Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Product Review: Wading Boots with Aqua Stealth Rubber Soles
I recently received a pair of LL Bean wading boots with Aqua Stealth rubber soles as a gift from my wife for Christmas. I have been looking at various “sticky” rubber sole wading boots for nearly a year. I have been using studded felts for as long as I can remember and have gone through several pair over the years. I wanted to help protect the waters I fish but was very concerned that I would be giving up mobility and safety on the water.
My first outing with the boots was on the Little Bald Eagle Creek near Tyrone Pennsylvania. The water had a varying degree of wading difficulty with a mixture of swift currents, large boulders, gravel beds, large logs and a deep green color that often made the bottom impossible to see. I nearly fell down within the first couple minutes in the water. The rocks were all coated with a thin layer of extremely slippery slime. My boots do not have studs on them and they had a difficult time cutting through the slime. I did find that if I took a second to clear away the layer of slime with a swipe of my sole, the boots would grab the bare rocks very well. For my next test I traversed the banks of the creek. This is where the Aqua Stealth soles greatly exceeded my expectations. They grabbed the rocks, both wet and dry, as if I had a thousand mini suction cups attached to the bottom of my feet and they handled the muddy parts of the bank better than a pair of sneakers. The final test was the walk to and from the car. Walking on the road with rubber soles was very nice as compared to felts with studs. I can only speculate as to the durability of the rubber soled boots but I can say that every pair of felts I have owned, the felt begins to detach from the boot within one to two years of use. In the case of the rubber soled boots there is simply no felt to detach and durability becomes more a function of overall construction.
Mud - Rubber gets much better traction in the mud
Gravel - Both perform similar
Clean Rocks - Slight advantage to rubber - studs tend to slip on rocks
Slimy Rocks - Advantage to studded felts (studded rubber should be considered)
Dry Rocks - Sticky rubber performs better than sneakers or hiking shoes
Roadway - Advantage to rubber - they are like wearing a pair of hiking shoes
Floors - Rubber is much gentler than studs and cleaner than felts
Durability - Only time will tell but rubber seems to have a clear advantage
Summary: I personally think that every fisherman should replace there felts with a pair of “sticky rubber” wading boots. Even if reducing the spread of invasive species from one waterway to another is not a concern, there are enough advantages to make the switch.
My first outing with the boots was on the Little Bald Eagle Creek near Tyrone Pennsylvania. The water had a varying degree of wading difficulty with a mixture of swift currents, large boulders, gravel beds, large logs and a deep green color that often made the bottom impossible to see. I nearly fell down within the first couple minutes in the water. The rocks were all coated with a thin layer of extremely slippery slime. My boots do not have studs on them and they had a difficult time cutting through the slime. I did find that if I took a second to clear away the layer of slime with a swipe of my sole, the boots would grab the bare rocks very well. For my next test I traversed the banks of the creek. This is where the Aqua Stealth soles greatly exceeded my expectations. They grabbed the rocks, both wet and dry, as if I had a thousand mini suction cups attached to the bottom of my feet and they handled the muddy parts of the bank better than a pair of sneakers. The final test was the walk to and from the car. Walking on the road with rubber soles was very nice as compared to felts with studs. I can only speculate as to the durability of the rubber soled boots but I can say that every pair of felts I have owned, the felt begins to detach from the boot within one to two years of use. In the case of the rubber soled boots there is simply no felt to detach and durability becomes more a function of overall construction.
Mud - Rubber gets much better traction in the mud
Gravel - Both perform similar
Clean Rocks - Slight advantage to rubber - studs tend to slip on rocks
Slimy Rocks - Advantage to studded felts (studded rubber should be considered)
Dry Rocks - Sticky rubber performs better than sneakers or hiking shoes
Roadway - Advantage to rubber - they are like wearing a pair of hiking shoes
Floors - Rubber is much gentler than studs and cleaner than felts
Durability - Only time will tell but rubber seems to have a clear advantage
Summary: I personally think that every fisherman should replace there felts with a pair of “sticky rubber” wading boots. Even if reducing the spread of invasive species from one waterway to another is not a concern, there are enough advantages to make the switch.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Where to Fish in 2010?
As spring gets closer with each passing day I start to ponder what the year in fly fishing will bring. Will all of my reading in the off season make me a better fly fisherman or will I just be even more confused when things don’t happen the way they are supposed to? Will my increased knowledge of the sport equate to more success on the water or just a more sophisticated vocabulary? Will my improved tying skills help me tie flies that are irresistible to trout or will I just have a prettier fly box? Will the weather provide us with perfect water levels and temperatures from spring to autumn or will it give us a dizzying array of highs and lows in traditional Central Pennsylvania fashion. These are all good questions but for me the most exciting thing is thinking about all of the different water I will fish the coming year.
A Few Favorites
Spring Creek for BWO’s
Early Stone Flies on First Fork Sinnemahoning
Black Moshannon – Hendricksons / Red Quill
Sulphurs on Spring Creek – Somehow I missed it last year
Little Juniata - Barree Stretch - It will be two years since I fished this stretch!
Penn’s Green Drakes – Coburn to Poe Paddy - does it get any better?
