As I drove into the shop today I was amazed at the color of the landscape and how the trees looked in full fall dress. Unfortunately if we get the storm they are saying we will get, my guess is it will all be gone by Wednesday. I will also be curious to see what the sudden burst of water will do to the fish that are already in all of our local rivers. I guess we will just have to wait and see exactly what Sandy brings us. 

  Terry, Rick and I did get out on Sunday and had a great afternoon. Terry and I opted to fish the upper section and Rick fished the lower reaches. 

  

At the top Terry and I split up and he walked to the middle section and I stayed up top. Figuring it was Fall and thinking the Browns would be ready to strap on the feed bag I started fishing my favorite streamer the Zoo Cougar. I had worked my way downstream for about an hour and didn't have a take. After I saw the third fish spook off of the streamer I decided it was time to change. My only reasoning is the Gin clear water must have had something to do with the fishes rejection of my tried and true Zoo Cougar. After spending some time looking under rocks I found some SMALL clinger nymphs, probably a size 20. I rigged up a dry and dropper rig with a #16 tan Caddis on top and a #18 Pheasant Tail as the dropper. Shortly after switching I stuck my first fish, a decent Brown. 

 I continued working my way downstream where I met up with the boss. He was working a run quite efficiently so I just stood back, snapped a few pictures, and watched.  

After meeting and talking I thought it kind of cool that we both had on basically the same rig. We had not talked since we split up some 3 hours earlier, but using what we saw on and in the water we both came to the same conclusion. I guess great minds truly do think alike.  

 We continued fishing back up river together and Terry landed one more good one before we came up on a pod of rising fish. "Rising" is a loose term in this case, these fish were literally coming all the way out of the water after something. We fished over these fish for about 15 minutes with no joy. We both tried several flies and presentation and just ran out of time before we could figure it out. With darkness coming and a steady 30 minute hump to get back to the truck we decided to tip our hat, admit defeat and head out. I guess that is why they call it fishing, not catching. 

 After getting back to the truck and gearing down we met up with Rick at the bottom section. Rick reported similar results and had the same "rising action" we had up top.  

  All in all it was a great day to be on the water. The weather was perfect, the fish were cooperative, and we all had a great time. It is days like this that keep us coming back for more. 


   Rat squadder "One Boot" Ed was in the shop on Friday. He picked up a new 8.5 foot 4 weight Sage VXP. The VXP is a great rod that offers more than the price would suggest. Ed gave the new stick a workout on the West branch of the Octoraro on Saturday. Judging by the pictures I would say he must have a new "lucky" rod. 

   The San Juan worm was the fly that morning. Ed says the water was 58 degrees, a bit warmer than the week before when it was around 54. Great job Ed, Hope you enjoy the new rod. 

We received good reports from the White Clay, Valley, and The East Branch of the Brandywine this week also. Hopefully after the storm blows out we will have good fishing next week as well. 

                                                                                                                                             Tight Lines...Tim

  It seems like one of the most popular questions we get in the shop lately is to whether to go with a pack or a vest. Vests will always have their place in the fly fishing world. I have used a vest for most of my fly fishing career as I am sure many of you have done the same. Vests are great and there are several high quality models available from company's like Simms and Fishpond. We have several models for sale in the shop. We always say there are a million different ways to do this obsession we call fly fishing and we never say one way is better or worse than another. The important thing is that you find a system that works for you. For the sake of this post I would like to focus on "fishing" packs. We won't go into backpacks, dry bags, boat bags or wader totes. That is information for another post. Here we will talk about packs you wear while walk and wade fishing. 

  There are many different types of packs available for fishing. Today's models are manufactured to top notch quality standards. The features that are built into them let you know they are designed specifically for Fly fishing.  Everything from tippet pockets, ripple foam inserts, zinger and nipper holders, and external fly patches have been built into these high performance fishing tools.  They are roomy, light to carry and you can get PLENTY of gear in them. Several different styles are available and we will outline a few here.

  The first thing you want to think about is what type of pack do you want to carry. Chests packs are nice and they keep everything close at hand. Most of today's are "form fitting" and you don't get the bulk that you used to get in years past. Here is a new model from Umpqua. As you can see the people at Umpqua had one thing in mind when designing this chest pack. You can carry everything from fly boxes to flotant. There is even a D ring to carry your net. All of this is available to the fisher person within a 24" by 24" area located on the front of your chest. Truly a well thought out design.   

Beware, packs that ride high up on your chest can block your vision of what is down by your feet. Be careful not to trip on roots or rocks while walking. Also this might not be the best choice for certain body types or for women. Remember comfort is the key. 


  The second type of pack would be the shoulder or hip pack. Many of the models today have both a shoulder strap and a waist strap so they can be worn as a shoulder bag or a fanny pack. We fish out of this type of pack a lot and we recommend using both the shoulder and the waist strap. Doing it this way will distribute the weight more evenly. Because you are using both straps they don't need to be set as tight which will make it easier to move the pack around your body. 

