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A Couple of recent emails

6/30/2013

We love feedback from our customers. Here are a few recent emails.

Hey Tim,
My name is Jack, my brother Tim and I were in the shop about 2 weeks ago talking with you and Terry. You set Tim up with an awesome Reddington 8wt. Just wanted to share a photo of the 1st trout I caught. I waded through the White Clay on Sunday and ended up catching about 11 fish, 2 were trout and the others were smallies. It was a great day of fishing, I had all that crystal clear water to myself. I can honestly say that after my first outing I am enamored by this way of fishing. Just wanted to thank you guys for all your help. You and Terry are great! Tim and I can't seem to stay away from your store now, we are actually heading in there tonight. Anyways, I hope this picture can find it's way to your photos section on your site! Thanks again for everything!

Dave S. recently purchased a full Spey set up from us

Hi Terry,
   Just a note to let you know how very happy I am with the spey outfit. The Ross rod and reel perform great and the line recommendations were right on! Took six nice trout last week swinging big streamers in a high and muddy Little Juniata River. My casting skills are still a work in progress, but I cannot blame the equipment for that.
     Thanks again,
          Dave

Jack and Dave,

We are glad you are both happy with your recent success out on the water. We look forward to seeing you in the shop in the future. Thank you very much for the kind words.

A Marblehead Flyfisher

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Calendar of events

6/27/2013

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Our Calender of events has just been updated with several items you may be interested in. Due to many requests we have added a fall fly tying class. This 4 week class will start on Wednesday night, October 23rd and run for four consecutive weeks. We are still kicking around ideas for this fall class, thoughts have included "Guide Flies" "Articulated Streamers" "Tying with Foam" or a "Steelhead / Tube Fly" themed class. Whatever Class we do it is sure to be a great time.

Our Winter tying classes will keep the same format as in past years. We will start the beginner class on Tuesday, January 14, 2014. The Advanced class will start on Wednesday the 15th and the Salt Water class will start on Thursday the 16th. All 3 of these classes will run for six consecutive weeks, weather permitting. Our winter tying classes are a great way to get out and have "fishing" fun during the winter months. Based on past years the beginner and advanced classes fill quickly, be sure you to get in early to hold your spot. For more information on our tying classes you can click here. Here are a few pictures from last years classes. Looks like fun to me...

If you look at the July calender you will see an entry on Sunday the 7th. We are going to do an informal gathering at Brandywine Creek State Park on Sunday afternoon. The goal here is for us to get together, talk fishing, fish a little, and have a good day on the river. Terry and I, as well as many members of the Rat Squad will be there with our Light Spey rods. Casting demos and informal casting instruction will be available. Kind of a mini Brandywine Jam if you will. If you have ever had an inkling to try this Spey casting thing, want to see some new gear, or just want to come out and hang out with some like minded people this is a great opportunity to do so. Light refreshments will be available. We are also targeting this date as the launch of our new Spey casting and fishing club. This formal club is something we have been working very hard on. Club meetings, conservation projects and hosted trips are a few of the things that will be a part of our ultimate goal. Time for this event will be 1:00 pm till 5:00 pm We will be posting more information about this event here as well as our Facebook page when it becomes available. This could be a great opportunity to cross a few fish off of your Smallmouth Challenge list as well. We look forward to seeing you there.

Last but not least we will be hosting the first annual Marblehead Flyfisher Spey Clave at the shop. We are still working out many details for this event with our biggest sales rep. We are shooting for the first Saturday in September, but that could change. Our goal with this event is to promote and showcase all things Spey. Similar to our "Open House" events this is another great opportunity to get into this very popular casting and fishing style. Many more details for this event will follow. Keep an eye on this website, our Facebook page and the Twitter feed as more info will be posted as it becomes available.

Fly tying, Smallmouth fishing, and Spey casting, there are plenty of things to keep us busy through the dog days of summer.

Tight lines...

