Here we go with another paradisical trout fishing vacation to my SiL's cabin on Bushkill creek PA.
Looking at 9 days of "Eat, Sleep, Fish and Repeat".
We traveled the 1100mls Sat/Sun, a rather nice trip, no problems/traffic jams.
We enjoyed some nice dining out on the road.
Highly recommend Chesapeake Seafood House in Knoxville, TN, fantastic food/service.
Hit both Bass Pro in Harrisburg and Cabela's in Hamburg, PA.
Bass Pro was disappointing, horribly under or out of stock, and lackluster service.
Cabela's was the exact opposite, funny that as they're now the same for most purposes.
Amongst all the other things we picked up felt soled wading boots this time, one morning and a dozen steps proved their worth every penny.
Got in just before dark Sunday evening, and I managed to get a few cast in before it got too dark to see.
Caught a nice fat Pumpkinseed as big as my outstretched hand.
Nate came up empty handed and annoyed.
DAY 1
Up at 0530, already plenty light out, started fishing and had a Brookie come unbuttoned, another really nice feeling unknown did the same and then I landed this nice 16" Brook.
Nate caught a stout Smallmouth, but they out of season so it was released.
Back to the cabin for a hearty breakfast, run some errands and then will get back to it.
Sounds like a relaxing and fun getaway! I love fresh fish!
You might want to stay up to date on which states already have, and are probably going to, outlaw felt wading boots (https://flyfisherpro.com/blog/which-states-have-banned-felt-sole-wading-boots/). I know here in NE you can hardly give a pair away.
Quote from: Midway Tommy on May 24, 2021, 07:22:58 PM
Sounds like a relaxing and fun getaway! I love fresh fish!
You might want to stay up to date on which states already have, and are probably going to, outlaw felt wading boots (https://flyfisherpro.com/blog/which-states-have-banned-felt-sole-wading-boots/). I know here in NE you can hardly give a pair away.
wth....cause that's our biggest problem.....
Quote from: thorhammer on May 24, 2021, 07:34:35 PM
Quote from: Midway Tommy on May 24, 2021, 07:22:58 PM
Sounds like a relaxing and fun getaway! I love fresh fish!
You might want to stay up to date on which states already have, and are probably going to, outlaw felt wading boots (https://flyfisherpro.com/blog/which-states-have-banned-felt-sole-wading-boots/). I know here in NE you can hardly give a pair away.
wth....cause that's our biggest problem.....
That's the least of it. An awful lot of the state Game & Parks don't appreciate draggin' invasive species around from here to there. Heck, in most of the upper central plains you best not even be caught on the road with your livewell with water, or the plug, in it, or your drain plug in. They have LO's just looking to stop people on the road and hangin' around boat ramps to issue citations for that. ::)
Quote from: Midway Tommy on May 24, 2021, 09:07:57 PM
Quote from: thorhammer on May 24, 2021, 07:34:35 PM
Quote from: Midway Tommy on May 24, 2021, 07:22:58 PM
Sounds like a relaxing and fun getaway! I love fresh fish!
You might want to stay up to date on which states already have, and are probably going to, outlaw felt wading boots (https://flyfisherpro.com/blog/which-states-have-banned-felt-sole-wading-boots/). I know here in NE you can hardly give a pair away.
wth....cause that's our biggest problem.....
That's the least of it. An awful lot of the state Game & Parks don't appreciate draggin' invasive species around from here to there. Heck, in most of the upper central plains you best not even be caught on the road with your livewell with water, or the plug, in it, or your drain plug in. They have LO's just looking to stop people on the road and hangin' around boat ramps to issue citations for that. ::)
Sounds a lot like — Nebraskafornia, Tom!
Thanks for checking back in Chile — I miss your skills and culinary reports.
Best, Fred
Quote from: foakes on May 24, 2021, 09:53:42 PM
Sounds a lot like — Nebraskafornia, Tom!
Thanks for checking back in Chile — I miss your skills and culinary reports.
Best, Fred
Yeah, me and the Nebraska Game and Parks fisheries outreach program manager don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of that kind of nonsense. We've had many tense and heated discussions about some of their silly rules and regulations. One good example of their stupidity is they stocked a whole bunch of spoonbill/paddle fish in a 150 mile long canal & lake system a few years back with no intension to ever have an open season on them. A waste of money that could and should have been spent in a lot of other ways, like stocking saugeye instead. ::) SMH!
Sounds like a great trip. A 16 in. brookie is nice.
