Last Kayak Float of 2012...Maybe

My plans from Monday took a few days to come together, but today I got out in my kayak....the first time in a few months.

I had researched a new place online and planned my attack. I'd sneak in at a public access point and float downstream about 1/4 mile and take a sharp turn right....right into a small pond that is rumored to be man made. I figured that since it's right off the creek it would have potential to have pretty much anything in it.

But Google unfortunately doesn't use up to the minute images. I got there and the water was very low.

The put in, water 40 feet away

As you can (sort of) see in the photo, the water is way off in the distance.It should be just past that blue whatever it is there.

Someone was more adventurous than me

I found tracks through the mud, and drag marks, showing someone else was more determined than I was going to be. Looking at it now....those might be only tracks OUT, and not back IN....good luck whoever is out there, your car was not waiting in the parking lot for you.

I drove to the mouth of the creek and found the lake level low too, and too much mud to fight through to get out into the creek from there.

Stop #3 took me back to my favorite place, Buck Pond. It's in complete weed anarchy. I pushed off was able to find a few fish to play around with. I scared something real big at one point. I imagine there are plenty of carp and bass still in there, but with the weeds it would be pretty hard to fish for them.

Bluegill belly

 I ended up catching about 4 or 5 bluegill.

Foam fly holder

My new foam fly holder worked great.

When I got out I found my butt wetter than expected, and then I was cold. I think today might be the last float for 2012. If I end up lifting it up to it's winter spot in the garage, it's likely it will be there until 2013....but, we'll see if I get that motivated before I get it out again.

A Nice Inland Trout Trip

For anyone that follows Guys, Flies & Pies on Facebook, you might know that I was planning on sliding my kayak into a local creek to see what I could find. Honestly, it was a toss up between going solo in the kayak, or calling my friend Brian to see if we could attack together somewhere else. The only reason the kayak won out over Brian was because the kayak is a fair weather fishing companion, and I know Brian doesn't cry at the site of snow.

But plans change.

I got the 2 straps out of 4 on the kayak on the top of my car.....and fate prompted Brian to call. He offered an invite to an inland trout stream. I accepted. "40-45 and I'll be there." I quickly took the kayak down and put it back in the garage. Yes, it put up a fight and called me a traitor, but I didn't care, I had trout to go catch with a friend that knew how and where to catch them.

Sure, I've been to the creek before....that's kinda how I got to use the name of the creek in my email so many years ago when Al Gore first invented the internet. I just don't get to the creek often.

45 minutes later I'm on the side of the road squeeeeezing into waders bought over a decade and 50 pounds ago. Yep, I don't wade nearly enough.

We hiked in, past cows, turkey, vultures, trolls, over mountains, and a bunch of other things to throw you off our scent. We were in search of one pool. One pool that is deep enough to hold trout and covered by a tree and fed by a cool spring. Paradise...if you are a trout.

We traded back and forth in the prime spot where I saw at least 6 fish shoulder to should in a 12 inch space....and 6 fish was just a small sampling of the fish that were in that one spot.

14.75 Brown trout (photo: Brian Bradfield)

I foul hooked a fish and we found a fly left behind by some unlucky angler (if you are reading this, your bead head prince nymph worked....he was fair hooked.) We claimed the hook and I tied it on and proceeded to catch a beautiful 14.75 inch brown. Likely this is the largest inland brown I've ever caught. 

(photo: Brian Bradfield)

Brian managed to catch 2 and foul hooked 2 others. Foul hooking was expected because of the way the fish were so stacked up.

One thing I love about the Guys, Flies & Pies event I put on each year, is the people I meet. I've met some great people and had the pleasure of fishing with a few of them. It's a great by product of such a fun event.

Thanks again Brian for the good time out fishing! 

Brian's fishing reports can be found at Brian On The Fly.

Fly Fishing Film Tour

Wild Water Fly Fishing is hosting the Fly Fishing Film Tour on September 12th 2012 right here in Rochester NY.  THAT'S NEXT WEEK!!!

For $15 you get into the show and a chance at winning some of the prizes in the raffles.

Here's the official write up from Wild Water:


What: The Fly Fishing Film Tour
Location: The Little Theater (240 East Avenue, Rochester, NY)
Date: September 12th, 2012
Time: 7 - 9 PM (Doors open at 6:30pm)

Approximately 1 1/2 hours of short fly fishing films. Come with your fly fishing friends or just come to learn and have a good time.

Scheduled Films:

Riding High - Following tarpon along their annual migration through Florida

Sipping Dry - Amazing dry fly fishing in Craig, Montana

Hatch - Brilliant footage of chalkstream fly fishing and insect hatches in England

Fall Bullies - Bull trout fishing in British Columbia

ReVerb: A Punk Rock Love Story - Chicago Punk Rock Band Goes Fly Fishing.

Doc of the Drakes - Moving story of retired doctor's fly fishing experiences in Idaho

The Arctic - Unreal arctic char fishing on the Tree River, Northwest Territories, Canada

FLY: a Legacy - An angler's reflections on a life spent fishing for Atlantic Salmon in Scotland



Doing Good and PRIZES!

There will be a brief intermission where we will present a donation to Project Healing Waters and have a raffle of fly fishing prizes. Raffle is open to ticket holders in attendance.

We will have a few Wild Water Fly Fishing rods, some Sage hats and a few Scientific Angler's fly lines to raffle off.

The first 20 or so people will receive a souvenir magazine courtesy of The Fly Fishing Film Tour.

Thanks in advance to everyone that attends. Your ticket sales make it possible to donate the gear to Project Healing Waters and support their work with our veterans.

Come join the growing fly fishing culture in Rochester, NY.

Links:
flyfilmtour.com
http://youtu.be/8tl6nYVzoeM

Ticket's can be purchased at the door or online from Wild Water at http://shop.wildwaterflyfishing.com/product_p/f3troch.htm

It's been years since this tour has been close to Rochester, and now it's IN Rochester. I hope to see you there!!!