Crane Fly time, and the one that got away.

Now that Hendrickson and Grannom hatches are behind us now it's the slow time before the next super hatch "Sulfurs."

There are plenty of bugs on the water tan, olive and black caddis, but the Crane flies are starting to hatch.  For me that's when I go back to nymphing and fish a Walt's worm, Sawyer's Killer Bug or my K.I.S.S. Crane fly larva.  One thing I've noticed is that there are no subtle takes, more like a Bullet train.

The Bullet train story I have is of one that got away.  I hooked a monster brown I'd estimate 24" plus, no wait I think it was 30" plus.  Either way it was a good brown with shoulders that hit hard and I was running me up and down the pool.  I'd lost him when during the fight a 16" Rainbow took my top dropper went one way and the Brown went the other.  The train derailed and I was left with smaller fish was at the end of my line.  The expletives flew, and I was cursing what was a respectable Rainbow, because it blew my chance at the fish of the day.  Why was I not fishing 20 lb. Fluorocarbon?

I should have packed up and headed for home but the fishing was too good, so I stayed and landed many more fish, but non as large as that 38" Brown.

Here are some of fish who recently fell victim to the K.I.S.S. Crane fly larva and one Rainbow who ran interference.

Crane Fly Larva in the jaw.

Rainbow who ran interference.

Nice wild Brown.

The beast I landed.

Top Water Caddis Action

Here in the east we're experiencing a very mild and dry spring. I'm concerned with low water and rising temperatures, that our waters will heat up and stress the trout.  This is normally not a problem for this time of year because the we usually get a fair amount if rain keeping our waters at good levels.  Only time will tell how the rest of the spring will play out, but for now the fishing is hot.

Since the spring opener bugs are popping and the trout are on them.  Mainly caddis, Grannoms to be exact are all over and the trout are looking up.  Several of my last outings I've be dry fly fishing, not once did I set-up a nymph rig.  The two main patterns I've been fishing are my CDC UV Caddis (with and with out an egg sack) and Craig Mathew's of Blue Ribbon Flies, Iris Caddis (Check out Matt Grobert video Tying the Iris Caddis produced by Tim Flagler aka Tightline Productions).

I usually present the fly with a down stream reach cast and dead drift it over holding water and feeding lies, at the end of the drift I'll dance the caddis across the surface mimicking a caddis breaking through the film or a egg-layer depositing her eggs.  Most of the time I'm fishing to rising fish, but I do just as well prospecting and inducing a rise.

The result is some of the best dry fly fishing I've had in years, in fact it's been HOT!

Here are some photos (trout porn) from my outings, enjoy.

One well chewed fly.

Opening Day 2012

Over the years a tradition has developed around opening day of Trout Season. My boys and many friends have a dinner on the banks of a river and many of us camp out to fish the next morning at the 8:00AM start of the season.

This year we had 30 for dinner with just less than half camping out. The large turn out is in direct proportion to the weather, which this year was fabulous.

I'm the grill master with help from The Jersey Angler, and every one brings some thing to table, whether it's appetizers, sides deserts and adult beverages of one sort or another.

While the season only closes for 3 weeks, this is the first outing for many after a long cold winter. This year we didn't winter, more of an extended Autumn.

For me it's a day where I guide my boys and spend time teaching them the art of angling.

Fish on!

Happy Camper

Nice Brookie

Stream entomology

More bugs

Nice Brown.

Could be the big one.

20" Rainbow

NJ Fall Trout Stocking Coming in October

The Fall stocking of trout in New Jersey is set to start in the second week of October.  According to the Divisuion of Fish and Wildlife the fall stocking will start on Tuesday October 11, 2011, an estimated 20,000 Brook and Rainbow trout averaging 2 years and 14-17 inches will be stocked in 16 stream and ponds over a 2 week period. Beside the 20,000 an addition 1000 broodstock trout averaging 18-24 inches are to be stocked.  These breast are going to be mixed in with each truck load.

Here is a map of the stream and ponds being stocked and the listing of waters with numbers.

Week 1 - October 10-14, 2011

Monday, October 10 - No stocking
Tuesday, October 11
MONMOUTH & OCEAN COUNTIES

• Manasquan River - 650
• Metedeconk River, North Branch - 150
• Metedeconk River, South Branch - 240
• Tom's River (including TCA) - 360

SOMERSET COUNTY

• Raritan River, North Branch - 920

SUSSEX & WARREN COUNTIES

• Paulinskill River, and E/Br and W/Br - 1,720

Wednesday, October 12
HUNTERDON, MORRIS & WARREN COUNTIES

• Musconetcong River (including Point Mt. TCA, Hunterdon County) - 2,820

SUSSEX & WARREN COUNTIES

• Pequest River (including TCA, Pequest WMA) - 1,550

Thursday, October 13
SUSSEX COUNTY

• Big Flat Brook - 1,620
• Wallkill River - 470

MORRIS COUNTY

• Black River - 330
• Rockaway River - 1,290

WARREN COUNTY

• Pohatcong Creek - 800

Friday, October 14 BERGEN & PASSAIC COUNTIES

• Wanaque River - 330
• Ramapo River - 880

HUNTERDON, MORRIS & SOMERSET COUNTIES

• Raritan River, South Branch (including TCA, Ken Lockwood Gorge) - 2,570

Week 2, October 17-21, 2011

Monday, October 17 - No stocking
Tuesday, October 18
ATLANTIC & CUMBERLAND COUNTIES

• Giampetro Park Pond - 170
• Hammonton Lake - 340
• Mary Elmer Lake - 170
• Maurice River - 400

BURLINGTON, CAMDEN & GLOUCESTER COUNTIES

• Crystal Lake - 170
• Grenloch Lake - 170
• Oak Pond - 170
• Sylvan Lake - 170

Wednesday, October 19
GLOUCESTER & SALEM COUNTIES

• Greenwich Lake - 170
• Iona Lake - 170
• Schadlers Sand Wash Pond - 170
• Swedesboro Lake - 170

MIDDLESEX & MERCER COUNTIES

• Colonial Lake - 170
• Farrington Lake - 340
• Roosevelt Park Pond - 170
• Rosedale Lake - 170

Thursday, October 20 - No stocking Friday, October 21 - No stocking

For more information visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/flstk.htm

CDC UV Caddis - Caddis, Caddis Everywhere...

