Croton TU Annual Dinner – March 8, 2014

If you haven’t already done so, please try to support the Croton TU chapter by attending our annual dinner on Saturday, March 8, 2014. The dinner is one of our most important fundraising events of the year and helps pay for speakers, monthly meeting space, and, most importantly, equipment and supplies for students and participants in our TU initiatives, such as Trout in the Classroom and Project Healing Waters.

Of course, you could always pay for a ticket and not attend, which is possible, but then you would miss out on the action on 20+ (22 at the moment) raffles and drawings, which include things like rods, reels, bags, etc. (and I’m talking some top of the line stuff, here – Sage, Fishpond, Orvis, etc.). You’ll also have the chance to bid on some sweet guided trips from some of the best guides in the area.

Tickets to the dinner are $75 a person and there will be a cash bar. You can purchase your tickets here. Hope to see you there!!!

Long time, no see

I’m going to attempt to consolidate a few posts into one (well, its not like I haven’t been doing anything!). First, I’ve been spending a lot of time working with the Croton Watershed Trout Unlimited Chapter, assisting with our new website, conducting casting lessons at the NY Trout in the Classroom teacher conference in October, and writing an article for the latest newsletter (please make sure you check out the new Croton TU website and create your username/password, which will allow you to see more content, including things like posting wanted/for sale messages and ‘find a fishing buddy’). The new website was demo’d at the holiday party this past Thursday by Bob Wesolowski, where I also won this sweet new hat:

I’ve also been building up some of my streamer inventory. The first two pictures (below) are of my streamer box, of which about 90% are new streamers I ordered from Rich Strolis. The second picture is a sampling of the Sirloin (left) and Ausable Ugly (right) I ordered from Rich Garfield. You can learn how to tie the Ausable Ugly here.

In November, I went out with the Mianus TU guys to the Naugatuck River for some Atlantic Salmon fishing. This was my first time fishing for Atlantic Salmon and didn’t catch anything, but will definitely be heading back here next year. Thanks to Jeff Yates and the guys from Mianus TU for putting this trip together, it was a lot of fun.

And lastly, given the warmer temperatures this past weekend, I hit up the Norwalk and the East Branch Croton Rivers, with no success. I had the Norwalk all to myself (aside from some joggers), while the East Branch was about 10 cars thick by the Sodom Rd pull-off. Anyway, it was still fun to get outside and enjoy the good weather.

Upcoming events:

Project Healing Waters – Volunteers needed for the Project Healing Waters program at the Montrose VA hospital (fly tying/rod building – no experience necessary). When: the first and third Thursdays of the month. To volunteer contact me and I will put you in touch with the project lead.

1/1 – Mianus TU New Year’s Day Trip to the Mill River

1/14 – Mianus TU Fly Tying Clinic and Chapter Meeting 

1/23 – Croton TU Chapter Meeting – Presentation by fly tyer and guide Dave Brandt

1/24-1/26 – Somerset Fly Fishing Show

3/8 – Croton TU Annual Dinner

March (TBD) – Fly Fishing Film Tour, NYC

May (TBD) – Croton TU – Spruce Creek and West Branch Angler trips (open to Croton TU members only)

Round Lake

This past weekend we took a trip “upstate” to visit my parents and I was able to steal two hours early Saturday morning to try out one of the spots I’ve been eyeing, a small tributary at the North end of Round Lake (this is about two minutes from where we were staying).

Once I got there I noticed that the water was not really what I was used to, it was very slow and stagnant. But since I was looking to catch some smallies, it was worth a shot anyway. In the end, I was able to hook up with a few smallies and a whole mess of sunfish, which were fun, but didn’t really provide any difficult fishing. More importantly, I took some time to explore a little for my next visit and bushwhacked my way a little further towards the lake. Looming around were some giant carp, which I took a stab at, but wasn’t able to hook. Given how convenient it is when I’m visiting my parents and the unexpected presence of some giant fish, I’ll definately be back.

 

Mianus TU Housatonic Trip: Beers and Brats

Thanks to the Mianus TU for a great day last weekend catching smallmouth on the Housatonic. It was crowded, but the fishing was still great and the crowd was very friendly. My favorite things about this trip: 1) my first double hookup on two streamers; 2) Beer; 3) Brats; and 4) German music.

View Downstream:

View Upstream:

My First Double:

The fishing was actually really great. I teamed up with my new buddy, Jim, and we had a lot of action once we crossed the river and hiked a little bit. The water was a little cloudy and small steamers (crayfish imitations and olive woolie buggers) seemed to work well all day.

