An Honor



TROUTRAGEOUS!

Today I just wanted to write a quick post to thank Mike at Troutrageous!  I have the honor of being a guest poster for this weeks installment of "Tenkara Tuesday." Before I started writing my own blog almost a year ago I was already addicted to reading Troutrageous! With Mike's ability to mix fishing and pop culture it's no wonder why his blog has become so popular.  I am very grateful to be have been included in this new feature along with some other really great Tenkara anglers and look forward to more Tenkara Tuesdays.  Tenkara angler or not I encourage everyone to take a look at what he has going on over there.

The Art of Deception



March Brown

All fishermen are liars!  That is.... in one form or another.  Yes, we have all heard the tall tales about how big this one or that one was. There is also the ever popular story about "the one that got away."  I have even been known to exaggerate a few times (when I was younger).  But let's not kid ourselves, WE ALL practice the "art of deception" when it comes to angling.  If we didn't how would we ever catch anything?  The whole point after all is to convince the fish that the bait or fly that we offer is an easy meal and not a sharp metal hook that will turn them from predator into prey.  There have literally been thousands of flies designed with this purpose in mind and multitudes of stealthy techniques created to disguise our presence.  But for all of our dishonesty and cunning the fish survive (and with catch and release live to swim another day).  This is true because nature is not without her defences.



Beautiful little brook trout.

Take one of my favorite creatures found in nature, the brook trout, as an example.  In a small stream, leaving anglers aside, it can fall prey to a number of other animals such as mink, raccoons, herons, and larger fish.  You would think with it's beautiful bright coloration's that it would last very long but it does. 

 Evolution has also given brook trout the ability to deceive.  Have you ever really watched a brook trout in a stream?  Sometimes when I'm not fishing I'll just watch them.  They sometimes just disappear before my eyes and suddenly reappear when they make a sudden movement.  Their striking patterns give them the ability to "hide" in plain sight.



Two brookies.

In the picture above, I placed two brookies that I had just caught into a small water filled depression in a rock next to the stream.  I was amazed at how, even with such a lousy background to hide against, they could blend in. I never ceased to be amazed with what nature has to offer us.  When it comes down to it, more than one animal can practice "the art of deception" and that is a good thing.  A one-sided battle does not last very long.  For me, the constant back and forth with who is deceiving who is what makes angling such an enjoyable (and obsessive pastime).  For that, I will always be thankful.

Tenkara Blues



At the end of West Meadow Creek

It generally doesn't matter what season of the year it is there is always something that you can go fishing for.  April through June is great for trout, May through July is awesome for bluegills and largemouth bass and stripers if saltwater action is what your looking for.  Come October and November trout are restocked in many waters again and can even be found in the coldest depths of winter for those who are hardy or crazy enough to try.When late August and early September arrives, there is one type of fish that I can always find in abundance.  That would be snappers!  I can't speak for other places where bluefish are present but here on Long Island baby bluefish (~6" to ~12") are referred to as snappers.



Where West Meadow Creek (low tide) empties into the channel leading to Long Island Sound.

Over the last two years I have used Tenkara rods, in traditional as well as non-traditional ways, about 95% of the time.  My usual set up for fishing for snappers is a little unusual.  I prefer using a 15' Hera rod with a section of 7wt fly line, about the same length as the pole, and about 3-5 feet of monofilament tippet.  I have found that I can cast blondes and clouser minnows very well with this set up.  Sometimes I use a very small silver castmaster spoon to get down a little deeper (casting this way is not very smooth...more like lobing the lure).  I know, it's kinda a "Frankenstien set-up" but hey, it works for me!  However, this past weekend I concentrated on using my 12' Yamame set up up much as I would for any largemouth bass or large trout.  The only fly I used was a simple #12 blue and white bucktail with a mylar body, for some flash.



About the middle of West Meadow Creek on an outgoing tide.

