Sometimes it's nice to get away from the urban hustle-bustle, even if your in the suburbs. In some suburban regions, such as the outskirts of Philadelphia, there are decently stocked trout streams.
Earlier in July, I went to Michigan to a wild trout stream. Now, in late July and early August, I'll be taking a trip to Kentucky. This trip doesn't have a main goal of fishing, it's supposed to be mostly sightseeing Louisville. But, I'll find a cane pole or a spin-cast rod and fish for some bass or bluegill.
Summer is a hard time for trout in Pennsylvania when it's hot and water temperatures approach the 70's. But in Kentucky, it's prime time for warm water fish like sunfish and bass. Last year, I went on the same trip and caught over 40 bluegill over an 8 hour period. That's about 5 fish each hour, or 1 fish every 12 minutes.
It's great fishing there, but there's nothing like the pull of a trout on a fly rod. So, getting away from your regular fishing hole every once in awhile is a good idea, just to keep in the back of your head.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
What the Heck Do I Do Now?!
You're standing in your garage, packing up the car before a weekend fishing trip. You know that you really want to fish, but your not sure where. And then you realize that you have a fishing log. You see that this weekend's weather is going to be cool and windy. By going into past logs, you can see what year was cool and windy and where you caught fish. You pick out the spot where you caught fish a few years back, and it was cool and windy. Later that weekend, you're reelin' them in.
Fishing logs are great tools that can help you when you're not sure about where to fish or what to fish. Keeping track of past records can help you make the right decision and could be the difference between catching fish or not.
I recommend the computer program FishersLog. With this program you can type in your fishing logs and they will be organized and kept in one place. Then, when you have a dilemma, you can "ask" FishersLog to search logs for you and comes up with a chart to show you the best plan. Unfortunately, it is priced at $19.95. But they do offer a 7-Day free trial.
http://www.fisherslog.com/
If you don't want to pay, you can use Fish Swami, which is an online fishing log. You can make a free account and submit fishing logs. It does have an analysis tool but has some disadvantages when compared to FishersLog.
http://fishswami.com/
Fishing logs are a great tool to have when you're not sure about something, or just want to remember one of your best fishing days ever. And there will likely be more of those after starting your logs.
Fishing logs are great tools that can help you when you're not sure about where to fish or what to fish. Keeping track of past records can help you make the right decision and could be the difference between catching fish or not.
I recommend the computer program FishersLog. With this program you can type in your fishing logs and they will be organized and kept in one place. Then, when you have a dilemma, you can "ask" FishersLog to search logs for you and comes up with a chart to show you the best plan. Unfortunately, it is priced at $19.95. But they do offer a 7-Day free trial.
http://www.fisherslog.com/
If you don't want to pay, you can use Fish Swami, which is an online fishing log. You can make a free account and submit fishing logs. It does have an analysis tool but has some disadvantages when compared to FishersLog.
http://fishswami.com/
Fishing logs are a great tool to have when you're not sure about something, or just want to remember one of your best fishing days ever. And there will likely be more of those after starting your logs.
Sunday, July 6, 2014
AuSable River - Michigan
Michigan is one of the only states in the Eastern United States that has the ultimate fly fishing experience. Many rivers have wild trout that freely grow and become colorful and healthy fish.
As many of us know, southeastern Pennsylvania is not the best place to throw a fly. So each year, on the Fourth of July, I go to the AuSable River in Northern Michigan with my dad. My uncle has a cabin just a couple of yard from the river which is known as "The Holy Water." This section of river is deemed some of the best fishing waters in North America by the Michigan DNR. For that reason, much of the area is protected by catch-and-release only or artificial flies only restrictions.
The first day I was there, I went to the fly shop to pick out some flies. I asked the guy at the counter what flies were good for fishing during the day. He gave me a grasshopper and a parachute stonefly, which looked like a lot of different stoneflies.
I went fishing that afternoon, in the freezing cold water, and caught a brook trout in the first five minutes. I kept using that fly for three days but caught no other fish. My dad, who hadn't caught any fish during the first two days there, was determined to catch a fish the last night, the third night, we were there. He asked me if he should use a hex of a march brown. I told him to use a march brown, and sure enough, at 10 P.M. pm on the last night, he caught a 16-inch brown trout! He claimed it almost broke his line.
So, we had a great time at my uncle's cabin for the Fourth of July, and got some fishing in too. If you want great fishing, but don't want to go out west, stop by Michigan and throw a fly.
As many of us know, southeastern Pennsylvania is not the best place to throw a fly. So each year, on the Fourth of July, I go to the AuSable River in Northern Michigan with my dad. My uncle has a cabin just a couple of yard from the river which is known as "The Holy Water." This section of river is deemed some of the best fishing waters in North America by the Michigan DNR. For that reason, much of the area is protected by catch-and-release only or artificial flies only restrictions.
The first day I was there, I went to the fly shop to pick out some flies. I asked the guy at the counter what flies were good for fishing during the day. He gave me a grasshopper and a parachute stonefly, which looked like a lot of different stoneflies.
I went fishing that afternoon, in the freezing cold water, and caught a brook trout in the first five minutes. I kept using that fly for three days but caught no other fish. My dad, who hadn't caught any fish during the first two days there, was determined to catch a fish the last night, the third night, we were there. He asked me if he should use a hex of a march brown. I told him to use a march brown, and sure enough, at 10 P.M. pm on the last night, he caught a 16-inch brown trout! He claimed it almost broke his line.
So, we had a great time at my uncle's cabin for the Fourth of July, and got some fishing in too. If you want great fishing, but don't want to go out west, stop by Michigan and throw a fly.
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