Daily Reel...'Sneaky Creek Tarpon on Fly'

Not where you'd expect to find a tarpon...

Sneaky Creek Tarpon on Fly from WebCox Fly Fishing on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report Overview | November 06, 2013

Via MD DNR:

By: Keith Lockwood

As we roll into the month of November one can notice rather quickly that the dress code for all fishermen has changed rather dramatically from the beginning of last month. A wet foot that was shrugged off a month ago is now a problem and clothing in general is now composed of layers. The fishermen out in the bay in small boats have broken out the camo duck hunting coats, foul weather gear and knee boots and freshwater fishermen have made similar adjustments. We all want to be comfortable so we can stay out fishing for a longer period of time and we also want to be safe; so when wearing all that heavy clothing on open waters some kind of PFD is a very good idea.

Fishermen in the uppermost parts of the bay, the lower Susquehanna River and channels on the outside edges of the Flats continue to catch mostly sub-legal Striped Bass. Keeper size Striped Bass tend to be about one in four but there are significantly larger fish and more of them at the Conowingo Dam pool. Fishermen are casting a mix of topwater lures and small crankbaits and soft plastic jigs with moderate success. Added bonuses are the incidental catches of Largemouth Bass around the flats channels and Smallmouth Bass in the lower Susquehanna. Billy Wright got to go fishing with his dad recently on the lower Susquehanna and shows off two beautiful Smallmouth Bass before releasing them back into the river.

Photo Courtesy of Bill Wright

Daily Reel...'Dudes'

Dudes from Evolution Anglers on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Steve's First Salmon

A big congrats goes out to Steve Carr, friend of TLTFF, for catching and releasing his first salmon up on the Salmon River in NY! CONGRATS Steve! Check Steve out on Instagram as @flyfishing84...

Boom...Morgan

Daily Reel...'Montana Bachelor Party'

This is one heck of a bachelor party!

Montana Bachelor Party from The Enthusiast on Vimeo.

Boom...Morgan

Fly Product: The M.F.C. Boat Box

Review courtesy of TFM:

To say that I am a fly box junkie might be going a little to light on the idea.  I like fly boxes of all shapes and sizes and have a large plastic storage bin full of fly boxes filled with flies to proof it.  I am also a bit of a freak about keeping fly boxes organized and this affliction borders on obsessive compulsive.  I like to keep all my fly boxes neat for organization sake as well as keeping them clean looking for when they show up in my photography as well.  An organized fly box is a happy fly box.  I'm not too weird, right? 

One of several highlights from the Montana Fly Company last year at IFTD was their large suitcase style fly box which they dubbed the Boat Box.  This large waterproof fly box comes in four color choices (Burnt Orange, Light Olive, Olive, and Tan) with a choice of two different removable double sided foam leafs in either small or large slots.  This fly box can literally hold hundreds, if not thousands (small stuff), if packed carefully.   

Being that I am spending more and more time in a kayak or other watercraft, I have found the Boat Box to be a great fit for my warmwater fly fishing needs.  I've been using the large slotted foam leaf and it's perfect for keeping big flies secure and in place.  It's also got me thinking it would be nice to have a second one just for redfish flies as well.

My only gripe with the prototype Boat Box that I have been using has been the plastic exterior latches since I felt the design could be worked over a bit more to keep them from falling off and getting lost.  When I sent a note to Montana Fly Company about my concern, they were already steps ahead and said that they corrected the latch issue for the production run.  Good idea and I'll be interested in seeing how the current model differs from the prototype.

The Montana Fly Company Boat Box is a great choice for anglers who want to keep all of their meat, foam, or feathers secure in a single fly box.  The Boat Box is priced at $70 which includes a small or large slot foam center leaf.  Additional foam center leafs can be purchased separately.  The Boat Box is just now starting to show up in fly shops and online.  Check with your favorite Montana Fly Company dealer for more information and availability.

Boom...Morgan

Daily Reel...'Summer Fishing Sessions - Fly Fishing on the EC River'

Boom...Morgan

ACF Post

Pretty cool post form Mike over at Angler's Choice Flies...

So a few weeks ago I saw a link to a video step by step of the Double Deciever done by Brian Wise, of Fly Fishing the Ozarks, and was pretty impressed with what he had put together.  I have seen other stuff he has done before, but that was the first of mine that he had put together 'on film'.  He does not tie it exactly as I do but is pretty close and the end result looks great.  While I was in Florida I heard from him that the Meal Ticket was next up....and here it is!  Rather than the original Gama SP11-3L3H (or Mustad 34007) he utilizes the Gama B10s, but other than that in the video he is right on recipe and does a great job of it.

For those that wonder what it looks underwater here is some video of it I shot a while back.



-mike schmidt
http://www.anglerschoiceflies.com/

Boom...Morgan

MD DNR Memorial Day Weekend Fishing Report

Via MD DNR Fisheries:

Maryland Weekly Fishing Report Overview | May 23, 2012 

The upcoming weekend will be an extended one for many families as folks get together to not only honor those who have sacrificed so much that we may enjoy the freedoms we have but to also get together for family outings such as fishing. The Ocean City area is hopping with all kinds of fishing opportunities, freshwater fishing for largemouth bass, chain pickerel, trout and bluegills is very good and striped bass, croakers and white perch will aim to please bay fisherpersons this weekend. Pack up the kids and give that local pond a try or fish the bay or ocean and enjoy some time together.

Daily Reel...'River Donkeys'

Boom...Morgan

Daily Reel...'On the River (2012)'

Celebrating post number 1000 with this gnarly vid...

