Fall Road Archer

Streamside Introspection

2012-02-13T23:02:00.003-05:00

Just a little piece of writing from one of my outings last spring...

Sitting here at the base of a steep, high rising, and rugged North Central PA hill I contemplate all that lies above. It would be a tough hike straight up through the oaks and maple, and even tougher making your way through the blooming mountain laurel and boulders. I imagine that there are deer and quite likely a bear or two somewhere on the hill above.

The view from the top is breathtaking, I imagine. Looking out over the wooded mountains where bald eagles and red-tailed hawks are soaring through the skies. A sight that can almost make you forget what lies far beyond. For now you are in the wilderness, or as close as you can get to it in these parts and in this day and age.

And here, beneath all of that, in the cool shade of the hemlocks the small stream before me flows. Probably unheard from the summit of this vastness. In the middle of a pool a brook trout has taken up a feeding position. Seemingly insignificant in the grand scheme of things when looked at as a whole. However it's mere presence links to a time when all streams ran clean and cold, uninfluenced by mans 'intrusion' into these wild lands. Thankfully a little piece of that remains and the significance of this is not lost.

In my mind I can see myself stalking into position and carefully floating a dry fly through the pool, right into the feeding lane of the trout. I imagine it would be easy, however I'm content to sit and watch. The serenity of the moment seems to call for it. Sometimes it's best to just appreciate, and let 'accomplishment' go by the wayside.

Midwinter Trout

2012-02-12T01:15:00.007-05:00

We've been pretty fortunate with the weather this winter around these parts. In fact, up until this point you could almost call it the winter that wasn't. Luckily before the snow, wind, and falling temperatures set in this week I got out for a bit to spend some quality time on the streams. A bend in the rod and a brown trout on the line are welcome sights this time of year, and unlike winter, it's something that will never get old.

Streamer fishing, or 'slinging and swinging' as I've come to call it, is probably my favorite way to fish with a fly rod in hand. A pattern of my own creation that is simple but effective seems to be more than they can resist when presented properly. Maybe that's a suitable name for the pattern, Simple but Effective. I've been trying to come up with something to call it, funny how the obvious can elude you.

A nice little outing to look back on as winter sets in for what I hope is a brief visit. Hard to believe that February is almost half gone already. I just hope we don't end up paying for this weather in March.

Life is good!

Winter Gold

2012-02-06T22:58:00.006-05:00

American Goldfinches that is.

The thief...

The daydreamer...

And the thinker...

The Missing Posts...October Part 2

2012-02-02T19:28:00.000-05:00

Part two of my October weekend of trout fishing. Too many pictures perhaps, but then again this isn't even all of them. Being removed almost four months from this outing the things that stand out in my mind when looking back are the colors, the moon, and some of the beautiful rainbow trout. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story...

This rainbow below was my favorite fish of the weekend because well...you just had to be there I guess.

Not a bad way to end each day.

Life is good!

The Missing Posts....October 2011

2012-01-27T22:16:00.010-05:00

For whatever reason, too busy, too tired, or just too lazy, there were a few adventures throughout the fall that never made their way onto the blog. Being in the midst of winter I figured I'd take the time now to put them down in a post.

The weekend of October 8th and 9th found me headed out for trout as opposed to bowhunting. We were having a stretch of Indian Summer and the warm afternoons made it seem too hot to be out hunting deer, let alone thinking of butchering one. Still, the mornings and evenings were cool and made it feel as if it were actually autumn when you were out on the water at those times.

The fall colors were reaching their peak that weekend and it was just an awesome time to be out. The fishing was good and the weather was perfect. It was impossible to capture it all on camera as there was beauty in every direction, I feel I took too many pictures that weekend as it is. For that reason this is going to be a two part post. A few of the sights from that memorable weekend...

More to come...

A Year of Trout

2012-01-08T21:32:00.005-05:00

For the past three years one of my goals was to catch at least one trout for twelve straight months. The two years prior it was either December, January, or February that ended the streak.

Well this streak began last February when I managed to catch my first ever trout for that month. Knocking that one off, I knew my biggest challenges would be mid-summer and most likely December and January.

With near drought conditions in western PA this past summer it was tough but I managed to keep the trout streak alive. December was unusually mild and it turned out to be a pretty good month for me in the trout department.

With only January to go I knew I'd better strike before winter really started to set in. This brown gave me my first ever January caught trout and also at long last gave me the twelve months in a row of trout that I'd been gunning for.

With that monkey off of my back I could finally enjoy myself. A few more shots including this pig brookie...

I didn't have the best lighting for this pic....go figure...but it was a cool sight nonetheless.

Maybe a stupid little goal but it felt good to finally do it. Now I can quit keeping track.

Life is good!

A New Years Eve Tradition

2011-12-31T19:12:00.003-05:00

Well for the last three years now I've spent at least a part of the day on New Years Eve fishing for trout. It's becoming a new tradition and one I find myself looking forward to with each passing year. The first two years it was also a last ditch effort to keep my streak going of at least one trout a month for a year. Both times ended up being a failure in that regard, though I still enjoyed my time out before the New Years Eve festivities.

This year I'd already checked December off of my list for trout so this trip was mostly about keeping the tradition going. I only fished for an hour and a half and it seemed that this outing was going to suffer the same fate as the last two. That is until this nice brown slammed my streamer...

That put the icing on the cake and so ended another great year of trout fishing. I had one cigar left in my vest that had been there for quite awhile and it seemed appropriate to light her up, sit down on a large rock and reflect on what has been an absolutely great year in the outdoors. From my pack I pulled out a piece of venison jerky, made from my best bow buck taken to date this past November, and had my own little celebration of sorts.

When I look back at this season on the streams and in the woods it will be one that is going to be hard to top. When it comes to the outdoors, this year I've truly had the time of my life.

Happy New Year Everyone!...Life is good!

Finding Peace of Mind

2011-12-10T14:28:00.014-05:00

Friday, December 9, 2011

My plan today was to try and fill one of my antlerless tags to provide a little more meat for the freezer. I woke up this morning questioning whether or not I really wanted to go out and shoot a doe. It's been a long season it seems, a good one, but my enthusiasm for tackling a few more hills and hollows seemed to be waning. Still, something within me made me pack my gear up and head out in the morning darkness.

There were two different destinations I could choose and both followed the same route. One held higher odds of getting some venison than the other but I decided to head to a place where it would just be me, the wildlife, and the woods for the most part. The chances of encountering another hunter there was slim and that's what I was looking for today. If success came so be it, if not, then the surroundings and quiet of the woods would be reward enough.

It was already daylight when I arrived but there was no rush today. The plan was to go slow and observe, at a pace that was in harmony with the woods. The bite of the chilly mountain air felt good as I headed out the old tram road, the puddles of water covered over with a layer of ice. A light breeze made the leaves of the beech brush flutter in unison and the sound reverberated through the stands of timber.

There were deer here, I was sure of that, but not in the numbers of the past. The woods however are beginning to change, the vast stands of open pole timber that once prevailed are being replaced by new growth. Still, some spots remain open and seemingly barren, the forest has become more of a series of micro-habitats rather than one big sea of telephone poles. Not all of it is good deer food, but there is definitely more cover than there was ten years ago.

My pace is slow and I stop often just to watch and listen. A Pileated woodpecker is my first wildlife sighting of the day and the call of "cuk-cuk-cuk" echos through the woods as it flies off to parts unknown. Flocks of winter birds are the only other wildlife I encounter throughout the morning. Still, I can sense that as I pass through parts of the open woods I am being watched by eyes that would rather sit tight and let me pass.

Areas of blackberry canes in the forest are a welcome sight and proof that things are indeed getting better. The tell-tale signs of browsing here and there on the canes and the abundance of buck rubs and scrapes along my travels again makes me feel as if I'm being watched. I stop to look and listen, watching for the flick of a tail or the twitch of an ear, the black of an eye or the white of a muzzle. Still nothing makes it's presence known or is revealed by my eyes.

I still-hunt all morning and through the early afternoon, only pausing now and then to lean against a tree and take up watch for five or ten minutes. By three o'clock I decide to take up stand on a log in a patch of open woods that has good cover on both sides. As I sit my mind begins to drift to thoughts of the day and this place. I wonder how much longer I have to do this, while not even forty years old yet, the aches and pains seem to keep adding up as the years go by. Yet somehow this place rekindles the youthful spirit, wanting to know what's over the next hill or on the next bench. The spirit that keeps you pressing on in this country.

These mountains are by no means easy hunting and I contemplate why I didn't spend more time in them in my younger years, when my knees didn't ache and my back didn't hurt. The lure of higher deer populations and larger bucks back home had a lot to do with that I surmise. I always knew that these wild lands held more of my soul than those woodlots and farms to the south, but the need to succeed in filling a tag is paramount in most young hunters minds. I guess I was no different. I conclude that to some degree I'm still that way.

It's funny how you get to the point where you appreciate this land for what it is though, and that in itself is the challenge. Many wouldn't waste their time trying to fill a tag here anymore, and yet somehow at this stage of the game it appeals more to me than sitting in a treestand overlooking a patch of woods between two corn fields. There is something about these mountains. While I'm here the rest of life seems to disappear for awhile. It's a cleansing of the soul and spirit.

By three thirty I'm contemplating heading back. Something inside tells me to move ahead where I have a better view of the 'edge' cover though. I guess it's a sense developed with time and experience and I quietly stalk to another log some sixty yards ahead.

I hadn't been sitting there for five minutes when something to my left catches my eye. There, in that group of trees, I swear I saw movement. As time begins to tick by I begin to think it was just a leaf, or my mind has started to play tricks on me, still I was sure. Once again I see movement and now I'm certain that something is there. My grip on the rifle tightens a bit and my eyes are locked onto the group of trees. Then, like a ghost, a deer walks out into the open woods and sends my adrenaline racing for the first time today.

Almost immediately I see that it's a buck and I quickly trade my rifle for the camera. It's a youngster but he shows the mindset of an older deer. He stops behind a tree with his head obscured, the white on his muzzle appearing on the other side of it as he tests the air. He has purpose in every move he makes and I get the sense that he can tell something isn't quite right. Eventually he slinks through the open woods quickly, tail never raised, and only stops briefly before entering the briars and pines on the other side.

The encounter is all it takes to wake me from my philosophical thoughts and once again I watch and listen intently to my surroundings. Twenty minutes later I pick up movement again, another buck traveling along the edge of the thick cover. I don't get to watch this one very long but I see enough to know he's probably only a spike. As I wait for him to reappear from a clump of brush he never does, somehow slipping back into the thick cover undetected. Some snow flakes begin to fall and the wind picks up a bit. It's time to start heading back.

As I put my backpack on and look out at the woods I wish the two bucks luck tomorrow and for the rest of the seasons, in part for hopes of another encounter with them in the years to come. The snowflakes continue to fall as I make my way back out, still slow, but at a more steady pace. The dropping temperature and wind has me feeling a little chilly for the first time today and the Jeep with a thermos full of hot coffee is a welcome sight. I pour myself a cup and enjoy it with a peanut butter and apple jelly sandwich. Food never tastes as good as it does after a long, cold day of hunting. I sit and watch the snow against the backdrop of a hemlock not far away and part of me doesn't want to leave.

On the drive out two doe cross the road in front of me, perhaps serving notice that they had won on this day, and I chuckle at the thought. As the drive brings me closer to civilization the thoughts that had been cleared from my mind for a day by the mountain begin to reappear. By the time I pass through Brookville the worries and concerns of every day life are back with a vengeance. I pull in the drive and stop for a moment to look at the pictures on my camera before getting out, trying to remember the moments of uncluttered thoughts and peace of mind the mountain had brought.

Through the window I look out at the pale outline of the moon through the thin veil of clouds and think about the two bucks. I'm sure that in the darkness of the mountain even this moonlight, behind the mask of clouds, shines bright. I can picture the bucks seeking shelter from the cold in a stand of pines or maybe standing in a sea of blackberry canes, filling up for the winter ahead. Even though I've only been gone from the mountain for a few hours, I long to be there again.

Opening the door to get out seems to end the moment. What little of it that had been preserved inside the Jeep seems to vanish into the cold night breeze and it's left to being just a memory to file away with the rest. As I carry my gear through the door my body is here in the world of reality, but my heart is still miles away to the north.

A Thanksgiving Walk

2011-11-25T09:38:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, before the big meal, I grabbed the single shot 12 gauge plus a handful of old paper shotgun shells that belonged to my grandfather and headed for the woods. I have a box of these old shells and it seemed like a good time to use a few on this special day.

The walk was refreshing and I managed to bag a couple of bushytails for the pot, perfect for some stew or other fixings. The old gun and shells seemed to add a touch of family and tradition to this short hunt. That's what this day is supposed to be about.

Life is good!

A Nice Evening

2011-11-20T21:46:00.006-05:00

It seems like it's been forever since I've been able to have some relaxing time on a stream, so I headed out this afternoon for a bit of fishing. The sound and flow of the water did me good and I even managed to catch a few fish. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday evening in November...

For tonight anyway...life is good!

Bowhunter's Sunset (second edition)

2011-11-15T19:41:00.010-05:00

When the final day of the season rolls around it's a bittersweet time. On one hand there is a bit of relief that the season and the sleep deprived days of hunting the rut are over. On the other hand there is a part of you that always longs for more. The never ending wait for the season to arrive is followed up by time that passes far too quickly and it's over before you know it.

The final day is a time for reflection for those who have found success, and also for those who haven't. It's a time to give it one last go until the final seconds, never giving up. As the last rays of sunlight hit the treetops and the few remaining leaves from autumn, you can feel it fading away with the ever waning light.