The highlight of the day, though, was meeting up with the group at the Old Heidelberg Restaurant in Bethel, Ct.. TU arranged for some pre-fix beer and brats, which were out of this world. I loved this place so much that I’ve convinced my family to head out there soon for some Oktoberfesting:

Delaware Day Trip and Jubilee

This past Saturday, I took a day trip to the Delaware. Once I got to Roscoe, I stopped in at the Baxter House to speak with Ken and pick up a few flies. After that, I decided to quickly check out the Catskill Fly Fishing Center‘s Summerfest Jubilee:

It was fun to walk around and see the old fishing tackle/gear and some of the paintings by the local artists, all of which were for sale. Also, there seemed to be some good deals as folks were walking out with armfuls of old rods. However, I wasn’t really in the market for anything and, eventually, found myself feeling as if I was wasting precious time. I decided to come back next year and headed to the water right away.

I picked a spot near the upper-lower-East branch that I’ve been to before and found a whole bunch of these guys on the rocks, I believe they were stonefly exoskeletons. I wonder how long ago they hatched:

I thought it may rain, but it turned out to be a beautiful day. I caught a small brown and a small rainbow, which seemed to have gotten injured at some point in the past (you can see this in the picture – looks like some puss formed over the wound). I also hooked a big brown, but it threw the hook right away. Looked good though. Some of you may recognize the location:

I took some underwater pics on my way out and found these guys, I believe they are a whole mish-mosh of caddis and mayfly larva, but not sure what that thing on top of the rock is. Let me know if you can figure it out. May just be some sort of vegetation, hopefully its not some more rock snot:

A Few Weeks of “Firsts”

A few things to catch up on… First of all, a few weeks ago I headed out again to LI Sound (Holly Pond) in CT with guide Jeff Yates for another whack at catching that first striped bass and finally got one! Not that big, but it was the first of what I hope to be a lot more. Jeff wasn’t joking about how strong these guys are, even at this size. If you haven’t yet fly fished for striped bass, you’re missing out and you should give Jeff a call to set up a few days on the Sound. Even though you should be prepared to put in some time on the water, good things come to those who wait:

Also, while on our Adirondack vacation two weeks ago, my son caught his first fish! He wasn’t using a fly rod, but did pretty well with his $12 Spider Man rig. It was what we called “a Joey sized fish”. While we were up there, I wanted to take a day to myself on the Ausable, but it was too hot to fish:

And finally, last Friday I attended a great presentation at the NYC Orvis store by Rob Ceccarini (Downtown Trout) about fly fishing for carp.  Very good hints and tips were given by Rob, who loves fishing our local waters for these suckers. Its pretty crazy that some of the best places to go are places you wouldn’t really think to fly fish, like the Bronx River. Here is a pic of some of the flies he uses:

I hope to get out and do some fishing this weekend and, perhaps, check out the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum “Summerfest” and Hardy Cup tomorrow. Hopefully the weather cooperates.

Ole Ole, Ole Ole, Ole Ole, Ole Ole. Feeling hot, hot, hot!

Long time, no write! Sorry about that. Its been a crazy few weeks and extremely hot outside, so, as I usually react, when its too hot, I don’t feel like doing much at all, including sitting at a computer. However, I actually did get some fishing in lately.

On the trout side of things, I headed out to the East Branch Croton about two weeks ago and was able to score a few small browns near and under Borden Bridge. The flow was crazy high given all the rain we had, but I was able to hook some small browns on a pheasant tail with a green caddis pupa in tandem. I also tried a streamer for a little while, but no luck. I had enough time to take a little hike upstream of the bridge and was surprised by all the white water I was seeing. That area is usually pretty rough, but I had never seen it like that before. It sounded and looked like a mini Niagara Falls. Be careful with the heat, though. Even a few seconds out of the water on days like we’ve had lately could be fatal to the fish. If its too hot, don’t go. I happened to luck out going before the latest heat wave.

On the non-trout side of things, I’ve been doing a little exploration lately. For one, I’ve been spending a few days with guide, Mianus TU chapter president, and fly fishing extraordinaire, Jeff Yates, to learn the ins and outs of fly fishing for striped bass on Long Island Sound. I’ve learned a lot so far (key access sites, parking tips, what to use, when to go, etc.), but have only been able to hook sea robins so far. We’ve seen stripers and blues feeding, but I really need to get my casting in order so that I can make it out to where the fish are. Its pretty tough going so far, but Jeff has been great at showing me some casting tips and I think I’ve been making some good progress. I have another day or two planned with Jeff this summer and, as he says, he won’t give up until I catch at least four stripers! Also, some of these places are extremely beautiful. So when your not fishing, your soaking in the great views. I’ve already showed my wife and she plans to bring the kids out to some of the beaches asap. Here are some pics (That’s me in the rainbow. No gold.):

On another non-trout note, I have been thinking of trying for some carp lately. Rob Ceccarini (Downtown Trout) has been having a great time and posting some nice pics on his Facebook of the hogs he’s caught in some local water that you would never think of fishing (or, at least, it wouldn’t be your first choice…). Also, if you haven’t seen the article about fly fishing in Central Park in the latest Drake, you should check it out. It opened my eyes to some more great, local, fly fishing opportunities.

