There I Was ...

Every great story starts with that line. A lifetime of exploring our mountains of northern Pennsylvania has given me more than my share of stories to share. Someday if I'm fortunate to live long enough I'll try to put them together in a book of some form, and if my kids chose to put me in a home one day Ill certainly have plenty of stories to keep the residents entertained. I just got home from what has been most of a month spent fishing and remote camping somewhere in Pa. and the Catskills. Last Saturday on a hike into a northern Clinton County blueline I ran into this one. By far one of the most beautifully colored rattlers I've even seen in the woods. Nature is a never ending source of amazement for me, and I'm grateful to have enjoyed seeing so many things in a lifetime. Till next time ...

The Early Season ...

The early season is probably my favorite time of the year to fish. It's incredible to watch the world wake up after winter and see spring flowers begin to bloom, to hear the chorus of spring peepers in the evenings and of course to fish the hatches of Hendricksons, Grannom, Baetis Olives and the early quills. This week I'll be giving talks at Codorus Trout Unlimited on the early season hatches on April12, followed by "A Walk on the Wild Side" at Delaware Valley Fly Fishers on the 13th. I just enjoyed four days of great fishing in central Pennsylvania with a few great friends. Pictured this week is Steve Spurgeon connecting with a nice wild brown on one of my Hendrickson DOA Cripple Emergers. Fish well, stop to listen and see a world full of beautiful things to see this time of year. Till next time ...

Watching the Water ...

In spite of a schedule that overwhelms me at times, I take the time most days I fish just to be still and listen to the water, to look at what’s going on around me, and I often am rewarded by things that are equally satisfying to catching another fish. Sometimes just watching those fish becomes a lesson in itself… wise words from Gary LaFontaine. One of the best …

“The nice part about fishing all the time is that an angler can spare moments for just sitting and watching the water. These spells don't even have to have a purpose, but it is hard not to discover some secrets during such interludes. The fisherman without a schedule doesn't need to rush about, casting furiously in a hunt for every possible trout. For this reason, he usually catches more of them.”

Gary LaFontaine, Trout Flies: Proven Patterns