Reel Adventures of Fly Fishing
Hit the local trout stream last evening, hoping that the recent drop in temps from the 80’s to the 70’s would be enough to encourage better trout fishing. What I found instead were two large pockets of panfish that were hungry for the nymph that I was throwing.
I’d like to say that these are bluegill, but the long ears on the gills, red eyes and bright colors make me think they’re a relative, but not a bluegill.
What are these?
Enjoy!
Irene is set to hit NJ later today, so I spent a couple of hours on the local lake this morning. The fishing was good, mostly bluegills caught on small yellow and red poppers. I’m really starting to believe that color doesn’t matter all that much.
It was overcast and comfortable, but there was a fair amount of wind, causing me to reposition the kayak frequently. I was casting towards the lily pads and getting fish on every other cast.
Here are some pics. The bluegill in the first picture, which covered my hand and part of my wrist, easily went over 10″. The colors on these fish are really starting to come out as we head into fall. Stay dry and Enjoy!
This morning I had a chance to join Ridge and Valley TU members as they took trash bags in hand and cleaned up a significant area surrounding the Pequest River near the Pequest Trout Hatchery. It was a great opportunity to get to know the members and to give something back to a river that provides so much to the community and NJ anglers.
For almost three hours, the group pictured above removed bottles, cans, clothing, tires and other items discarded or dumped near the river. At the end of it all we had enough garbage to more than fill the back of a pickup truck. The truck is parked behind the group in the photo.
I was glad to see a healthy turnout for this event, especially from a relatively new TU chapter. It speaks to the commitment of the members. An event like this is just as important as other chapter activities because it allows members to share their experiences while improving their fishery.
Anglers should feel a responsibility to keep the areas surrounding rivers and lakes clean, even if they’re just visiting. It only takes a couple of seconds to pick up a discarded bottle or can and deposit it in a designated garbage can or at home. I’m always surprised to find anglers that have never participated in a local cleanup nor have the desire to help out.
We finished the day by having lunch at a local favorite, Hot Dog Johnnys.
If you get the chance to organize or participate in a similar event, please do so. It really makes a difference. Enjoy!
Got out tonight in the kayak just before a nasty storm. Picked up a few bream on poppers and dries, but I was most proud of the one below, which I caught on one of my coffee bean beetles. To learn how to make your own click here.
Took my youngest daughter out for a Sunday afternoon fishing trip at a local lake in our canoe. It was a simple affair: worms, bobbers, and a bream rod. Unfortunately the wind picked up and we spend more time trying to position ourselves to cast than we did catching fish.
Put the canoe back on top of the car and took the rod and worms to an adjacent pond. Within seconds she had a small bream on the line. She was excited and wanted to hold the fish, which offered an opportunity to practice catch and release. I unhooked the bream and she gently lowered it into the water and watched it quickly swim away.
We moved to the dock at the boat ramp and caught two more. Then she lost interest and began to play with the lily pads. Coincidentally it began to rain and we headed back to the car.
While she may not always want to go on trips like this, she did today. The picture below says it all. Enjoy!
