Sorry guys for not posting lately. I have started up college and am student teaching this semester. It has not given me the time to get out really. So, when my buddy Keith asked me on Friday night to fish on Saturday I was excited to get out. However, there was this thing called a snow storm. I mean I did not mind, but I was not sure about him. He insisted, so after a morning of playing with the kiddos it was time to get out for a little afternoon fishing.
We arrived at the local stream around 2:00 and fished to 4:30 in that time frame we each caught double digits. It was an awesome day. Fishing in the snow is probably one of my favorite times. It is quiet and serene.
What made it all the better, was the large bow I landed. It was easily over 16 inches and was thick. My year has started off with a bang. Between the wild tiger trout, wild bows, hammering fish on Spring Creek, fishing The Narrows, and now this large bow. I do not think I could have started the year off better.
Unfortunately, Keith lost two fish larger then the one I landed and they all came out of the same hole. Every fish caught during the afternoon was either landed on a cream caddis imitation I tie or a little black stone fly nymph I began experimenting with.
Next Saturday The Fly Fishing Show pulls into Sommerset NJ and I will be heading out. Look for a blog post after that. I am looking forward to meeting some friends in the industry, Pa Fly Fish Guys, and fellow Bloggers like Mike Aka Dub the Thorax.
Hmm Did not notice the Schmegma till now, but here you can see the size while Keith holds it.
My buddy and blogger Mike Aka Dub The Thorax is having a contest. Post your best picture on his FaceBook page and get the most likes. He then is going to give the winner a dozen flies of their choice. What the heck, go get yourself a dozen flies by clicking this link........Click Me
If you want you can like my pic of the wild tiger. I could use the flies!
Also, another fellow blogger Howard AKA Cofisher is having a contest that I am a finalist in. It involves my past Blog called "My Fishing Evolution". If you would like, I would like you to vote for my story. Just click this link.......Click Me! Then in the right hand corner just vote for my blog. It will take you less then 10 seconds seriously.
As my followers know by now, I have to travel around the state at times to meet clients. So, when my boss contacted me and asked me if I wanted to go to Jersey Shore, Pa for a claim, because no one else wanted to drive that far, I accepted. I know Jersey Shore is close to Pine Creek, but would have to travel a good bit north to fish it. I was not in the mood to drive further away from my house. I threw up a message on the PA Fly Fish message boards looking for some guidance on streams in the area. A known fly fishing "celebrity" recommended Big Fishing Creek.
I have heard about BFC before but have never fished it. I know it is loved just like the other Central Pa majors (Spring, Penns, Little Juniata). A couple other members echoed his sentiment and the decision was made for me. I met with my client, grabbed some lunch, and a couple cigars and was at the stream by 12:00. I decided to fish the famous Narrows section and I could not locate it. I kinda had directions to the area, but was a little lost. I drove around a little and saw some amazing water. Just as I was about to just give up, two gentleman walking dogs stopped and asked if I was lost. I explained I was looking for the narrows section of BFG and they quickly gave me directions to where I needed to be. I parked, quickly got my gear on, and just stared at the riffles. Nature was all around me and I was just taking it in. I shook myself out of the daze and walked about 1/2 down stream. I knew I did not have a lot of time and wanted to work the water thoroughly, so I did not walk as far as I normally would to start. I walked up to the stream and immediately witnessed a nice brown dart away. I did not know if that was going to be a sign of good or bad things to come.
I began using a three nymph rig with a float. My point fly was a Double Beaded Stone that I had tyed on here last year. It is a large heavy tungsten beaded fly that would help get my flies down in the fast deep pocket water of BFC. I also tied on a BHPT and a dubbing on a hook cress bug pattern. I worked the water, and constantly was changing my flies. I could not get a take. However, the environment I was fishing in made me not really care. Midges were all over the place, but I saw no risers. Possibly I made a mistake by not using some midge larva patterns. I got to the last set of pocket water before my car,and their were little seams everywhere. I enjoy this kind of water, because it defines where to cast. Everywhere there is a seam being caused by a large boulder or two little rocks you drift your flies through. One thing I do not enjoy is all the snags. I lost my third double beaded stonefly of the day and decided this water was a little two shallow for this fly. I put on my largest Prince nymph as my point fly, and first cast with it hooked up. Little dinker danced across the water. The happiness of not getting skunked crossed my mind while I tried to net it. Once in the net I looked to see if it was a brook or brown...............it was neither. I stared in amazement at this 5 inch fish of a lifetime. It was what I believed to be a wild stream bred tiger trout.
