While Pete is away...

While Pete is off chasing fish, I thought I'd fill with this article about another corner of his favorite state. (from the Post, no less)

Anticipation...

So last night I took my first malaria pill for my trip to Belize this weekend, tied some flies for my pike fishing trip in two weeks, and brought home a gallon of bottom paint for the boat, which arrives imminently. Life is good, and it's about to get better...

STRIPED BASS: Are you a striper addict? This might be the website for you.

FLORIDA: Manatee and dolphin can make or break your fishing trip.

WISCONSIN: An early season trout controversy?

COLORADO: If you're a fly fisherman, these are good days.

SNOOK: Why the cold spring will be good for the spawn.
(Link via Midcurrent.)

TARPON: A Keys tournament where the tarpon most be 4-feet long and weigh 70 pounds.

BROOK TROUT: First fish

Well, the skunk is off for the 2005 season. My first fish o' the year was in the Lamprey River, in a great stretch between two sets of falls (Packers Falls and Wiswall Falls). It was rather crowded, and I only saw one other guy hook anything. I did see several fish slash at my little spoon, including a pretty big rainbow (a bugger would've been very productive, but flycasting would've proven extremely difficult).

BONEFISH: A humorous article on the author's Quixotic quest to land a silver bullet.

CALIFORNIA: Trout season in the High Sierras is coming.

Weekend Washout

I explored some new trout waters in upstate New York this weekend. The creeks, though, were muddy and bloated from torrential rains the night before. I was still psyched to be on the water, but not in the water, which is what happened. While inspecting a pool I slipped on a rain-slicked muddy bank and slid right into the creek. I couldn't find my footing in the deep pool, but managed to throw my rod onto the bank and grab onto some vegatation and pull myself out. I wrenched my back and got water in my waters, but otherwise no harm done--other than a quick scare. It prompted my Dad to suggest that when fishing alone, it might not be a bad idea to wear some flotation.

NEW JERSEY: Reeling in a double-digit weakfish.

NORTHERN PIKE: An article about one of my favorite things to do in the world, catch pike on the fly. Reading this article pumped me up, because in about three weeks I'll be making my annual pilgrimage to fly fish for northerns for four straight days. It's one of my favorite fishing trips of the year.

FLORIDA: The largemouth bite is hot in the Everglades.
(I used to work with Don Demott. He's a good dude.)

ESSAY: Why we fish.

PERSONALITIES: Guiding California's Big Bear Lake.

Rainbow Connection

Stayed home yesterday to write an article, and one of the benefits of working from home is being able to sneak out at dawn and get in a little fishing before your co-workers even get to your office. Yesterday, I had a great morning trout fishing, catching several nice rainbows. The highlight was a fat 22-incher (not pictured--I couldn't handle the fish and work the camera like with the one I'm posting here) that ran off a couple of strong runs and had several spirited jumps. I was fishing a woolly bugger along an overgrown bank and it just stopped--from the feel of the take I just knew it was bigger.

VIRGINIA: Celebrating the spawn.

MINNESOTA: Sediment-filled rivers are endangering the state's brown trout.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST: The disturbingly small spring salmon run has led to early closures on the Columbia River.

PERSONALITIES: BASS and ESPN really seem to be marketing this guy, but is he interesting enough to have a memoir at age 32?

GEAR: Design a better life jacket, win money.

It's About To Begin

Our Sea Strike 240 CC is arriving next week. After it gets bottom painted and lauched, the striped bass fishing should commence the first week in May. Sweet.

NORTHEAST FLORIDA: When the shrimp run, so do the predators.

SPINNER SHARKS: Anglers had some fun with them on the west coast of Florida. I love these fish. They hit hard, jump high, run far, and fight like hell. What more could you ask for in a game fish?

SNOOK: The challenge of fishing for them.

KENTUCKY: It's time to go fly fishing. And this article gives you a crash course on how to do it.

FISH STORY: An outdoor writer goes for his first trout.

MORE STRIPED BASS: Will their recovery be a continued success story?

STRIPED BASS: What are they eating in the Chesapeake?

GEAR: If you bought a ZEBCO for one of your kids lately, they're being recalled.

HUMOR: Are you a fish-aholic?

TARPON: 188-pounds on the fly.

STRIPERS: They're coming down from the Hudson and winding up on the ends of peoples' hooks.

TECHNIQUE: Fishing the flats? Fish early, and fish quiet.