Pine Creek – Brown Drakes – Slate Run area - just caught tail end of it last year
March Browns on Kettle Creek
Fishing Creek Sulphurs
West Branch Susquehanna (Curwensville Clearfield) - Cahills
The “To Do” List
Penn’s Creek Catch and Release - Grannoms and Hendricksons
Little Pine Creek
Loyalsock Creek
Clarion River
Bald Eagle Creek - South
Upper Kettle Creek Tributaries
Fishing Creek – Green Drakes
Pine Creek - Canyon Section
Spring Creek – Tricos
Spruce Creek – Penn State section
What am I missing? What is your favorite hatch or water to fish?
A Few Favorites
Spring Creek for BWO’s
Early Stone Flies on First Fork Sinnemahoning
Black Moshannon – Hendricksons / Red Quill
Sulphurs on Spring Creek – Somehow I missed it last year
Little Juniata - Barree Stretch - It will be two years since I fished this stretch!
Penn’s Green Drakes – Coburn to Poe Paddy - does it get any better?
Pine Creek – Brown Drakes – Slate Run area - just caught tail end of it last year
March Browns on Kettle Creek
Fishing Creek Sulphurs
West Branch Susquehanna (Curwensville Clearfield) - Cahills
The “To Do” List
Penn’s Creek Catch and Release - Grannoms and Hendricksons
Little Pine Creek
Loyalsock Creek
Clarion River
Bald Eagle Creek - South
Upper Kettle Creek Tributaries
Fishing Creek – Green Drakes
Pine Creek - Canyon Section
Spring Creek – Tricos
Spruce Creek – Penn State section
What am I missing? What is your favorite hatch or water to fish?
Thursday, September 17, 2009
2008 Fly Fishing Report? How did you do?
I know an end of the year report is a little premature and that there is still a lot of good fishing to be done but for me the season is drawing to an end. I am a teacher and the Fall is an overwhelmingly busy time. I will definitely throw some more line but instead of all day adventures I will be squeezing in a hour here and there if I am lucky.
This year was unique in a lot of ways for me. My season really started at the beginning of March. We had several weekends where the temperature shot into the low 50's, which in the beginning of March felt like 70. My first trip was to Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning. It was our first trip to the creek and our expectations were centered around getting out of the house and doing some exploring. As we fished I was somewhat surprised to see Trout rising consistently in the first week of March. Although we ended up doing better with sucker spawn and egg imitations it was still enough to set the fly fishing season off with a bang. Black Moshannon and Spring Creek came next; I eagerly anticipated the BWO hatch at Spring and figured I would stop at Blacky and give it a shot first. I love Blacky in the early Spring and this outing was no different I caught a nice holdover Browny and a couple Native Brookies. Spring Creek turned out to be a disappointment on each visit for me this year. I had such a great year in 08 that my expectations were just too high. However many friends that I talked with seemed to have banner years on Spring. Next, on the list was First Fork Sinnemahoning. I instantly became hooked on First Fork; it makes me feel like I am fishing a spring creek out west and the trout rise consistently. In March we were taking them with little black stone flies and in July I got hooked on midges. At times it was literally every other cast I was hooking a trout. We hit Kettle for the March Browns and BWO's. Kettle is always great, just so far away from home. Next year I will be staying over night. Pine Creek was fun but a little disappointing. I love the big water and the atmosphere but the fishing just wasn't that great for me this year. From talking with a lot of the locals it seemed to be the case for a lot of people. I think the very cool temperatures really put a damper on some of Pine's best hatches. Fished Slate and Cedar Runs with similar results. I did catch fish but not as many as I had hoped. The Little Juniata had me scratching my head this year. I can count the number of Trout I caught on one finger! I can honestly say it wasn't the water conditions. Each visit was with 3 or more friends and they always did great. I also have to note these guys were far less experienced at fly fishing than I. I didn't mind being skunked the first time but the second and third time was unacceptable. The only good size was there are four guys that just got hooked on fly fishing this year because of the Little J. I had a blast on Fishing Creek this year! This is just an awesome creek that has great hatches. We did very well with streamers and Sulphurs and was even having fun after I went down face first in the water. Penn's Creek (my personal favorite) was a blast every single time I visited. I didn't catch the Drake spinner fall or the March Brown spinner fall but had a blast with Green Drake duns and Sulphurs. I also had the opportunity to explore several nice streams closer to home (Clearfield). Caught a beautiful Rainbow on the Susquehanna and I caught the nicest trout I've caught in years on Spruce Creek. The only disappointing thing was that the Smallmouth fishing was the worst I can remember in my life. It was indeed a great year for fly fishing. I love this sport and can't wait to see what next year brings.
Just a few other notes on the season. My wife and I recently had our first baby and many people ask me if I get to fish much. My response is usually this: I fished about one third of what I fished last year but probably three times as much as most people get too. On a final note, I have had the opportunity to talk with a lot of fellow fly fisherman this year. Many of those conversations have turned to the topic of nymphing vs. dry fly fishing. It seems to be a something that defines fly fisherman; you're either a nympher of dry fly fisherman. If I had to choose I would be a dry fly fisherman. To me the excitement of the take is well worth landing a few less trout. I do nymph an will continue to do through the years but my true love will always be landing a trout on a dry fly. Thank you to everyone that visits the site. Please add comments and share your thoughts and experiences.