Caddis are abundant on most rivers, but the Madison and other rivers in Yellowstone country there can have blizzard hatches.  Never leave home with out a caddis pattern in your box. Here is one that is quick, easy to see, and floats like a cork.

CDC UV Caddis

Hook: Standard Dry Fly Hook Size 10 - 10
Thread: Tan

Body: Hairline Tan UV Ice Dub
Under Wing: Natural CDC (3-4 feathers)
Wing: Elk or Deer Hair

This is a another pattern which follows the K.I.S.S. rule. It's simple, fast to tie and works everywhere. You can variety the color of the body to match the caddis in your area, the UV dubbing adds some nice sparkle to the pattern, you can also substitute the UV dubbing with an Anton blend for similar results.

While fishing in Yellowstone country this past July this was my go to caddis pattern if I wasn't throwing large Salmon Files.

It caught selective trout in the Henry's Fork, Brook Trout, Rainbows and Grayling in the park.

Attach your thread.

Dub the body.

Tie in the CDC under wing.

Tie in your Deer hair.

Trim Deer hair and whip finish.

 Below are some of the trout taken with the CDC UV Caddis.

Yellowstone Brook Trout

Henry's Fork Rainbow

Madison Rainbow.

Summer Stones

With the summer weather finally hitting NJ and water temperatures on the rise it time I give the trout a rest.  When water temperature start hitting the 70 degree mark, I start targeting warm and salt water fins.

But the warm and salt water will have to wait.  I'm going through my gear, packing and heading west, West Yellowstone that is for some cold water fin.

Here are a few photos from the beginning of the month when the stone files were busting.  The bad thing was no top water action, all down below. 

Shuck...

Adult...

4th of July visitor seeks shade on my patio umbrella.

Fishing with "The Jersey Angler"

While I haven't been posting regularly this spring, I've managed to get out an wet a line.  Here is a little video I shot on one of the few sunny days we had this spring.  I was fishing across for "The Jersey Angler" so I put down the rod and shot this footage.  Enjoy.

Caddis, Brook, Brown and Rainbows

The month of May here in the east has been wet, and gray (Chicago gray).  On the upside when the water levels are good and when wadeable the fishing is stellar.

One of the patterns that's been working well this spring is my Anchor Caddis.  A variation on Hans Stephenson "The Bomb."  It's a generic Caddis Larva that I tie with or with out legs.

Anchor Caddis

Hook: Mustad 3399 Size 6 - 10
Head: Tungsten Bead to Match Hook
Weight: .032 Non-lead Wire
Thread: Olive 6/0
Tail: Natural CDC
Ribbing: Green Wire
Abdomen: Olive Squirrel Dubbing
Hot Spot: Hairline Hot Orange UV Ice Dub
Thorax: Hairline Black UV Ice Dub
Legs*:  Hungary Partridge or any Hen Hackle.

Here are the results:

Your results may vary.

Smoke 'em if You Got 'em

I found this beautiful Speckled Trout (a.k.a Brook Trout) in the Library of Congress digital collection.  It's a Duke's Cigarette Card, date (?).

I drive by the Duke's Estate when I visit my parents I had no ideal of the history of Duke's Cigarettes nor the family history. All I knew was Doris Duke family business was in tobacco. I did not know until recently that they are responsible for the pre-rolled cigarette as we know it and the American Tobacco Company was one of the original 12 members of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.  American Tobacco Company became the largest tobacco company in the U.S. and was broken up in the 1911 by the Supreme Court through the Sherman Antitrust Act on the same day that it ordered the Standard Oil Trust to dissolve (in school Standard Oil got all the attention).

The American Tobacco Company was broken up in to American Tobacco Company, R. J. Reynolds, Liggett & Myers, and P. Lorillard.  American Tobacco Company later expanded in to non-tobacco products and renamed itself American Brands and has since been renamed Fortune Brands and no longer has tobacco interests. Some of Fortune Brands products are Jim Bean, Makers Mark, Moen, Master Locks, Pinnacle, and Titleist. Maybe I should by stock in Fortune Brands since I've consumed and used many of their brands.

I've not even touched on the it's history with Duke University and it's international businesses.  All this because I went looking for trout images in the Library of Congress digital collection.

Fall is the best time of the year.

While the Spring holds visions of mayflies on the wing and warmer days, I love Fall fishing for trout. The air and water is cooler and while the hatches are smaller the trout are hungrier. Whether it's to bulk-up for the winter or to have the energy to spawn they want to eat and are aggressive.

While out several days ago I hook up quite a few Brookies, Browns and Rainbow during the hour leading in to evening. My top produce was by far my CE Crayfish (Close Enough) followed by my The Modeled Leech. Both are great deep pocket water patterns, I fish them Euro-style casting up stream and lead them down stream with a tight line. I do impart action to the flies twitching my rod tip, jigging the flies across the bottom.

This Brookie smashed the CE Crayfish

Bulking up for the winter.

This Bow hammered the Modeled Leech.

Modeled Leech any one...