Wait....summer is over?

Evening on Fourth Lake, Inlet, NY

A busy day can turn into a busy week without much thought. And before you know it, that week spawns several others just like it, and a whole month is gone!

That kind of thinking is usually reserved for the school year, when we find ourselves running around doing our best to just keep up. But it’s the end of summer and I feel like I’m breathing way too hard for a race that hasn’t even started yet.

At least I got a few water breaks in between all that running.

We found a small bit of time to visit my family up in Inlet, NY. A few day excursions to the stream proved fruitful as my oldest son and I found everything from Landlocked Atlantic salmon to fallfish to brook trout and even a heavily spotted rainbow trout.

Landlocked Atlantic salmon

The boys and I also ventured to the top of the state to visit my father in-law’s hunting and fishing camp and to wade some new water with family in search of big smallmouth bass, pike, walleye and musky. And even in the midst of some very low water, where conditions were not great, we managed some very nice bass and had a rather frightening introduction to a rather large musky while wading. An encounter that Jonathan will never forget. On the way home we made a stop at the Salmon river in Pulaski, NY where I got the opportunity to show my boys where I fished at their age.

Jonathan's rainbow trout

Wild ADK brook trout

Jonathan fishing on the St. Regis river

Musky Country, Deer river flow

I even found some time to hit up the inaugural “Knots at the Net Shop” fly tying event at Streamwalker Nets headquarters. Thanks to Leif Mermagen and Bill Banser for being such wonderful hosts. Our fly fishing community here in WNY is awesome!!! 

Lastly, I found myself hanging out with a friend who just so happens to own some land that the Oatka creek flows through. So with a little arm twisting, I grabbed the fly rod and made an effort to find a fish or two that wouldn’t mind eating a fly. And as luck would have it, I did manage to find such a fish. A wild nineteen inch brown trout. My biggest to the net on this stream. Thanks again Nathan!

Ethan with a nice Deer river smallmouth bass

St. Regis river Fallfish

Being busy really isn’t all that bad, it’s a part of life after all. Watching my kids work out their God given gifts through extracurricular activities like gymnastics, playing in jazz bands, robotics, and music lessons, Flower city work camp, church, etc. helps with the long hours of driving, the late nights, and the occasional teenage meltdown. In the end it’s worth it!

You just have to mix in a few water breaks.

Knots at the Net Shop

Ethan and Jonathan at the lower fly zone

Deer river smallmouth

Leif gives fly tying a thumbs up

Nineteen inches of Oatka gold

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Time for a second wind!

Late May family fishing

Katie with a rather chunky brook trout

Fishing for me has been an elusive activity as of late. A busy schedule always seems to be the excuse.

I am hoping that this fall will provide more opportunities. Besides I have a new camera to experiment with and I can’t think of a better way to learn its operation than taking lots of photos of fish and fall colors.

But until then, I’m regulated to look back on some early summer fishing trips that have provided me with enough good memories to keep the fire burning.

So here are a few photos from a late May family fishing adventure we had at Oatka creek.

We caught trout on streamers, nymphs and dry flies. All fish were released.

Ready for release

Jonathan did very well while fishing an #14 tan Elk hair caddis

My wife's 1st ever fly caught trout

Even Dad got into the action while nymphing with the 2 weight

Fishing with Dad!

Here is a photo of my Dad swinging a big old streamer, trying to temp a big lake run fish to take a streamer.

This is not a blog about me fishing with one of the kids, rather it is about fishing with my Dad.

He has never been a fisherman. But he has been an outdoorsman all his life, at least I consider him to be so.

He has always involved me and my brother and sister with hiking and camping throughout our young lives. And we have enjoyed some great times together as a family scouring the High peaks and beyond of the Adirondacks - This also included winter camping and skiing.

Even though it was tough for them (my parents) to gather all of us together and get us to participate in these camping trips, it was worth all the effort, I am very glad they did. It is where I learned survival skills, how to make a fire, hanging the food away from camp so the bears won't get into it - and us, sleeping under a tarp, hiking for miles when you don't know the destination, etc....the list goes on and on! The point is he did what he needed to do to make us prepared for camping and hiking anywhere!

I was always a fisherman first, everything else was second. In fact I used to get teased for it by my family, but I didn't even care because I loved the sport so much.

Now....years later we go together fishing when we can, and this past Thursday we had the opportunity to do so.

Our outing was at a local WNY tributary in search of lake run trout, big lake run trout.

The water was perfect, if not a bit cold - just above freezing - and it had great color. These are the kind of conditions you want. The kind of conditions you pray for!

We spent a few hours throwing big streamers, and even a little time dead drifting an egg, but no fish came to hand. In fact no fish were seen or even felt on this day. And everyone we ran into on the stream had the same story to tell.....no fish to show for their effort.

But no fish to show for our efforts does not make it a bad day. In fact I had a lot of fun working several different runs with my Dad. We would set up with him at the point swinging a streamer, then I would follow behind swinging something different, sharing the stream, hoping for a pull from a fish. I really have a desire for me to be there when he hooks his first tributary fish while swinging a fly and put a net under it, but I will take any time I have with him. And I know that at some time it will happen the way I see it in my mind.....And I will rejoice!

I always say that we learn more from when we fail than when we succeed, and I stand by that. Especially when it comes to fly fishing - Remember it’s not always what you bring to the stream that will make your day success, but what you take away from it.

I'll see you out on the stream.....

Brian Bradfield