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Fishing report 6-22-13

6/23/2013

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Well, It has been a while since our last report. 3 weeks of heavy rain and blown out rivers have kinda put a damper on the fishing. As I type this the Brandywine is still running at about 375 cfs. I fished it on Saturday Morning and it was still a little off color. Hopefully by this afternoon the conditions will be better. The rains should help the Trout rivers as the water temps seem to be holding in the low to mid 60's. I cant remember the last time I Trout fished on the 4th of July, but this year I might just have to give it a go. When we are in high water conditions remember to fish the edges as they will clear first, If you are nymphing or swinging streamers a heavier fly or a sink tip may be in order. In water conditions like this it may be a good time to dust off the ole' streamer box and throw something big and ugly at them. Remember, these fish have been fighting heavy currents for some time now. They are hungry, but are not going to leave their holding spots unless the reward is worth the energy expended to get it. I like big streamers designed to push a lot of water so the fish can "feel" the fly. This can be a big plus when visibility is reduced due to water conditions. Big rubber legged Buggers, Zoo Cougars, Muddlers, and Zonkers get the nod here. This may be a good time to leave the 3 or 4 weight at home and grab the 5 or 6 weight (seven if on the Smallmouth river). Remember bulky or heavy flies need a little more "umpf" to get them out there, a four weight may not be enough! First and foremost always be safe on the water during these conditions. If you are nervous about wading a piece of water it is probably for good reason. Get out and find another way around. Make sure to wear your wader belt, and always fish with a partner.

All that being said the fishing has been pretty good the past week after all the storms. The White Clay and West Branch of the Octoraro have been giving up fish in fair numbers. Buggers and Streamers have seemed to be the ticket with black, olive, brown and of all things purple being a good color choices. Some Sulphurs are still around as well as plenty of Caddis. Rick had a great day last Sunday fishing a Sulphur cripple, here are some of the shots...looks like it was a great day!

This one looks like a wallpaper shot

Looks like Robbie and his dad have been busy. Great shots!

As mentioned before big bulky streamers will be the ticket for now until we get through this high water trend then we will go back to our nymphing and dry fly fishing. Keep an eye on the water temps and remember if we hit 70 degrees or above for more than 24 hours straight let the Trout be. At that time we recommend you switch to Smallmouth bass...

We are getting into one of the best time of the year for Smallmouth Bass. The fish have finished or are finishing their spawn, the big ole' hens are off the beds and looking for food. My philosophy at this time is to "give them the groceries" BIG streamers, helgermites, crayfish, and nymphs are my preferred patterns right now. Just like Trout, Bass need a big reward in order to expend the energy to move to eat something. The Brandywine will fish well from now till the end of October. The Smallmouth Challenge is a great way to expand your Smallie fishing. Check out our summertime fishing activity here. Ed and his nephew floated the Brandywine 3 times this week. The first time was on Friday morning. They stopped in for a quick casting lesson and then were off to the river. At about 3:00 in the afternoon Ed called to tell me he had landed a good one. A quick check of his Facebook page says it is more than a good one, it is an absolute pig! Whats best is he landed it on a fly he designed and the shop ties for him, the "Mr Collins Rubber Legged Weenie". Great job Ed, I wish I was there with you.

Awesome shot!

Mr Collins Rubber Legged Weenie

True Story... As I sat down to type this my phone started to go off. As I looked at the text messages I see some awesome pictures that "One Boot" Ed sent me. Ed is working his way through the Smallmouth Challenge and is crossing his list off quickly. I guess the Clouser Mad Tom may be his new favorite! Big, dark streamers in muddy water. What a great combo.

Ed measured the beast at over 17 inches. He said "it had my TCR doubled over and I thought at first it was a Carp" Smallmouth are some of the hardest fighting fresh water fish out there. If you haven't tried em you are missing out on one of our best summertime fisheries. Give em a try, you wont be disappointed.

The Saltwater bite has been pretty strong. Good reports of Weakfish and Stripers from Cape May to the Henelopen piers. Mostly a night time affair, with Clousers, Half and Half's and Deceivers being top choices. Good numbers of Weakfish have been landed. Many of these are smaller fish in the 15 inch range, but a few are much larger. Here are a couple of better Weakies landed in the past week.

Stripers are on the bite as well. Big Bunker patterns have been producing well at night on the outgoing tide. The IRI seems to be the place to be. Go early, stake your claim and be prepared to fish the whole tide well into the night or early morning. These pics were taken at sun-up after an entire nights of fishing.

Weather you prefer Trout or Smallmouth, Weakfish or Stripers, the fact is that fish are there to be had. Good luck and Get out and fish!!!!

Tight lines...

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This is so cool I had to post it.

6/23/2013

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Looks like this is an out take from Skagit Master 4. Funny as hell!

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Skagit Master 4 is in!

6/16/2013

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Skagit Master 4 features Tom Larimer and a bunch of his steelheading buddies as they travel from the rivers of Wisconsin to Steelhead Alley in Ohio, swinging flies for midwest Steelhead. Dave Pinczkowski, Jeff Hubbard, Jay Niederstadt and Greg Senyo spend long days with Tom on their home waters cracking the code and hooking numerous fish.

Check out the trailer...

