A classic York County trout stream

  My dad and I played hooky today. He took off work so we could set up a pool, that pool never made it up. Instead he showed up at my house a little after 7 am. It was raining and a miserable day to anyone who isn't a trout fisherman. It took all but a minute to make the decision to go ahead and put my stuff in the bed of his truck.

  I knew it was going to be a great day before we ever even made it to the trout stream. We went to a tiny creek and kicked our own minnows up, red fins are the prize. We kicked a ton up in no time. We even caught a fingerling brookie. It was awesome to see one that small thriving in a small creek like that. We of course tossed him in as soon as we identified it. So, sorry, no pics..

  We got to one of my favorite streams in all of Pa. It was empty, no one except us. Just the way we like it. I got my stuff on, line rigged up, and we were out. It was a long haul in, the grass was taller than we are, but we got there. We started out slow. I caught 3 rock bass right way, my dad trailed with two. Getting up to a nice, deep hole, I threw in a red fin, let it drift, and BAM! I got the first strike. It was a decent brown. The hit was on. A few minutes later, Dad was up a few yards ahead of me, and I knew right away he had a nice one on. Sure enough, it was a great looking Rainbow, the Pink in it was great.

 My dad has a way about him. He jokes the whole time we fish, makes it even more fun. But man can he fish. We fished for a few more hours, I caught 10, and he caught 7. We released all the trout we caught, as is the usual. But we had a great time doing it in a classic Pa stream. The weather was perfect, the water was June water, low and warm. But we still made out. all my Pop kept saying was, "Seventeen trout, June 28th... Wow." What a fantastic day.

Sorry about all the pics, but I figured a fellow trout man would appreciate them.

It's been a week

It's been about a week since I last posted about my fishing exploits. Well, it's been a hell of a couple days. Last week I went out on the trails with my fly gear,  on my mountain bike.  Everything was going well until I just about fell off my bike, here I must of had a blow out in my back tire. My wife eventually found me alongside the road waiting for her, but not before I got some fishing in. A tire blow out isn't serious enough for me not to fish.
 I walked down to the creek, and I tied on a bead headed woolly bugger. I found it works for trout and bass in this creek. So a few minutes in I fished some rapids and had a hit. It was a nice sized red eye. I fished some more but nothing, I switched flies and such, but nothing.
 Last night, instead of fixing the bike, my dad, my uncle and I took my new 12 ft john boat out. It was slow, slow going. Fishing he banks with everything in my box. I had zero hits. I played a rubber worm, top water, spinners, everything. About 3 hours into we went over to the opposite bank and I tied on a blue Rapala crank. Sure enough there it was. I caught a nice bass and the day was done.
 I could have been angry or frustrated with my last few trips out, but why should I? it's great just being on the water. Catching fish or not, I love fishing.

It's tough to make out but thats a bald eagle.

It's been a few days

  It's been a while since I last posted. I've been out fishing of course. I took my fly rod out and caught my first fish on it. In total I caught 3 red eye bass all on a wolly bugger. I wanted to get a few more days of fishing in but my wife surprised me with tickets to a Phillies game. So the fish had to wait. But today, I'll be going out again. I think my brother is going to try his fly outfit out he bought along side me. On another note, I'm seriously considering changing my major from finance to teaching because of fishing. Think about it, in finance my busiest time would be April, trout season. If I'm a teacher, I get a few weeks off in the summer. Bass fishing time.

I may be a little obsessed.

Good Fishing

New stream

My dad and I fished a new stream today. The truth is, the stream isn't new to us at all, it's part of our favorite trout stream here in York. The stream isn't stocked, which means it isn't fished much at all. what a great find. On my dad's first cast, (on his new St. Croix rod and Shimano reel fathers day gift,) he pulled in a monster large mouth. As soon as that happened we knew it wasn't going to be a typical trout day. I put on a barbless single hook rooster tail, and started nailing fish. I caught a great red eye bass, and some other fish, I was happy with a nice perch, a great small mouth and two more red eyes on top of a few blue gills and suckers. Well, it's time to pack my bike up and get back out there, this time with my fly set up.

 Good Fishing All!

Stormy weather, tornado warnings, and a great day fishing

  The weather in York county was terrible last night. After a dismal round of golf, My buddy and I decided to go out fishing with my old man while our wives were out on ladies night.. We get to the river, and lightning is all over the sky. I am deathly afraid of lightning, I was in my dads pick up in no time. The storm rolled over, and we headed to a nice sized feeder creek, the Codorus. We slip and fall getting down the mud, to a spot to small for three people. Again, lightning, thunder, crazy rain. We were done.