When the sun finally sinks below the horizon and darkness overtakes the woods, the hopes and dreams of a year long wait slip away, only to be replaced by the hopes and dreams of next season. And so the cycle, and the wait, begins again.

Ending A Drought and Moving Forward

2011-11-09T19:03:00.028-05:00

I suppose most every hunter considers themselves some 'type' of hunter, be it a deer hunter, turkey hunter, small game hunter, the list goes on and on. If someone asked me to define myself as a hunter I'd most likely say I was an archery hunter. I guess a lack of success with the rifle in my early hunting career helped to shape that as much as anything. On the opposite side of the spectrum I really took to hunting with a bow. Something about it always seemed to come naturally to me, a chance to hunt deer on their terms without the hoopla that always seems to come with the PA rifle season. It wasn't often that a year went by without me tagging an archery buck back then.

Eventually though, life started to get in the way in terms of me doing things the way I'd always done when it came to bowhunting. I still went out, but any success was few and far between and limited to antlerless deer. During this time period it seemed every chance I had at a good buck went awry. Sometimes due to fault of my own, other times due to just plain bad luck. At the same time I found that I was becoming more of a rifle hunter and having unprecedented success, for myself anyway. Some of the reasons being that it just fit better into my life at the moment, and also for reasons relating to the loss of my father.

In any event I realized that this was the year I needed to get back to being 'me' in terms of who I am as a hunter. It was time to return to the 'old way' of doing things, my way of doing things when it came to preparation for the season. From shooting and scouting, to turning trout fishing trips into combination fishing and scouting trips, the lackadaisical habits I'd developed over the last eight years of archery hunting went out the window. It was a labor of love to be sure and as I sat in my stand on opening day I felt a sense of confidence that I hadn't had in a long time. Not so much for that particular day, but for the season in general.

The first three weeks of the season however were reminders of how I'd found myself getting into those habits I was trying so hard to erase. With work and weather being a factor, a lot of the early season was slipping away and I was a bit disgusted with myself for wasting opportunities to hunt. At that time I decided I was going to hunt every opportunity I had for the last three weeks. If it was only for fifteen minutes after work, I was going out!

The first week of this new plan was brutal to say the least, I was tired and beat but it was a good kind of tired as I was seeing deer on an almost daily basis. The young bucks were getting 'rutty' and I was certain that it wouldn't be long until the bigger boys joined in. I had high hopes for Saturday.

The 29th rolled in with an unusual heavy snowstorm for October. Snow fell hard and fast and by mid-morning had accumulated over four inches. From snow covered pins and peep sights, to falling branches, it just didn't seem like a good day for bowhunting. The snow eventually turned into rain and it didn't take long to get soaked and cold. I didn't hunt much this day but knew the best of the season was yet to come. This was just a bump in the road and if nothing else, I'd gone out and given it a shot, I could live with that.

Week five of the season once again found me hunting every opportunity I had. The bigger bucks seemed to be starting to move and I had one close encounter with a nice eight point. He passed by a mere ten yards away in hot pursuit of two does, however he had no intentions of stopping or slowing down for a shot. Other big bucks, including one monster, just never came within shooting range and no type of calling seemed to phase them. Small bucks and does were still plentiful and I was definitely enjoying my time in the woods, even if I was paying the price in the sleep department.

Friday, November 4th seemed like it would be a good day weather wise but the evening sit yielded no deer. In fact the whole woods seemed strangely quiet, it almost had a 'calm before the storm' kind of feel to it. I knew the weather for Saturday was supposed to be good and as I left the woods I planned for an all day sit the following day.

The last two weeks had been catching up with me a bit and I found myself a little late getting to my tree. The day still felt good and it was a cold, clear morning, perfect for early November rut action. After climbing the tree and getting all of my 'accessories' ready for the day I turned to sit and pull up my bow only to find two small bucks and a doe already twenty five yards out in front of me. One was a small eight point and the other a smaller four point. The four point let out a snort wheeze and gave the eight a 'look' then both bucks headed out in opposite directions. I never did see where the doe disappeared to. Unbelievably I'd managed to pull my bow up and get ready during all of this without spooking them. What a start to a day that would only get crazier in just a few moments.

It wasn't long until another small four point came along and stopped about five yards behind my tree. The crunching of leaves in the opposite direction revealed yet another four point approaching at a fairly fast pace. As he came past the base of my tree he cocked his head and walked almost sideways towards the other buck. When he got to within a yard or two they both lunged head first into each other and a brief but intense battle ensued. The first buck took off while the second buck let out a snort wheeze then followed in hot pursuit.

The sun hadn't even crested the hill yet and already I'd seen four bucks and one fight. I came to alert once again when I heard crunching leaves, the unmistakable sound of yet another deer approaching. As it's head popped out from behind a tree I saw that it was a good buck, an eight point with a perfectly symmetrical rack that had high tines and a spread as wide as it's ears. He began to walk behind my stand and stopped when the winner of the previous fight returned. At fifteen yards he only needed to take one step to offer a great shot opportunity.

I was getting ready to draw my bow when I heard crunching leaves yet again. Instead of concentrating on the eight point I just had to look. Another nice buck was coming but I couldn't get a good view of his rack. My concentration switched back and forth from the eight point to the approaching buck. I'd never been in a situation like this before, where I was most likely going to have to choose between two good bucks. As soon as I saw a full view of the body of the approaching deer I knew it was bigger in that sense, I still couldn't get a good look at the rack.

The three of us, the eight point, the four point, and myself all watched as the big bodied buck approached with the hair on his back standing on end. When he stopped to briefly rub a nice sized sassafras tree I saw the 'three on top' that would make him legal. I already knew this was the one I was going for, the eight point was out of the running. This buck was ticked off with his ears laid back and walking 'stiff legged' he began to make a circle of the other two bucks, most likely trying to get downwind of them.

When I saw an opening he was going to pass through at twenty five yards I drew and readied myself for the shot. When he hit it, quartering away, I released and watched my arrow sink into his side. It looked like a good hit. He turned and ran a short distance behind some old fallen trees and I thought I saw him lay down right there. It was impossible for anything to move on this morning without making noise and there was nothing but silence.

The eight point and four point were still there, they had watched it all. After a few moments the eight point continued on his way, seemingly a little more wary. I almost laughed when the four point stood there and let out another snort wheeze but my concentration was on those fallen trees. I hadn't seen or heard anything from that direction after I thought I saw the buck I shot lay down.

Eventually the four point also moved on and I sat there, transfixed on one spot. My vigil was interrupted when yet another buck, a different small eight point, came through. He didn't stick around long and I watched him a bit but still concentrated on the fallen trees. I still hadn't heard or seen anything. Was he just laying there? Was he dead? Had he slipped out without me seeing or hearing him somehow? My mind was racing with all the scenarios.

I looked skyward and said a little prayer, and asked for some help from above from someone who knew about these things. It was a cool day without the threat of rain to wash out any blood trail, so I decided to just sit and wait. I broke out the camera to try and capture some of the day, just in case it turned out to be a good one. I felt good about the shot, but there was still uncertainty. I watched the sun come up and light up the remaining oak leaves, watched the chickadees, and woodpeckers, but still my mind raced and replayed everything over and over in a continuous loop.

By this time I wasn't surprised when yet another buck came walking past my stand. A little late to the party, but somehow watching him helped ease my mind a bit, if only for a little while. After that the woods settled down with just the occasional crow calling out or squirrel scampering through the leaves. I decided I was going to wait till eleven to climb down, unless I saw something to warrant doing it sooner. That would be almost three hours after the shot.

At about a quarter till eleven a small doe came through above me, constantly looking back at the trail she had come in on. I was sure I'd be seeing my ninth buck of the morning at any time now but he never showed up. Instead, a large doe came walking by below my stand and took a path that led her less than ten yards away from the fallen trees where I'd last seen the buck. The wind was now blowing from that spot to her and when she snapped to attention and looked intently in that direction I knew he was there. I waited till they were both gone and slowly climbed down.

It was now a little after eleven o'clock and once again I looked skyward before starting to ever so slowly creep towards 'the spot', arrow knocked and ready. Just before I got to the tangle of trees I paused and took a deep breath. After attaching my release I walked a few steps and knelt down to look under the logs, from this vantage point I could see the very location where I'd last seen him. My eyes were greeted to this...

At that point a flood of emotions came over me, all good. Making my way through the logs I still wasn't quite sure what I had here other than a big bodied deer with at least three on top of the right beam. As I pulled his antlers out of the leaves I was stunned to see the long brows and especially the fork on his left side.

I sat down on the ground beside him and said my traditional prayer of thanks to the animal and also looked skyward to give a few thanks as well. Then I just spent a long time sitting there admiring this magnificent creature, taking in all that had transpired. The drought was over, what a way to end it. After tagging, field dressing, and more photo ops I took my time getting him out of the woods, I just didn't want this day to end, ones like this don't come around too often.

Even if I hadn't been fortunate enough to take this buck, if I had to hunt until the last day without filling a tag, this archery season would have been a success. This was, and still is, a season about moving forward but at the same time getting back to the way things used to be... before life interrupted. He would have wanted it that way.

Life is good!

At Long Last

2011-11-06T07:45:00.003-05:00

I've spent the last couple of weeks hunting every chance I got which doesn't leave a lot of time for other things such as blogging. I've been recommitted this year to getting back to 'the way it used to be' in terms of my bowhunting. Finally my long buck drought with the bow has come to an end and I guess this blog title can live up to it's billing.

It was an amazing day in the woods and the full story is to come. In the meantime here's a peek at the fruits of my labor.

Small Scale Steelheading

2011-10-17T21:39:00.010-04:00

While I wait for my first 'official' steelhead trip, I made due with a reasonable facsimile of sorts. Basically the same fish, just a bit smaller, and no crowds.

Not much of an epic tale here, just enjoyed the nice cool weather and the beautiful surroundings. There's something about standing in a cold stream in the fall on a day where you can see your breath. It's good medicine for the soul, at least it is for mine.

I was trying to capture the falling leaves in these shots.

Some really enjoyable time on the water. I need to start focusing on the bowhunting a bit more though now.

Life is good!

The First Week of Archery....Gone Already

2011-10-10T21:12:00.008-04:00

Part one of my ongoing archery season report...

October 4, 2011

This year it seems I've been a little more 'pumped' about archery season than I have been the last few years. The October 1st opener though began with an all day rain and I didn't even hunt. It's a six week season and there's plenty of time I told myself. It wasn't until Tuesday that I finally headed out after work.

The smell of the fall woods was a welcome scent as I slowly made my way to the stand. With the wet ground it was relatively easy to move along silently, stopping now and then to survey the woods ahead. It was during one of these pauses that I noticed the outline of a feeding deer about sixty yards ahead. With the wind in my favor and an antlerless tag on my back I slowly began my attempt at a stalk. Eventually after some careful maneuvering I had closed the distance to a mere twenty yards.

It was at this point I noticed a second deer, a doe also, feeding just a little bit further back in the brush. Both deer were completely unaware of my presence still and I silently hooked my release to my sting loop. The first deer was well within range and I patiently waited for a shot to present itself. Then the mosquitoes showed up.

One in particular landed on my left cheek and it was driving me crazy not to 'shoo' it off. Finally not being able to take it any longer I unhooked my release and tried, tried mind you, to slowly reach up and rid myself of the pest. I had no sooner accomplished it when the first doe immediately sent me 'the glare' that if you are a deer hunter, you know what I'm talking about. The jig was up. After a long stare down both deer took off.

I continued to my stand and settled in, it felt good to be back in a stand again even if only for a hour and a half of hunting time remaining. It was a relaxing sit and I enjoyed watching the 'lesser' wildlife go about their business. Especially a flock of migrating robins working over the wild grape vines.

After things finally began to die down and the quiet of the evening set in I heard the unmistakable sound of deer headed my way. From behind me and to my right a large doe and two fawns, followed by another large doe, came into view. Suddenly, for some reason, I thought better of taking a doe on this night and instead picked up the camera. It was about this time that the wind shifted and the old doe immediately went on alert. She stopped and did some hoof stomping, along with some head bobbing, until finally they all ran back the way they had come.

The rest of the evening was fairly quiet, but relaxing, with only one other deer showing up far off in the distance. I never did get to see what it was. I headed out under the glow of a half moon and a beautiful sunset. For a short hunt it had been a good one and a nice way to finish up the day.

October 5, 2011

After a long day at work I found myself short on time for an evening hunt. Still I headed out and took up a ground stand in a clump of seven sassafras trees. It most certainly wasn't my first choice in where to hunt, but I was out giving it a go and that was enough for me. Often times in the past it's been hunts like this that have turned out to be surprisingly successful, in terms of taking deer.

It didn't turn out to be the case on this night though, and I had to settle for watching the sun sink below the wooded horizon and listening to the sound of katydids fill the evening air. Once again, there was the moon, shining through the trees. On the way out I stopped just to sit and look and enjoy the cool of the evening air. A short hunt with no deer sightings, but enjoyable for other reasons.

That has been the extent of my archery hunting so far as other things have been taking up my outdoor time. What you ask? Well that's a topic for another post.

Return

2011-10-08T21:43:00.004-04:00

For whatever reason I've been in a funk lately in seemingly all phases of my life. I've been hoping the arrival of autumn would rejuvenate my soul and I guess it has somewhat. It's been over a month since I've had a 'real' post on this blog but the time away was needed.

It seems that somewhere along the line, and I'm not quite sure how, it went from enjoying a day outdoors to almost feeling like a reporter of sorts. Always trying to have a 'great' adventure and always trying to get the best pics.