On the calendar:

The Croton TU is planning an outing on July 24th on the Farmington. For more information click here. I may not be able to make it as it is on a Wednesday, but head on out if you can. Its free, its fun, its easy (if your a newbie, they’ll pair you up with someone more experienced), and everyone heads out for drinks afterward. Great group of folks too.

The Mianus TU is planning a restoration project for the Norwalk River on July 27th and August 10th and for the Mianus River on August 3rd. For more information click here.

Little J

This past weekend I teamed up with some fellow members of the Croton TU for a 3 night, 4 day trip to the Little Juniata river in PA, staying at the Inn at Edgewater Acres in Alexandria (about a 5 hour drive from White Plains). The accommodations were great, clean and comfortable with a full breakfast included. The bar was also a bonus, which had great service, food and prices. The location was beautiful, with farms all around us and quaint little towns scattered here and there. Also, the fishing was extraordinarily convenient, with the Big J located right in the Inn’s backyard, very close to the junction with its little sister and tons of water. On the first day, I went fishing on the Little J by myself, very close to the Inn:

The next day, one of my fellow TU members (Mike) and I fished with a guide, Leo Vensel, of paflyguide.com, fishing from about noon-9pm. Leo was fantastic. He took us to a very productive spot on the Little J, where we were able to hook countless browns while nymphing for most of the day. He also provided lunch, which included brownies for desert, topped with chocolate covered coffee beans (drooling right now….). The following is a 4-step guide to catching and releasing a nice Little J-Brown:

In the evening, we switched over to dry flies. There was a fantastic sulphur hatch on, which led to the fish going absolutely ballistic. We tied on a good imitation and had some more fun (pay no attention to my bug-eyes, I had a little incident with some sun block earlier on, which drove me nuts all day):

The next day, we hit up a few more spots, caught a few decent fish, and then headed back to the same spot that Leo took us too the night before. But this time, since it was Saturday, it was a little too crowded. However, I was still able to pull this guy in towards the end of the day:

All in all, it was a great time. The folks from TU were great, I found a great place to stay, found an awesome guide (thanks, Leo!), and will definitely head back as soon as I can. I highly recommend it.

Have a happy Memorial Day!

Pulp Fiction

While I put together a new post about my recent trip to the Little Juniata river in PA, please wonder in amazement at:

I may need to order the tee shirt….. (FYI credit to Tom Chandler’s blog for the idea)

Delaware Trip and Website Address Change

Last week I was lucky enough to spend a few days in the Catskills and fish the famous Delaware River. I was very excited to get away for a few days and had scheduled 1 day to fish by myself and then a full-day float trip with Ken Tutalo from the Baxter House. This was only the second trip I’ve ever taken to this system, but I really find myself loving it. Last year Ken took us out on the main stem, which was awesome, and I was eager to find out where we would hit this time. The first day of the trip I headed out on my own, checking out a few spots on the East Branch and the Beaverkill. The weather was beautiful and sunny, which spawned some sporadic hatch activity on both rivers. I didn’t see any rises on day 1, so I stuck to the 3-nymph rig that Ken recommended to me earlier in the morning. It was a beautiful day, but no luck (awesome self-portrait below):

Day 2 I met up with Ken for a full day float. The weather was…. not good. Cold and windy (really windy). We put in at East Branch and soon noticed whitecaps, which were (of course) heading in the wrong direction. Undeterred, we started off hitting the banks with a two-streamer rig on my 8 wt., which Ken had taught me to cast using the water-load method. Even though I managed not to hook any eyes or knock out Ken, we didn’t have much more luck with the streamers. We then switched over to Ken’s go-to 3-nymph rig set up on one of his 10 ft. 5 wts. (we had my 9 ft. 5 wt. teed up with a CDC Blue Winged Olive just in case we saw anything on top), which we used for the majority of the trip. I was worried about my luck from the previous day, but Ken explained that the fish had not really moved yet from where they had been all winter long, usually holding in spots that had good protection from predators and where food was easy to come by (Easy = where it would be funneled right in front of their faces). If you could find these spots, Ken said, the fish would all be hanging there and usually do not spread out to other spots on the river until there is some major hatch activity that gets them moving. Spot on advice, as usual, and we found several holding spots pretty quickly. I was able to hook up with a nice, 19″ brown and a few rainbows in the 14-18″ range. Fun stuff. I have to hand it to Ken, though. He managed to keep the boat under control in really choppy conditions and, also, displayed remarkable patience after I put countless tangles into the nymph rig (did I mention we didn’t lose any eyes?). I’ll work on my shoddy casting skills, though. Hopefully I can get back out there soon, as it looks like things are really about to pop.

FYI Please take note of my new web address https://chrisgoesfishing.wordpress.com and, if you have any links to my site on your blog, please update them. Thanks!