Fishing with Dad Part 2

My Dad with his first ever solo fly rod caught brown trout.

Before my parents made their trek back to their home in the Adirondacks, my Dad and I had one last chance to fish together. 

Pink scuds are often a good choice

With cold weather persisting and no sign of spring approaching any time soon, we made our way to a local creek that holds some beautiful wild trout that we were hoping would be hungry enough and foolish enough to eat a few of our finely dressed hooks.

Standing in forty seven degree water seemed warm considering our last trip that required us to wade and fish in near freezing water of a local tributary in search of Lake Run trout – a trip that produced no fish. 

My Dad playing a wild brown

For the next hour or so we took turns fishing a pool that held a good fifty or so trout. The clear water made them easy to see, but agonizingly frustrating at times to try and take a fly. After several fly changes, adjustments to indicator and weight we managed to put some fish on the rod. And I am happy to say that my Dad caught his first ever solo caught trout on the fly. Even the cold wind that started to blow through every layer of clothing couldn’t convince us to leave early – There were fish to be caught, and we were doing it together!

#16-#18 red worm patterns also catch their fare share of fish

We ended the day with a few more fish to hand for each of us. And by then, the cold had really started to set in and the walk back to the van was welcome as it gave us some warmth.

I’m very glad that we stuck it out on this day. For some reason I seem to pick the worst times to get out on the stream when my brother and dad come in for fishing trips. They always hear me say “you should have been here last week” or “yesterday there were fish everywhere” and I can never seem to replicate those experiences when they come out with me. We made it happen though, and I’m glad we could finally put a good trip in the bag.

Another golden brown that fell victim to a well placed fly

Thanks for coming out with me Dad!

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

2013 Guys, Flies & Pies Event!!!!

Michael Simmons conducting a fly tying demo.

If you live anywhere near WNY or within an hour or two, may I suggest an event that you may want need to attend on February 16^th.

It is of course the annual Guys, Flies and Pies event!

I cannot say enough good things about this event. You will have the opportunity to share a table with some fantastic tiers from all over WNY, and beyond. You will also have an opportunity to win prizes donated by some of the best in the industry, and the cherry on the top (at least for me) is the mass consumption of some great pizza! I mean…come on….who really expects to go to an event called guys flies and pies and not take part in eating…right?

Jordan Ross of JP Ross Fly Rods shows of
some of his finely crafted rods at last years event.

Both Michael Simmons and his wife Crystal do an amazing job. Together they work hard to make sure that everyone is taken care of, and in the end, have an opportunity to fellowship with lots of other folks who enjoy the sport of fly fishing. It is what the sport should be about! 

Matt Smythe - AKA the Fishing Poet - takes the
time to show his son how to tie a fly.

And because they have done such a wonderful job over the years, the event has grown to a point in which they have had to find a different venue. This year event will be held from 3-8pm at the Roger Robach Community Center (Bathhouse) at Ontario Beach Park at 180 Beach Avenue, Rochester, NY 14612.

In years past I have gone by myself and with my oldest son. But I think I can say that this year I will try and bring my daughter. She is probably the best tier out of all my kids, and has the patience to learn all kinds of new things and put them into practice. This truly is a family event that you could bring anyone to and feel right at home. And that is why I make sure to mark it on my calendar every year!

Besides….you never know…you might meet your next fishing buddy.

So mark it on your calendar – February 16^th! – Guys, Flies and Pies. Let’s all make this year’s event one to remember, and continue to grow the sport of fly fishing.

I’ll see you there.

Fishing with Dan

A little over a week ago I had the pleasure of fishing with an old friend. Dan and I hit up a small inland trout stream and had blast catching some gorgeous wild brown trout.....in mid-winter!

For the whole story please check out my other blog post at the JP Ross Fly Rod website.

Here are a few photos to warm you up.

Dan holds one of a few wild brown trout he caught while stripping a streamer

Small inland wild brown taken on a small midge pattern

A heavily spotted wild brown that ate a #16 red worm

Another fish falls victim to the red worm

Local WNY talent spotlight 2

This month’s fly fishing profile goes to Jordan Ross of JP Ross Flyrods.