Although to me the adventures are still great and my time spent outdoors is thoroughly appreciated, the aspect of 'capturing it all' to share was beginning to have an effect on me. To make a long story short I took a fishing trip in the last month without a camera and it felt good. Real good. The story only appeared in my own hand written journal and the pictures are only etched in my mind. It was needed.

That being said, I'm a bit too much of a picture taking junkie to give it up completely. And the words that seem like they've been gone for so long are starting to return. So if my posts have been missed by anyone, they will be back shortly.

To those who are still reading this blog, thanks for sticking around. Hopefully the posts to come will warrant doing so.

Still Around

2011-09-25T22:49:00.003-04:00

Seems I've fallen off the face of the earth for the last month when it comes to blogging. Just needed a break (again) I guess. I'm still getting out now and then and archery season is set to open next Saturday. I hope to get back to writing soon.

Labor Day Weekend In the Northwoods

2011-09-07T21:22:00.020-04:00

Sunday and Monday found me up north to do some trout fishing and to just 'get away from it all' for awhile. It's been a few weeks since I've hit the streams and it was nice to get back on the water.

One of the first things I noticed in my travels was the amount of apples. Seems nearly every tree I came across was loaded.

Here and there, Ironweed was also in full bloom. A sign that fall is not far off.

And yes, there were trout. They weren't behind every rock or in every run or pool, but more than enough to make the trip enjoyable. The brookies dominated the weekend, as seems to be the case more often than not this year.

Summer is definitely losing it's grip on the land and signs of it are becoming more abundant.

The 'fish of the weekend' was this nice wild brown that literally slammed my streamer.

Mostly I just enjoyed being 'out there' and it really didn't matter how many fish I caught. I feel lucky to get to do these things and see the things I see. It really doesn't get any better.

Life is good!

Early Trout Season Recap

2011-08-28T09:36:00.004-04:00

First of all I'd like to apologize for not being around much. Lots of reading to catch up on once again. Now on to the reason of this post....

For me, the start of September means the start of fall despite what the calendar says. In what has become a tradition of sorts, I put together a recap of my spring and summer of trout fishing. In my mind it seems it hasn't been a 'banner year' for trout, but as I started going through the pictures I realized it hasn't been too darn bad.

In any event here's what I put together and I hope you enjoy! Kind of a way to wipe the slate clean as we head into the fall season.

On a side note I never cared much for the original version of this song but couldn't get this rendition out of my head for some reason.

Thanks for looking!

For a Matter of Record

2011-08-18T19:33:00.006-04:00

I questioned whether it was even worth making a post for my adventures last Sunday. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my time out, but as far as it making an interesting post it seems pretty mundane. In any event I decided to post it up just for a matter of record. (lol)

Once again, I did some fishing/scouting and had a few trout fall victim to my spinners, including this brown. In case you're wondering, yes I was wearing a jacket as it rained fairly hard at times.

During the day I also caught my first smallmouth in a long time. I twitched a small crankbait on the surface and it was blasted by this hard fighting bronzeback.

And a few other sights....

Indian Pipe mushrooms...

....and an immature bald eagle.

Not much of a story or adventure, but better than nothing I guess. ;)

Sunday Sights

2011-08-09T20:23:00.010-04:00

Did some trout fishing/scouting on Sunday, actually it turned into more scouting than fishing and I caught a whopping two fish. I lost at least a half dozen that came off before I got them in. Must be because I was using the spinning rod. ;) The water temperature was right at sixty six degrees.

Same fish, this is actually the first pic as I was waiting for the sediment I kicked up to clear. I thought the reflection of the fish on the surface was kind of neat.

A few stream side sights...

When I put my pack on the front seat I found I had a hitch hiker.

In the afternoon I took a drive to do a little more scouting, no fishing this time, and got a couple more pics.

I plan on doing some fishing/hunting combo trips this fall. We shall see how that turns out. :)

Beating Summer At Its Own Game

2011-08-02T21:17:00.019-04:00

With a little bit of rain falling on this side of the state the past week or so I decided to check out one of my 'ace in the hole' streams. It was up a little from the last time I'd seen it, but still a bit on the low side. The water temperature was a cool sixty two degrees and it was fishable, so I decided to see what it had to offer.

I tied on a Muddler Minnow and was into the brookies in no time. A few had some brilliant color to them. This underwater shot didn't turn out very clear but you get the idea.

Unfortunately this little guy got hooked right by the edge of his eye. Nothing you can really do about that but I sacrificed my fly and cut the end off before I removed the hook as it had a barb on it.

And as always there were your 'run of the mill' stockies, as far as color goes.

The Joe-Pye weed was abundant and is always a signal that summer is getting a bit long in the tooth.

Along the way I got into some blackberries stream side so I filled my hat a bit and sat down for a break and a snack.

It also seemed like a good time to pull out a book I'd brought along and do some 'stream side reading'. This book was originally published in 1938, and although this is the second edition, it still has a lot of the original content. I had to laugh when the author said that spinner fishing was new to the trout fishing scene in America. Pretty cool to read some of this old stuff and much of the information still applies today. I haven't gotten very far, but I can tell I'm going to like this one.

Probably the highlight of the day was when I caught some movement along the bank downstream and watched this nice buck emerge from the weeds and brush. Not a giant, but not bad for a big woods buck!

A pretty good day to be in the big woods and a memorable one at that. Life is good!

One and Done

2011-07-26T19:27:00.003-04:00

Last Friday, although I didn't mention it in my post, I hooked up briefly with what I believed was a big brown. It came as a surprise and I was disgusted with myself for wasting such an opportunity.

During the past week it still burned me whenever I thought about it, which was often. So Sunday found me driving almost two hours for a shot at redemption. I knew where it's daytime lie was now and if it was around it would almost certainly be there.

Water temperature isn't an issue here and if it ever is there's something major going on, as in way worse than what we're experiencing now. I knew my first cast was probably going to be my only chance with this fish. When my crystal bugger swung up next to it's lie I gave a few enticing twitches and as they say....FISH ON!!!

After a good battle I had a twenty inch brown brought to hand. I can't say 100% that it's the same fish but odds are that it is. I admired him a bit then sent him off to fight another day.

After that I went back to the vehicle, put my gear away, and spent the rest of the day doing a bit of driving, scouting, hiking, and sightseeing. Satisfied that I had accomplished what I set out to do. Sometimes it's best to quit while you're ahead.

Pic of the Week

2011-07-24T09:02:00.004-04:00

Salt or sass? You be the judge. Click to enlarge to get the full effect.

Slim Pickings

2011-07-16T16:56:00.020-04:00

With the streams going down and warming up the options are getting very limited. There are still a few 'trout oases' out there though and I hit a couple on Friday.

This shot turned out kind of odd and I figured I'd include it for that reason alone.

Did a little bit of fishing for natives also. The water here was cold but getting low as well. I spent most of the time sight seeing rather than fishing.

I came upon this patch of bee balm and there were at least five or six different hummingbirds in it. Try as I may I couldn't get a good shot of one. Those little buggers are fast!

One finally did sit still long enough...

The day was ended with 'Ma Nature's' own version of Friday night lights.

Life is good!

Some July Trout and Sights

2011-07-11T22:54:00.007-04:00

Found some cold water, a few trout, and some sights along the way.

Living On Borrowed Time

2011-07-05T20:07:00.028-04:00

When the alarm clock went off at 4 am on Sunday morning I instinctively hit the snooze button. I wanted to be on the water at first light and after finally jumping out of bed an hour later I realized it wasn't going to happen. Still, I was ahead of my usual schedule for a weekend trout outing.

Perhaps part of my reluctance to get up was being afraid of what I would find on arrival. Sure enough the stream was running low and clear. Almost too low but I figured I drove all this way I may as well give it a shot. A quick water temperature reading came in at sixty degrees on the nose. At least that was in my favor.

The very first pool I fished produced a chunky brookie, albeit a small one. I ended up working for every fish from that point on and it wasn't anything to write home about. Most were small brook trout in the eight to ten inch range.

I wanted to try out my new 'classic streamer' pattern which is kind of a cross between a Black Ghost and a Spruce Fly. I dubbed it the Hemlock Fly seeing as how I fish a lot of streams flowing through them. It's maiden voyage produced the biggest fish of the weekend, a brookie in the fourteen inch range that came out from under a log and absolutely nailed my fly. I didn't have my net along though and he wasn't too keen on having his picture taken.

The only other fish breaking the twelve inch mark was this one and it ended up being the last fish of the day for that stream.

For the remainder of the day Sunday and also today I fished a few more streams with limited success. We need a good shot of rain in the worst way. If not, trout fishing in these areas is going to dry up...literally.

The summer wildflowers were out in full force along the streams.

One I've never come across before, as best I can remember.

Now this is a first for me while trout fishing in the middle of nowhere. I had a kind of a 'wait a minute is this for real' moment when I saw it.

I came across some wildlife too and managed a decent shot of this doe that didn't have any fawns with her.

It was tough getting a shot of this old girl. No poults to be seen though.

This song sparrow was singing it's head off as I fished near it. Made it seem more like early spring instead of the heat of summer.

In one stream I got into a few rainbows. They were super picky when it came to flies and after catching a couple I broke out the spinning rod which brought faster results.

The dragonflies came in a multitude of colors it seemed.

I also added a few natives to the catch list for the weekend. Not much for size but they sure are pretty.

And a few more shots from the weekend.

Certainly not the greatest weekend for fish numbers or conditions. As much as I hate to say it, if it doesn't start raining soon my areas are pretty much done for the summer. Somehow I eeked out another one I guess and it was an enjoyable couple of days out in the woods. Yep....life is good!

Checking In

2011-06-29T22:14:00.008-04:00

Still around and getting out in the wild places now and then. Been in a bit of a funk when it comes to posting. The words just don't seem to flow like they used to for some reason. After two and a half years of this I may have 'hit the wall' so to speak. I'm sure I'll break through it at some point, patience is all that is needed.

The mountain laurel and rhododendrons are blooming in the hills and the days are actually getting shorter once again. I'm not sure where the spring went, it all seems like a blur right now. Trout fishing is getting a bit tough and hunting season is on the mind more and more with each passing day. It's amazing how fast it all seems to go anymore.

The Trout of Redemption

2011-06-20T22:22:00.015-04:00

I took last weekend off from trout fishing as it felt like I was all 'trouted out' at the time. This weekend I got the itch again and checked out a couple of new places that were less than impressive. I'm sure the low flows had something to do with that as it seems we're almost back to where we were last summer in these parts. With all the rain early in the season I had hopes for a repeat of '09 this year but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.

After the frustration of driving so far to fish and coming up empty I decided to head for a sure thing. The flow was also low here but the water was nice and cold. It was going to take stealth to get into position to catch fish and I felt up to the challenge.

Normally I'm a pretty methodical fisherman, probably more so than most. My left knee has been giving me fits the last couple of weeks and it's been swelled up like a balloon, on and off, for the past week and a half. That fact had me going even slower than usual and it ended up paying off and also served as a real learning experience as I literally had to take my time.

The number of fish I caught, missed, or just observed was almost surprising. At one point I sat down on some tree roots just above an undercut to rest and watched two brookies eventually come out from under and start to feed.

I just sat there watching them for the longest time enjoying the show as they took nymphs, as best I can tell, from the current. When I finally did decide to go after them I hooked up with the smallest one on the first cast but he 'spit the hook' before I could land him.

Sitting back down, I watched to see if they'd come back out. About fifteen minutes later the larger one returned and resumed feeding. I threw everything but the kitchen sink at him but couldn't get a take. Once, he took my copper john nymph but spit it back out before I could set the hook. By far the pickiest brook trout I've ever come across.

Other than a brief downpour it was a pretty comfortable day weather wise and I took my time observing the sights and sounds of my surroundings.

But the brookies were the stars of the day and really helped to take my mind off of my aches and pains. Some were nicely colored, some not so much. They were all fun to catch tough.

This was my favorite fish of the day, not the biggest, but probably the prettiest.

Redemption for my earlier wild goose chase I suppose. When you get to chase brook trout in cold mountain streams.....life is definitely good!

Early June Trout

2011-06-07T21:10:00.023-04:00

June 5, 2011

Well it's almost 6:30 pm and I'm sitting here thinking about how to recap this past weekend of trout fishing. I'm in the shade of some beech trees listening to the wind blowing across the hills and the sound of the stream flowing. The sounds of songbirds are the only other noise to be heard, it's nice, real nice.

The weekend has been a good one up to this point, with a few fish coming to hand and taking in some beautiful late spring scenery. I just finished up completing my trout 'grand slam' for today, a small brown was kind enough to give me the trifecta when he took my copper john nymph. It's amazing how well he blends into his underwater environment.

Just about an hour ago I landed the 'big' fish of the weekend, a sixteen inch rainbow, caught in one of my favorite places when it comes to trout fishing. There's some history at the spot and it was good to kind of reconnect to the past a little bit. The rainbow was a beauty with a bright crimson gill plate and stripe. I was hoping the eagle would give me a fly over and complete the whole scene but it was a no show. Oh well, maybe another time.

Earlier in the day I had some good fishing upstream of this location with numerous brookies and rainbows being caught on spinners and flies. This small rainbow was a real looker, for some reason I love the way parr marks look on a trout.

Water levels are way down in some streams but the recent 'cold snap' has brought water temperatures down again, if only for a little while. Even the mighty Clarion was a cool sixty six degrees this evening and a few brookies fell victim to my spinners and crankbaits. Unless they find some thermal refuge their time is limited in this river. I actually thought about keeping a few but didn't.

