Post by yihunt on Feb 28, 2010 8:55:13 GMT -4
Fishing: Expert ties fly fishing success to timing
Sunday, February 28, 2010
By Deborah Weisberg
Anglers eager to target wild trout should consider timing as much as tackle when choosing a destination.
"Most people focus on flies and technique but often overlook the best times to go," said Dwight Landis, who is slated as a featured speaker at the 15th annual Cabin Fever trout fishing show. The March 7 expo is presented by Penn's Woods West Trout Unlimited in conjunction with Family Tyes
The author of "Trout Streams of Pennsylvania: An Angler's Guide" (Hempstead-Lyndell), Landis is a big fan of mountain freestone streams and the limestone waters of Central Pennsylvania.
"When to go is particularly important for mountain freestoners like Cedar Run and Slate Run," said Landis, of Bellefonte. "People rush up there on opening day, when there are still patches of snow on the ground, and then complain they couldn't land a fish. I tell them, 'Come back in mid to late May when water's a little warmer and the hatches are getting good. Early in the season, focus on limestone streams or freestoners in the southern part of the state, closer to where you live.'"
Even in May, mountain brook trout typically don't begin feeding until late morning, and wild browns feed around noon or 1 p.m., he said. "At a time of year when it's still cold overnight, hatches don't turn on until afternoon."
In summer, insect activity peaks at dusk.
"A lot of people skip that last hour in summer, and that's the hour you should not miss," Landis said. "Another thing, people planning a weekend in the mountains in June, July or August will sometimes cancel if there's rain in the forecast. But that's exactly when you should fish a mountain stream -- when the water is coming down after it rains."
Landis' Cabin Fever talk also will include tips on recognizing good trout-holding water, which, on a mountain stream, usually is better in the mid-to-upper reaches.
"The geology changes and you get waterfalls and ledge pools as you go upstream. The lower reaches often have been impacted by human disturbances, like bridge construction, and tend to have a lot of flat, shallow sections, which are particularly evident in low flow," he said. "I'll see people on Cross Fork Creek changing their flies or technique and not realizing the [lower] water just isn't any good. There's a mile-long section on the Left Branch of Young Woman's. Same thing. You should walk long distances the first time you go to a stream. Fish fast. Cover miles if you're capable. Then in the future you'll know which sections to avoid.'"
While Landis prefers wild streams, stocked favorites include Pine Creek in Pennsylvania's northern tier.
"It has beautiful scenery and some of the heaviest hatches I've ever seen," he said. "The Hendrickson hatch was so heavy I couldn't even fish it. There was this mat of flies coming down the second day of the season."
Landis' book, which covers close to 500 streams, is now out of print and the third edition is fetching big prices on the Internet. The first edition is more affordable. All three editions are available at public libraries. Landis also directs anglers to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site (www.fishandboat.com) for a list of wild trout waters, ranked by wild biomass from Class A to Class D.
In addition to Landis, Cabin Fever will feature seminars by 2009 U.S. National Fly Fishing Champion George Daniel on nymphing and fishing underwater dropper flies under a floating dry fly; a casting demonstration by Tom Brtalik of Tom's Fly Fishing Service; and a presentation by Jeff Turner on his adventure fishing 50 waters in 50 states in 50 days.
Family Tyes will hold fly-tying and casting clinics and a kids-only casting contest, and there will be dozens of vendors and fly tiers, rod and bucket raffles with a grand prize trip to Spruce Creek, and a flea market. Proceeds from Cabin Fever support Penn's Woods West's habitat improvement projects on Pine Creek in Allegheny County.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
By Deborah Weisberg
Anglers eager to target wild trout should consider timing as much as tackle when choosing a destination.
"Most people focus on flies and technique but often overlook the best times to go," said Dwight Landis, who is slated as a featured speaker at the 15th annual Cabin Fever trout fishing show. The March 7 expo is presented by Penn's Woods West Trout Unlimited in conjunction with Family Tyes
The author of "Trout Streams of Pennsylvania: An Angler's Guide" (Hempstead-Lyndell), Landis is a big fan of mountain freestone streams and the limestone waters of Central Pennsylvania.
"When to go is particularly important for mountain freestoners like Cedar Run and Slate Run," said Landis, of Bellefonte. "People rush up there on opening day, when there are still patches of snow on the ground, and then complain they couldn't land a fish. I tell them, 'Come back in mid to late May when water's a little warmer and the hatches are getting good. Early in the season, focus on limestone streams or freestoners in the southern part of the state, closer to where you live.'"
Even in May, mountain brook trout typically don't begin feeding until late morning, and wild browns feed around noon or 1 p.m., he said. "At a time of year when it's still cold overnight, hatches don't turn on until afternoon."
In summer, insect activity peaks at dusk.
"A lot of people skip that last hour in summer, and that's the hour you should not miss," Landis said. "Another thing, people planning a weekend in the mountains in June, July or August will sometimes cancel if there's rain in the forecast. But that's exactly when you should fish a mountain stream -- when the water is coming down after it rains."
Landis' Cabin Fever talk also will include tips on recognizing good trout-holding water, which, on a mountain stream, usually is better in the mid-to-upper reaches.
"The geology changes and you get waterfalls and ledge pools as you go upstream. The lower reaches often have been impacted by human disturbances, like bridge construction, and tend to have a lot of flat, shallow sections, which are particularly evident in low flow," he said. "I'll see people on Cross Fork Creek changing their flies or technique and not realizing the [lower] water just isn't any good. There's a mile-long section on the Left Branch of Young Woman's. Same thing. You should walk long distances the first time you go to a stream. Fish fast. Cover miles if you're capable. Then in the future you'll know which sections to avoid.'"
While Landis prefers wild streams, stocked favorites include Pine Creek in Pennsylvania's northern tier.
"It has beautiful scenery and some of the heaviest hatches I've ever seen," he said. "The Hendrickson hatch was so heavy I couldn't even fish it. There was this mat of flies coming down the second day of the season."
Landis' book, which covers close to 500 streams, is now out of print and the third edition is fetching big prices on the Internet. The first edition is more affordable. All three editions are available at public libraries. Landis also directs anglers to the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Web site (www.fishandboat.com) for a list of wild trout waters, ranked by wild biomass from Class A to Class D.
In addition to Landis, Cabin Fever will feature seminars by 2009 U.S. National Fly Fishing Champion George Daniel on nymphing and fishing underwater dropper flies under a floating dry fly; a casting demonstration by Tom Brtalik of Tom's Fly Fishing Service; and a presentation by Jeff Turner on his adventure fishing 50 waters in 50 states in 50 days.
Family Tyes will hold fly-tying and casting clinics and a kids-only casting contest, and there will be dozens of vendors and fly tiers, rod and bucket raffles with a grand prize trip to Spruce Creek, and a flea market. Proceeds from Cabin Fever support Penn's Woods West's habitat improvement projects on Pine Creek in Allegheny County.