Boom...Morgan

Maryland DNR: Mild Winter Weather Allows for Early Trout Stocking

On Feb. 3rd, the Maryland State Department of Natural Resources posted this awesome article on their website:

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has begun spring stocking, releasing the first of approximately 326,000 rainbow and brown trout into freshwaters throughout the State.

"Early trout stocking is possible because of the warm and dry weather conditions - beginning with our eastern streams and ponds," said Assistant Fisheries Director Don Cosden. "Eager trout anglers will be pleased to know that they may take advantage of the great weather and perhaps catch a trophy trout as large as eight pounds."

For trout stocking information and updates, contact the DNR trout hotline at (800) 688-3467. The stocking schedule and maps to stocked and special trout management waters are available at dnr.maryland.gov/fisheries/stocking. Anglers may also pick up the updated (green) Spring Stocking Schedule charts at DNR Service Centers and tackle shops across the State.

Some stocked streams and ponds are reserved for delayed harvest to sustain quality angling between stocking periods and through late spring.

Please note that the Put-and-Take closure dates for certain areas are incorrect in the published 2012 Maryland Fishing Guide.

The correct dates are:

• Closure Area 1: 10:00 p.m., March 11 to 5:30 a.m., March 31
• Closure Area 2: 10:00 p.m., March 25 to 5:30 a.m., March 31
• Closure Area 3: 10:00 p.m., April 15 to 5:30 a.m., April 21
• Closure Area 4: 10:00 p.m., April 22 to 5:30 a.m., April 28

In order to protect our fish populations and keep their habitat healthy, DNR reminds anglers to clean and dry their gear between streams and outings. Field and laboratory research has confirmed that the felt used for waders is an ideal medium for collecting and transporting microscopic invasive species or fish disease. A good scrubbing with dish soap or a five percent salt solution is an easy way to prevent the spread of invaders such as didymo and whirling disease. Convenient wader wash stations are available at several key wild trout areas including the Gunpowder River, Savage River, the North Branch of the Potomac (Barnum area), and Big Hunting Creek. Anglers should also know that felt soles are prohibited in all Maryland waters and first offense fine is $125.00.

DNR invites everyone to follow Fisheries Service news through Facebook at facebook.com/MDDNRFisheriesService and through Twitter @MDDNRFISH.

To subscribe to the DNR Fisheries email lists, visit dnr.state.md.us/fisheries/emailcontact.asp.

Such a winning choice made by the DNR for those of us who are struggling through cabin fever...

Boom...Morgan

Yellow Breeches Creek...an Opinon

If you read the "About Me" section, you saw that I spent 4 years at Messiah College. The main campus and sports complex are divided by the Yellow Breeches Creek, a beautiful limestone spring creek. Up at school we called it "The Breeches" which makes it a lot easier to refer to from a writing standpoint as well. I spent about 90% of the time I was in my waders at school fishing the Breeches and I wanted to focus this post on passing along some of the knowledge I acquired of this beautiful creek while up in Grantham, PA. When I fished it was usually alone, it really gave me time to think, loosen up from any stress or anxiety and really enjoy my surroundings. If you've never been to the Breeches before, it's a must-do. It is one of the most popular streams in the state due to its amazing stocking program which in turn accounts for the high yield of fish per outing...(usually). Info on their stocking program can be found here... http://ybac.homestead.com/ The stockings cover almost the entire length of the stream and feature a good range of sizes and species. Most fish are in the 11" range but there are a few trophy fish mixed in. The majority of the fish stocked are Browns but there are also a good number of 'Bows (with the occasional Golden Rainbow aka Palomino) and Brookies. The Brooke trout don't seem to get too big but they are absolutely beautiful. The best place to float a fly, in my opinion, is known as "The Run" in Boiling Springs. The Run comes straight out of the lake in Boiling Springs and is full of fish, smart and dumb, large and small. I've had some of my best fish pulled out of the Run. I'll post some pics at the end of the post. Below the Run is another great stretch of creek that goes all the way down to my second favorite section of the Breeches, the Allenberry Dam. A huge portion of the stocking is done into the Boiling Springs lake which enables a good number of the fish to travel down stream, eventually to Allenberry. This stretch of creek (from Boiling Springs to Allenberry) is a perfect example of the Breeches diversity stuck in a 1-2 mile section. It holds a lot of fish that rise to dries, chase wets, sit in runs, sit in pocket waters, and occasionally (during a nice caddis hatch) will show off amazing acrobatics by leaping from an inch to almost a foot out of the water to pick off a bug. A wide range of flies can be used here which can all be purchased at Yellow Breeches Outfitters, a small fly shop on the end banks of the Boiling Springs lake. They always have a wide variety of hand-tied flies and a vast knowledge of the current hatch and stream conditions. Their link is on the bottom of my page. Another great place for a YBC hatch chart is http://www.flyfishingconnection.com/yellowbreechescreek.html I'm sure in the future I will come back to the Breeches in my posts, especially as I get better at posting on here. I'll try to add some videos and pictures in the near future of favorite flies and techniques. I hope this has been helpful or at least given you a good idea of the Breeches, more info will follow in future posts.

Where the Run meets the Breeches

The Run

Big Brown caught just below the lake in the Run

The Run again...

Big 13" Palomino and two 11" 'Bows pulled from the Breeches near Messiah

The covered bridge that connects the two parts of Messiah's campus

Allenberry Dam

Tight Lines...Morgan