Brook trout once again made up the vast majority of the fish caught over the last couple of days, no complaints here though, I love catching them!

Some notable scenes from the weekend include a gorgeous sunset on Friday evening while fishing a good stream.

And this grouse I came across while waking down an old logging road.

This one though, is just wishful thinking on my part.

Another really good weekend of fishing that charged the spirit to make it though another week. Sometimes while sitting at a place like this the temptation is great to just stay and leave it all behind. Then reality sets in and you're just thankful to get out here for at least a little while and enjoy it all.

As I head out and turn away from the stream I can't help but look back and think that life is indeed good!

Trout and the Wandering Owl

2011-05-31T22:44:00.014-04:00

This past holiday weekend found me doing some fly fishing in between birthday parties and other events. The fishing was great and I caught more than my fair share of trout, most of them on streamers but also a few on dry flies and nymphs.

There's nothing better than a beautiful brook trout at the end of your line.

As I was working my way along the stream, swinging streamers, this owl flew up and landed not too far away. Never having a chance to observe one this close before, I found it to be a really cool experience.

I did pretty good on the brookies again and kind of liked the way these shots turned out.

This has got to be the most oddly colored brook trout I've ever caught. From the tip of the tail along the back to the dorsal fin it was almost black. No spots along the side and it looked like someone sprinkled gold glitter along the top part of it's back. Very odd coloration to say the least. If it wasn't for the faint orange in the fins it would have took me longer to figure out what the heck it was.

This nice hefty brown took my muddler minnow in a swift run. At first I thought I'd gotten snagged on a rock.

I've been loving this underwater camera since I've got it but I'm not sure I'll ever beat this one. An absolutely beautiful brookie!

The surprise fish of the weekend was when this brook trout pushing every bit of eighteen inches slammed my streamer in an unlikely spot for a big fish.

A really, really good weekend on the streams. Life is good!

Day of the Brookies

2011-05-24T20:34:00.031-04:00

Sometime during the week I got the notion to do some 'old school' spinner fishing for the upcoming weekend. Streams were coming down from high flows the week prior and conditions would be ideal. I was fresh out of homemade spinners and with no supplies to replenish my stock I went out and picked up the next best thing, if not better. The 1/8 oz. gold Thomas Spinners had been very, very good to me in the past and I hoped that would continue for my upcoming outing.

For the first time in a long time I left 'old faithful', my nearly ancient spinning rod, at home and instead rigged up my new untested spinning rod. It had some big shoes to fill and I hoped this outing would get it off to a good start. The fly rod wasn't left behind though and I carried both with me along the stream. What can I say, I like to be ready for anything.

I already knew where I was going to start out and the change in the stream from one Saturday to the next was dramatic. High, raging, brown water had been replaced by slightly stained ideal flows. It felt good to get back on the water and I was determined to take my time and enjoy what the day had to offer.

Things got off to a slow start, but I knew there were fish here for the taking. This stream rarely let's me down and when I finally saw that flash of a trout attacking my spinner all was right with the world.

In years past while carrying both rods the open water was used for fly fishing and the 'tough pools' were spinner only. In an ironic twist it's exactly the opposite now. I had to laugh about how this stream gave me fits when I first started out fly fishing. Now it's toughest trout holding cover more often than not yields rewards with flies. Swinging, if you can call it that, a streamer into the nooks and crannies of a log jam is more often than not rewarded with a fish on the line.

This method made for one of the more memorable fish of the day as I found myself passing the rod around trees just to land it. You can't beat hungry brook trout in mountain streams.

As always, I took the time to take in the scenery as I worked my way along the stream. From a spider web hovering above a pool, to an unusual butterfly photo op, or just enjoying the sights and sounds of the woods and water. It truly does cleanse the spirit and the soul.

I'll add here that the air was thick with pollen. You can see it on the spider web above and even on the spider. My waders ended up being dusted with yellow.

And I found a moment to just sit back, shut my eyes and listen to the water. (And maybe almost fall asleep.)

It seemed the longer I fished the better it got with brookies falling victim to both the spinner and fly along the way. Throw in a brown to boot and it was truly a great start to the day.

Thirsty, hungry, and a bit tired, I headed back to grab a bite and head somewhere else. I decided to hit a native brookie stream and see if I could get my first trout on a dry fly for the year. That I did, as a little 'hemlock trout' eagerly took my offering. Personally I don't' think catching natives is all that hard, but I like to catch a few just to make sure they're still around and behold their beauty for a few seconds. I caught a handful, but mostly just walked and looked around a bit. It would be a shame to ever lose these fish. In many ways fishing for them reconnects you to a time when these lands were truly wild and unspoiled.

Satisfied they were still alive and doing well, I headed off to yet another favorite stream and found I had it all to myself. A few more fish fell to the spinner and I almost completed the trifecta for the day when I hooked into a rainbow that had taken up residence behind a boulder mid-stream. A dramatic leap, as if it were shot out of a cannon, ended any thoughts of that though as it threw my spinner upon landing. Rainbows are always good for that and it's one of the things I love about them. The brookies weren't quite so acrobatic though and a few came to hand.

Evening was settling in pretty good when I made my last stop of the day along the Clarion River. Little did I know the best of the day was yet to come, not in terms of big fish, but in numbers of fish. Brookie after brookie eagerly attacked my spinner and I'm not even sure how many I caught. Most all were fairly dark in color, making the orange fins and belly stand out even more.

I had hopes that this water would give up a big trout but it didn't happen on this evening. Many of the brookies pushed fifteen inches, which isn't too darn bad, but I was hoping for at least one twenty inch plus fish. I did hook into a big fish that I never got to see. A smallmouth maybe, but I'd like to think it was a trout.

During all of this I was witness to one intense caddis hatch. They were everywhere, and I mean everywhere. It was like a snow squall in May.

An unbelievable day on the PA streams and one I'll remember for quite some time, it just doesn't get any better. I may hint at this a lot but these are the kind of days that truly reinvigorate your mind, body, and spirit and make the 'other stuff' in life more bearable. For this day anyway....life is good!

If you took the time to read and look at all of this...Thanks!

At a Loss for Words

2011-05-15T20:00:00.020-04:00

The last couple of weeks have found me hitting the streams whenever the opportunity arose. If for no other reason to clear my head and bring some 'sanity' to my life as of late. I guess I've been going through some 'stuff' that probably everyone goes through at some point. It's funny how the water flowing past can carry your stress away with it, if for but a brief moment.

I'm not much into story telling at this point in time so without further ado here are some pics from the last two weeks. I hope you enjoy...

The Perfect Storm

2011-05-01T21:27:00.018-04:00

The beautiful weather Saturday was a welcome change from the last few weeks and streams were coming down from their high flows. With the forecast for Sunday calling for rain showers it made for the perfect storm, or, just a good couple of days fishing and enjoying the ever-awakening spring.

A chilly morning with sunny skies and just the right amount of 'murkiness' to the water found the fish eager to attack streamers. I was more than happy to oblige as this is my favorite form of fly fishing aside from fishing dry flies. A few succumbed to a variety of nymphs as well, just for a change of pace. A beautiful day on the water.

Sunday got a bit of a late start but the rain made for some great fishing that was action packed from start to finish. I got a little damp, but I guess you have to strike while the iron is hot. Besides, you don't notice the rain when you're having a blast.

Nothing of any real size, but an enjoyable couple of days on the streams nonetheless. Life is good!

Returning To My Roots

2011-04-23T21:20:00.010-04:00

Anybody who is even semi-serious about trout fishing can probably remember the time when they 'came of age' so to speak when it comes to the sport. For me it was when I realized how fun and effective it was to fish with spinners. From that moment on I never looked at fishing the streams the same again.

When I got back into trout fishing a couple of years ago, after a long hiatus, I had hopes of revisiting that place where I had enjoyed so many successful days on the water. Sadly though, due to the winds of change, it wasn't a possibility any longer. There are still connections to those days gone by though which brings me to my outing recently.

As much as I've gotten into the addicting world of fly fishing, I can't ever see myself giving up on spinner fishing completely. As I set out for the morning, spinners were my main plan of attack for the day. The rod I'd be using, the only one I've used for nearly twenty one years now, was my connection to that past.

Even with it's faded wraps and somewhat tattered appearance, this old Shimano Super Ultra Light can still get the job done. Reels have come and gone through the years but the rod has remained a constant. It has accounted for the majority of the trout in my life, including many twenty plus inch trout. The most memorable being a twenty four inch brown caught in a mountain stream some fourteen years ago.

I actually bought a replacement for this rod recently but somehow I just don't have the heart to retire it yet. As I tied on one of my homemade spinners, I was hoping it would give me one more good day, for old times sake. When I saw that first flash of a strike and felt the bend in the old rod, it was indeed like going back in time.

After starting out with a bang by landing a few brookies I happened upon a little brown who took a couple of swipes at my spinner then gave up on it. Since I did have the fly rod with me, mostly in case I came upon any rising trout (which it too fun to pass up btw), I gave him a look at my giant nymph streamer which got him on the very first try.

A bit disappointed in myself for taking the easy way out (how's that for controversy), I decided to stick with the spinning rod for the rest of the morning. Spring is truly here it seems and this was the first day I noticed that 'springtime' smell in the air with whiffs of lush new growth now and again.

A few more brookies came to hand for my efforts and it was a nice few hours on the water. The old Shimano had provided yet another good day and more memories to file away. Every now and then it's good to get back to the things that were once your passion. Taking a break from attempts to 'progress' as a fisherman has it's benefits and can reinvigorate your spirit as well. You just might find yourself falling in love all over again. Life is good!

Big Wind, Big Brown, Little Bear

2011-04-19T17:18:00.017-04:00

Saturday was a bust for me. What can I say? I hate the crowds and the circus atmosphere that comes with them. Sunday I headed north and was pleasantly surprised to find most streams abandoned. Maybe for good reason as the fishing wasn't too great. At least at the streams I checked out anyway.

The wind was pretty fierce at times and I had to stop and move a downed tree off the road as I was coming back out from one stream. I was just glad it wasn't larger than it was. I'd been using the spinning rod all day, mainly because it seems like it's been so long since I'd fished with it. On the last stream though I broke out the 3wt and started swinging streamers in the slightly stained water.

With no luck once again, I drove to a different section of the same stream and just so happened to find a nice sized fish in one of the pools. I had a conehead streamer of my own creation on and when I went to make my first roll cast the wind picked up and did something I would have never believed if I hadn't seen it. In 'mid-roll' the wind literally picked my streamer up (conehead mind you) straight into the air and my line and fly just hovered there for what seemed like five seconds or so. I'm pretty sure the phrase "you've got to be kidding me" came out of my mouth.

The fish gave it a weak look once but didn't seem too interested. I switched up to my giant nymph/streamer type fly, also of my own creation, and that really got his attention. After a very brief hookup I thought I'd blew it. I decided to just stand back and let the fish settle back down a bit and try again in a few minutes.

On the next cast about ten minutes or so later I got a solid hook set and found myself with a bigger fish on that I thought it was. Big fish on the 3wt can be fun as long as they don't go too awful crazy and I managed to get this nice brown in that measured in at twenty plus inches. Closer to twenty one but who's counting.

After a few quick shots I sent it back on its way. One fish for the day but it was worth it. I couldn't be happier. It had a messed up gill on one side but it didn't seem to bother it in the least. I've caught a few trout like this over the last couple of years.

Notice that I'm not wearing waders. I didn't figure on doing much wading so I had my muck boots on and ended up paying the price. The water was cold and my boots were filled to the brim.

With cold, soaking wet feet I decided to end the day. It was starting to get late anyway. On a whim I decided to take the long way home and it turned out to be a great idea. The skies began to clear up making for a beautiful landscape and I saw a fair amount of wildlife in the way of deer and turkeys.

I also happened upon this little guy who was busy eating the tender new grass shoots, as best I could tell anyway.

I managed to get a little video footage of him as well.

It ended up being a very relaxing and scenic drive home that was capped off in a perfect way by the full moon coming up over the hills.

A day that some might not consider very successful but one that I'll remember for quite some time. Life is good!

Trout Opener

2011-04-17T09:19:00.003-04:00

*note - This was set to post last night, so no, I don't drink beer in the morning. Maybe I should? ;)

Today was the trout season opener for most of PA and the weather was less than ideal. The forecast leading up to today called for an inch or more of rain and high winds. It turned out the rain wasn't as bad as predicted, or so it seemed to me, but the winds were definitely something to be reckoned with. At one point during the morning I found myself narrowly escaping a sizable limb that came down.

Believe it or not I didn't land a single fish today, mostly due to a lack of effort on my part. Even with the weather the crowds were out in full force. The reason I go out on the streams in the first place is to get away from the rat race for awhile. The thought of hitting some small brookie streams crossed my mind but I just couldn't get into it today for whatever reason. It seems I've been in a bit of a funk for the last couple weeks and I'm not sure why. The makings of a mid-life crisis perhaps. Ok that actually made me laugh a little.

Just to update a few things on the 'blog front' I simplified my header. As much as I liked it at first, it was a little too 'look at me' for my taste. I've always envied the bloggers who found that one perfect header pic and stuck with it. I'm not sure this one falls into that category but it seems to fit.

Lately I've been toying with the idea of a spinoff blog (what the heck am I thinking?!!?!!) that would just be about my trout fishing adventures and thoughts. It seems kind of ironic that a blog titled Fall Road Archer probably has more fishing content than actual hunting content. Kind of like the pizza shop that's known for it's steak hoagies I guess. Sometimes trying to cram 'everything outdoors' into one blog makes you feel like you're in the middle of no man's land as far as outdoor blogging goes. Probably not going to happen but it's crossed my mind more than a few times.

