Fishing with the Boys – September Edition

Ethan hoists a rather large Black Creek crappie.

Just before school started for our kids, we had a little time to get out and try to convince a few fish to eat a fly. And just like the past few years we headed west to one of our favorite locations – Black Creek. 

With a good bit of recent rain, the stream flow had increased and the water level had gone up, which we were hoping would put the fish on the feed. The only potential drawback was the colder weather that can sometimes slow the bite down, a counter effect of great water conditions we were hoping to avoid.

Once on the water, we quickly determined that the fishing would be just fine, even if it started out a little on the slow side.

Jonathan started out fishing with his spinning rod, casting a little crankbait. Ethan and I worked some shallow water with small woolly buggers. 

Nice rock bass

Over the next hour, Ethan and I managed to catch many small bluegill, rock bass and small largemouth bass. Jonathan continued to cast his crankbait, but hadn’t hooked up at all in that time. He changed lures and went back at it. Ethan and I changed gears as well and tied on #8 bead head olive woolly buggers and began to work some deeper water just below the spillway. The change proved to be a huge success as Ethan began to catch several really nice crappie and rock bass, while I was able to land a very nice smallmouth bass. This prompted Jonathan to grab his fly rod, tie on a #8 bead head olive woolly bugger and join in the fun.

Over the last hour of our time, both boys did very well, catching some very nice bass and crappie.

Ethan with another quality crappie

Even with the colder weather, the great water conditions prevailed, drawing in plenty of larger fish to the spillway to feed on the smaller baitfish, and providing us with some really good fishing. It took a little time to figure out what the larger fish wanted, but in the end it was well worth the effort.

Jonathan with a nice BC Large mouth

another one for Jon

Me about to release the only smallmouth of the day

So bring on the cooler weather and rain. Maybe this year we will actually receive a decent run of salmon and trout. The fall tributary season is fast approaching, time to switch gears!

Mid-Summer Fly fishing

Jonathan works the head of a long pool.

A nice BC largemouth for Katie.

We are now, slowly, working our way toward the back end of summer. And just like this spring, the constant rain has kept our streams running high and cool.

Once again, we look for little weather windows of opportunity to put fly too water.

The fishing, in-between all the rain, has been really good. At least for this group of anglers as we did our best to find some willing warm water fish in the early part of the summer.

Black creek continues to be one of our best locations to catch fish on a fly! Even when we have fished it during high and stained water.

Its close proximity, easy access, easy wading, variety of fish species and numbers of fish make it an easy choice for us as a family. Mix in the potential for a few really good sized fish here and there and you can understand why it is one of our “go to” places to fish.

We caught plenty of sunfish, blue gill, crappie, rock bass, smallmouth and largemouth bass. And when you add in the occasional carp, it made for a few really great days on the water.

Jonathan with a nice BC smallie

One of the better crappie

Ethan does battle with a large carp

18" inch smallmouth that ate a large streamer

Katie releases a large BC carp

Our panfish and small bass where caught on olive nymphs and small buggers, while most of the larger fish ate the many streamer variations we worked along the bottom and actively fished through the faster water.

It’s been a few weeks since our last fishing excursion, and we are eager to get back out there. Hopefully we can get out again soon.....that is, if we can find a little weather window.

See you on the stream!

Fly fishing with the boys!

Ethan holds a nice Black creek pike.

A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to take the boys out for a little fly fishing at one of our favorite WNY warm water fisheries.

Black creek is one of those spots that never really disappoints. Sure, there are those days when the fishing is a little on the slow side, or maybe you don’t quit get that “big” fish you were looking for. But when a slow day is catching 20-30 bluegill, small bass, and crappie and that big fish happens to be a 14” inch smallmouth bass instead of that 19” inch bronze back you were hoping for….well….it really isn’t that bad!

Ethan and his sucker

On this trip however the fishing was just fine, and having the company of my two boys was even better.

We started our little adventure right near the spillway and eventually worked our way downstream before heading back up for a few last minute casts before the trip back home.

The fast water right near the spillway proved to be very productive as my youngest son Ethan hooked several nice bluegill and I, a nice pike, which my son very enthusiastically fought and landed for me. My oldest (Jonathan) worked a section just below us and eventually hooked a few fish for himself. 

We then made our way downstream and fished a section of the creek that resembled more of a trout stream. Here we picked up plenty of small largemouth and smallmouth along with some rock bass.

Jonathan with his sucker

Ethan then took a break and walked around for a bit, eventually wading down to a slower section of the creek, just below where Jonathan and I were fishing. It didn’t take long for him to spot some very large suckers and carp working the head of a long pool.

For the next thirty to forty minutes the boys and I had lots of fun trying to get some interest from the fish. And in the end persistence paid off and both boys were able to play a few and even land a fish for each of them.

Ethan's smallmouth bass

Our afternoon ended with a few “last casts” back up in the slower section, a good 90 feet or so below the dam. Ethan and I picked up a nice largemouth and then a few casts later a rather large carp intercepted our olive bugger and Ethan grabbed the 5 weight and tried as hard as he could to turn the fish. Within the next few minutes the carp tore off all of the fly line, took a right turn up at the spillway, and proceeded to break the leader off on a rock.

The largemouth before the carp!

Ethan could only stand there in awe of the power of his first carp battle on the fly rod. And even though he lost that round, he has since vowed to get back there and land one all by himself. And when we get that chance, I’m sure he will.

All in all another great fly fishing adventure with the boys!

Spring Scouting Trips

34 inches of death

During the last week of April I had the chance to scout a local stream for the up and coming warm water fly fishing season. And leading up to that weekend the water levels of many of our local WNY streams where starting to come into shape even with some recent rain.

Black Creek in Churchville, NY was still running a bit on the high side but the water clarity had improved drastically since my last visit. In fact it looked down right fishable! So I guess it was a good thing I brought my gear along with me just in case…heehee.

I did not anticipate a great hour of fishing, in fact I found myself daydreaming of tangled lines, lost flies to submerged boulders and trees, the constant task of trying a multitude of flies in the hopes of finding one that worked and in the end no fish to show for it. And even though early season scouting missions can and will often turn out like this; it is those few trips where you find a bit of fly fishing heaven that keeps you going.

And on this afternoon, for an hour, it was fantastic!

1 of 2 Largemouth Bass on the day

I did not catch a lot of fish, but the quality of what I caught made me realize that Black Creek should be fished earlier than when I usually go in early May.

Three fish came to hand - Two nice Largemouth Bass and a rather large and very thin thirty four inch Northern Pike. They all fell for a weighted number four rabbit strip streamer pattern. And just like in years past, the fish took the fly on the drop as I would lift and strip, lift and strip, lift and strip, lift, stop….fish on.

Scouting trips are usually those throwaway trips that you don’t really count. Sometimes you don’t even fish. As a busy father of three and Husband I have learned to appreciate any time I get to spend on the water – “Scouting trip” or not!

But I will say that some of the best fishing I have had, has come from those short little “scouting” trips.