Here are a couple of my personal shoulder bags. One is my "Trout" pack and the other is my "Smallmouth" pack. I also have a pack for Shad and one to use when I am fishing with my 2 handed rods. When leaving for an outing all I have to do is grab the correct bag and go. With the exception of maybe swapping a fly box or two everything I need is already packed and ready to go.

 "Marblehead tip...If you buy your fishing license online print out several copies. This way you can have a copy of each state's license in each pack you own. If you trout fish in the morning then shad fish in the afternoon you don't have to worry about switching your license from one pack to another". 


   Like the chest pack these shoulder bags are designed specifically for fly fishing and will hold everything you will need for an day on the water.  

  The third type of pack is the Sling Pack. These bags are kind of a hybrid between a backpack and a shoulder bag. Typically only having one strap they are meant to be worn on your back and out of the way while fishing. When you need it you can swivel the pack around to the front and get what you need then swivel it around to the back out of the way when you go back to fishing. Seen more frequently in the salt, sling pack manufactures have made a big push to the fresh water with a big emphasis placed on the Steelhead crowd. 

Here at A Marblehead Flyfisher we carry a full line of packs and bags from company's like Simms, Fishpond, Sage, and Clear Creek. Stop in and see what these new packs have to offer.  

                                                                                                                                  Tight Lines...Tim

  On Tuesday this week our G Loomis rep, Dick Kondak, stopped by the shop to show us all of the new Loomis gear. Now, anyone who has met Dick knows you will be laughing from the time he gets there until the time he leaves. He is a class act, the kind of person we need more of in this industry. In between jokes, stories, and laughs we actually got some work done. The first thing he showed us was the fantastic line of clothes the crew at Loomis has put together this year. Everything from tropical shirts, soft shell jackets, light rain gear, foul weather gear, hats and bags are first rate. I personally really liked the the lined and un-lined hoodie and the Soft Shell jacket. Terry seemed to like the deep, roomy pockets in the Soft Shell, Native Run and the Max 3 jacket. The Bonded Fleece jacket was a favorite of both of ours. All quality stuff and all with the un-mistakable G Loomis logo throughout. I believe Loomis will do well with the new clothing line.  

 The highlight of any of these meetings is always when the new rods come out and Tuesday was no exception. We got to see all of the new Loomis rods and all I can say is DAMN! We spent most of the time with the new LP series of NRX rods. The LP Stands for Light Presentation. These rods are extremely slim, especially at the tip, and feather light. They load with a deep bend, but have plenty of reserve power. Loomis has done a exceptional job of creating a series of rods that are deep loading, but don't feel "whippy". We cast the 9' 3 weight, the 9' 4 weight and the 7 and a half foot 3 weight. All were cast with S/A GPX lines and these lines preformed well. If I am to own one of these in the future I would like to try one of the longer "trout" taper lines such as the RIO Trout LT. I must say my favorite was the 7.5 foot 3 weight, I have the perfect spot for that rod in my arsenal...it is always fun to dream! 

  Definitely not the first choice for throwing an indicator nymph rig, but that is not what the series are designed for. If you are a native brookie "guy" or a guy that loves the subtle sip of a Midge and the dimple in the water that follows  these rods should should get serious consideration if you are in the market for something new.

  The most fun part of the night was when we rigged up the new 13 foot 460 grain NRX Spey rod.  

   This is a true big boy spey rod with a price to match. The first thing I noticed was how light in the hand the rod felt even though it was 13 feet long. We were throwing the Air Flo Scandi compact head and a .032 running line. Because we were in the grass and not on the water we were limited as to what we could do with the traditional underhanded casting. We did throw a couple of C spey and Perry Poke casts. The rod felt great and we REALLY want to get it on the water to see what it can do with a proper load on the rod!  

   Now for the really cool part. As we use our 2 handers on the beach more and more the 2 handed overhand cast becomes a very important tool. Typically we would go with a integrated shooting head like the RIO outbound for this type of casting, but the night was getting long and we decided to give it a go with the Scandi compact set up.  I can say it was a pleasure to see the line launch off of the rod and travel through the air. We were booming 100 foot plus casts with very little effort. I am confident Terry went WELL over 100 feet with a few of his casts. It is truly a pleasure to watch a technically sound caster do his thing. 

We would like to thank Dick for coming out and letting us see all the new stuff. Please feel free to stop in or give a call if you have any questions. 

                                                                                                                                                  Tight lines...
                                                                                                                                                                 Tim 

  Well, it is with a heavy heart and a big sigh that I packed all of my wet wading gear away for the year. I am not saying that the Smallmouth game is done, in fact this could be one of the best times of the year to land a big ole' bronze back as they try to pack on the pounds for winter. What happens is as I see all the beautiful pictures that get mailed and text to me it doesn't take much for the Trout bug to bite me and then it is game on...