ALASKA: Big rainbows on the Kenai. Man, would I love to get up there.

BASS: Have access to a farm pond?

TARPON: Marshall at Midcurrent has a post about killing tarpon for records, and shares his own thoughts about the subject.

TRAVEL: Trout paradise in the Ozarks.
Quote: "For anglers, the biggest draw are some of the largest, dumbest and most abundant trout to be found anywhere."

TECHNNIQUE: The correct flies and gear for spring fishing.

PENNSYLVANIA:More on the state's trout obsession.

SCIENCE: Fish actually use their brains.

PERSONALITIES: A Key's legend in twilight.

FLY FISHING: Don't forget about the little bluegill. I like to get them on a two-weight when there's nothing else to do.

TENNESSEE: Where are the smallmouth?

COLLEGE:Kids at Indiana State have started a fishing team.

OREGON: Columbia River Spring Salmon at New Lows.

ENVIRONMENT: What's causing Southwest Florida's red tide?

FLY FISHING: As spey fishing popularity rises, so do spey flies. Here are instructions to tie one.

CONSERVATION: Montana guides take public officials on a tour of the Bitterroot.

PENNSYLVANIA: The trout fishing tradition.

CONSERVATION: Stripers Forever is promoting a study that claims making the striped bass a game fish will boost the economy.

Connetquot Slam

My brother and I made a trip to the Connetquot River yesterday afternoon. We stopped by the local fly shop, and the proprietor told us the hot ticket right now is olive beads-head buggers and hairs-ear nymphs. Preferring bugger fishing, we loaded up. We had favorable sunny conditions warming the water (water temps were in the mid 40s), and the trout responded. There were lots of fish holding under the still-unbloomed shrubs along the banks, and we found that drifting the buggers right under and executing quick cross-current strips did the trick. We each caught our fair share of brook trout, with a few rainbows and one or two browns mixed in. Catching all three--the Connetquot Slam--is possible thanks to the hatchery upstream. The browns consistently are the hardest to fool there, so it's always a good day when you catch a nice one.

PERSONALITIES: Artist uses his angling experiences as inspiration.

FLY FISHING:It can be compicated, if you make it. Actually, I like to keep all my fishing, be it fly or with spinning gear, as simple as possible.

NEW YORK, SALTWATER: Changes made to striped bass and fluke regulations.

MICHIGAN: Outdoor writer Dave Richey wonders what happened to Lake Michigan's brown trout.

On the Vise

Tying some northern pike flies tonight, as my annual spring pike fishing trip is about a month away, and I need to get up to snuff. I'm no tying expert, I still buy the majority of what I use, but nothing's more satisfying than fooling a fish with one of your own creations. I've been tying for about two years, and so far on my stuff I've landed pike, largemouth,perch, and peacock bass in freshwater, and striped bass, bluefish, and snook in salt.

CONSERVATION: Old oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico are oases for countless marine life, yet the law says they must be removed.

WYOMING: A hatchery truck driver gets rewarded for making a million miles-worth of fish deliveries without incident.

MORE FEEL-GOOD: San Franciscan anglers treat Iraq War vets to a day of fishing.

LARGEMOUTH: Pursuing lunkers can make you do crazy things.

WEIRD: Why you should never trout fish with dynamite.

FEEL-GOOD STORY: BASS members take wounded soldiers on a fishing trip.
"Many of these soldiers suffered burns, amputations and broken bones during their time on the battlefield...Local BASS clubs and volunteers took up to 100 injured soldiers to Choke Canyon Reservoir in Calliham State Park, 80 miles south of San Antonio. BASS said professional guides assisted the soldiers on the 26,000-acre impoundment as they tested their angling skills on the lake’s lunker population."

ONTARIO: Fly fishing for steelhead.

BIZARRE: Aussie angler gets attacked by leaping croc.

FLY FISHING: Getting started costs you more than your time.(Sacramento Bee log-in required.) Here's the gist: Neophyte fly fishers will want all or some of the following items. Costs are estimated ranges for beginners purchasing new equipment at a local fly shop.
* Fly rod: $100-$300
* Reel: $50-$250
* Fishing vest: $50-$100
* Waders (breathable; not neoprene): $150-$400
* Boots: $75-$150
* Wading staff: $40-$100
* Box of flies (about 24): $40-$50"

NORTHEAST: Wind, rain make for tough early-season fishing.

SCIENCE: Reef fish attracted to noise.

GEAR: If you're interested in antique fishing reels...