"Live to be OnTheWater"
2Bonthewater Guide Service
Historic Oley Valley
Oley, PA 19547
vinny
September 29
Well, fish are being caught in the Salmon River and Oswego. Is it worth the ride? Probably. Just have to find the fish. No reports of a huge run of fish has been reported, but people are catching limits and having a great time. A few beautiful Coho salmon have been reported and the one common thread is that the fish are HUGE this year. For all appearance, salmon fishing should run the entire month of October.
Locally, had fun fishing Maiden Creek, below Ontelaunee Lake. Fished topwater and landed many dink smallmouth and largemouth bass. One fellow angler showed me a hoss RUSTY CRAYFISH he had caught. I was told they were all over the place.
Vin had a great few hours two weeks ago while fishing Manatawny Creek. He landed many trout and various panfish.
Fishing should be fire with the cooler temps, even with the lower water, fish need to feed.
I have many fly auctions on Ebay. Go grab some sweet salmon and steelhead flies.
September 06
Have not really been on the water in a very long time. Still tying Death Stoneflies like a machine. There have been a few reports of Salmon in the river, but still; not worth the 5 hour ride. Keep it classy this Salmon Season. Be nice, be respectful. Who am I kidding? Get on the river and walk away from the circus. You'll find fish in somewhat solitude. Elbow to elbow fishing is not for me. Don't forget to start checking EBAY, as I'll soon be posting fly auctions. Stoneflies, Streamers and eggs are all that you will need to be yelling FISH ON this Fall. Vin's Bug Shoppe SELECT flies will be tied only on Daiichi or Gamakatsu hooks. Sometimes, only the best will do. Good Luck anglers.
August 18
Where did Summer go? Already tying Death Stoneflies and desperately trying to get caught up on orders. Get your orders in before the line gets too long. Cool weather might bring a few fish in. Nothing to drive 5 hours for though. I would think FLATHEAD CATFISHING is in order. The Reading Eagle was sold and the Outdoor department was smashed to bits. The writing gig is officially over. Hope everybody had a great Summer and you guys were able to mess with some fish or hit the beach and chill out.
July 13
Still waiting to get on the river and do some smallmouth and flathead fishing. Trout streams are still chilly, especially those smaller wild trout waters. Just had a HUGE rain event. Please be careful while out and about during these storms. Waterways will rise quickly. Water is to be respected as Mother Nature can be very cruel at times. Landed a few fish while tossing around a crayfish looking jig. Keep your eyes open for edible wild mushrooms. If you have no clue--then there are no EDIBLE mushrooms. Chanterelle mushrooms are pushing up through the soil. They are absolutely delicious. DO NOT EAT any wild mushrooms unless you are 100% certain as to what they are and that they are, in fact; EDIBLE. Some species of mushrooms will make you sick, some will put your lights out. Seriously, you'll be worm-food, pushing up the daisies.
July 1
Welp, more rain. I was still able to get out when the flows permitted. Fishing a Slate Drake dry fly continues to be the ticket. With the Summer heat finally showing up, look for terrestrials to be the hot fly. If it stops raining, we might be able to hit the Schuylkill River and tag some smallmouth bass. Crayfish flies, clouser minnows or nymphs fished under a float should fool many smallmouth bass. Catfishing should be very good from here on out. The lowermost sections of trout streams will fish well for panfish and smallmouth bass. I was on a "A great day outdoors" radio with Roger and Bob talking about how to fish high waters. Here is the link to the June 30th show. I start talking at the 29 minute mark. Bob talks about fishing high water in lakes and reservoirs at the 24:30 mark. Bob is an outstanding guy with many items on his plate. One is a bass tournament angler. http://www.greatdayoutdoors.com/radio-show/
July Fly Article was posted in the Reading Eagle, you can view the article here:
https://www.readingeagle.com/sports/article/hunting-and-fishing-choose-the-right-fly-for-conditions
June 21
Well, I did not wet a line with all the rain we had. For the angler who can travel, Penns Creek fished very well according to many reports, especially those coming from Bruce FIsher at Penns Creek Angler. As with our area, damage is being done with Slate Drake or Cahill flies. They are pulling some Flathead catfish from the Skuke, but folks are wondering what is going on with the spawn. Waters are still on the chilly side as we hit the end of June. The Skuke and Maiden Creek, two of my favorite smallie fishing grounds have been ripping nearly all week long. Getting close to TRICO time. I've seen so many species of turtles this year: Box, Wood, Snapping, Spotted and Bog.
June 14
Rain and more rain. But the fish were pouncing Slate Drake dry flies. No steady risers and no hatches to speak of that I saw. Waters are still in tip-top shape. A few nice fish landed on a wide variety of flies, lures and fake baits. Today was a great day with many fish landed with spinning gear. Pink Berkley Trout worms and Ambrose Custom Lures Redfin stickbait were the ticket. Started to look for pannies, as FLATHEAD FISHING should be ON FIRE. Bass Season opens tomorrow. I know where I'd be fishing. Can't forget to mention, MULBERRIES are starting to drop. CARP will be hovering underneath the branches of the tree and devouring every berry that falls into the water. GAME ON with some GLO-BUGS.