West Meadow Creek is not a "real" creek as most people would think of one.  It's actually a tidal saltwater creek where the water comes in a high tide and then goes out at low tide.  However, even at the lowest tide there is always water in the creek.  Biologically speaking, many of the saltwater marshes and tidal creeks on Long Island are very productive and attract a great number of predators to feast on the abundant bait fish that grow in the protected shallow waters through the summer.  I have seen 30" striped bass chasing bait fish in only 6-8" of water at low tide but that is a little unusual.  The predominant predator is the snapper which can be found everywhere in the creek in late summer and were my main target.  Fishing for them is a lot like fishing in a any stream.  There is almost always a strong current going in either direction and they tend to concentrate along the banks or in holes waiting to ambush or search out their prey.  Not exactly the traditional setting for Tenkara fishing but the advantages to be found in a mountain stream also work here.


Some are kind of small but they can be great fighters for their size

 A typical snapper at about 8"

Bottom line, I did almost as well with my Yamame as my "Frankenstien set-up."  I pulled in about 2 dozen for about an hours work.  But it's a good thing bucktail is so cheap...the teeth on those little guys are nasty!  Though I would love to have been searching for beautiful little brookies, fishing for snappers with a Tenkara rod can be an enjoyable way to spend a morning.

Jewels in the Forest



Bee and Cardinal Flower

 I had yesterday off and was visiting family but decided I would like to do a little hiking and trouting early in the morning.  The day started with a beautiful sunrise and cooler than usual temperatures for a day in the third week of August.  With no humidity, it felt more like late September which is more than fine with me.  It was the kind of day where there would seem to be a surprise around every turn in the trail.



Orange Jewel Weed or the Spotted "Touch me not"

When it comes to colorful blooming flowers August is not April or May but it does have it's own moments.  Orange Jewel Weed is one of my favorite flowers at this time of year for more than one reason.  If one is susceptible to Poison Ivy, like myself, it's a great medicinal plant for helping to alleviate the itching. 

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" the saying goes.  There is no more truthful statement when it comes to walking through the woods.  If flowers are not your cup of tea maybe you would prefer birds, insects, or mushrooms.

Add some rain and overnight the forest floor could turn into a riot of mushrooms in all shapes, colors, and sizes.  I found a number of the fungi pictured above (unfortunately, I can not remember the name of these guys, my knowledge of mushrooms is lacking compared to that of plants and animals in a forest) growing streamside adding their contribution to the palate of color.  But on this day all of these little sights were icing on the cake. I was after jewels of a different sort and luckily for me today I found them in abundance.




My idea of treasure.

 Though many were small I was able to land quite a number of brookies in the few pools that I visited yesterday.  Pictures do no justice to the colors that a brook trout can display but when you mainly practice catch and release that is all I have left of them when I leave.  I have said it before and I will say it again I'll take a day like this over any other (with the exception of time with my wife and kids) any day of the week.  Any day spent in pursuit of the treasures that can be found streamside in a forest will provide rewards that can last a lifetime.

The Traveling Sakasa Kebari Fly Tying Kit: UPDATE



The Kit's Contents

Every once in a while I examine the stats section of my blog just to satisfy my curiosity.  I am always facinated by the search terms people use and where many of the people who view the site come from. I also take note of which posts people will tend to view the most.  This would include an earlier post on the very topic presented here.  I have been meaning to update this one for a while.  I have always liked to create small portable kits that would be complete have many uses.  This would include kits for fishing, survival and hobbies.  The traveling sakasa kebari fly tying kit was just an extension of that little obsession.  Once created, I usually continue to tinker with these "kits" to improve on them in one way or another.  This portable fly tying kit is essentially the same as I described before except that I have added several more components to increase the fly pattern possibilites.



Various flies can be tied using this kit including but not limited to those pictured above.  Pictured above are Stewarts Black Spider, Orange Partridge, Bubble Sakasa Kebari's,  olive Takayama Sakasa Kebari, Brown Watchet, and a black s.k. with gold wire rib and male pheasant hackle.