  All of our southeastern PA rivers have received a heavy dose of fish in the last 2 weeks. With the WCFF stocking and the state stocking all of the branches of the White Clay are chock full of fish. There is a mixture of fresh stockies, stocked fish that have been in there for a few weeks, and a few hold overs for sure. Buggers, Weenies, and worms will always bring fish to hand. My guess would be that some of the fish that have been in there for a while have switched to more natural food sources, and the deadly tandem of a Copper John and a Zebra midge should produce well. if you prefer to fish on top Midge patterns such as Griffiths Gnat would be in the game, and I am sure some of the fish would would be willing to eat a well placed attractor dry such as the Thunder Dome, Purple Para Wolf, Stimulator, and Royal Wolf. We still haven't had a frost yet, at least not at my house, so Hoppers and Crickets should still be in the game.

 Rat Squad member One Boot Ed sent me this fine picture of a good brown he stuck on the middle branch last week.

 Dr Jim Reamer was up on the West Branch of the Octoraro the other day. The good news was there are "many many" fish in the river. The problem is they had a bad case of lock jaw the day he was up. Jim reported all of the fish seemed to be huddled together at the bottom of the deepest holes. Jim was fishing on top all day and found the fish UN-willing to take his hoppers or caddis imitations. His good friend and angling partner had a better time nymphing up a few fish. I am sure as the fish get acclimated to their new surroundings they will be more willing to and and this means we could have good fishing on the west branch for quite some time.

 I received some great pics from Rat Squad member Rick Bender this week. Rick is as much an artist with the camera as he is with a fly rod. Great pics. Rick. Thank you for sharing.

 The reports from the Salmon River we have received other the last week are that the Salmon bite had eased off.  There are a lot of Salmon on the  beds and the Steelhead are behind the salmon waiting for eggs.

 In the Salt the Beaches are still full of 2 to 3 pound Bluefish. Small Stripers are still in, and Roosevelt inlet may get the nod. Rat Squad member Bill O'Connor believes he hooked a Spec at the inlet last week. The hook pulled before he landed it, but he he was confident it was a Spec.

 Fall is the a great time of year to get out and fish. We hope to see all of you out on the river.

                                                                                                                                                                  Tight lines,
                                                                                                                                                                                 Tim  

  The presentation last night at the White Clay Fly Fishers meeting was a big hit. Terry gave a great talk about warm water "river bass" fishing in the Brandywine. The slide show was packed with quality pictures and a good amount of fish porn. The evening was so captivating that yours truly forgot to take any pictures. Not a one! 

  We would like to thank the WCFF club and all of the club officers for having us last night. We would also like to thank all of the people that came out in support (the meeting house was quite full).  And a big thank you to the bosses wife, Mary Ann for all of the work on the slide show. Without her we never could have pulled it off. 


 We hope you all enjoyed watching it as much as we enjoyed bring it to you. Hopefully the shop and the club can join together again in the future, it was a blast! 


 Thank you all, we appreciate all of your support.    


                                                                                                                                     A Marblehead Flyfisher

 

A Marblehead Flyfisher will be presenting at the next White Clay Fly Fishers meeting. The presentation will focus on Smallmouth bass fishing on the main stem of the Brandywine river. We will be at the London Tract Baptist Meeting House in Landenberg, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, October 16th at 7:30 pm. Our presentation will cover all aspects of warm water river bass fishing on our local "Blue Ribbon" bass river. This should be a fun and informative night for all. Please contact the shop for further information. For directions you can check out the club's website at www.whiteclayflyfishers.org We hope to see all of you there.

 Check out the latest issue of "Eastern Fly Fishing" magazine. There is a great article written by Beau Beasley. Beau is a good fisherman, great author, and a good friend of the shop. Terry guided Beau last October in Lewes for preparation for the article. The article is extremely well written, with as much emphasis placed on the history of the town as on the fishing. This is definitely a must read for anybody looking to fish the Lewes / Cape Henelopen area. Great maps, Fly patterns, and plenty of knowledge to be had.

 

  The shop now carries Eastern Fly Fishing for resale. This is a great magazine due to the fact that the northeast edition focuses on our area. Stop in and pick up the latest issue. While you are here you may want to look at Beau's latest book "Fly Fishing the Mid Atlantic". This is a "must have" book for any fresh or salt water angler looking for more knowledge of our area. With 6 pages of fly patterns, spot on maps, and great recommendations for gear this will be a welcome edition to any fly fishers library.

 From Stripers to Shad this is the best $29.95 you will spend. Stop in and pick up a copy, you will be glad you did.

Well, as promised I did get the pictures from our friend and good customer Bob Flanagan. These pics are from Sept 30th to Oct 3rd on the Douglaston. Bob says they landed 30 to 40 fish a day with some in the 30# range and a few in the 40# class most of which were natural fish. "All we had to do was drift through them and hold on". judging by the bend in the rod I would say you are correct. Great job on the river and thank you for allowing us to share the pictures. 

Jessie sent me the link to the video he made. Pretty cool, I may need to look into one of those cameras...

Here is a picture montage of Terry's trip with Rick and Bill to Martha's Vineyard to chase Albies and Stripers.