Progress

The theme of taking people fishing is continuing so far this year. I recently took out my roommate, Pat for his first small stream trout experience on one of my favorites that I fish once a year. With very little fly fishing experience, I was a little hesitate taking him to fish such tight quarters. However, he honed his casting all winter long using a Redington Form rod in our living room, roll casting into randomly placed wine glasses. The tight quarters in our living room transitioned well on the stream and I was impressed with his ability to fish dry-dropper with minimal tangles. We caught wild brown trout up to 10 inches and a few stocked brookies. It was a perfect day to spend the morning hiking up a small stream under a cloudless sky. On the hike out, we got to spread out a little bit on another stream and catch a few more stockers. Pat even got to show off his improved casting skills placing dries under overhanging rhododendron bushes. With his progressing skills, I think it might be time for a step up in competition.

Hole 1# 

Roll Cast From the Prone Position

Rocking the Fit-overs. 

Camo

The Chutes

Ugly Scenery

A Wild One

Spook Central

He did manage to hook himself in the neck...

Morning Light

Roll casting upstream...

A wild one...

Stalker Mode

Who is this guy?

Stocker Brook Trout

Easy Work

Big Browns with Tidewater Charters

One of my good fishing friends is Tyler Nonn, who runs Tidewater Charters out of Elkton, MD. He has honed his craft over the years and is head guide up at Hoodoo Lodge in Alaska. In the spring, he runs a charter service out of the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna Flats for huge stripers. In addition, he runs steelhead and big brown trout trips throughout the fall and winter. He is probably the fishiest guy I know and is mad fun to fish with.

He has open dates this fall and winter targeting large predatory brown trout on several Pennsylvania rivers. I was able to spend a few days fishing with him in the middle of February where we boated several fish a day, the smallest of which was 18". I thought I had the largest fish of the trip at 26 inches until Tyler cranked out a 27 inch monster.

If your looking for large fish and are tired of the crowds associated with tributary fishing in the fall, this is a great alternative. Also, why freeze to death knee deep in a run when you can have a heated jet boat and access to an entire river? Either way, if you enjoy chucking large streamers for big browns, hit him up and schedule a trip. Space is limited but I am sure you can also ask about steelhead, musky, or big striper trips throughout the year.

You won't be disappointed.

Tyler Nonn
Tidewater Charters
443-553-0277

All Day Every Day

"I still don't know why I fish or why other men fish, except we like it and it makes us think and feel."

Roderick L. Haig-Brown

It started as "Tarpon Thursdays." We planned to resurrect an old tradition that we had heard about of meeting on the bridge with pizzas and beers and a few circle hooks and sabiki rigs on hand lines to catch live bait and to see what would happen. That was three months ago.

Now, as we are about to roll into March, we have Tarpon Wednesdays. Sometimes there are Tarpon Mondays. If Tarpon Mondays are good, Tarpon Tuesdays make an appearance and more often than not, they just happen to be in the same week. Never, ever has there been a Tarpon Friday, but there have been some memorable Tarpon Saturday and Sundays.

Our wives and girlfriends are not pleased. I am willing to admit that at least two people in our gang have a real problem.

The fly and long rod have been forsaken for stout 7 footers with 30lbs braid and a big circle hook. Let the live bait swim, dial down the drag, lean the rod on the railing, sit back on the wall with some friends and crack a beer. The sweetest sound is the clicking drag or the skittering hand line that stops the laughter, the stories, the jokes and the tall tales as the nearest dude sets the hook and we all gather around.

I am going to miss this place. I wish we started this 3-years ago.

Resident

The trailer eased down into the river, slowly releasing the jet boat into the high emerald green water. The sun was ascending over the mountain and illuminating the river's path between hills of leaveless trees. In the distance an immature bald eagle dove off a limb and swooped down over the water only to miss the intended target. We were after the same quarry, armed with an entirely different set of weapons to take our aim.

As we eased off into the flow, the trolling motor was frozen in place, a product of the really low temperatures. We fired up the propane tank on the bank and dumped steaming coffee to disengage the motor from winter's icy grip. From there we drifted into a lane along the bank. With the high flows and a half dead trolling motor, the current moved us at a brisk pace making it difficult to keep the flies in the zone for the necessary time period. However, we made the most of the situation and had one hell of a time in the process.

We pounded the banks with large streamers and intermediate sinking lines looking for something big. Throwing streamers and stripping lines back to the boat, the ice accumulated quickly and our fingers paid the price in the early morning cold. Another obstacle, was the water clarity at about 10-16 inches. This meant that we had to get the flies in front of the fish's face and hope that in the low temperatures they'd be willing to give chase. 

The moment came an hour into the morning. I had my flies running deep and I used the current and a deep belly in my line to swing six inches of articulated awesomeness close to bottom. The reward was the largest resident brown trout of my life. To the tune of 26 inches. I thought I easily had the fish of the trip. I knew we would catch some other nice fish, but I wasn't expecting for 26 inches to be beat. Awhile later, I was proven wrong. My buddy Tyler Nonn, Alaskan Guide and owner of Tidewater Charters in Elkton, Maryland, caught another hoss brown estimated at 27-28 inches. Quite the haul.

As the eagles struggled from above to find quarry in the difficult conditions, we casted endlessly below. We were occasionally rewarded with a nice fish or a tantalizing follow to the boat. Every now and then, a large brown would explode from below only to miss the intended target. We left with some nice fish and the images of the ones that got away are seared into our memory, until the next time we get a chance to go back. You can bet, we will.