Steal Me Stickers

I have to be honest, I had no idea what "steal me stickers" were until I won a couple of Bear Archery decals from Kari over at I Don't Wear Pink Camo to the Woods. I've been looking for a new vehicle for awhile now and I finally picked one up the other day. Hopefully it'll save me a little on gas and I'll be able to expand my hunting and fishing adventures in the future.


Anyway I've had these awesome decals put away for just such an occasion and I finally got to put them to use this evening. I have to admit that a pickup is more my style but I think these do a good job of "manning" the new ride up a bit. Heck maybe they'll even bring me some luck.


I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Kari once again. If you haven't checked out her blog I highly recommend it. It' always great to read about her adventures hunting deer, turkeys, or even going after that ever elusive musky. More than likely you'll have a smile on your face by the time you're done reading her posts as well, I know I do. She could probably find a gig as an outdoor humorist. Thank you Kari! It's very much appreciated!

Eleventh Hour Trout

Streams around here have been warming at a pretty good pace lately and water temperatures are reaching the "leave 'em alone" levels. Whether the fish make it through the summer or not is anyone's guess but it seems the odds are stacked against them this year. If you're a strictly catch and release fisherman you may want to quit reading now.

I packed up my gear this evening and headed to a local stream mostly just to see how the water temperature was. Without even getting out a rod, I walked down to the stream and took a reading that came in at 70.9 degrees. For what I had planned I guess it wasn't bad.


I usually keep a few stockies every year to cook over a fire. This year I hadn't done that yet and it seemed now would be as good a time as any given the circumstances. I really didn't need or want a limit and two or three trout would be perfect. The odds of catching a sub-legal trout here are few and far between so whatever I caught I planned on keeping.

The water was low and clear and it would be hard not to spook them. There were actually a couple of risers but I couldn't get anything to hit my dry flies. I started drifting and swinging a soft hackle and although it took awhile, I did hook into a brown eventually. I would have felt better if it was a pale generic looking rainbow but on the stringer it went.


The mosquitoes were really bad and at one point I had to go back to my truck to literally douse myself with bug spray. Even then they seemed to find any little spot that I'd missed.

The fishing was pretty slow and darkness was setting in quickly. I was almost ready to quit when I hooked into another brownie. I kind of liked the looks of this one and really debated on putting it back for a few seconds but I figured two trout would be perfect. Unless absolutely necessary, these would be my two "eating trout" for the year.


I headed back to the truck feeling pretty good about accomplishing what I'd set out to do. There's still a chance at the weather turning around for the remaining fish in that stream but if I were a betting man I wouldn't put any money down on it.

On the ride home the glowing orange moon broke out over the distant hills offering a perfect photo opportunity and I found myself wishing I had a better camera. I also wished I lived closer to wild trout streams that had cool waters throughout the summer. It would seem the clock is about to strike twelve for the local streams. With any luck though, it's not over yet....

An Interesting Weekend ( I Guess)

This weekend started off on an odd note. Friday evening I went out to check on the semi-neglected garden and on the way back to the house something caught my eye from above. It was one of those moments when you look around to see if somebody is playing some sort of weird joke on you. There sitting on the roof of my three sided barn/shed was a peacock. Yes a peacock!


Knowing that nobody would believe me, I went and got the camera to prove that I was indeed sober and not imagining things. Technically it was a peahen and not a peacock. Where it came from is anybody's guess and why it was sitting on the roof of my barn I have no idea. Out of curiosity I threw out some pieces of bread and sure enough she flew down and helped herself. She wasn't too shy about it either. After that she wandered off into the woods and that was the last I saw of her. Definitely an interesting start to the weekend.


Saturday I slept in, which I always seem to do anymore, and did finally make it out to do some trout fishing. The water in the local streams had cleared up a good bit since the weekend before and I decided to sight fish using caddis pupa and nymphs. An olive beadhead caddis larva seemed to be the ticket on this hot day and produced a few fish.