List of Materials and Tools

1 Bobbin

1 small hackle plier

1 small sisccor

1 needle

1 small vial with head cement

1 small pin vise

"prepared" hackle feathers from the following:

Hungarian partridge

male pheasant

starling

Indian hen back

peacock herl

small gold wire (for ribbing)

midge sized sliver-lined glass tiers beads

Mustad C49S size #10 & #12 scud hooks

Standard Mustad dry fly hooks size #14 & #12

Pearsall's silk thread in Olive, Hot Orange, Black, and Brown (when I pack it tight)

It might be unbelievable but I can pack all of the materials and tools into one Altoids tin and if you try to tie every conceivable pattern with the included materials there are well over 50 types or variations of flies that can be done.  In addition, I can now tie a number of great North Country Spider patterns as well.  These would include the Orange Partridge, Stewarts Black Spider, Light Needle and Brown Watchet.  With the addition of larger hooks I could even drop the vise to tie with only my hands.  And the use of the four different colors should allow me the flexibility to cover a wide range of insect colorations. As I stated in my original post, this kit will never replace my usual set up but It's nice to know whether I'm on the road or stream side I have a kit in my pocket that will allow me to tie up some flies whenever I want.

My Favorite Kind of Fishing Trip



Bella and her "Barbie Rod"

 I do all kinds of fishing in all sorts of places.  There are some kinds of fishing that I find more appealing than others.  I love the fight a striper puts on when I'm down in the harbor but I'll always prefer fishing for small wild brookies in a remote forest stream.  However, there is one type of fishing that I prize most of all...and they are the trips that include fishing with my daughter.  We have not done too many trips this year but I always enjoy them.  This past Saturday we headed down to the millpond for some bass and bluegills.  We spent about and hour catching and getting a quick look at a number of fish before releasing them.  But like any 5 year old her attention began to drift and I soon began to hear the familiar "Can we go now?" 

The next thing she said took me by surprise however.  Bella asked "Can we go down to the dock?"  I knew she meant Stony Brook Harbor, which leads to Long Island Sound.  I have never fished with her down there before... but a chance to fish a little more...who would pass that up?  I have been doing real well with cocktail blues and there were plenty of snapper blues around so I thought it would be a good idea and it was only three minutes away from the millpond.  When we arrived there were a number of people down there with their kids doing the same thing.  The bottom line was that I pulled in one bluefish and Bella lost a plastic worm to a fish which made her scream with excitement.  In the end, she told me it was OK she didn't catch a fish because she had a lot of fun.  To me...that meant the world.  It's not the number of fish caught that matters but the quality of the time spent doing so and the company who spend it with you.  That is why a fishing trip such as this can not be beat and will always be treasured.

An Early Morning Stroll Through Time



Split Rock on the Coxing Kill has been carved out of the quartz conglomerate over the last 10,000 years.

I went home this past weekend to be part of a wedding for a friend I have known since 1st grade and to visit my folks.  As I do every time I get a chance to go home to the Hudson Valley I go for a quick hike in the Shawangunks and this trip was no different.  I chose to stroll along one of my favorite streams that I have spent a great deal of time exploring over the years.  In every trip I manage to see something for the first time or things I have already seen in a different light.  This trip was no different.

However, on this particular hike, I didn't see any spectacular animals or encounter any new blooming flowers.  The stream was running at about normal levels for this time of year and all of the sights, sounds, and smells suggested that it was business as usual in this forest.  What did stand out on this walk was my sense of appreciation.  At one point I took off my Teevas and placed my feet in the cool clear water of this little pool I love to visit and just took it all in.  After a while I was somewhat startled by the rising of some beautiful 3-4" brook trout within a few feet of my toes.  It was at this point that I began to feel a deep sense of appreciation for all that I was enjoying around me.  Thousands of years of water sculpting rock and cycles of birth, death, and birth again have given rise to these beautiful hardy little creatures at my feet.  Their ancestors may have endured here since the last ice age despite hundreds of years human influence.   If one thinks about it, how can you not come to appreciate it?  It may have only been a few moments in time that I spent in contemplation of this but literally thousands and millions of years of biological and geological events had to occur for this to happen.  If moments like this do not create a deep sense of awe, reverence, and appreciation for what is around, I don't know what will.