of late summer, it also allows us to do some sight fishing to some wonderfully picky brown trout.

I have also had the pleasure of bringing my kids with me on a few of these adventures, and watched them all get into fish here and there. And even that is coming to an end as they will all be in school by the end of the week.

But like everything else in life – change is inevitable – and fall is here!