This came across the wire the other day. It is too good not to share! Enjoy. Well in the almost two weeks following Hurricane Sandy have been interesting. We have seen our rivers swell to overwhelming proportions only to return very quickly to normal or below normal flows. Things at IRI are a mess with Rt 1 south being closed for several days due to sand on the roadway. If you are down that way please stop in and support out friends down south at Old Inlet Bait and Tackle. Reports were almost 20 inches of water in the shop. I am sure they could use some good business. Rick and I did get out on Sunday the 4th. This would mark the first time this year we went to heavy socks, fleece pants, and Windstopper hats and gloves. The air temp didn't get too far into the 40's that day, water temp's were around 49. The water was high and running hard, but it was clear. Surprising as we were only a few days removed from the Hurricane. Long leaders, lots of weight. and tandem nymph rigs were the order of the day. We started at the first productive spot and "leap frogged" each other up the river. I started with a #14 prince and a #16 Flashback PT. I believe Rick had a Copper John and a PT. We were fortunate enough to get in to fish relatively quickly, This wild brown was the first to come to hand for me. We continued moving up stream at a snails pace being sure to cover a piece of water thoroughly before moving on. Winter conditions were in full effect as it seemed as if the drift was not absolutely perfect the fish would not take. As we moved up river We both noticed fish striking at our indicators. I actually had a trout hit the indicator, roll down and had it pulling for a few seconds. He just would not let go. All of a sudden the line went slack. I pulled up my rig and my indicator was gone. The Trout pulled it right off of the leader. I yelled up stream to Rick to show him, then I thought "I hope he is smart enough to spit it out". We looked down stream and could see it floating away. It was one of the weirdest things I have ever seen. After that we both switched to a Dry and Dropper set up. Rick stuck with that the rest of the day, I on the other hand, spent the afternoon switching from a tandem indicator rig to a D and D set up. I just could not decide which was better. I would fish a run with the D and D set up, then go back and come back through with the tandem rig. It was an effective way to cover the water, but I spent a lot of time tying rigs. All in all we had a great day capped off by this beautiful rainbow Rick landed right at dark. Even though we were cold, tired and hungry when we got back to the truck, I believe it was worth every minute of it. Reports from the White Clay, West branch of the Octoraro and the East Branch of the Brandywine have been positive. Water temps are holding in the low to mid 50's. Fish are there to be had with the most active times being the hours between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Caddis and Midges have been coming off with some regularity. A #16 tan body Elk Hair Caddis with a bead head Caddis larva or a Zebra Midge would be a deadly combo. A small Bugger in a size 10 swung in the current should produce fish as well. In the winter we usually tend to stay on the darker side of things and black, brown, or olive would be a good choice. If you get no action try white or chartreuse. The main thing is to cover the water thoroughly before moving on. Patience is the most important piece of equipment you can have in winter time fishing.
As mentioned earlier the storm has wreaked havoc on the IRI area. Bill O'Connor was at the inlet this past weekend. He fished the North Jetty. He said the water was still pretty cloudy and there were very few birds working. The bait folks were doing ok with the Tog, but not much in the way of Stripers. Bill did see a few small pods of bait fish, but no fish were on them. We have some warmer weather coming up this week. That might help our salt water fishing for next weekend. In the meantime Trout fishing should hold strong through the winter. 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 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. With our guidance Ryan caught his first striper and had constant action on shad, blues and sea bass. Check out the double header. We are here to help. Have questions on where to go or what to use? Message us or drop us a call at the shop. Guide trips are available. |
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January 2019
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