As of now I'm just sitting here enjoying an 'end of the day brew' and loosely formulating a plan for tomorrow. As much as I despise the crowds, opening day means I'm not limited to where I can fish anymore. Although I didn't take advantage of that today for whatever reasons, tomorrow is another day...

Any post feels naked without a pic so here's a randomly selected, non-relevant shot of geese floating down the creek while sitting in the Burger King parking lot.

Vanishing Trout and Pink Pheasant Tails

2011-04-03T20:21:00.025-04:00

The weekend found me headed out to try my luck at some special regulations waters as that's what I'm pretty much limited to in this area during this time of year. My first stop was a DHALO section that had treated me pretty well last year. Surprisingly for ten o'clock on a Saturday morning in early April there wasn't a vehicle in sight.

Intrigued by this, I decided to check things out before I geared up. The view into the low, clear, water revealed no fish. I walked a good stretch of stream with the same results. It was both disappointing and alarming. A walk along this same stretch a year ago would have resulted in seeing an almost uncountable number of fish. I ended up not even getting the rod out before I moved on for greener pastures.

Stream number two held at least a few fish, this I was sure of. I arrived to find the flow a tad low but not bad at all. Fish in these special regulations waters can get a bit picky as they're literally bombarded with every fly and lure known to man. Often it pays to think outside the box and with that I went to my "shock and awe" patterns as I've come to call them.

A view above and below the water...

It didn't take long to start hooking up with some brookies and they seemed to find my hot pink beadhead/bubble gum dubbing pheasant tail variant irresistible. The first one had a somewhat unique pattern on it's back and at first glance I thought it was a tiger trout. I can't say I ever recall catching a brookie with these kind of markings. I thought it was a cool looking trout anyway.

After the first few fish it became an experiment to see what I could entice them to hit. The oddball patterns were indeed the top producers of the day and quite a few brookies came to hand.

One of my favorite fish of the day turned out to be this brown who absolutely slammed my Pickett Pinn-ish streamer/giant nymph pattern. It's always rewarding when you catch fish on one of your own creations.

It ended up being a very enjoyable afternoon that did wonders in relieving the problems of the past week. I couldn't help but smile when I hooked up with a brown during the middle of a passing snow squall and decided that it would be my last fish of the day. Before leaving I just took a moment and listened to the water flow and watched the snow flakes illuminate against the hemlocks and rhododendrons. Silently wondering why every day couldn't be like this.

Sunday I planned on hitting yet another stream but decided to head back to where I left off the day before. If for nothing else than to get the day started on a positive note. A few more fish came to hand and I managed a couple of decent underwater shots. As tempting as it was to stay, I cut it short and headed off to my original destination.

I like the way you can see the rays of sunlight through the water on this one.

Upon arrival I once again found low flows and clear water. Sadly it ended up being a repeat of the first stream I visited during the weekend. I don't profess to be anything close to the worlds greatest fly fisherman but there were just no fish to be found. Stepping out of character a bit, I have to say that I have no problem with anyone who wants to keep a fish legally. But it's hard to fathom that people could be so hard up for the taste of trout as to wipe out these special regulations areas. It's either that or other factors at play. I'm not looking to start a debate, just a bit of a vent I guess.

Despite a couple of disappointments it ended up being an enjoyable weekend and good for the soul before plunging into another week. When the stress levels go up this week, and they will, I'll just think of an angry brown putting a nice bend in the 3wt during a mini-blizzard. It will help me to keep in mind that......life is good!

Sometimes

2011-04-03T08:39:00.002-04:00

Often when you try to capture the beauty you see in nature with your own eyes, the attempts to recreate it with the camera fall a bit short. Sometimes though you come close and I was happy with the way this one turned out. Too tired for a full report and hopefully there's more to come.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy...

March Madness

2011-03-26T07:37:00.021-04:00

March can be a temperamental month and as I sit making this post it's a chilly sixteen degrees outside. I thought I'd share a few spring sights that I've captured so far. They look good to me on this cold morning.

I didn't notice it until after I took the picture but this truly is a robin red-breast. lol

I even managed to catch the old PITB basking in the spring sunshine. It didn't last long until he was back into more mischief.

Have a great weekend everyone!

First Day of Spring Pictorial

2011-03-22T00:16:00.016-04:00

After a loooooooooong winter that seemed like it would never end I got to spend the first day of spring fly fishing for just about the whole day. A beautiful day with sunny skies and eager trout. Ended up with a couple dozen but lost count somewhere along the line, those things don't really matter to me.

I also got a chance to try out my new toy.

For the last part of the day I just sat on the bank and watched the sun fade.

Been saving this one for a special occasion and this seemed to be as good as any. So long winter......don't hurry back!

And like I always say....

Super Moon and the Great Pumpkin

2011-03-19T22:03:00.007-04:00

This evening I took a little hike to a high vantage point that offered a nice view of the eastern horizon. The first super moon since 1993 was scheduled to show up at sunset and I didn't want to miss out. Also, I hoped to get some good shots with my slight upgrade of a camera.

By 6:30 I'd settled down at a good vantage point and figured I had a good hour before 'show time'. During the wait I listened to the spring peepers down in the hollows below, and watched flocks of new spring migrants fly overhead.

As the sun sank below the western ridges I eagerly scanned the eastern counterparts for the first glimpse of the super moon. As the time started to drag by I began to wonder if this was indeed the right date. The thought popped into my head that this must be what Linus felt like when he was waiting for the great pumpkin.

Right around the 2:19 mark pretty well sums up what I was going through. ;)

Finally a glimpse of orange started to show through the trees in the east. There it was! The Great Pumpkin......er I mean the super moon! Actually the way it was glowing orange it could have passed for the Great Pumpkin. I'd never attempted shots during this 'in between' sort of light and was messing around with different settings trying to get a nice shot of it coming up through the trees. It rose much faster than I expected though and the shots I really wanted all came out grainy. It was kind of a bummer.

For some reason the orange color didn't seem to agree with my camera in regards to focusing. As it began to get higher in the sky the pics got a little better though. Not as cool as it coming up through the trees in my opinion, but they'll have to do.

It was a very cool experience overall and at one point, while it's orange glow was lighting up the brown grasses and goldenrod, I wondered what it was like to witness this when there weren't so many lights scattered across the landscape. In Native American times I wondered how an event like this was perceived and wondered if anyone had sat here and watched the same thing back then. Just random thoughts that sometimes go through my head.

I took the long way home and enjoyed the moonlit landscape. Yet another woodcock flushed at my feet on my return trip and scared the crap out of me for just a second or two. All in all a nice way to spend an evening. See you in 18 years Great Pumpkin!

Birthday Moonlight

2011-03-18T22:51:00.008-04:00

Yesterday, March 17th, found this outdoorsman celebrating (?) yet another birthday and wondering where all the time has gone. Someone once told me when I was younger that once you're out of school time will just fly. How right they were. Each year seems to go by quicker than the last. Almost to the point of being a little scary.

After a day of work and then a small birthday gathering, I found myself sitting on a log out back with a brew in hand under the light of a bright moon. The blue hued moonlight really illuminated the landscape on this warm March night and the gentle breeze was occasionally interrupted by the sound of geese in the distance.

As I sat and contemplated where I'm at and where I'm going, I was surprised by the sounds of a woodcock doing his spring mating ritual. He wasn't far off and a couple times I made him out as he descended from his lofty flight. The whole scene made for a neat little moment on this day, a different kind of birthday celebration if you will.

I sat for quite a while and just took in the sights and sounds of the night. It seemed to bring peace of mind to the everyday stress brought on by life outside of this realm. The time spent under the light of the spring moon made for a good birthday in itself.

This evening I heard my first spring peepers of the year and it really made the bleakness of the last three plus months all but disappear. It was definitely music to the ears and soul. Here 's to hoping for a good weekend. Sights and sounds of spring, a 'super' perigee moon, and perhaps some trout fishing are all on tap. Life is good!

The Evolution of a Streamer

2011-03-14T22:54:00.009-04:00

When I began fly tying, one of the first things I wanted to do was use hair from the deer I harvested to make flies. One of my very first creations was my "bucktail shiner" which looking back now, only a year later, seems pretty crude.

To be fair I didn't have many materials to work with and the body was made from some silver type thread from the craft department at Wally World. Unrefined as it may be, it caught a fair share of fish last spring and summer.

As it evolved not much changed except for maybe a little bit of the rough coming off the edges. A slightly smoother version of the original you could say.

Here on the cusp of decent trout fishing in 2011, which seems to be delaying itself to spite me for some reason, the bucktail shiner has taken on a more polished look. A sleeker silver tinsel body, some rearranging of the tying technique, and some added materials to help set it off. Hopefully that is. Although it's not really visible in the pic, I went all out and mixed in some polar flash to really add some, well........ flash.

I'm a sucker for the old classic streamers and I think this one is starting to take on that look. Perhaps not much, but a far cry from it's humble beginnings. Like the ads in the old outdoor magazines used to say..."You've come a long way, baby."

Ok I need to stop that before folks start to think this is Troutrageous or something. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Also since I don't have any new fish pictures to show, I'll do the next best thing. Here is a picture of a goose.

This is the most pop-culture-ish post you're ever going to see on this blog so take it in and live it up folks. ;)

Saturday Sights

2011-03-13T10:14:00.018-04:00

With the streams in these parts still raging, most of my outdoor activities yesterday involved taking pictures. A few from a lazy Saturday...

In March, amazing as it may seem, you can wake up to this.

And be surprised later in the same day by this, which was a very welcome sight after a VERY LONG winter! (Yes it's nearly here folks!)

Later in the evening when I was out and about I stopped off by the lake looking for possible photo ops and wasn't disappointed. I wish I had brought my tripod since it's hard not to overcome shaky hands when at full zoom. I got a few decent landscape shots anyway and some mediocre waterfowl pics.

The clouds were the scene stealer though. I took so many pictures that it's hard to narrow it down but here are a few that show what I'm getting at, I hope.

As if that didn't threaten to exceed my blogger bandwidth, here's a short video as well. I recommend watching it in one of the HD settings.

Now if those streams would just start to calm down a bit...

Anonymous Concoction

2011-03-08T22:20:00.007-05:00

The flies that made their way into my last post were variations of a creation I came up with while tying streamers. A size ten streamer hook, some fiery brown dubbing, a little deer hair, and some turkey feathers, all merged to form this nameless streamer-giant nymph-wet fly.

I think I can seduce a trout or two to take it in the coming months. Maybe. If any good ideas for a name strike you I'd like to hear them. I've been told it resembles a Pickett Pinn. I can see where they get that but it's not quite the same.

What do you know, two posts in two days. ;)

Blogger Burnout

2011-03-06T23:01:00.007-05:00

For the last week I've basically abandoned the blogging world. I looked around a bit but haven't spent much time at all writing or reading. After my last post it just felt like it was time for a break. My apologies for any great posts I've missed or didn't comment on. Somehow I did manage to lose a follower in my absence.

Without much else to report on, I took a nice woods walk today after the morning rain changed over to snow. Somehow the March snow seems a bit more enjoyable, perhaps because you know it's not going to last very long.

Other than a few songbirds I didn't see any wildlife while I was out and about. Last years scrapes were still visible though and the falling snow really made them stand out.

It ended up being a nice break and the snow falling added a nice touch to the afternoon. Time well spent.

In any event I hope to be around more. With any luck the trout fishing should be starting to heat up soon. All the rain we've had lately has the streams flowing a bit high to do any fishing right now. In the meantime I'll tie up some flies and prepare.

Unexpected Revelations

2011-02-26T11:40:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure that this post belongs here or where it would belong for that matter but it's something I felt I had to get out into words. I've probably dwelled on this subject too much already, but truthfully, it's hard not to when it's linked to the very core of who you are. As the years pass though, and you're able to look at things without the overwhelming flood of emotions, you can see things in a more clear light.

Since the time of my dad's passing I've had some pretty spiritual, if not somewhat surreal, moments in the woods. From the unbelievably emotional and healing first rifle opener without him there, to just feeling his presence in the woods where we shared so many times together. My reluctance to hunt those woods at first, turned to almost being drawn to it. When rifle season rolled around it just felt like that's where I had to be.

Success with the rifle has come fairly often there as of late and I find my rifle killed buck count almost equaling my bow killed buck count. Something I never dreamed would happen. A little help from above perhaps, or maybe plain old luck. This past opening day seemed like the perfect day in many ways. Great deer hunting weather, sightings, and ultimately success. The connection to what this place had meant to me and my family through the generations seemed to come to a peak that day for whatever reason. Perhaps the years of experience (wisdom) made it possible to take in the complete picture, something that can be overshadowed by the enthusiasm of youth.

That leads to the reason of this post and something that occurred on the following Saturday. The fresh layer of snow made for a picture perfect deer hunting landscape on this day, the first day antlerless deer were fair game. With wanting another deer for the freezer, I felt confident that "The Hemlock" would easily provide me with this opportunity. Sure enough, when two mature doe came along the bench below me I was able to accomplish my goal.

After paying my respects to the animal for this 'gift' of venison, and thanking a few 'spirits' for their help in a successful hunt, I made the fifty yard drag back to the hemlock and settled back in to wait for a report from my brother at noon. It was during this time, while listening to the small stream flow at the bottom of the hollow below, and the wind occasionally whispering through the hemlocks, that this overwhelming sense of completeness came over me. I find it hard to describe in words here, but it was a sense that I couldn't shake.