Changing it up a bit, I tied on a brown caddis pupa and began drifting and swinging it. I managed a few more trout this way. I had a fly in my fly box that I'd never caught a trout on so I tied it on. To be honest I can't even remember what it's called but it's best described as a red emerger with a white sparkly tail. One brown trout fell victim to it but that was it. There wasn't much surface action on this balmy afternoon and it wasn't long till the skies darkened and rumbles of thunder began in the distance.


I'd located a very nice sized brown and almost had it commit to my fly a couple of times when the storm was virtually on top of me. One more cast, I kept telling myself. Some flashes of lightning in the distance finally made me give up the effort and head for the truck. When I got to the road and was walking along, a loud crack came from above and sparks flew off a nearby telephone pole. Needless to say that put a little more spring in my step.

It was a pretty good rain and I waited it out in my truck. Not surprisingly, when I returned to the stream it was fairly stained and rising. I traded in my nymphs for a streamer but only managed some missed swipes by a couple of browns. I figured the bite would really turn on after the rain but it wasn't to be. When thunder started in the distance again I headed for home.

The next storm hit just as I got home and once again we got a pretty good rain. After it passed though, I was treated to some spectacular scenery.



Sunday morning found me sleeping in again, but I had no real plan for the day. I checked out some stream locations online and decided to try some new water. By 10:30 or so I was stream side and getting ready to fish. Unbelievably, this stream seemed to be running a bit low and clear as a bell. I figured I'd be nymphing again and it started out that way.


There were definitely fish here but they didn't seem interested in anything I threw at them. Trying to think outside of the box, I wondered what would be the last thing they would be expecting to see in these water conditions. I tied on a San Juan worm and on my first drift I watched a very nice hook jawed brookie take it. A nice way to start off.



The San Juan worm worked on a few more fish when it just seemed like the bite died. I tried a lot of different things but they wanted no part of it. Frustrated, I took a water temperature reading and was surprised when it came in at 68 degrees on the nose. Much warmer than I thought it was. Figuring this had something to do with it, I packed up and headed out.


In the evening I headed back to the stream I fished Saturday and it was still running slightly high and stained. Streamers didn't produce anything and an occasional trout would rise but it wasn't anything to write home about. I decided to return to my roots and went back to the truck and swapped the fly rod for the spinning rod.

I tied on one of my homemade spinners and I missed a few hookups right off the bat. It wasn't long though till I hooked into a nice rainbow. It was then that I remembered what I loved about spinner fishing. Seems I've gotten away from it this year with my addiction to the fly rod. I had a few more fish on after that but didn't get them to the net. Nonetheless it was a nice break from slinging flies.


It's hard to believe the difference in stream conditions when the two streams I fished today were separated by forty miles as the crow flies. Somehow I don't think the 'summer of trout' that we had a year ago is going to happen again, at least not locally. Not with the way the waters are warming up. I'm sure I can find a few streams up north with cool water this summer though, that is if stream levels stay decent.

It's been a pretty successful spring of trout fishing. The last three months just seem like a blur right now. Thoughts of fall hunting season are starting to creep into my head more and more. Sometimes it just seems like it's all going so fast. I guess time flies when you're having fun.

Beautiful Evening

Today was one of those days where it was absolutely beautiful outdoors. Sunny skies, low humidity, and temperatures in the seventies. I'd take this kind of weather all summer long. It was too nice an evening after work not to go fishing so I packed up my gear and headed to a local stream.

Water levels have pretty much returned to normal and the streams are starting to clear back up. The first thing I did when arriving stream side was to take a water temperature reading and it came out at 63.7 degrees which isn't too bad for this time of year. I already had a streamer on my tippet so I gave it a go right off the bat and had a few swipes and misses by some trout. Dry flies were what I really wanted to fish but there didn't seem to be much surface action.

After looking through my fly box I decided to go with a caddis pupa and began swinging it through the pools and riffles. This seemed to be the ticket and it wasn't long till I had a brown trout to hand.


