" Who wants to go fishing ? "

When I looked out the window and the sun was shining, the forecast was calling for temps in the 40's, I quickly asked,"Who wants to go fishing?"  Loud and clearly I heard Sephora say, " I do!"  So we got set to go and said our goodbyes and off we went.  We headed out to a creek with Brookies and Browns and traveled about a half hour to get there.  By the time we arrived the weather had changed drastically.  The clouds were out and the wind was cutting like a knife.  It actually started snowing as we got all of our gear on.  I asked Sephora if she still wanted to go and she happily said yes.  What a trooper!  So we headed up stream with hopes that the wind would die down and the sun would return.  Casting straight into the wind made for some less than ideal conditions.  Sephora decided to leave her fly rod behind and just wanted to help put the fish back in the water.  O.K. by me so Bombs away.  No browns this time but the Brookies didn't let the conditions curve their appetite.  I had most of my luck using a Bomber trailed with a small bead head.  All fish were taken on the Bomber.  Here are a few pics from our adventure.  HOpe you enjoy :) 

Two thumbs up and she's ready to GO!!

Although it was pretty cold I decided it would be a good test for the new shoes.

New Camera - Check!

Found this little Brown up on the bank dead? Maybe high waters pushed up there ??

Decided to focus on the smile that a Brookie brings to a persons face.  Priceless!

I think she likes a Brook Trout almost as much as I do :)

Brookie, say hello to my Jack Daniels Bomber :)

The water was cold but the shoes helped the water drain and my feet stayed pretty warm.

Baby Brook Trout

Sephora took this picture of me trying to keep my line under control.  Vicious Winds :)

Slippery when wet!!

She decided to take her gloves off so she could get her hands wet before holding the fish.

A Brookie with out color is still beautiful.

Same Brookies as above with color this time :)

She insisted on carrying these logs so that she could build a fort to stay in over night.

Another Brookie that couldn't resist a shot of Jack Daniels :)

This was our final destination and we didn't give up until we made it up to this sweet hole. 

It was another great day on the stream and Sephora enjoyed every minute of it.  Even after all of the hiking she still wanted to race me the whole way back to the car!!  Oh if only I had as much energy as she does!!!

Until Next Time............Tight Lines to All !!!!!

It's Cold in Heaven :)

Oh my gosh, can you believe it?  Trout season is finally upon us!!  I spent the weekend enjoying my 11th Anniversary with my wonderful wife.  I decided to wait until the week began to get out there and check on the streams.  I ended up heading with my older brother to a nearby stream and we fished from about 10:00 to 2:00.  The day started out cold and ended feeling colder yet.  I couldn't help but just close my eyes and let the sun bake my face as I listened to the stream flow by.  It is amazing how relaxing that sound alone can be. I found myself wondering if there was a way to have the sound of a stream flowing in every room of our house.  Maybe someday :)  The water level on this creek was extremely low for this time of the year.  The stream has slowly started to widen with each years passing.  Spots that you used to be able to stand and fish, are now in the middle of some of the holes.  Some DNR restoration would help the lower part of this stream immensely.   Some of the stretches are as long as a football field and as wide as a barn.  If the creek scored a 10 of 10 ,5 years back, it is now at about a 4 of 10 in spots.  A shame.  We  did end up catching some browns.  A lot of small trout were rising up and fell victim to the Bomber and my bro's elk hair caddis.  A fine day on the stream and a great way to spend a winters day.  Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 50's so I may head out.  I never knew heaven could be so cold    :)

Until Next Time.......Tight Lines to All !!!

Trout Dreams!!!!

Well, the little fella decided to show up a few days earlier than expected.  I figured that he was making sure that he was fully ready for the trout season opener on March 3rd.  

Everyone say hi to:

Finnigan Forrester Stone Ewing

Born February 18th 2012  12:32a.m.

8lbs 10oz.  and 21 inches long

I wonder which stream he is dreaming about :)

Until Next Time......Tight Lines to All!!!!!!

Only 2 Weeks Until Baby Trout !!!!!

