PA Spring Turkey opening day

Opening Day of Spring turkey has come and gone, and I am writing this post without pictures to attach.  Is that due to the lack of a camera in the field, from my inexperience as a turkey hunter, or is it my guide’s fault (he’s not really a guide, just a hunting buddy I enjoy picking on)?  Whatever the case might be I did get to see some Toms put on a great show that morning and feel that I got to earn some stripes sitting 7 hours motionless holding up a massive tree.  BUT! The spring season isn’t over yet and I plan on going out again in the next few days, so hopefully the next installment to this blog will be merely a picture of me with my 45# (inside joke) Tom.  If any of you guys have pictures or stories you would like to share please post them in the comments section or you can email them to me at finandfeatherfiles@gmail.com   and I will post them for you.

Unwinding after a test

Cross Creek PA

So we got out the other day and cleaned some duck boxes; it was a great opportunity for me to scout a local lake that I had only been to once, briefly (I should also mention that I was skunked on that outing).  Cross Creek in Washington county PA was the location... and the temperature, well it was cold.  I had chosen that day as the maiden voyage of my "new to me" fishing vessel.  Picture this, not that it was absurd, but we were definitely pushing the limits,  3 grown men in a 15' square back canoe with a cute little 2.5 HP motor chugging (putting) along.  The water line was very near the gunnels and my buddy in the front appeared to me to be doing his best impression of Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic "I'm the king of the world!" as the white capping water broke over the bow of this visually unimpressive ship.  As you can probably guess we all survived without incident, but the experience was worthy of being committed to at least my memories, because the sketchy moments were pretty abundant.  We did see a decent population of ducks and geese, mostly Mallards, and at least one Woodie Hen in one of the  boxes.  As we cruised the waters of Cross Creek we traveled down several of the sloughs and around the points; both appeared to have a decent amount of coverage along the shore for some great looking panfish habitat.  Not to mention the corner of the parking lot that was stacked full of retired Christmas trees awaiting their final resting place.  I didn't have an opportunity that day to get near the dam to check it out, but do know from word of mouth that the waters in the main channel and up to the dam are relatively deep (50+ feet).  On the opposite side of the dam is the feeder stream Cross Creek; the waters on this particular day were up so the pass through the Cattails was easy to navigate, and from my perspective is going to be an exciting location to pursue my finned friends.  Word of mouth has lead me to believe that this is a productive water to fish, as I said earlier it has not proved itself to me quite yet, but that's not saying too much.  I hope that those of you that get the opportunity to get your line wet in this lake and have a wonderful and productive day! Oh yeah, one other piece of information, If you intend on getting a boat out on Cross Creek you need a Washington County launch sticker which can be obtained from the Washington County Sheriffs office ( phone number 724-228-6867) for $10.00 per year; a receipt will be provided until you receive your launch sticker.

Streamside Gear Needs

What’s in your vest?  No wait, do you even wear a vest?  I stated in earlier posts that I spend much of my time during the winter tying and when I’m finished tying I spend a bit of time organizing my fly boxes (not really sure why, the organization only lasts a few hours on the water) but either way, my boxes are full and organized.   I then move to organizing and packing my vest, then taking everything out of my vest and placing it in a hip pack I’ve had laying around that I don’t use very often, then at the last minute before my day on the water I hastily remove a few trusty items from the ol’ hip pack and tell myself “today we are going to use this chest pack that never gets to see any action”.  Two guesses what I say while I’m on the water.  If you guessed “Man I really wish I had my vest!”  well, then you were absolutely right! I truly enjoy entertaining the idea that I am a minimalist, but then the left hand smacks the right hand for allowing me to flat out lie to myself.  So here’s my plea for help; I want to change.  I realize I have a problem.  And from what I've heard, those are the first two steps…and the third is reaching out.  So what kind of fishing apparel organization platform do you utilize (vest, chest pack, strap vest, fanny pack...lol), and what’s in it?  How many boxes, how are they organized?   What tools do you carry?   Leader wallet, tippet spools etc…?  HELP!

E.T. (Exciting Terrestrials)

Spring has sprung, and with these warmer temps we get birds a’ singin’, bugs a' buzzin’,   and fish a' risen’!  In my excitement for the statewide opening of trout season fast approaching I start planning the first day on the water.  In my mind the spring means the thrill of top water fish strikes with dry flies and terrestrials.  And yes, I am aware that my last post was links to fly patterns, but I love to share great patterns and hope that my readers will share some innovative or tried-and-true ideas with me and the others that choose to numb their mind with my rambling.  Many of the waters we fish receive pressure from other anglers…so what we need to do is find ways to present flies more realistically than others and present patterns that those seasoned fish haven’t seen.  This is what separates us from hooking up with fish, and hooking up with the monsters that lurk in the shadows we dream about.

Tom Rosenbauers ideas on terrestrials and great patterns:
http://www.orvis.com/intro.aspx?subject=364

Beetle patterns:
http://www.riverhouseflyco.com/patterns/fat-head-beetle/  (hi-viz pattern)
 
http://www.flyflinger.com/beetle.php  (pistachio shell beetle)