Frank
To be honest, the only laws I care about are the ones immediately pertinent to me.
And felt soled are currently legal in PA, and we don't have any plans to fish elsewhere in PA or the US so the point is moot.
I understand the laws/regs and agree with them for the most part, control of invasives is a huge problem.
As for those paddlefish, reintroduction and building populations is a huge part of conservation.
That's money well spent in my opinion.
It's like Cobia in the Gulf, I think they need a BIG break from fishing, several years of strict C&R to let them rebound.
That view makes me unpopular when the subject comes up.
But dammit, conservation works.
Still DAY 1Today was a tough day for catching, but some nice fishing scenery and solitude wise.
I only landed one more trout, a 12" Rainbow.
Several Smallies and panfish were caught too, all released.
Nate is still batting zero on trout and trout are all that counts.
I'm thinking pan fried trout for breakfast!
My SiL's cabin, my son and I working a section and yours truly.
Chile, it looks real peaceful & quiet. It has to be the Catskills. No place like it on earth. Rudy
Quote from: RowdyW on May 25, 2021, 02:06:49 AM
Chile, it looks real peaceful & quiet. It has to be the Catskills. No place like it on earth. Rudy
Nope... It's the Poconos.
you know, old high-tops w/ AstroTurf epoxied to soles work almost as well as felt
(esp., wet-wading)... wear out sooner / cost LE$$ / might befuddle a warden
;D ;D ;D red Chucks, white laces, green soles --Christmas Shoes ;D ;D ;D
EDIT: well, NOT Chucks -- cardboard soles :(
Quote from: ChileRelleno on May 25, 2021, 02:19:58 AM
Quote from: RowdyW on May 25, 2021, 02:06:49 AM
Chile, it looks real peaceful & quiet. It has to be the Catskills. No place like it on earth. Rudy
Nope... It's the Poconos.
Oops, that's what I meant. I used to live in N.J. about 40 miles east of there. Old age is creeping up on me.
Quote from: ChileRelleno on May 25, 2021, 01:30:23 AM
To be honest, the only laws I care about are the ones immediately pertinent to me.
And felt soled are currently legal in PA, and we don't have any plans to fish elsewhere in PA or the US so the point is moot.
I understand the laws/regs and agree with them for the most part, control of invasives is a huge problem.
As for those paddlefish, reintroduction and building populations is a huge part of conservation.
That's money well spent in my opinion.
It's like Cobia in the Gulf, I think they need a BIG break from fishing, several years of strict C&R to let them rebound.
That view makes me unpopular when the subject comes up.
But dammit, conservation works.
I'm all for conservation, and in most cases it is a huge benefit to all, but spending sportsman funded dollars to introduce a species like paddlefish into a water system where they have never existed with no intent on ever allowing the sportsmen that funded it to enjoy an open season is completely ridiculous and an irresponsible use of so called "limited funds".
Paddlefish and cobia can both be produced in captivity and stocked. You can have as many as you want if you are willing to pay the price.
Tommy, are they putting paddlefish somewhere outside the Mississippi drainage?
Quote from: philaroman on May 25, 2021, 02:23:51 AM
you know, old high-tops w/ AstroTurf epoxied to soles work almost as well as felt
(esp., wet-wading)... wear out sooner / cost LE$$ / might befuddle a warden
;D ;D ;D red Chucks, white laces, green soles --Christmas Shoes ;D ;D ;D
EDIT: well, NOT Chucks -- cardboard soles :(
Uh-oh there are zebra mussels in my AstroTurf. The felt sole thing might be taking it too far. Do different bodies of water have different bacteria? It is impossible to catalog all the bacteria in any ecosystem so how would they know?
Quote from: oc1 on May 25, 2021, 06:17:26 AM
Paddlefish and cobia can both be produced in captivity and stocked. You can have as many as you want if you are willing to pay the price.
Tommy, are they putting paddlefish somewhere outside the Mississippi drainage?
Technically, no.
They've stocked them in an irrigation canal system (AKA the Tri-County Canal) that parallels, and is also part of, the N&S Platte River system. It starts @ Kingsley Dam (Lake McConaughy) in western NE and currently ends about 125 miles east dumping into the Platte River, which empties into the Missouri, that dumps into the Mississippi.
Enough of this stuff, though. This is Chile's vacation thread.
DAY 2
Another tough day for catching trout, the water level in the creek is low and crystal clear.
Trout are short striking and aborting their strikes, you can watch them turn away last second.
A few Smallies and panfish here and there, they hit lures well but mouth a dry fly and spit it quick.