 Usually this time of year I am getting excited about 2 things.  Our anniversary, March 3rd, this will be our 11th!  Then of course comes the trout season opener, which is the first Saturday of March.  Talk about a great way to get the stink of winter off of my person :)  This year though brings something even more exciting than above mentioned,  A BRAND NEW BABY BOY !!!!  It was over ten years ago that we last added a boy to the family.  We are all super excited and have been trying to come up with names ever since we found out the news.  So far we have figured out his first name and his last name :)  Still working on the middle name.  I have put up a new poll at the bottom section of my blog and would appreciate your opinion if your willing to give it.   Please choose one of the names that you like the best.  I can't wait until he is finally here in our arms and able to hang out with his new family. 

Until Next Time ........Tight Lines to All !!!!!!!

Don't Forget to Vote :) 

One Hit Wonders !!

Here a few flies I tied up for this up coming trout season.  I call them one hit wonders for two reasons.  One the fact that one cast into the water and there is a good chance the fly will come back without any sand left on it.  The second reason is I am hoping that one nicely placed sand covered fly and the fish will bite.  I love it when a fish hits on the first cast.  That usually means it is going to be a good day on the stream. Only less than a month left of this torture and then the fish will be lining up for photos :)  

Winter is Almost Gone :)

Until Next Time........Tight Lines to All !!!

ONE STEP AT A TIME !!

When it comes to trout fishing most people think about fly rod's, flies, leaders etc.  Although all of these items are an important part of fly fishing, there are some things that make a huge difference when out hiking around.  One such thing for me is footwear.  I have tried quite a few types of footwear out and they all seem to have their pro's and con's.  The classic chest waders were great for getting deep into the water and never having to worry about being soaking wet at the end of the journey.  The chest waders seemed to be a little overkill for me and the places I choose to fish.  I found the only time I actually got into the water was to sit down in a shallow run to watch the water flow by.  Plus they were sometimes way to warm for the summer months.

Picture courtesy of Cabella's

  I have also had the hip waders and although they were easy to get on and covered most of my wading needs, they seemed to always spring a leak and sometimes made my feet ache by the end of the day.

 

  Then there are the water shoes that some companies are coming out with.  These seem like a great idea, right until the point where a piece of grass shoots through one of the holes on the side and punctures your foot.  I also found that the holes on the side of the shoes allowed sand to come into the shoe underneath my foot.  Talk about horrible to walk in with the sand wearing on your feet.

    So then I saw a pair of "wet socks" at Wal-Mart one day and decided to spend the $7.oo on them.  They were super comfortable and easy to put on.  They kept the sand out for the most part and even kept your feet warm while walking in the stream.  The only problem I had with them is that they basically fell apart by the end of my fishing trip. 

  There I was, at point A once again.  Hot days and the only thing left to try were the good ole fashion sneakers or sport hikers. 

I found that the lighter the shoe the quicker they dry.  Now I am stuck with a bunch of dried out shoes as my main source of footwear for the streams.  Plus now I have no decent shoes left to wear to the grocery store :) 

When Christmas came this year and I was asked what sort of things I would want for gifts, there was only one thing that came to mind.  The   SPERRY   TOP-SIDER.  I saw these one day while surfing the web and knew that I had to have them.  They are made of neoprene and reinforced with some sort of durable rubber.  They are by far the lightest shoe I have tried yet.  One of my favorite things about them is that they are high tops with a strap to keep out sand and debris.  Another great feature is the flexibility of this shoe.  It feels like your feet are extra padded and that you are wearing nothing at all.  I usually go bare foot with sneakers on and end up with grass catching me between my shoe and pant leg.  These have a thick rubber guard that should keep my legs from getting scratched up and itchy.  I am super excited to take these out to the stream and really put them to the test.  I am hoping that it was the best $50.oo ever spent :)  What do you prefer to wear while out fishing small streams ?  Has anyone else ever owned a pair of these, and if so what do you think of them ? 

SPERRY TOP-SIDER   $50.00

Finally My Camera is Fixed :)

My Nikon D5000 recently took a crap and would not turn on.  After some waiting and messaging I finally got it back and fixed for free thanks to Nikon.  It had a bad power switch which was preventing it from turning on.  Since the weather has been quite nice for January I decided to head out with the kids and test out the camera.  It ended up being a great hike and the weather was as beautiful as the stream was.  Hope you enjoy the pics.

Until Next Time.........Tight Lines to All!!!!!!!!