Over the next couple of hours I managed to land a handful of browns, all on the caddis pupa. A great way to wrap up the day. There was a nice coolness to the air as I made my way back to the truck. A sliver of shining moon and a few puffy clouds reflecting the last hues of sunset made for a beautiful sight. Once again I was reminded that life is indeed good!

Yeah Maybe

Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis knows that I wouldn't be able to stay away. Going into the weekend we were supposed to have a pretty good chance of rain both Saturday and today. Although it did rain, it wasn't much at all. This afternoon I headed out to a stream, so much for taking a break.


The water was still high and stained, but it wasn't muddy. The first thing I did was take a stream temperature reading and got 61.9 degrees, not bad. Figuring streamers were the way to go, I rummaged through my fly boxes looking for one of my bucktail shiners or a black ghost. It seems I've had good luck with white colored streamers in these kind of water conditions. Look as I may, it seemed I was out of both. I'd been meaning to tie some up but of course I put it off. I grabbed a Little Brook Trout streamer since it was fairly light in color and tied it on.


It didn't take long for the action to start and I missed a couple of hookups right off the bat. Like I've done before, I was casting cross current and stripping the fly nearly all the way back to me. I've found the extra action of stripping the whole time seems to trigger a better response from the fish as opposed to just letting the fly swing.

After I had a nice rainbow take a swipe at my streamer only five feet from me, I hooked into a brown trout on my next cast. My two week trout drought was over. The fish didn't seem quite as aggressive as I've seen them before in these conditions. Well most of them anyway.


Throughout the afternoon I missed far more fish than I caught, not that it was any kind of mind boggling number. Enough to keep it interesting though. At one point I hooked into a really good trout and I was sure I had a good hook set. As seems to be the case too many times this year, it got off before I could get it in.

I changed streamers a few times just to see what I could get to work. I ended up catching fish on the Little Brook Trout, a black wooly bugger, and a Flathead Minnow streamer. Just out of curiosity I did try a few dry flies as well and did manage to miss one on an Adams Irresistible. During the afternoon I saw a grand total of three rises. Also, for the record I did fish with the spinning rod for a very, very brief time.


A nice little outing for sure and as always it helps put things into perspective. There's something about being on the stream that I find very therapeutic. For those few hours, it's just you, the water, the fish, and nature. Life is good!

Slowing It Down for a Bit.....Maybe

It seems since I've rediscovered my love of trout fishing that it's all I can think about outside of hunting season. During the week I'm planning what stream I'm going to hit come the weekend, checking out maps, jotting down directions, and getting my gear ready. At some point you hit the wall, and with the help of the weather, I think I'm there.

Not long ago I read a post by Mel over at Blog Cabin Angler about how fly fishing seemed to consume his life and how that now, he's rediscovered things he'd been missing. Ever since I read that post it's been in the back of my mind that I'm going down that same road. Don't get me wrong I'm still going to keep fishing, but I think a break will make me appreciate it even more when I'm out. At the pace I've been going this spring a break is long overdue.

Having said all that, I have to admit that the thoughts of hitting a stream tomorrow are going through my head. Maybe I'm hopeless, I don't know.

Anyway I've been doing some neglected work in the garden, enjoying a brew now and then, and just taking some walks and enjoying being outdoors without a real purpose. Of course I have my camera along and I thought I'd share a few pictures that seemed to turn out pretty good....

I found this fellow hiding in the tomato plants this morning and he didn't seem to mind posing for a picture.


Some people want a perfect lawn, I'm not one of them. If it's full of clover and dandelions that's ok by me. It's great forage for the bees and any little thing I can do to help out wildlife (yeah even insects) I'm all for.


After doing some research I found out this is a species of Fritillary butterfly. From what I've read there are seven different kinds here in PA. I'm leaning toward it being a Great Spangled Fritillary but I'm not sure.




Well, I think I'm going to go shoot the bow for a bit and take the dog for a walk. Maybe check out some stream conditions when I'm out this evening. Yeah, I think I might be hopeless.

Be Careful What You Wish For

A little while back I posted about warming stream temperatures and wishing for some rain and cooler weather to prolong the local trout fishing. Well, I got it and then some.

