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!

Tributary fishing spring 2018

In search of Lake Runs - Part II

I know its June, but I am going to go back to last month to share a bit from a great day on the water with my oldest son and my daughter.

Jonathan's May Steelhead

It was May 6^th and we were in search of one last drop back steelhead.

Even though it had started to warm up a bit, the water was still quite cold and starting to drop and clear. Just about as close to perfect conditions as you can get for this time of year.

Jon's 1st smallmouth bass

We decided to walk a ways downstream first, and then walk and fish our way back up to the bridge where we came in.

Our first stop was a good sized pool with a great fall down at the top and some great ledges for the fish to hide by in the middle and tail-out.

Jonathan took position at the top and Katie at the middle.

Katie's 19" smallmouth

In that first half an hour. Jonathan managed a beautiful drop back hen steelhead, and a nice sized smallmouth bass. Katie got a good pull, but was never able to connect. When we felt as though we caught what we could, we moved on.

Our next location proved to be more of the same, giving up a few fine fish and then turning off. The pool gave up a rather large nineteen inch smallmouth to Katie, while Jonathan landed a very respectable rock bass. I hooked a large smallmouth in the tail-out, but couldn’t seal the deal.

Our last couple of hours we worked our way back up to the bridge, hitting all the major pools and deep pockets and runs. We each managed some very nice fish, but Katie’s twenty inch smallmouth bass was the fish of the afternoon.

All fish where caught on woolly buggers in olive and brown, and craft hair streamer patterns.

Katie's 20" smallmouth.

Even I managed to land at least one.

I managed to take some great photos and video. I’ll post the photos and try to get the video up when I can…..Enjoy!

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!