After five years of perhaps trying to recreate the past, or in some ways clinging to what once was, it seemed I was finally at peace with all that had transpired during that time. It was a sense that if I was never fortunate enough to hunt these hills again, it would be ok. Definitely not my intention, but it seemed it was time to forge ahead to new adventures and new places that would become special as well. Just the most complete sense of 'being' that I've ever had come over me. Still, I find it hard to describe with words and it's something that I'll always remember about that day.

Looking ahead to what is hopefully many more years of enjoying this 'thing' that I love, there is a feeling of freedom in exploring new opportunities while never forgetting the past, and occasionally revisiting that past. Wherever I may roam and whatever 'success' I may find, I'll know those same spirits played a part. Whether it be directly or indirectly, for they are what made me what I am today.

Tying It All Together

2011-02-19T23:19:00.010-05:00

One of the things that draws me to fly fishing is that it allows me to incorporate other aspects of my love for the outdoors into it. Last year I used Ruffed Grouse feathers to tie up some dry flies that would pass as March Brown imitations and they did really well in producing trout. Then there were my bucktail streamers, tied using the hair from the buck I was fortunate enough to take the fall before. Once again, they did pretty well in bringing fish to hand.

Catching trout on a fly made up of the hair or feathers of the game you hunt, in these very hills that the stream runs through, is kind of special. Almost spiritual in a sense. It just seems to pull it all together in a way that I'm not sure I can even put into words here. In any event I stumbled upon some turkey wing feathers on a woods walk today. A veritable gold mine you might say.

Enough inspiration to sit down and tie up some wild turkey edition flies. First up was a pheasant tail.....uh.....I mean turkey tail (wing?) nymph.

Just to try something different, and without looking for a tutorial to help, I tried my hand at a muddler minnow that incorporated turkey feathers and hair from the deer I shot last fall. For a first attempt and just going by how I thought it should go together I don't think it turned out too bad. Although it may be a bit under-hooked.

I'm no dry fly whiz but I've always heard when it comes to tying flies, the buggier the better. If anything, I believe my dry flies are buggy. This is all turkey feather except for the hackle, all I had was black. I can practically guarantee it'll bring a trout to the net this spring.

Once again, no award winners here but they'll catch fish. I thought this would also be a good time to show off some of the ultra-cool decals I got from BoneyardFlyGear.com not too long ago. If you're looking for trout or fly fishing decals I highly recommend you check them out.

Maybe, just maybe I'll get to put some of these flies to the test tomorrow. We shall see.

Checking One Off the List

2011-02-16T19:20:00.000-05:00

*note* This post was to be published Tuesday, February 15, 2011

After two and a half months of a seemingly never ending winter I finally cracked. The blue skies and sunshine forecast for today was just too tempting to pass up. I headed for one of the famous PA trout streams that was guaranteed to be ice free.

Going only by maps and what information I could gather up online I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I've heard it said that you should fish 'The Paradise' just to say that you've fished it, as it's 'steeped in history and lore'. And that's where I figured I'd start out.

The parking areas were fit to play a hockey game on but I managed to not wipe out as I made my way across them. As soon as I got near the stream a few fish took off from right up against the near bank and I found that to be a common occurrence in this stretch of water.

Starting off with a scaled down version of one of my white bucktail streamers, it produced no action at all. I'll say now that I absolutely hate nymph fishing if I can't see the fish. Fishing sight unseen with an indicator can produce big numbers I suppose, but what little of it that I've done doesn't appeal to me. I like to see the reaction of the fish whether it takes my offering or not, perhaps that makes me weird, I don't know.

Just by the way the morning light hit the water it was impossible to see a fish unless it was five feet away from you. Reluctantly I tied on an olive scud, which is supposed to be a good fly for this stream from what I've read, and began drifting it through the deeper parts of the pools. Nothing.

As the sun began to break the treetops and light up the stream I spotted a trout near the far bank. A few drifts with the scud got no looks at all. Just out of curiosity I tied on my orange pheasant tail variant and on the first drift he gobbled it up. My first Spring Creek brownie and my first trout since November. It felt good.

That stretch produced three more brown trout, all carbon copies of each other, throughout the morning. All on the same orange PT. I saw a couple of rainbows as well but couldn't interest them.

After a few hours I decided to check out some different areas where you could actually wade. Releasing fish while kneeling down on crusty snow/ice isn't a treat let me tell you. Especially when your knees are as shot as mine are.

Even for a Tuesday in mid-February there were still more than a handful of fishermen out. I can only imagine what it's like during 'prime time'. I finally found an access point with no vehicles so I decided it was as good a place as any.

I tied my white bucktail streamer back on and within the first few casts I had a missed hookup. Just swinging the streamer didn't seem to interest them. It wasn't until I started giving it a little action that they went for it.

Sticking with the streamer produced a good many strikes but I just couldn't get a hook set. It was fun though and I think I was enjoying myself even more than when I was catching fish.

With nothing to show for all that action, unbelievably, I headed back to The Paradise for a another short try before I headed home for the day. I hooked into a small rainbow on a beadhead olive caddis which did me the favor of releasing itself.

Then a fairly decent rainbow, maybe sixteen inches, took up shop straight out from me and I could tell it was actively feeding. While going through I don't know how many different flies trying to get it to take something, I actually watched it rise up and eat pieces of leaves that were drifting by it. Twice!

I didn't have a leaf pattern so I tied on a small black wooly bugger hoping it would make for a reasonable facsimile. It gave it a good look but wouldn't take it. I don't know why but I wanted this fish. It was becoming personal. Finally I tied on a beadhead pheasant tail of the traditional variety and finally I got a take!

I set the hook and with a few shakes of it's head it was gone. As soon as the line went limp I shouted out a four word phrase, which I won't repeat here, that the guys up at the hatchery probably heard. With that I headed out.

A good day for being a complete newbie to the stream I guess. I found it to be a little too residential for my taste, at least the area I fished today. Give me a stream that runs through the middle of nowhere.

As I turned north onto 220 the almost full moon coming up over the ridge line was just a perfect way to end the day and a sight to behold. I thought about stopping to get a shot of it but didn't really want to do that along the side of the highway. An enjoyable day and I'll be back some day to try my luck again, plus I got to check this stream off of my 'must fish' list.

During the long ride home I saw quite a few deer feeding on the snow-less banks of I-80 and I finally got my moon shot after I arrived home. Just a part of the day and something to help remember it by I suppose. For today anyway, life is good!

Sometimes

2011-02-13T09:54:00.001-05:00

For as much as winter seems to get me down anymore, sometimes it does offer some beautiful scenery. Old man winter brought a smile to my face on this day. Enjoy each season I suppose, for the death grip of winter will make the 'freedom' of spring that much more appreciated.

Crawling Out From Under My Rock

2011-02-07T20:56:00.000-05:00

It feels like it's been forever since I posted anything and it seemed time to let the blogging world know that I'm still alive as opposed to laying face down in a snow drift somewhere. Other than watching my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers lose the Super Bowl yesterday, it's been more of the same old, same old. The seemingly never ending abyss of winter.

It's been a good two months since I've had a real trout fishing outing and in the meantime I've been tying up some flies. Nothing that's going to win any awards, but they'll catch some fish. Yesterday I tried my hand at pheasant tail nymphs for the first time. After cranking out a half dozen of the traditional variety, save for the scud hooks I used, I decided to mix it up a bit and try some different color variations.

Using colored beads and going with dubbing in place of wrapping the feather fibers on the shank, here are a few that I came up with...

Red bead and rust dubbing.

Orange bead and orange dubbing. I figure the stocked rainbows will love this one.

And the lime green edition.

After all this I found myself with a bunch of peacock hurl leftovers and not being one to let anything go to waste I tied up a few of these #18 'peacock bugs'. Maybe not too durable, but I'm betting I can get a trout somewhere to take one.

Maybe it's just the weather taking it's toll on my sanity, I don't know. Along with these, I've tied up some bead head caddis larvae ranging from bubblegum (ok pink) to black and everything in between. Man do I need the weather to break soon. The groundhog says spring is just around the corner. He's been known to be wrong though. (sigh)

I Hate Winter

2011-01-30T21:41:00.000-05:00

Ok there it is, I said it officially. The 'I hate winter' post is on the books. Why you may ask? What was the final straw? Well let me tell you my friends. For a good two months now it's been nothing but snow, cold, snow, and more cold. It literally is like living the same day over and over and over!

Today after lunch I decided to try and regain a little piece of my sanity by heading for the only water I could think of that wouldn't be iced over. In the immediate area anyway, that is. As I loaded up the gear I briefly gazed skyward and said, "For the love of GOD please let me wet a line today!".

During the drive there I had my doubts about even reaching my destination due to the road conditions. It's a steep descent down to the creek and if the road was snow and ice covered I wasn't even going to try it. Luckily the decision was already made for me when I arrived as I was greeted by a locked gate. Lucky in the sense that given my state of mind I just may have been stupid enough to give it a go, but probably not.

I momentarily contemplated hoofing it down on foot but decided against it. I could hear the water below coming from the dam but not knowing the actual stream side conditions, and knowing that there weren't loads of trout down there just waiting to be caught helped with the decision. (I know that and nobody can tell me otherwise. It just has to be true.) I stood there looking down the steep wooded hill and just listened to the flowing water for a bit, then headed for home. Old man winter wins again.

And just for the heck of it, a few extra pics from my new toy, the Nikon L110...

A Slate Colored Junco...

And a Chickadee...

Till next time! Keep the rock salt on tap and the snow shovel handy! Life is ummm.......good? ;)

Still Working On It

2011-01-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

Well after a week of being too tired at night to do anything with the blog, I finally got around to adding to the new changes a bit today. Still a little more to come, but I like the way it's starting to look. Last weekend I was having a real problem with headers and I think it was a Blogger issue as opposed to my limited computer savy.

In any event the outdoor adventures have been almost non-existant for awhile now. Maybe I can do something about that tomorrow. Maybe. Winter still has it's grip on the western PA countryside with snow, snow, and more snow as of late. I'm doing my best not to complain but I have a feeling I'm going to crack any day now.

Changes In the Works

2011-01-22T11:31:00.000-05:00

Finally getting around to making some changes to the blog and nothing is final as of yet so bear with me here. ;)

It Can Stop Snowing Now

2011-01-14T22:35:00.000-05:00

If you've ever seen the movie Groundhog Day, in which Bill Murray relives the same day over and over again, you'd have a pretty good grasp on what my life has been like lately. The past month and a half has been nothing but a combination of snow, wind, and cold. There was a brief warm up somewhere in there but it sure didn't last long. I can tell that my annual 'I hate winter post' isn't too far off.

On the blog front I decided to go ahead and go with a custom domain name. If you're on blogger already it's supposed to automatically update the new URL for my readers. If you're on WordPress I'm not sure if it does and if not, the new URL is simply http://www.fallroadarcher.com which is basically just eliminating the blogspot from the end. This and a few other changes are in the works for the near future.

The blue skies and bright sunshine today coaxed me into going for a little hike. It was a bit chilly but it turned out to be a refreshing walk in the woods. A few pics from along the way...

The moon has been visible lately and I've tried getting some decent shots with the new camera. Nothing overly spectacular here but I thought I'd share a few.

A post about not a whole heck of a lot I suppose. Hopefully that will be changing in the near future. Back down to the single digits tonight. Ah winter, gotta love it!

Didn't Make the Cut

2011-01-09T10:03:00.000-05:00

While the winter doldrums are slowly setting in I had an epiphany for a new feature to bridge the gap between outdoor adventures which seem to really slow down this time of year. Going through my pictures, which I tend to take way too many of, I realized there are a lot that never found their way into a post on this blog. Either from there being a better picture to use or just no post subject to include them in.

That being said, I give you the new semi-regular feature of this blog entitled "Didn't Make the Cut". Just a post with some pictures and a small description to go along with them. At the rate I seem to take pics I should never run out of subject matter. ;) So on to the first installment....

An early falling red Sassafras leaf stands out against the drab background of my recently planted backyard food plot.

Beads of water on a yellow Mexican Sunflower after a recent rain.

A passing front makes for a unique late fall sunrise.

Fall foliage on an October trout fishing outing.

Wooded PA hills in November, probably my favorite time of year next to peak fall foliage. It just screams November bow hunting, Thanksgiving, and rifle deer season on the horizon.

Certainly not the best picture but it's my first ever shot of a bald eagle. They're kind of a new novelty around these parts and up until a year or two ago I'd never even seen one outside of pictures. They're becoming a more common sight though and I'm enjoying that a lot!

Guess that's it for installment number one. I'll have to see what I can dig up for the next one.

Two Years Into This

2011-01-06T20:28:00.000-05:00

Today marks the two year anniversary of this blog. It all started out as an online journal to record my hunts and such, which basically it still is. The ability to add pictures to my writings is what really appealed to me and makes it that much better in reliving the days gone by. I think I get as much enjoyment going back and reading some of my posts as anybody else does.

To be perfectly honest I think a lot of my posts during the first year of this blog were some of my best stuff. In the fall of '09, much to my surprise, I started getting comments. It all seemed to change though when some fellow in a hat showed up and started commenting on my trout fishing adventures. That post incidentally, is one of my favorites of all time. I'll never forget the colors on that rainbow or the beauty of the day. Anyway, since then, I don't know how many times his catch phrase 'sometimes the fish win' has gone through my head during a frustrating day out on the streams. He wasn't the first here, but Mel over at Blog Cabin Angler will always mean a lot to this blogger. Thanks for all the kind words Mel!

