Went up to the Catskills this weekend and fished mostly the lower Beaverkill, which produced mostly rainbows - they have really taken over. On way home fished the lower Willow and it was loaded with small brookies. The upper Willow has been loaded with wild brookies forever, but they were rare...

Been walking a lot of stream and figure it is time to get back into snorkeling. Anyone want to snorkel the Musky and see what's down there? I suggest Thursday 8/29/13 since that looks like a warm and sunny day. Would like to try the pools around the Cliffdale Inn and maybe down by Penwell...

Well, I took a walk in a park along a Northampton Co limestoner with my parents on Sunday. The water was just the right shade of green and there were frequent risers. Saw a kingfisher catch a trout. I hadn't fished this stretch in years, so decided to hit it Monday afternoon. Glad I did...

Well the cloudy weather brought out the Hendricksons a little better on the upper SBR. Fished from 2 PM to 5:30 PM from Long Valley to Gonsky's and from 2:30 PM to 5 there were sporadic rises from Hendricksons. A few riffles even had a spinner swarm. Rises were mostly one and done, but...

Went to the Pequest about 5 PM to fight off some of the unemployment blues. The fish certainly are there. The brookies roam around in a school - it's like fishing on the beach. When the school comes by all hell breaks loose and then they move out. Got one of those big rainbow breeders that...

Just a reminder that the 2012 NJ Fisheries Forum will be held this Saturday Dec 1 at 10 AM at the Hackettstown Hatchery. This is a great chance to see what is happening with NJ's fisheries and meet up with the biologists and management of NJDFGW. I'll be there - hope to see some more of you.

I know that the definition of fly fishing is arbitrary and I'm not against beads. However, I decided to contact the Region 7 (Salmon R is in Region 7) Office of the NYSDEC and ask them their opinion. They claimed beads are not flies and are not legal in the Fly Zones on the Salmon R. A lot...

It's onion sack time for trout in the classroom and have a few observations. Plenty of mayflies and golden stones in the Muskie this year. Lots of diiferent mayflies. The isonychia hatch should be off the hook. Seems to go along with what everyone is observing. Also been sampling a local...

I'm sure some stream side property owners would say no, but the floods appear to me to have improved local streams - especially the Musky. The cobble on the bottom seems to be cleaner and more bugs seem to be around. The early hatches I give to the weather, but there seem to be a lot of bugs...

In support of fixing up a few old flyrods I have been going through old catalogues and magazines. Here are a couple of interesting items from the Spring 1916 issue of The American Angler. One of the notable catches was some guy who caught 34 trout 8" to 13" long fishing the Esopus for 10 days...

You are all invited to attend the Hacklebarney TU Banquet on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at Zeri's Inn in Mountain Lakes, New Jersey. This is our major fundraiser for the year, so please help out. It will be a good time with auctions for all sorts of one of a kind items and companionship with all...

Wanted to try out a 5' 3 wt rod I just built so I headed to the Pequest last night. Knew there would be risers and I could break the rod in on a fish or two. People were fishing in the riffles where the fish are easier, so I hit the flat water where there are more risers, but they are a little...

Just a reminder that the annual NJ Freshwater Fisheries Forum is this Saturday 12/5/09 starting 10AM at the Hackettstown Hatchery. The Freshwater Fisheries chief, the hatchery heads, and the fishery biologists should all be there. Usually, the retired biologists and chief are there too. Of...

I drew the short straw and was appointed to write this trip report. It will be a long one - hopefully about what a Salmon R trip is like rather than just the facts. Should be in installments, so keep tuned. Also, I didn't have a camera so have to wait for picures. I had never been to the...

Everyone gets lucky now and again. On the spur of the moment I headed up to the Cayuga Lake tribs today hoping last nights rain brought in a few salmon. Got to Fall Ck about 10:30 AM and the water was a perfect level. One single person in most holes, but not packed. Tried drifting stonefly...

It's my day off and I finished my chores. Time to go fishing and the question is where: Poconos? Bushkill by Firestone Falls - haven't been there in a while, pretty Bushkill by mouth - big ones coming out of the Delaware yet? Brodhead - by Analomink? - love the wild water up there; lower...

After a skunk in NJ on Saturday, I headed to Ressica Falls Sunday afternoon. Got there about 3 PM and the parking lot was empty - had the whole place to myself. Pretty steady action high sticking the pocket water for browns, although I did squeeze a single rainbow in (not as nice looking as...

With all the Musky posts lately I checked the Musky in Hackettstown today around 1:30. It was 74F. That is why the smallies and sunnies are more active and it is probably best for trout guys to head downriver where it is cooler. Not a bad temp - the warmest I measured ws 87F in the drought a...

Spent the afternoon walking the Muskie from East Ave up to the pools past Seber's Dam site. The rain and all of Rusty's hard work seem to be paying off. Saw about a dozen trout and even caught one. This is a section where in a normal year it is rare to see a single trout past July 1...

On Friday afternoon 7/3/09 I decided to head up to the Catskills for a change of pace. The Beaverkill/Willowemoc were at good levels and temps. After checking out the usual spots around 1 PM I saw more people than I care to see and less fish working, so I decided to head to the brookie section...