It's been a very wet week and the streams are high, muddy, and not much fun to fish. I went out for a short time on Tuesday evening but conditions were less than ideal. A stream temperature reading came in at 59.5 degrees which is a nice drop from the week before.

More rain is expected this weekend so conditions don't look to be improving any time soon. It's all good though, it'll keep the trout fishing going, and I'll be waiting for the strong currents and muddy waters to ease up a bit.

The Journey Home

Growing up in an outdoor family and being exposed to a wide variety of hunting and fishing related activities, I found along the way that my true loves in the outdoors are bow hunting for deer and trout fishing. Perhaps it has something to do with observing nature at it's own pace in the woods and streams, the quietness of both pursuits, and maybe that deer woods and trout streams go hand in hand.

Many a time I've said to myself "that would be great if there were trout in there" when passing a small woodland stream en route to a deer stand, or when just simply walking through the woods scouting. Many a time while fishing a trout stream in the spring I find myself looking at buck rubs from the fall before, deer trails cutting up the banks, or noticing a wild apple tree that might make a good stand site. It seems I can't do one without thinking about the other.

During the decade of the 1990's my passion for both consumed a good portion of my free time and along with that came a fair amount of success. My bow hunting had evolved from just trying to get a deer to trying to keep the "buck streak" alive. At the same time I went from being a bait fisherman for trout to using strictly spinners and fishing well past opening day. It wasn't unusual for me to spend a whole Saturday or a free day doing one or the other when in season.

Along the line though, life begins to get in the way with work, relationships, and just "growing up" in general. Free time goes from being a whole weekend, to a day here and there, or a few hours a week. I still hunted when I could, but found a rifle in my hands more and more instead of a bow. I can remember during those years when late October and early November rolled around, looking out at a distant woodlot and just feeling this burning in my soul to be out there with a bow in my hand. For some reason, which to this day I still can't explain, trout fishing went on the back burner entirely. My last year of trout fishing I landed five fish over twenty inches and after that I pretty much removed myself from the sport.

A bit more free time began to open up eventually and I got out more with the bow and even managed to get a few deer. As time went by and weekends opened up again I felt like I was back. I think to this day it makes me appreciate being out there even more. It seems I talk about "taking it all in" a lot and believe me I do, for who knows what life holds down the road. Even with this, somehow something was still missing, and to be honest I wasn't quite sure what it was. Ten years is a long time to be away from something and as incredible as it may seem, it never once occurred to me that my once beloved trout fishing was the missing piece.

It was the winter of 2009 and I was browsing a Pennsylvania outdoor site that I frequent and for some reason, a title of a thread in the trout forum caught my eye. I'd never really paid much attention to this part of the site, and to be honest I can't even remember what that thread was about. As I began looking at pictures and reading posts, the fact that I used to love this stuff hit me like a ton of bricks. It was literally a "DUH!" moment. Within a week I had my license complete with trout stamp.

My very first outing that spring was to a year round trout water that gets stocked once a year. It had been nearly a year since a trout had been dumped into this stream, but there I was casting a gold Thomas spinner into the cold waters. Mostly I figured I was just going to be going through the motions and it definitely seemed as if it was going to be that way. Then I hooked into a good fish on one retrieve and to my total disbelief it was a golden rainbow that went around twenty inches. I got it to my feet and got my camera out to get a snapshot when it gave a thrash and snapped my line.

I truly believe I could go there at that same time every spring for the rest of my life and never do the same thing again. Was it a sign? If you believe in those things, maybe. At the time I didn't think of it that way. All I knew is that it lit the fire in me to get back to doing what I love. Looking at it now, I think that yes, it may have in fact been a sign. A sign to live life to the fullest while you can and enjoy it with the people you love, in the places you love, doing the things that you love. After an incredible year of fishing it felt like the journey home was complete.

It may seem like this has been all about the fishing aspect, but to be fair, the hunting aspect never fully went away. To me, one without the other just doesn't seem right. After all, deer woods and trout streams go hand in hand.