I caught a legal but small Rainbow and released him, end of the day I was wishing I'd kept him.
We even tried some live baits without much luck... Them fish aren't stupid and they're wary.
Nate was still batting zero until dusk, then he finally got the skunk off.
He was sight fishing rising trout and connected with a nice Brownie, Elk Hair Caddis-Tan in it's face did the trick.
Sorry no pic.
DAY 3
I got up early and left Nate snoozing, probably shouldn't be out without a fishing partner since bears and injuries happen, but he's 15 and getting ornery.
Let sleeping dogs lay and whatnot, he's growing fast and needs his sleep.
Morning, zero trout and two new holes in my waders.
Breakfast.
Shopping for new waders with no luck locally, screw it they're pinprick holes from briars and not real bad... Wet left foot and buttock for the rest of the trip.
Lunch at a hole-n-the-wall Lebanese cafe/grocery, came highly recommended and ... OMG'osh was it good!
Naps for everybody!
Cook dinner and go fishing to no avail.
Talking to people at the local sporting goods stores just proved what I already knew, low water levels makes for higher water temps and less activity and crystal clear clarity makes them much warier/cautious. All the locals say this season sucks, but everyone is keeping at them, makes the few that ya catch more rewarding.
G'night folks.
Have you tried salted corn,,,,, ;) put about 15 on the hook and up the line,,,,,,,,, ;D
does anybody still sell live hellgrammites?
flip some streamside rocks for local crawly/wiggly things, small craws, F/W mollusks, etc.
stop for roadkill... find meat-fed maggots ;D
what's "got up early"? when it's this tough, you should be on the bank contemplating where to cast,
when it's still grey out -- BEFORE the sun peaks over horizon... then, maybe, only 30-45 min. active
Quote from: philaroman on May 27, 2021, 02:32:17 AM
does anybody still sell live hellgrammites?
flip some streamside rocks for local crawly/wiggly things, small craws, F/W mollusks, etc.
stop for roadkill... find meat-fed maggots ;D
what's "got up early"? when it's this tough, you should be on the bank contemplating where to cast,
when it's still grey out -- BEFORE the sun peaks over horizon... then, maybe, only 30-45 min. active
Holy Moly, Phil! You're sounding awful darn serious about this relaxation outing. :o ;D ;D
that's just me, I guess
if I know they're there, their (like that?) job is to EAT!!!
and my job is to make 'em -- who can relax, if they don't cooperate?
Quote from: philaroman on May 27, 2021, 02:32:17 AM
does anybody still sell live hellgrammites?
flip some streamside rocks for local crawly/wiggly things, small craws, F/W mollusks, etc.
stop for roadkill... find meat-fed maggots ;D
what's "got up early"? when it's this tough, you should be on the bank contemplating where to cast,
when it's still grey out -- BEFORE the sun peaks over horizon... then, maybe, only 30-45 min. active
Yes. early as in morning mist in the predawn light.
Quote from: Benni3 on May 27, 2021, 01:50:55 AM
Have you tried salted corn,,,,, ;) but about 15 on the hook and up the line,,,,,,,,, ;D
No, no salted corn yet.
But last night at dusk I was throwing a Caddis dry fly on my spinner with a float.
Nate got his Brownie and I got more damned panfish.
One thing I'm trying to catch too is more Sea Lamprey.
Seen a few of them but not able to net one yet.
Man them things are tasty.
Quote from: Midway Tommy on May 27, 2021, 02:43:39 AM
Quote from: philaroman on May 27, 2021, 02:32:17 AM
does anybody still sell live hellgrammites?
flip some streamside rocks for local crawly/wiggly things, small craws, F/W mollusks, etc.
stop for roadkill... find meat-fed maggots ;D
what's "got up early"? when it's this tough, you should be on the bank contemplating where to cast,
when it's still grey out -- BEFORE the sun peaks over horizon... then, maybe, only 30-45 min. active
Holy Moly, Phil! You're sounding awful darn serious about this relaxation outing. :o ;D ;D
Sheesh, plenty of time for naps in the afternoon.
Naps beat standing out in the sun sweating.
What's going on,,,?,,,,,,, ;D
Wow....I left this AM on my first trip out of NC on business since March 2020, and I just mapped where Chili is...only 62 miles due West of me, lol.
Good fishing brother! The Pocono's are gorgeous...I've made the drive from Newark to Scranton many times through them.
Good report John.
Don't know how I missed it.
Pretty Sure I know where Nate gets that Ornery. ;D