Not long after that Casey (still have the urge to call him Owl) showed up and after reading his blog a bit I knew we shared a lot of the same feelings towards the outdoors. He's lived up to his 'wandering' reputation over the last year but as long as he's blogging, I'll be reading.

The day some crazy chick (ok not really) that refused to wear Pink Camo to the Woods showed up EVERYTHING went to hell in a hand basket. Okay again, not really. No matter how bad the day has been, more often than not, reading a post by Kari will have me smiling or laughing. She seems to have a talent for that kind of thing as anyone who reads her blog knows.

Of my meager 52 followers, some of which are reruns (lol), those three had a lot to do with this blog continuing during all the times I just felt like saying 'screw it'. Not that I don't appreciate ALL of my follwers! Trout(rageous), John, Wolfy, Biggie, Passinthru, Rick, The Hunters Wife, Albert, and so on, and so on! I appreciate you all!

Lately I've been thinking about where this blog is going, what I might change (if anything), and how I can get it to be what I pictured it to be. I guess that's always changing though, and I'm not sure I could really describe it anyway.

The original title of this post was going to be 'The Blog That Time Forgot' as I've been kind of uninspired the last week or so. Perhaps it's just the post-holiday blah's. In any event I felt a post was in order to mark 'the occasion'. A big thanks to all who have taken the time to read this blog! It is much appreciated my friends!

*Note- Just a recent random pic above. Just because. =)

A Final Look Back

2011-01-01T18:08:00.000-05:00

Well it's a bit late but I'm finally getting around to posting part two of my looking back videos. Unfortunately December saw 'the streak' come to an end. Deer hunting, the holidays, and especially the weather all had parts in that. I gave it one final attempt yesterday afternoon but to no avail.

2010 was a great year though. I fished a lot of new waters and even lucked into a fish or two. Great strides were made in the fly fishing department as well, still a long way to go in my opinion but the journey is the fun part. If 2011 even begins to come close to last year I'll be happy. Anyway here's part two and I hope you enjoy....

A Little Bit of Everything Here

2010-12-28T22:12:00.000-05:00

The holiday weekend found me with computer issues, which are hopefully over, and a new toy to play with. I finally have a camera that I can do some things with besides take landscapes, close-ups, ect. For all the moon shots I've tried to get this past year I finally have a camera that can get the job done. I'm looking forward to playing with this thing a little more.

In my quest to go twelve straight months with catching a trout I'm starting to feel the pinch of December coming to a close. The fact that we've had the coldest December on record (sixteen straight days without getting above freezing) hasn't helped. Streams are froze over with open water being very limited.

I gave it a go on a stream that I didn't' have high hopes for last week but didn't have much luck in the fish catching department. I swung streamers down through the breaks in the ice and in the more open waters but couldn't find a cooperative trout.

Three days left to keep the streak alive and I'm not sure I'll 'get 'er done'. In the meantime I've been getting back to restocking my fly boxes. Nothing fancy, just some streamers and caddis larvae.

I added some peacock herl to the last one just for something different. Hopefully as I go on (and get better maybe) I'll get into some 'more complex' flies.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T14:56:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to wish all the outdoor bloggers a very Merry Christmas! I hope Santa is good to you and I hope he gets to you before Kari shoots all of his reindeer. ;) Be safe, enjoy yourselves, and remember the true meaning of the holiday!

Looking Back on 2010

2010-12-12T20:29:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe almost another year has gone by already. Last year I did a couple of 'looking back' videos and I figured it would make a good tradition. This is part one of my 2010 trout fishing recap and hopefully there's a little more to come before I add the second edition.

Anyway I hope you enjoy it, it was fun to make. The video seems to lose a little something when you download, some of the transitions seem a little rough, but I hope it plays alright for those who take the time to view it.

Tagged Out

2010-12-10T22:37:00.000-05:00

This post is a week late in coming but I filled my antlerless tag last Saturday which leaves me tagged out for deer this season. I hunted the same spot as the first day of rifle and again, with my brother Mike. At 7:30 two doe came across the bench below me and when they got into the clear I dropped the lead deer. So much for flintlock season this year.

Turns out Mike had an eventful morning and had a chance at a very nice buck but just couldn't get a shot. Another hunter killed this buck later and it turns out if was a beautiful eleven point. He did manage to score on a doe as well though so it ended up being a pretty successful day for the two of us. He's not one for getting his picture taken so I had to sneak this one as he was dragging his deer back to the truck.

Well rifle season has been pretty good to me this year. Along with some memorable hunts I get to enjoy the 'fruits of my labor' as well. With a freezer full of venison there is some good eating coming my way. Like pan seared tenderloin and backstraps with onions....

Yes I ate the whole thing. Now that's some good eating!

Not to mention the venison pepperoni......

And of course jerky!

Sadly I didn't get a picture of the venison stew I had last night but some of you might be drooling by now so perhaps it's best I didn't. Maybe in some upcoming posts I'll give out some recipes for this stuff. In any event, life is good! Literally!

Opening Day Buck

2010-12-05T10:38:00.000-05:00

Monday morning was a chilly one and the leaves crunched underfoot as I made my way to 'the hemlock'. It was the rifle opener here in PA and this stand has been good to me in recent years, especially for bucks. In the cold pre-dawn darkness I made some final gear adjustments and looked up at the half moon peeking through through the hemlock branches. There probably isn't another time that is filled with so much anticipation as the minutes leading up to shooting light.

As the darkness gave way to the early gray morning light I heard a shot on the other hill quite a ways up the hollow. One shot is usually a good indication of a deer down and I continued with my watch. About five minutes later another shot came from the same direction. This time the distance had been cut in half though and now my senses were on high alert. If it hadn't been taken it was heading in my direction.

After what seemed like an eternity I started hearing the crunching of leaves coming up the hill and onto the bench below me. Two doe emerged from a thicket of small hemlocks and in hot pursuit of the second one was a buck. I'd forgot my binoculars and a quick glance through the scope revealed a mature buck with very high back points (g-2's for those of you who are into that) but I just couldn't get a count as he bird-dogged the doe across the bench below me. This is a four points per side area and try as I may, he just wouldn't give me a good look at his rack. As they disappeared from sight a little dejection set in as I knew it was a good buck. It was probably just as well though as no good shot opportunities were presented.

A little while after that two doe made their way up the hill to my left. All of this before the sun even cracked the eastern horizon. So far it was shaping up to be a pretty good day.

Around 9 AM I caught movement on the bench below me to my right. The sun was up now and made it much easier to spot movement through the trees. Instantly I saw it was a buck but once again, due to brush this time, I was unable to get a point count. Another moment of frustration but my hopes were still high. There was a more open area just to my right with a good view to the bottom of the bench and a feeling in my gut told me to change locations to that spot. I fought the urge for about half an hour then moved to where I'd have a better view.

After a quick fifty yard walk from my previous watch, I found another hemlock and got settled in at the base of it to begin my wait once again. From this vantage point I had a more open view of the bottom of the bench that the deer seemed to be favoring today. Nearly an hour and a half went by with no more deer sightings and just the occasional shot far off in the distance. In this 'down time' it's easy to start drifting into thoughts of other things and I found this to be the case as morning sun shone down on me.

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of a deer bounding down the hill right behind me. I turned to my left to see a buck coming full bore down past me at about fifteen yards. In those nanoseconds I saw it had four points to a side and when it stopped briefly thirty yards below me to assess it's next move I knew it was now or never. At any moment it would be off again.

This gun, my fathers beloved .350 Remington Magnum, is one of the most accurate guns I have ever owned and when the only real shot I had was a neck shot I wasn't hesitant to take it. At the sound of the muzzle blast the buck dropped in his tracks, gave a kick or two, and lay still. The whole episode was probably less than fifteen seconds in length but looking back it all seems like it was slow motion. It's amazing to me how one can count points, get situated, and pull off a good shot in such a brief time.

I walked up to the buck and knelt down, saying my thanks, and sat back to fill out my tag and take in all that had just transpired. All morning I had wrestled with what I'd do if a small legal buck presented itself. With the current antler restrictions in place there are definitely some nice bucks available to those who hold out for them. I figured I'd go with what felt right at the time and see how it played out.

There were no regrets whatsoever as I attached the tag to the bucks ear. I felt truly blessed to have taken this beautiful animal and the 'gift' of venison is much appreciated. I couldn't help but think that Dad was watching down on all of this and smiling. Sometimes hunts in special places, full of special memories, take precedent over big antlers on the wall. Truly a hunt to remember.

My brother Mike was here hunting as well and I dragged the buck back to my original stand of the day and waited to check in with him at two o'clock via radio. Turns out he had seen a few deer but no buck. I told him to hunt till quitting time and I'd see him back at the truck at the end of the day. I sat there through the afternoon and saw a few more deer come by, all does. It ended up being a good way to spend the afternoon, sitting there reflecting on the day, and just some good old fashioned 'thinking time'. During the sit one of my favorite quotes from an old Game News article came to mind and it seemed to fit this day, and many other days spent hunting these hills.....

"When your heart is full of respect and reverence for deer, when you're deeply sincere about forever making certain their numbers flourish, the bucks of autumn will 'give' themselves to you during your hunts. You will take, along with the physical animal, it's spirit, which in your future actions will never die." - Justin J. Parry

A little after four I started the drag out, figuring I'd still make it to the truck before Mike. A job, but a welcome one. This is the type of picture I'll never get tired of taking.

Along the way I was treated to a beautiful sunset. A perfect way to cap off the day and of course something that no camera could ever do justice. I hint at this a lot it seems, but it's truly a blessing to be out here to do what I love and to witness the things that I do.

It ended up that I did get back to the truck before Mike and unfortunately he didn't connect on this day. We loaded up our gear and discussed the days events as we drove out. Along the way I looked out at the dark hills and silently thanked them and their inhabitants for another amazing day in Penn's Woods. Life is good!

Monday Was Good To Me

2010-12-01T21:33:00.000-05:00

I was fortunate enough to score on a small seven point Monday. Been too busy and tired to do the full write up as it seems I'm being pulled in twenty directions at once in the last few days. Doe season opens Saturday and if I don't get the Monday post up by then perhaps a rifle season extravaganza post will be in order. ;) Anyway I figured I let you all know that I got some venison for the freezer and a full account post will be forthcoming when I get a chance to really sit down and collect my thoughts.

Pre-Rifle Opener Trout Fishing

2010-11-28T23:22:00.000-05:00

With pretty much everything set to go for the big day tomorrow, it was too nice of an afternoon for late November to waste. I headed for a stream that was fairly close, but I didn't really have high expectations for the outing.

The last time I was here fish were few and far between and I expected I'd mostly be going through the motions. Even so I wanted to see how much of an impact the soaking rains we had last week had on water levels and just enjoy the afternoon.

Upon arrival I was happy to see that water levels were back to normal. It was kind of odd at first since it seems I've gotten used to the extremely low water conditions lately. The sound of water actually flowing at a good pace was music to the ears.

As expected, it did seem as if I was just going through the motions as I swung streamers down through the pools. About the time I was starting to think of giving up the effort I saw the flash of a trout as it snatched up my streamer half way through the swing. A small brown but it may as well have been a twenty-incher as the whole trip now seemed worthwhile.

Not long after, while fishing a deeper pool, I watched as a blob rose up and engulfed my streamer. At first I thought it was a nice brown but it turned out to be a very nice brookie. This ended up being my last trout encounter of the trip.

I guess it was more than I expected so no complaints here. This seems like it may be the start of a tradition. An absolutely beautiful afternoon to be out with a nice nip in the air. My kind of day.

Life is good!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T09:25:00.000-05:00

Just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who takes the time to view this blog and to all my blogging buddies! I was planning on doing some turkey/small game hunting for a bit this morning but a hard, steady rain has literally put a damper on that. Anyway enjoy your holiday everyone and be safe. At a lack for a better picture here's a surprise turkey pic from one of my mock scrape setups a couple of months back.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Bear Opener or "Just a Day In the Woods"

2010-11-23T17:02:00.000-05:00

A day in the woods on the bear opener. Straight from the journal with pics and video added. Hope you enjoy...

November 20, 2010

Bear Opener

9:00 am finds me sitting at "the hemlock", not sure of it's value as a bear stand but it felt right. Got a late start and saw a small buck and doe en route. Also saw a piebald doe on the drive here. Impossible to hunt these woods without thinking of Dad. Back to watch....

12:00 pm - Had a bunch of doe come through shortly after 9. Something had them moving but it didn't seem like it was another hunter. Not long after, a small racked buck came though, nose to the ground.

Took a walk to warm up and saw a buck at "the convergence". More to that later. Worked the bench to the other hill and bumped a couple more deer. Sitting here writing this with the company of a porcupine.

3:30 pm - An afternoon of still hunting and taking up a stand now and then. A few more deer seen, bringing the total to near a dozen. A few shots from a couple of hills over not long ago. Final sit of the day.

Wrap up - Over all a good day in the woods. No bear sightings and not much shooting except for a few shots at the beginning and end of the day. Mike didn't see much at all today, guess I was in the right spots.

As for the buck sighting at "the convergence", first off that spot needs a different name. Something special about that spot. Just a feel to it with the way the hills tie together there. As if you can feel the essence of the land.

I was standing there with thoughts of Dad and fallen WCO Grove going through my mind. At that moment I turned to see a small racked buck coming across the hill. Eerily similar to the buck I got the year Dad died.

The first deer I've ever seen while standing there. A sign perhaps or just wishful thinking? To me it was a sign although many would laugh at that notion. Sometimes I think the spiritual side of this is all that keeps me going....

weather - mostly cloudy and near 50 degrees

- Forgot to mention the day was capped off with a beautiful full moon rising. A "blue moon" as well, from my understanding.