This year was unique in a lot of ways for me. My season really started at the beginning of March. We had several weekends where the temperature shot into the low 50's, which in the beginning of March felt like 70. My first trip was to Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning. It was our first trip to the creek and our expectations were centered around getting out of the house and doing some exploring. As we fished I was somewhat surprised to see Trout rising consistently in the first week of March. Although we ended up doing better with sucker spawn and egg imitations it was still enough to set the fly fishing season off with a bang. Black Moshannon and Spring Creek came next; I eagerly anticipated the BWO hatch at Spring and figured I would stop at Blacky and give it a shot first. I love Blacky in the early Spring and this outing was no different I caught a nice holdover Browny and a couple Native Brookies. Spring Creek turned out to be a disappointment on each visit for me this year. I had such a great year in 08 that my expectations were just too high. However many friends that I talked with seemed to have banner years on Spring. Next, on the list was First Fork Sinnemahoning. I instantly became hooked on First Fork; it makes me feel like I am fishing a spring creek out west and the trout rise consistently. In March we were taking them with little black stone flies and in July I got hooked on midges. At times it was literally every other cast I was hooking a trout. We hit Kettle for the March Browns and BWO's. Kettle is always great, just so far away from home. Next year I will be staying over night. Pine Creek was fun but a little disappointing. I love the big water and the atmosphere but the fishing just wasn't that great for me this year. From talking with a lot of the locals it seemed to be the case for a lot of people. I think the very cool temperatures really put a damper on some of Pine's best hatches. Fished Slate and Cedar Runs with similar results. I did catch fish but not as many as I had hoped. The Little Juniata had me scratching my head this year. I can count the number of Trout I caught on one finger! I can honestly say it wasn't the water conditions. Each visit was with 3 or more friends and they always did great. I also have to note these guys were far less experienced at fly fishing than I. I didn't mind being skunked the first time but the second and third time was unacceptable. The only good size was there are four guys that just got hooked on fly fishing this year because of the Little J. I had a blast on Fishing Creek this year! This is just an awesome creek that has great hatches. We did very well with streamers and Sulphurs and was even having fun after I went down face first in the water. Penn's Creek (my personal favorite) was a blast every single time I visited. I didn't catch the Drake spinner fall or the March Brown spinner fall but had a blast with Green Drake duns and Sulphurs. I also had the opportunity to explore several nice streams closer to home (Clearfield). Caught a beautiful Rainbow on the Susquehanna and I caught the nicest trout I've caught in years on Spruce Creek. The only disappointing thing was that the Smallmouth fishing was the worst I can remember in my life. It was indeed a great year for fly fishing. I love this sport and can't wait to see what next year brings.
Just a few other notes on the season. My wife and I recently had our first baby and many people ask me if I get to fish much. My response is usually this: I fished about one third of what I fished last year but probably three times as much as most people get too. On a final note, I have had the opportunity to talk with a lot of fellow fly fisherman this year. Many of those conversations have turned to the topic of nymphing vs. dry fly fishing. It seems to be a something that defines fly fisherman; you're either a nympher of dry fly fisherman. If I had to choose I would be a dry fly fisherman. To me the excitement of the take is well worth landing a few less trout. I do nymph an will continue to do through the years but my true love will always be landing a trout on a dry fly. Thank you to everyone that visits the site. Please add comments and share your thoughts and experiences.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
What is the best tactic for slow moving water?
I was fishing First Fork last night at the long stretch of dead water in the Delayed Harvest section. There were literally hundreds of trout rising freely. The problem was that the water was moving so slowly that they had what seemed like an eternity to inspect my fly. I had some smacks and grabs but no hook ups. I tried subsurface a little bit too but suspect I was having the same problem because I had the same results. Are we suppose to avoid dead water all together or is there someway to fool the trout? Very frustrating! Any suggestions?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Luke's 1st Fly Fishing Adventure
Thanks to everyone that commented on "How to teach children to fish", it was all very good advice. This was my son Luke's 1st fly fishing adventure. It will be a few more years before he gets to fish but he did get a lesson on Mayflys and got up close to a river for the first time. Sunday, March 8, 2009
Tryouts for Team USA on Fishing Creek!
Team USA Announces Two Tryouts in 2009 The USA Youth Flyfishing Team, Inc will hold two tryouts in calendar year 2009. The tryouts will be opportunities for interested young women and men fly fishers to be selected for the team that represents the United States in the FIPS-Mouche World Youth Flyfishing Championships to be held in the Czech Republic in 2009. The Team also participates in other competitions in North America.
The first of the two tryouts in 2009 will be held at the Sieg Conference Center of Lock Haven University, Lamar, PA on May 8th, 9th and 10th. Click here for more info!
The first of the two tryouts in 2009 will be held at the Sieg Conference Center of Lock Haven University, Lamar, PA on May 8th, 9th and 10th. Click here for more info!
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