An Oatka creek brown trout rests next to a JP Ross nine foot four weight Blue Line seires rod

Details like this are just too cool!

Jordan has been a friend of mine for a while now. In fact I first met up with him at his old shop in New York Mills right around 1996. I would come in and talk fishing for a while during my lunch break, and every now and then he would even let me sit down and tie some flies. For me it was a place to expand my knowledge of fly fishing, share stories, and spend some of my hard earned money.

One of the many stickers that will accompany the box of your new fly rod.

But it was more than just a shop. It was also a workshop where he built custom made fly rods. His goal then was to be able to build and sell his own rods at reasonable prices, so that everyone could get into the sport without spending an arm or a leg.

The shop days are now gone, and I have moved to the Western part of the state, but I still keep in contact with Jordan, and he still is in the business of building custom fly rods. 

He can build anything you want from a ten and a half foot switch rod, to a seven foot three weight glass rod, and everything in between. And it goes beyond the cork grips, reel seats, eyes, wraps, and rod blanks. He makes each rod truly unique and takes the time to make it right for each and every customer. And for me, the personal inscriptions and drawings he uses on the rods and rod cases are the kind of details that put his work over the top!

A gorgeous wild Oatka brown trout caught with the help of my JP Ross Beaver Meadow

I have several of his rods and fish them all the time. And I consider them all a piece of artwork. But for me, his specialty, his crowning achievement, is his custom made small stream light line fly rods – The Beaver Meadow! These rods are designed for small streams and tight quarters where flinging small flies to wild Adirondack brook trout is the name of the game. And they are absolutely perfectly suited for the job on every level. But I have also used mine to catch panfish on ponds and lakes, trout on my local spring creek and even small bass. But it can also handle larger fish too. I have landed seventeen inch wild brown trout from a local freestone trout stream, sixteen inch smallmouth bass, and countless other large spring creek trout that have made its short seven foot length bend and creak with the strain of their weight. It is truly one of the best rods I have ever fished!!!

For more information on his custom rods please check out his website jprossflyrods.com where you can check out blogs from local writers, ongoing specials at his online store, and the “build your own fly rod” page!

Birthday Fishing with a Poet!

Matt Smythe - AKA the fishing Poet - Holds a beautiful post spawn female brown trout.

Last week I had the opportunity to get out and fish for my birthday.

I also had the opportunity to meet up with a friend of mine Matt Smythe AKA the Fishing Poet.

Matt is a writer and a darn good one at that. In fact it is his profession. But over this past year he has taken his passion of the outdoors and slammed it head first into that professional world of writing. He left his desk job, for the unknown and unproven grounds of the freelance world. A brave man indeed!

A nice lake run rainbow/steelhead taken on the swing.

Our goal for the morning was to search the waters of a local tributary and try and tempt its finned inhabitants into taking a fly or two. Lucky for us it was more of the latter.

Matt was running a little late, so he encouraged me to venture out before his arrival. I did, and found two fish willing to take a streamer. One of which was taken on the swing.

Upon Matt’s arrival I was very excited as I had already hooked two beautiful rainbows, landing them both, and had seen at least another seven or eight fish on my walk down to our meeting place.

A bright female steelhead that ate an egg pattern. Photo by Matt Smythe

We set up shop at a favorite pool and began to put our flies to work.

Matt hooked up within that first half hour, and I ran down to help him land his first fish of the day, a gorgeous post spawn female brown trout. A few photos later and she was released.

My last fish of the day. A nice big male with two beautiful red stripes. Photo by Matt Smythe

Over the course of the next couple of hours we each hooked a few more fish, landing only one. But before we left for the day, I had the opportunity to hold one more fish. A gorgeous male rainbow that displayed not one red stripe, but two! A fitting end to a great morning birthday fly fishing session. 

Thanks Matt for joining me on a very memorable day….although I doubt I had to twist your arm very hard to get you out there!

Until next time…………