 We went out today with shrimp and night crawlers. I caught a few sunnies as bait. All I used was a bit of line, a number 12 hook, and a bit of worm. All I did was tie the line to my index finger and went to town. No luck with them as bait though.

 No luck at all, until my uncle pulled out a rainbow trout on a crawler on a high lo rig, on a size 2 hook. I don't know why that trout was there, all I know he was there a while. His color was beginning to become a silver color. I caught a decent largey on a top water Hula Popper. Great way to close the night.


 I love all fishing and bass is no different. Tomorrow I'm buying a bike from a friend, and a backpack for fly fishing is being delivered. Since I live only 5 or so miles from the stream, I thought it was a great investment. Not only for my fishing, but also my health.

First Time Flying

 I got the set up in the mail today. A St.Croix Imperial weight 3, and a Cabelas Prestige reel. I have nothing but St. Croix rods, and decided to stick with them. As excited as I was, I spooled up the reel, and called my brother. We weren't going night fishing, instead we were going to the creek. Him and his girlfriend went swimming while I wadded up and down the creek casting away. I used a Clouser minnow and a Wolly, and I got some good cast out there, but no fish. I'm not to worried about that, I've caught more trout in my life than any 24 year old should. What I was happy about, was to be out there fishing. The weather was perfect, and the creek was just right. I know I would have caught plenty if I would have brought my spinning gear, but the challenge of the fly rod was just fine. I think as I progress, I'll start taking my fly rod more and more over my spinning gear. Don't get me wrong though, I'll never give up my black nose dace. :)

 Thanks for reading, and Good Fishing.

Hot in Southern Pa

 It's to hot for trout today. Some days I just don't feel like wearing waders. Today is one of those days. Thankfully for me and all of my fellow York County fishermen, we are boarded by the Susquehanna River, and have four giant lakes to fish at night. I'm not real big into bass fishing or catfishing, I consider myself a trout man, but I've recently gotten into the sport. It's amazing how little work you can do to catch these big monsters. Some beers, a cooler, and some worms, and you have yourself a great night out on the river. Although thats just one side of the story, I know guys who have more money in the bass boat they own then the house they live in. I guess bass and trout are the same like that. If your hooked you want the best of everything and learn different ways to go about it. So tonight, I'll go out with my brother or Dad, and we'll set up a lantern and do our best to catch a mess of fish and not just a buzz.

 Good fishing to you!

Fishing, Southern Pa Style: A New Form of Trouting

Fishing, Southern Pa Style: A New Form of Trouting: " For two decades I've caught trout using Rooster Tails, minnows, worms and salmon eggs. Yesterday I ordered my first fly fishing set up. I ..."

A New Form of Trouting

  For two decades I've caught trout using Rooster Tails, minnows, worms and salmon eggs. Yesterday I ordered my first fly fishing set up. I decided to be the best all around trout fisherman I can be I should know more ways to catch fish. It's going to be a long process, but I love in Pa, with some of the most prestine trout waters in the North East. I'll post more pictures and videos as I progress.

Trout is more than skin deep

Yesterday I went to my tattoo artist with a different agenda. All my tattoos mean a little something to me, be it the county where I'm from on my wrist, or the St. Jude in memory of my late grandmother. Yesterdays tattoo was a little different. I got a brook trout. Not only is it my home states official fish, it's my favorite to fish for and catch. The brook always interested me as an almost elusive trout, not as hungry as the bigger browns, or as quick to bite as the colorful rainbows. Out of twenty four years of life, I've been fishing 20, and the Brook trout still interest me the most. Almost a weird bond. Even on days I keep my limit, I always through the Brookies back. They are my states natives, rarely stocked, somehow still making it in the waters of today. The way I see it, Browns and Rainbows are stocked by the state to keep. Brooks deserve more respect, they are resilient, finicky, and a great fighting fish. I'll take an 8 inch native over a large Rainbow almost all the time. Almost.  The Brook on my arm represents many things, my favorite fish, my home state, but most importantly, the great times I've had learning and fishing with my father. So one giant shout out to Robby Miller at Built 2 Last who did the tattoo. It turned out great.

Black Nose Dace, Rod, Waders, and a beer. Pa fishing.

 As you walk through the woods onto the trout stream, something happens. I can't pinpoint what it is, but it's something. Your heart slows a bit, your mind clears and you focus on one thing. The fish. The peacefulness everyone speaks of is as perfect as you can imagine it.

 I'm not your average trout fisherman. I'm not old, nor am I a redneck who sits on lawn chairs while fishing. I cast a few times in a hole, no hits, I move. I read a creek like a fly fisherman, yet I fish with a minnow. I take trout, but never more then I can use. I release all brook trout I catch. I think rainbows are the dumbest of all trout. And drinking a High Life after a good fight with a nice trout, is my favorite thing to do.