True story. A few days ago, I was fishing with my buddy Dylon on Elk Creek near Erie, PA, and overhead a group of guys talking about how could there be so many fish in the streams, yet so few of them willing to bite. These five guys were bantering back and forth and one […]
Favorite Steelhead Flies Read More »
In 1984, the United States Congress designated 8,663 acres in northwestern Pennsylvania as the Hickory Creek Wilderness. The purpose of this designation is to preserve and protect lands that have not been altered by human encroachment. Here there are no modern conveniences or facilities, only forest, and through it all runs a network of
Exploring the Hickory Creek Wilderness Read More »
Hopper fishing defies the most basic rules of fly casting. No need for those elegant, wistful casts, and nobody cares about the perfect, drag-free drift. These are big, gaudy patterns meant for chucking and ducking rather than soft presentations that flutter to the surface, but they catch trout, and sometimes lots of them. Grasshoppers,
Hoppers and Droppers, Oh My! Read More »
Bass thrive almost everywhere in the United States. Here in Pennsylvania, we’re fortunate to have generous populations of both largemouth and smallmouth in our lakes and rivers. No matter where bass are found, though, they all have one thing in common – they all like poppers. Types of Poppers and Color Selection Poppers come
Bass on the Fly: A Popper Primer Read More »
Earlier this spring, I purchased several brands of fly floatant to use in an experiment to see which ones worked best is specific situations. Keep in mind, this isn’t the same as testing how long each product keeps a fly afloat in a scientific setting. There was nothing scientific about my testing process. Rather, I
Is there Really “One Dry Fly Floatant to Rule Them All”? Read More »
Memorial Day Weekend started with a hard rain that brought the streams up to normal levels. In fact, over the years, I can recall more Memorial Day Weekends with rain than I can without. One thing I know for sure, though: rain or no rain, Memorial Day Weekend has always been one of my
Sulphurs in the Rain Read More »
It was a foggy, rainy Saturday morning when Greg Wickline and I headed to the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). Salmon Creek and a few other area streams had recently been stocked. We had options, which isn’t always a good thing because it made us indecisive about where to spend the bulk of the day. All
A 3-Stream Tour of the Allegheny National Forest Read More »
Once mid-May rolls around, I change up my tandem rigs a little bit. Rather than use an egg pattern as the point fly, I prefer the simple but effective Walt’s Worm or Sexy Walt. And if I had to choose just one, I’d take the Sexy Walt tied on a jig-style hook with a silver
In the Fly Box: Walt’s Worm and the Sexy Walt Read More »
Water levels have been so low the past year that I almost forgot how good Buffalo Creek can look with a little meat on its bones. The recent hard rain had done it good, and although it still wasn’t particularly high, it was at least at normal flows. I stripped out some line and
Perfect Conditions for Big Trout on Buffalo Creek Read More »
Emergers and cripple flies are terms used to describe several types of fly patterns that aren’t meant to ride hide on the water’s surface like traditional, catskill-style dry fly patterns. Rather, they float along in the film where they appear helpless, making them an easy target for feeding trout. During every fly hatch, a
How to Fish Emergers and Cripple Flies Read More »