This two disk set is in stock now and goes for $49.99. We also have SM1 through SM3 in stock as well. These are some of the best DVD's on the subject of Skagit casting and Steelheading across the country. Stop in and pick up a copy today. You will be glad you did!
Tight lines...

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The maiden voyage of the PAC-13 drift boat.

6/13/2013

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Last week Terry and I dunked the Outcast PAC-13 in the river for her maiden voyage down the Brandywine. Obviously we took along fishing gear, but this was to be more of a "dry run" for the float trips we will be running this summer. We put it in at our uppermost put-in (at this time) the Lenape picnic park and floated to one of our take-outs on a private section of the Brandywine.

First time in the river.

This is a really cool pic. We should frame this one!

The big moment!

We started off drifting down the river with Terry on the oars and me on the bow. One thing became apparent right off the bat. Casting and fishing out of a drift boat is NOTHING like walk and wade fishing! After a few impromptu lessons from the boss and a learning curve that I made much harder than it needed it to be we started to get in sync. Pick up, cast, strip, strip, strip, repeat. There is no time for false casting and the strip is an aggressive, long , fast strip. One thing I had to wrap my brain around is that the boat is always moving down river. Shortly into the trip the first ever fish to be landed on the boat came to hand...

I am honored to have landed the first fish on the boat.

As we continued to float down the river Terry remarked at how easy the boat was to maneuver. I was surprised at the complexity of the oarsman's job. There is much more to rowing a drift boat than just floating down the middle of the river. Positioning for a river left or a river right cast, back rowing, looking for casting obstructions etc. are all part of the job. With two fishermen in the boat this will be quite the intense job. Terry had me in the game the whole afternoon, a true professional!

Rigging the 6 wt.

About an hour into the float we really started to get things down and started to land a few fish including a few nice Smallmouth. Unfortunately, the nicest fish had other plans when it came to picture time and back in the river she went. A solid 15 to 16" Bronze-back was the days best. One thing for sure, once you float in this boat you won't ever want to float in a canoe again. The stability of this boat is amazing. Weather sitting or standing casting is no problem. With the two of us and enough gear to stay on the river for two or three days the boat floated in less than 6" of water! The bow casting platform is very roomy and easy to work from. At no point did I feel like it was too small. If my back started to hurt I would just sit down and cast from the seat, the line of sight was not as good, but it was a nice break from standing.

Here is a short video of Terry bringing the boat through a narrow section of the river. Believe me, he makes this look easy. This was a tough slot to navigate.

If you have been thinking about floating the Brandywine, or looking to cross a few fish off of your "Challenge" list let me say there is no more comfortable way to do it than in our PAC-13 drift boat. If you have been floating in a canoe you really should try the PAC-13, the stability in this boat is unbelievable. Give us a call at the shop (302)654-6515 or contact us through email here if you are interested in more details about out summer float trips down the Brandywine. July is already starting to fill, but August is wide open. We look forward to hearing from you.

Tight lines...

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G Loomis wins the 5wt shootout

6/10/2013

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The new G Loomis NRX LP has arrived in a big way. By winning the 5 wt shootout Loomis has solidified itself among the best of the best in fly rod manufactures. The LP stands for 'Light Presentation". These types of rods are making a big surge on the market this year with many manufactures jumping on the "presentation" rod bandwagon and for good reason. This is how Loomis describes their new line of LP rods: When conditions call for long, delicate casts using extremely light leaders to help you fool spooky fish, the NRX LP rods are the answer. They are smooth casting, soft tapers for managing long, whisper-thin leaders and small to medium-sized dry flies. They track true for exceptional accuracy and control, plus they are light as a feather with beautiful lines, featuring select species cork and your choice of our original, stealthy look in matte black with bright blue wraps or a more traditional Evergreen with subtle green wraps and silver trim. When the fish get finicky and the water gets low and clear you will have the answer... NRX LP!

Here is the link to the results of the 2013 5 wt shootout.

http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/gear-review/2013-5-weight-shootout-g-loomis-nrx-lp-loop-optistream-hardy-zenith-hardy-artisan-tom-morgan-sage-circa-orvis-helios-2-greys-xf2

We have the NRX LP in stock now and ready to cast. Who knows, The next rod you own just may be the 2013 5 wt shootout winner.

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A Couple of recent emails

We love feedback from our customers. Here are a few recent emails.

Dave S. recently purchased a full Spey set up from us

Calendar of events

Fishing report 6-22-13

This is so cool I had to post it.

Skagit Master 4 is in!

The maiden voyage of the PAC-13 drift boat.

G Loomis wins the 5wt shootout

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