In Front of the Lens ...

While I prefer to be behind the lens when I'm shooting pictures, it doesn't work well when you are going at it solo. I hike into some remarkable places in the course of my "research" for an upcoming book project and lug all kinds of camera gear along with the fishing gear. I fish streams always looking for a pool or run that offers a picturesque setting and setup the camera and remote system. While it's a lot of work, it does offer rewards when you manage to capture a rise to a fly, a hook set, the landing of a fish or the release. I don't believe in fishing for wild trout in the fall once I start to see redds, and spend my "off season" writing, sorting through a seasons images or other tasks while the trout do their business. A cool pic from a Pennsylvania blue line shot earlier this year at the moment when one of those little river tigers met the fly. Till next time ....... www.ramsayflies #itsaboutthefish

Chop and Drop ...

Some time ago I posted a rant about one of these projects that left me mumbling to myself and asking questions. Since then, I’ve seen this work on many streams with some of them showing clear logic, planning and execution in tree selection, cutting and placement. I was invited to visit one project with a state forester and felt like I had learned much about how strategic tree placement in a stream can create many benefits for trout and macro-invertebrate life forms when it is done correctly. What I see too many times are projects that have little chance of ever accomplishing this goal. In this image you can see two trees that nature placed in a stream that created a nice pool where one likely didn’t exist previously. You can understand how these trees altered stream hydraulics and produced great brook trout and stream insect habitat. Above them you can see another tree cut across the stream that will not provide any benefit at all to the health of this stream. This particular stream has dozens of trees cut along its banks that are too high above the water to produce any benefit. It’s a northern Pennsylvania Class A Wild stream that lacks habitat and would certainly improve with some sensible habitat improvements. This stream didn’t get what it deserves. Yes, I still have questions …..

Wounded Warriors ...

I'm ever amazed by the resilience and toughness of our wild trout. When you stop to think about the cycles of drought, flood, fire and other impacts that have occurred over the course of thousands of years, you begin to wonder how they find ways to survive. Add to this the normal predator / prey relationships found in nature and the impact man can impose, the respect for these fish goes up even higher. On a recent trip to New Mexico I caught two wounded warriors in one morning that wore some horrifying scars from recent encounters with predators. In spite of this, a Charlie Boy Hopper didn't get past either of them, and I would have never believed how badly injured they were until I had them in the net. imagine the stories this little warrior might tell. Till next week.... ItsAboutTheFish