June 7
Bug activity has slowed down, but on a good note--it hasn't rained in 3 days! Drifting Slate Drake dry flies will bring the fish to the surface. Size 10 will do, size 12 if you are fishing an emerger with a trailing shuck. Flathead catfish should be spawning or getting ready to do so. Mulberries should be falling shortly!! Carp will gobble them up as they fall into the water. Skuke is still moving, but dropping and falling back to normal flows. Kayak and Canoe floats are a go, water is perfect.
June 01
June is finally here!! Sadly, the rain keeps coming. Fishing right before the rain starts is usually a sure bet. Had fish attacking dry flies while waiting for the rain to pour down. Cahill and Slate Drake dry flies worked well. My 1/32 oz Crayfish jig is still crushing fish. Tossed around some Ambrose Custom Lures stickbaits with great results. Landed a dandy 22 inch rainow trout and nailed many fish on Manatawny Creek with the Redfin and Blacknose Dace stickbait. Walking away from the stock points on Manatawny Creek is always a good idea. So much great water that rarely sees an angler. Mulberries, Mulberries, Mulberries. Soon enough, it will be game on. Travelled for a bit and found some brook trout that were happy to gobble up my crayfish jig. Also, tagged a carp that was about 15 or so pounds. Ripping drag like a freight train. This fish took the crayfish jig. Snapped my 8 pound test because I tried to turn the fish. Didn't want to chase it any further downstream! What a brute, what a memory. Met some nice peeps over Memorial Day weekend. Get out there and fish. The state record FLATHEAD CATFISH is just a cast away.
May 24
Good week once the creek levels dropped. Bugs galore this week, but no fish working the surface for the most part. Sulphur, Cahill and Slate Drakes were on the water. Saw a few Slate Drakes hatch in the water, quick switch of flies and fish on. Started tossing some STICKBAITS. Ambrose Custom Lures--my goodness. Fish just smash the lure. Lost a low 20-some inch wild brown this morning and managed a 16-inch wild brown the day the lures showed up in the mail. Spoke with Roger for his radio show. I was geeked out and probably talking too fast. A few smallmouth bass, rock bass and bluegills in the mix. Water temps are perfect and all fish have the feedbag on. Have a great Memorial Day weekend and never forget those who gave all for America. Did pretty good on Manatanwy Creek fishing stickbaits and also a micro-caddis pattern with a trailing shuck. Crayfish jig nabbed a few fish this week. Good times !!!
May 17
Rough week with way too much rain. Didn't fish much and landed a few fish on the 11th and found a few bugs on the water. Pink and Light Cahill, Sulphur--yellow and creamy white. Plenty of craneflies, various colored caddis and tonight I spied a Slate Drake scooting off the water. Dorothea sulphur hatch tonight was pretty good. Only problem was that the fish were not working them. There was a downpour and it dirtied the water up. Let's hope Mother Nature turns the faucet off for a little bit. The other morning I watched so many Lime Sallies in the air. It was a great to see those little chartreuse buggers flitting around.
May 10, 2019
Best week so far. So many fish landed or rolled. Hatches were not really there, but if you know what bugs are on the move--you should be able to fool a few fish. Again, emerger patterns that sit flush on the surface did damage. The most damage was done by swinging, twitching or hopping SOFT-HACKLE flies. My goodness. Manatawny Creek was awesome beyond belief and this week, I landed a good number of wild brown trout too. I tossed around a 1/32 crayfish jig and hit paydirt with a nice rainbow trout while on Manatawny. Hit Tulpehocken Creek with my first wrestling coach. Ronnie is the first fly fisherman I ever knew. He is still one of the best out there. He managed a few on smaller caddis including a pair of 18 inch or so fish! I missed one fish, twice and had so many fish NOSE my fly it was ridiculous. I gave up on buying fly fishing tippet material and I have been using P-Line Floroclear for the past few years. I keep 2, 4 and 6 pound test on me. I am all out of 2 pound test and it made the 2 hours on the Tully frustrating. Local wild trout waters are still on fire. The fish are little tubby submarines. Their bellies are crunchy from all the nymphs and emergers they are eating. Bugs noticed this week: cranefly, yellow and lime sallies, gray fox, sulphur, light cahill, various caddis, midges. I had a purple martin pick up my sulphur dry fly. Flew around for a little bit with it too. Had one swipe at the same fly this morning. Kids and I found a cool turtle this week. First time we have seen this species. PFBC listed a new state record for FLATHEAD CATFISH. HOSS from the Susquehanna. Can't catch them from your couch, so get out there and "Live to be OnTheWater". Head to FACEBOOK and like the 2Bonthewater "Live to be OnTheWater" and Vin's Bug Shoppe pages. I put up pictures of fish, flies and whatnot.
