Monday, January 22, 2018

A Brief Thaw



“Oh, my sweet summer child, what do you know of fear?" 
-Old Nan in Game of Thrones

"Fear is for the winter, my fellow readers, when the fishable days decrease for weeks 
and the cold air descends from Canada. Fear is for the long night, when cabin fever takes root, and tiers tie and drink and smoke in their man caves, and the hipsters fish anyway, desperate for something to post on Instagram"



John Hansen tying one on...



Good start in cold water









A brief thaw that was followed by three more months of winter...


Hopper dropper in January...



John working every pocket









What I'm fishing: Orvis Helios 2 10ft. 4 weight
Loop Evotec G4 LW 5/8


Migratory bow from the North Branch





Solid January brown from this waterway...



January glamping





Wednesday, January 10, 2018

The Return


Sunrise and Solitude

Reports of steelhead on the Salmon River in New York appeared to be as dead as the king salmon in the picture below. Low returns combined with a thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency from their predominant food source in the lake were to blame. The 2015 season ended up producing scant results, especially for those who believed in the "swing or go home" mantra. Our only session that Fall produced two miracle chromers on a purple heron wet fly swung nice and slow on a 2A tailout. For the entirety of the 2016-2017 season, we stayed away, unwilling to drive five hours for a futile attempt at glory. Early reports in the Fall of 2017 revealed runs of chrome that once again called us north. We dusted off our two handed rods and got back into the swing of things...


Remnants



"Shitty Casts Catch Fish Too"


It didn't take long for my brother to hook up in the first run of our weekend trip. With it being his first lake run trout on the swing, I made sure to take a few good pictures for him. 


What Matt's fishing: 7130-4 Orvis Clearwater Spey



A Beautiful Buck




Tom Eby rigging up at first light...


Cold Hands


There is a "D" Loop in there...


Awaiting my turn...


Having hung up the spey rod for an entire season, this was my first slab of chrome in almost two years. 

It felt really good...




Loop Cross S1 7120-4
Still my go-to and a perfect rod for the Salmon River




Luke concentrating on his swing




Whiteout conditions...



A super subtle winter grab produced this small domestic bow...





Ending a Sunday afternoon session with four steelhead in thirty minutes. All took a black, purple, blue, and pink Lady Gaga fly.