A few more pics from the day....

Plenty of rubs and some nice ones at that.

This guy must have been a little ticked off.

Some randoms...

Well that's about as close as I can get to "taking you with me" as I can get I think. If you took the time to read and view all of this thanks!

In Memory of a Fallen Officer

2010-11-21T09:04:00.000-05:00

Today Pennsylvania Wildlife Conservation Officer David L. Grove will be laid to rest after being killed in the line of duty on November 11, 2010. It's been 95 years since a WCO has fallen in the line of duty in this state and hopefully it will be the last.

I never met or knew the man, but his dedication to protecting the woods and waters that I and so many others enjoy warrants him the utmost respect. Condolences to family and friends of WCO Grove and may he rest in peace.

Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

For those wanting more information on this tragic event it can be found here.

Archery Ends and a Few Fish

2010-11-15T21:47:00.000-05:00

For whatever reasons the final week of archery here was less than stellar. Deer movement seemed to be at a minimum despite it supposedly being near the peak of the rut. Weather may have played a part as the last two days were unseasonably warm but not what I'd call hot. Deer sightings were few and far between with only one deer spotted, a long ways off, on the last day.

The final day found me ditching my all day stand sits and instead roaming about taking up a stand on the ground amongst a brush pile or anything that would hide me. I'd sit and do a bit of calling but mostly just watching and listening until I felt the urge to move again. With nothing to show for my efforts I did finally climb up in a stand for the last few hours of the day and saw one deer way off in the distance. A frustrating end to a frustrating season for sure. I'm still wondering where it all went.

On my final sit of the day I contemplated what was different now as compared to when success came regularly. I knew the answer though and it's that I'm not as "hardcore" as I used to be about bow hunting. Ten years ago I'd sweat every little detail on every single hunt. Now it's more along the lines of just enjoying being out there and hoping success comes. Maybe that comes with age, maybe it's attributed to just getting lazy. I don't know.

One thing is for sure, I'm not liking this "slump" and it just might resurrect the hardcore bow hunter within. I kind of feel as if I lost my edge and I need to get it back. Most times when I put my mind to something like this I don't rest until I've accomplished what I've set out to do.

With my bow hunting adventures bringing me down a bit I turned to the streams on Sunday to help snap me out of it. Well, more like stream as in singular. I've got a streak going now of catching at least one trout for nine straight months. I was at this same point last year when my luck ran out in December, mostly due to time spent hunting and the weather. The goal is a full year of at least one trout a month. For those that live in trout rich areas I suppose that's no big deal and really it isn't. Figuring I've come this far, I may as well go for the gold.

With that I hit an old reliable despite the threat of rain. The water was a chilly 39.7 degrees and clear as a bell. I managed to land a few fish on a black wooly bugger though and in spite of the water temperature the trout were far from lethargic. Ravenous appetites would be a more fitting description.

My time was cut short when the steady rains set in and I wrapped it up with only a few fish to show for my efforts. It was time well spent though and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. The outing also served notice that my fly box is getting dangerously low and I need to start tying up a few.

Bear and deer seasons with the rifle are on the horizon and I hope to get in some small game hunting as well. Maybe even hit the streams again before December. In any event there isn't a shortage of things to do outdoors in PA during November. Life is good!

Bowhunter's Sunset

2010-11-11T22:04:00.000-05:00

With a little over an hour of shooting time left at the end of the work day, I quickly got my gear together and headed for a "time friendly" stand. The hopes of intercepting a last minute cruising buck didn't pan out like I'd hoped. Still, it was a great way to wrap up the day.

While packing it up I noticed that the sunset appeared to be a beauty, although my view was mostly blocked by the trees. When I got out into the open I was greeted with one of the prettiest sunsets I'd seen in a long time. Complete with a near half moon to boot.

I stood there, much longer than I had planned, just taking it in. While trying to capture the moment with a camera, I knew it wouldn't begin to do it justice. I'm not sure if there's a camera made that could.

It's these moments that make the seemingly "unproductive" hunts a memorable one. The fiery oranges, reds, and yellows gave way to an ever deepening blue sky. I thought about the people in their homes unaware of the show that old ma' nature was putting on and I felt lucky just to be "out here" to witness it.

The Final Push

2010-11-09T21:22:00.000-05:00

I've had high hopes for this archery season, hopes of getting out of this archery "buck slump" that I've been in. So far though it shows no real signs of ending. The past week plus has found me spending every possible minute in the woods hoping for that moment to come. Deer sightings have been somewhat disappointing and only one legal buck has made it's way past me, far out of range.

Setting the clocks back this week has hampered my efforts even further. Still I remain hopeful. Four days remain to pull this off and I'll be giving it my best. A season can change in the blink of an eye, especially this time of year. Here's to hoping a little of that old "magic" returns.

There isn't much to offer picture wise from my hunts since my last post. In the process of trying to capture it all, I came to the conclusion that at some point I'm probably going to screw myself over. So the hunt is mainly what I've focused on.

One bright spot during the past weekend is that my nephew got to witness his first successful squirrel hunt. I wasn't there but to hear the excitement in his voice brought back memories of when the seed was planted for my own outdoor passion. I think he might be hooked.

Four days, I'm wondering where the season went. Hopefully the Deer Gods will be smiling down upon me during the home stretch.

Archery Is Heating Up and More Sunday Trout

2010-10-31T22:30:00.000-04:00

The whitetail rut is starting to heat up here in PA and the best couple of weeks of archery hunting, at least in my opinion, are set to start. Since Wednesday my life has pretty much been working, hunting, and sleeping. I expect the next week to be much of the same.

Saturday I witnessed my first real rutting activity of the season when a four point followed a doe into my stand. He wasn't a legal buck here (four points to a side required) so I played with him a bit using my grunt call. This video was shot as I called him back after he already passed me by. It was taken one handed while holding a bow so it's a bit shaky.

A couple hours later a spike came through behind me, nose to the ground, in search of a doe. That ended up being my last deer sighting of the day. The bucks haven't gone full blown crazy yet so I'm thinking it's really going to heat up this week.

I took some time to do some trout fishing today and got into a few fish. All were caught on olive beadhead caddis larvae. I hooked up with one on a size #20 BWO dry but it came off before I landed it. I also had that on video but accidentally erased it.

Anyway here's a few pics and a video from the day. I saw some herons on this stream and a few fish had some scars on them. They sure can put a hurting on the trout.

This brookie had a fresh scar on his back.

After catching only brookies this brown was a welcome sight. I thought it was a nicely colored fish as well.

The landscape is getting pretty drab now with the gray of November taking over. The beech leaves are still holding some color though.

I was a bit surprised by the sight of these wildflowers. Every part of the plant was brown or black from frost, but somehow the petals of the flowers remained bright yellow. A lingering reminder of warmer days.

It was a chilly afternoon but a nice break from the work/hunting routine. The water was a cool 45 degrees and my hands got a little numb after handling a few fish. My kind of day though.

I'm sure this post isn't as polished as I'd like but to be honest I'm shot. I'd also like to apologize to my fellow bloggers if comments by me have been lacking. Once again I seem to have fallen behind in keeping up with posts. Don't give up on me though, I'll catch up on what I've missed sometime.

Finding Peace of Mind

2010-10-24T20:50:00.001-04:00

*Note- This post was set to "go to print" last night but I ran into some technical difficulties.

There were a million things I needed to do today, the lure of the stream was calling though and I had to get out if only for a short time. Being on the water is therapy after a long week of work, trying to find time to hunt, and everything else life throws my way.

Sneaking through the weeds and trees, I spied a few brown trout sipping some unknown bug off the surface. I assumed they were taking midges but I can't say that for sure. After slipping into position to fish, which was painfully slow due to the low clear water, I tied on a #20 BWO dry which was the smallest fly I had except for some #24 trico's.

A downstream cast was all I had without spooking the fish. The first cast was darn near perfect and my target fish took it on the first drift. This was my first trout on top in quite a while and it felt good.

I realized just how cold the water was after having my hand in it so I took a temperature reading. It came out at a chilly 48.7 degrees. Surprised to see one of the fish still feeding a little further downstream, I got into position to attack my next target. Again I had a take on the first drift but missed the hookup. Fish were few and far between and I spooked a few before I ever got a chance.

This is an artificial lure/fly only stream section (no harvest right now) and I was a bit disgusted to find a relatively new jar of PowerBait laying stream side. It's common knowledge that poaching of fish goes on in these waters but you hope against hope that they don't get many. That didn't seem to be the case here unfortunately.

After a long fish-less stretch I finally did come upon a rainbow holding near the tail end of a pool. Trying something different I tied on an orange colored beadhead caddis larvae. My first drift went a little wide but it got a look. I knew I had it. The next drift was right down it's "feed alley" and the fight was on.

I'm almost positive I caught this same fish exactly two weeks ago with the exception that it now has a pretty big scar on it's side. Herons or snaggers, it's hard to tell which. I was really disappointed in the number of fish I saw. This may be my last trip to this particular stream for awhile. You can see part of the scar on top of the fish in this video.

Nonetheless, the peace and solitude I was seeking was acquired along with that addicting feel of a trout at the end of your line. It was a short outing but mission accomplished.

Squirrels......Evil or Just Annoying?

2010-10-23T20:16:00.000-04:00

I did some bowhunting today and my morning stand wasn't very productive. I saw zero deer and to be honest it was a pretty boring morning in the way of wildlife sightings. I changed locations in the early afternoon and the wind had picked up and clouds started rolling in. The first few hours were spent just listening to the wind and seeing a few birds flying over.

As evening was setting in the wind calmed down and all was quiet. I mean dead quiet except for an occasional breeze rustling some leaves. After about an hour of this silence I decided to give a few grunts with my grunt tube in hopes of catching the interest of any buck within earshot. I let out three grunts and sat back to watch for any incoming deer.

About five minutes later the silence was interrupted by a loud crunching of leaves just out of sight. My heart skipped a beat and I watched intently in the direction of the racket. It was getting closer! I snapped the release onto my string and waited for the buck to appear from the brush. Crunch....crunch...crunch........and out pops a darn squirrel. I gave him props for his great timing and settled back in, a bit disappointed.

For the rest of the evening I was literally surrounded by squirrels. At one point I was absolutely certain a deer was coming in and it turned out to be a squirrel......chasing another squirrel! In every direction all you heard was crunching as they hopped about doing their best deer impersonations. At one point I considered standing up and yelling "QUIET!" but decided it probably wasn't a good idea. I was also hoping maybe a twelve gauge and about fifty shells would fall from the sky and into my lap.

The evening ended without a deer sighting but lots of false alarms. Laugh now my furry friends. In the words of Arnold......"I'll be back!" Now what did I do with that BBQ squirrel recipe......

Believe it or not I didn't take any pics today. I guess words should suffice but a post almost feels naked anymore without something. In that case I leave you with this somewhat uninteresting video of this weeks moon. Nice color at the end but I hope it doesn't make anyone dizzy.

Better Than Nothing

2010-10-21T22:33:00.000-04:00

I've made it out to do a little bit of hunting after work this week but deer sightings have been few and far between. By the time I'd get to the "good spots" and get set up it would be about time to turn around and head out again. So I've made due with time friendly hunts, even if it's just for an hour or so.

One constant this week has been the moon. As daylight fades it makes it's way up through the trees, lighting the walk out. I've always had a thing about the moon in the fall sky. I'm not sure what it is but it makes the time outdoors a little extra special. To me anyway.

It's Sunday...Guess What I Did

2010-10-17T21:01:00.001-04:00

I fished two different streams this afternoon. Caught a few fish and just basically enjoyed the day. A few pics and a video....

I'm almost 100% certain this rainbow is a holdover from the spring.

A nice brookie but kind of an odd looking pic.

Another brookie...

Still some colorful leaves out there.

A little video I put together. It kind of adds a new twist besides taking pics. I need to start getting some fishing footage.

A nice afternoon to be out! All fish were caught on beadhead caddis larvae or isonychia nymph's. Seems I'm evolving into a bit of a nymph fisherman lately. I'm finding a properly drifted nymph is hard to beat. You would have never heard me say that six months ago.

I Should Be Hunting

2010-10-16T08:58:00.000-04:00

Did you ever feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you want to? That seems to be the case daily for me lately. With only a couple of hours of daylight left after work these days, I'm starting to feel the pinch of limited hunting time during the week. Truthfully though, I haven't been out as much as I would have liked due to weather and other factors.

So here it is Saturday morning and here I am drinking coffee and surfing the net. I should have been in my stand a couple of hours ago but staying out too late on a Friday night makes hitting the snooze button much too easy. Early small game and a week long antlerless muzzleloader season starts today so I may not be missing out on much in the archery department. I may take the .22 for a walk here shortly and see if I can find some bushytails.

One really nice evening on stand came this week but no so much because of deer sightings. We had our first frost that morning and it was just one of those cool, blue sky, beautiful color, autumn days. Basically I was just happy to be in the woods and in my stand. I only saw two deer all evening, a doe and her fawn, but I was constantly entertained by other wildlife.

Chickadee's, two red foxes, a gray fox, squirrels, and countless other "lesser" wildlife kept me entertained. The sound of an approaching flock of geese got my attention and they flew directly overhead. When they passed through the opening in the canopy above, framed by the brilliant colors of the leaves, I thought what a picture that would make. I knew my camera wouldn't do it justice so I merely watched and filed it into my own "internal memory card".

Walking out under the light of a half moon made the reds, oranges, and yellows almost illuminate. What a sight to behold. It's evenings like this that remind you that those couple of hours, though not much time wise, can be well worth it.