Friday, November 23, 2012

A Morning With My Best Friend

Aspen and I did our annual Thanksgiving Day fishing trip yesterday morning with a quick trip over to the the Chagrin River.  It was likely her last trip out for steelhead.  At 13 1/2 years old, the Fishdog has arthritis in both lack legs and hips.  She showed her usual interest in hooked fish and had to give a lick to those brought to the bank. Cold water just takes it out of her really fast these days and although her spirit was willing, her body just can't handle the cold anymore.  She never complained, but best to leave her in a warm dog bed to dream of steelhead past.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Swing dat Thing!

The rain that accompanied Hurricane Sandy served to flush out the tributaries of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, getting rid of fallen leaves and bringing in good numbers of fresh steelhead.  With the still-modertate temperatures, the bite has been on all over.

Swinging flies continues to grow in popularity around the Great Lakes.  When conditions are right, it is the most enjoyable way to catch steelies.  More and more anglers are learning this technique which can be done with both single- and two-hand rods.  Flies can be both imitators of baitfish or general attractors depending on the situation.



Here is a nice Niagara River steelie I swung up on the Niagara River on Scott's new T3H 13'6" 7-wt. teamed up with a Scientific Anglers 560 gr. Skagit Extreme with 15 feet of T10 at the tip.  An Intruder-style emerald shiner streamer completed the rig.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

April Vokey in the Buff!

Here is the photo we all have been wating to see, April Vokey in the Buff!

Ok, it's actually April Vokey in a Buff.  Our favorite Flygal shows her new custom "trout dream" design available exclusively through her website, www.flygal.ca.  Get one for the Flygal in your life!

Friends on the Water

It's been a crazy last couple years for anyone in the fly fishing biz.  Everyone- manufacturers, retailers, sales reps, and guides have been working double time to keep positive cash flow.  Once in a while we get to spend a day with close friends to just relax, talk a little shop, and just have fun.  A couple days ago I was able to link up with a couple of my favorite friends from north of the border.

April Vokey, everyone's favorite fly gal is in the area doing a series of classes and presentations and we were able to talk mutual friend and guide, Paul Castellano, to cross the Niagara River and spend a day chasing steelhead and browns from shore.  Fish were caught, but that really wasn't the most important part of the day.  The real enjoyment was for a trio of friends who rarely get a chance to see each other, catch up on life events, and have a few laughs together.