A tiger trout is born when a female brown trouts eggs are fertilized by a male brook trout. Once born they are not able to reproduce. Pennsylvania used to stock tiger trout, but since 2005 have stopped. BFC is known to have wild browns and native brook trout.
When I first caught the fish I believed it to be a tiger, but was not 100% positive, because I had never caught one before. After posting the photo's on PAFF, I was quickly told it was in fact a wild tiger trout and that it was indeed a lucky day for me. It was the only fish of the day for me, but it was a memorable one. Big Fishing Creek now holds a special place in my heart.
Most years you and I might cringe at fishing on New Years Day. Whether it be the nasty hangovers from the amateur night the day before, or the bone chilling weather that is expected for that time of year. It did not matter, I am at the point of my addiction that I will fish anytime and anywhere. I decided to ask my buddy Dave from Pittsburgh, who is on the exact opposite side of the state as me, to meet me halfway to fish. Two hours for him, two and a half for me. We also got our buddy Cory to join us. Lucky him lives thirty minutes away from Spring. Never did we think we would be fishing in fifty degree weather on New Years Day.
I woke up with three hours sleep and made the drive out to State College. All the time dreaming about wild brown trout sipping on Bwo's. Even though the weather seemed perfect for that event, it never materialized.
BSing
I arrived at The Canyons on Spring Creek around 7:45am. I drove down the stone road and was in awe of the beauty in the London fog coming off of the water. I tried to take some pictures, but I still do not have the hang of the new camera. It seems to want to focus on the fog and take out of focus pictures. Actually, I would like to apologize for the photo's in this blog entry. They did not turn out to well. Think it was because the fishing was so good and I did not take my time.
Cory Nymphing It
Cory and Dave pulled in right after me and we proceeded to BS for a good hour. The fishing seemed to take a back seat to the laughs and great time we knew we would be having. We finally geared up and walked to the end of the new open area and proceeded to work out way back to the car. Within five minutes of spreading out and dipping our toes in the water. I landed a 6 inch brown and Dave had lost two and Cory one. The three of us slowly walked up stream and fished together. By the time we made it up a hundred yards or so, we had all landed fish and the threat of a skunking was gone. We arrived at the first deep hole of the stream. A large tree is in the water forming a nice riffle, deep hole, and slack water. If there was going to be a monster on the creek it was under that tree. We talked about fishing at night with a mouse fly and watching a kyped brown pounding a swung vermin. The three of us pounded that hole taking turns after snapping our flies off on overhung tree branches. Each of us pulling a fish from the spot.
Dave Rocking It
I enjoy fishing WITH friends. I am not one to meet at a parking lot say hello's and then run away from whomever I decided to meet. Agreeing to meet at a certain time to grab some lunch and then splitting up from each other and fishing separately. I like to fish close to friends and be able to bust balls or take pictures of each other fish. Enjoying the day together and not just trying to catch as many fish as possible.
This is how we fished for the day, working over each others water meticulously. Trying to catch the fish the other guy did not bring to hand. We all caught fish and we had a blast of a day. Not to taut numbers, but the three of us brought close to twenty to hand. I caught six out of my seven on dubbing on a hook and my other on Loren Williams Sexy Walts Worm. I believe Dave caught his fish on egg patterns and his cress bug pattern. Cory caught his on San Juans, cress bugs and scuds. However, Cory missed the hook set on a large brown from under a bridge with a wooly bugger, and then had a huge brown break him off. It was easily 24+ and made the splash of a bowling ball dropped from a skyscraper. The day ended with a trip to Champs in State college where we enjoyed more laughs, some beer and great food. I am not a beer connoisseur, but Ithacas Apricot Wheat went down like water for me. It was delicious out of the tap, and I am kicking myself for not bringing a growler of it home. Cory jokes that it is his wifes favorite beer.......