May 03, 2019
Cloudy or drizzly days are Blue-Winged Olive days. Sulphur and Cahill mayflies are on the water, mixed with caddis, BWO and Craneflies. Manatawny Creek has provided some exceptional topwater fishing this year. Again, the fish that are being stocked are absolutely stunning in color, chunky and fight well. Emerger patterns that sit low in the water have been crushing fish. Time to pack a headlamp and stay after the sun goes down. Flathead fishing should start to pick up once the weather stays warm. River fishing all-around should be picking up. Penns Creek should be on fire as I saw Gray Fox, March Brown, Hendrickson, Grannom and BWOs out and about while the creek was near 1000cfs. Tough conditions, but the kids and I had fun at the Total Outdoors event held at Penns Creek Angler. Learning the bugs of Penns Creek and what flies to use. Can't catch them from your couch. Get out there and "Live to be OnTheWater".
April 26, 2019
The past week was a continuation of great fishing. Stocked or WILD trout waters were on fire. Overcast and rainy days, looks for Blue-Winged Olives to make an appearance. Drop a BWO emerger off a visable dry fly and hold on. Fish were active this week chasing emergers and then sipping flies off the surface. Mostly blind casting, but every now and then a fish will feed in rhythm. Watch the fish for a few minutes, get dialed in, make a good cast and keep your fins crossed. Swinging a 3 fly rig has been a consistent producer the entire season. Start with a beadhead out front and drop soft-hackles or emergers. Swing through the riffles, runs and tailouts. Had some water all to myself last night and the fishing was spectacular. I was able to land fish on dry flies or emergers all evening long. Even after the lights were out, I was able to bank a few fish. More rain in the forecast, so don't be afraid to get dirty and nymph some fish up. Squirmy Wormy, eggs or the Mop Fly will entice fish to eat during high flow periods or dirty water. Seen some very cool things while "Living to be OnTheWater" this past week. Out with the kids and we came across a Grey Fox mayfly. Only the second one I have found in Berks County in 18 some years of fishing here. Also, came across some coyote tracks that led to a devoured deer carcass. Found a Spotted Turtle--first one I have ever seen while out and about. Smaller than the Box and Wood turtle. Flies I did well with this past week: HendO emergers and dry flies, Quill Gordon, Caddis--all sorts and all colors, Spring Blue Quill, Blue-Winged Olive emergers and dry flies. Also fished a Hendrickson nymph that worked great until I lost it. Look for more of the same this week wtih Sulphurs and Cahills showing up soon. Check out Vin's Bug Shoppe on Facebook for pictures of my flies. Want some, give me a shout. A few STEELHEAD fly orders out the door this past week. Fishing for DROPBACK steelhead can be a blast. Reading nice reports from Erie and Pulaski. Lastly, noticed something new for me this past week. Fish were keying on CRANEFLIES. I have never seen this before. Trout were taking emerging craneflies on and just under the surface. I have never had any Cranefly patterns in my box, ever. I tied one up and it fooled a few fish. There isn't much to a cranefly and my son was asking why they looked like mosquitoes. I put a picture of my pattern on Facebook.
April 20, 2019
I have been posting reports near daily on the 2Bonthewater and Vin's Bug Shoppe Facebook pages. Creeks should be fishable tomorrow. Rain had the creeks nearly over the banks the last two days. Most folks are catching fish with bait and it is nice to see many families out and about enjoying the recently stocked trout. PFBC has changed the diet in recent years and it shows as the fish are vibrantly colored, chunky and fight well. Bugs seen this past week have been; various caddis, Quill Gordon, Hendrickson, craneflies and Blue-Winged Olives. The past few days on Manatawny Creek have had the fish chasing Craneflies, both emergers and adults. I was able to spend a few days fishing wtih my son and he did well with a wooly bugger he tied and a Quill Gordon dry fly. I give the kid grief, but he can get the job done with a fly rod or spinning rod. Most streams near Oley Valley were stocked this past week. If crowds are not your cup of tea, as it is not mine, try following some Blue Lines on a map in search of wild trout. So far this season, wild brown trout fishing has been exceptional with the largest fish being 20 inches. That fish was fooled with a Rooster Tail. My HendO soft-hackle, Quill Gordon dry fly, HendO emerger, Hatcher Nymph and caddis emergers have all done well the past week. Wooly Buggers are also kicking some fin. Get those fly orders in. My goodness it is only going to get better.
Feb 23, 2019
Welp, Winter months have been tough on all fishermen. Ice fishing in SE Pennsylvania lasted maybe two days? Hoping most of you guys and gals have been tying flies in preparation for SPRING! So far, I've done well on a few small ponds and bigger bodies of water using bobbers and ice fishing jigs tipped with waxies. Trout fishing wise, my Golden Stonefly nymph has done some damage, size 10. I should be tying up some flies and posting them shortly. I would guess early March there should be a good amount of flies for sale on my Vin's Bug Shoppe page. Also, Facebook Vin's Bug Shoppe and 2Bonthewater pages will have flies and reports. Requests over the winter for fly tying tutorials will most likely have me posting a few. Wholeheartedly plan to do fly fishing or fishing videos this year. Plan to dedicate a lot of time to the business this year. We will see how that plan goes. So, thanks for reading and as always, "Live to be OnTheWater". PS. Check out the articles I write for the Reading Eagle. 6th year or so doing that.
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2Bonthewater Guide Service
Historic Oley Valley
Oley, PA 19547
vinny