Coming Home

It had been almost 10 years since I made a journey to Penns Creek. Every spring, Id follow Ronnie around the creek chasing whatever mayflies were coming off and doing our best to match the hatch. There is a reason that Penns Creek is called a Bug Factory !! The variety of hatches are many and the number of bugs in the air at certain times of the year will not allow you to breathe. Penns is one of those magical streams you have to fish before you die.

It was the second opening day in Pennsylvania and I asked the wife if I could head up to Ronnies cabin for the weekend. I wanted to fish Penns Creek Friday evening and then Cherry Run on opening day. Permission was granted and off I ventured. It finally stopped raining as I pulled into the parking lot and a quick peak down over the bank revealed a slightly chocolate milk colored stream. I got dressed and climbed down the bank right below the parking lot. There were fish rising and bugs in the air. I could see some Grannom Caddis and Hendrickson mayflies. I wasnt sure what bugs the fish were taking. I tied on a Hendrickson CDC dry fly, also known as a Red Quill and started to cast to rising fish.

Fish on. Fish off. Fish on. Fish off. The rises slowed but became more rhythmic. I was able to spot a nice fish rising behind a huge boulder. I could not get a good drift to this fish and my offering went unnoticed. I switched flies to a dry Grannom Caddis. It was made of CDC, deer hair and I used a piece of chartreuse craft foam to create an egg sac at the rear of the hook.

Splash..sploosh. something rather large was taking flies from the surface, but he was too far away for me to reach. I made my way toward the middle of the creek so that I could get a nice drift to this beast. By now, the skies had darkened and light was fading fast. One drift, two drifts.GULP the fish inhaled the fly. Game on. I felt the weight of the fish and decided to fight the fish from the shoreline instead of being in the water. What a journey that was! Safely on the shoreline, it was a game of give and take. The fish made two awesome runs and had the drag screaming. The fish was close now, real close. I reached out with my net and scooped up a fish that was over 20 inches. After a few pictures, the beast was released. What a battle. What a fish. What a stream. Welcome home Mr. Dick.

Vinny

Keeping your eyes open

I fish every free moment I have. Rush to the shed and grab the gear. Rush to the stream to catch some fish. Rush, Rush, Rush. There is very little time in todays world to slow down, to take it easy, to relax..to breath in the fresh clean air. But I say, hold on there Skippy. Fishing isnt always about fishing. For most, it is about numbers and how many fish one can catch. For others, it is all about chasing after monster fish. It seems there is a right of passage to fishing where all the above holds true. When you are young and first learning how to fish, it is all about catching a fish, putting a single fish in your net. Then, as your skill grows, you fall into the --How many can I catch phase-- of fishing. After that phase, comes the --I am hunting lunkers phase-- where all you want to do is land a hoss of a fish and brag to anyone who will listen. For those who have gone through all these phases finally come to the conclusion, the grand finale if you wish-- where, you just fish. There comes a time when fishing isnt about catching; it just isnt about how many fish you can catch. Sitting under the Rhododendron or hardwood canopy and just watching Mother Nature do what she does now comes into play. Your senses are somewhat on point and seem to notice every little odd and end. Becoming one with nature; letting your surroundings engulf you, be a part of you. At this phase, you are complete. A complete angler isnt in a hurry; a complete angler seems to know that his or her fish is waiting for them. That the fish is allowing this complete angler to soak up Mother Nature before their battle ensues.

There have been so many times that I have found something really cool while just sitting still and watching the water flow by me. Once I was able to sit and enjoy a River Otter playing amongst the rocks on the Youghiogheny River. The otter thought he was all alone and did what otters do, they play. Sitting on the bank of the N. Branch of Potomac river one afternoon, I was able to hear what sounded like a building crumbling to the ground. I stood up and walked toward the noise. What I saw was the rear-end of a Black Bear running through the woods and breaking every sapling in his way. While sitting through a thunderstorm one afternoon, I was able find a wide variety of mushrooms. So many colors, so many shapes and the one mushroom had a hungry slug on it. The list goes on and on. From seeing an American Eagle flying overhead, turtles poking their heads up out of the water and giving me a stare down, to having snakes fall on me from a treetop; it is all a large part of fishing. So, slow down. Take the time to enjoy all that Mother Nature has to offer and by all means, do enjoy every phase an angler will go through. Ill be all ears when you are bragging about the big fish you just caught and released. Just be certain to tell me what area of the stream you were fishing.

Blue-Winged Olives in the air

I looked out the window. I looked at the wife. I said, Hey, its raining, can I go fishing? She goes, if you are nuts enough to fish in the rain, then you can go. I told her that Id see her after it was dark and ran out the door. On the drive to the stream I kept saying, please keep raining, please keep raining, please keep raining. It did. It was early June and the air felt cool. The second I got out of my truck I noticed clouds of mayflies hovering over the riffles. Blue-Winged Olives. Lucky Me. Standing on the edge of the stream I took a few moments to look for feeding fish. A bluup here and a bluup there. Sporadic feeding at best. I tied on a BWO Dun and dropped a BWO emerger off the hook shank. A few casts in and the dry fly darts underwater. Set the hook and I'm into a beautiful Pennsylvania wild Brown Trout. The fins are almost opaque. The orange tinge that covered most of the fishes body was absolutely gorgeous. This wild guy was released to fight another day. No sooner had I released the fish and the rain had stopped. The bugs almost instantly disappeared. I cast and cast and cast my BWO patterns with no success. No more rising fish. No more ripples. No more activity.

Hmmph. Well, what to do, what to do. What I did was tie on a Sulphur dry fly and started to blind cast in likely spots. After a few casts and no takers I was about to head home and dry off. But I didnt, I kept casting and moving upstream. Finally there was a swipe at my fly. The fish had missed, but he certainly moved some water. I waited about 60 seconds --it felt like 15-minutes-- before I cast toward the fish again. This time, the fish slammed the fly and the fight was on. The fish jumped a few times and tried to dig to the bottom. After a few minutes of this, I had another beautiful wild Brown Trout in my net.

What started out as a perfect Blue-Winged Olive afternoon turned into an awesome Sulphur evening. As darkness set in, the fish were still actively feeding on the surface. I didnt bring my headlamp. So, I headed home; happy as could be.

vinny

Stars-for-our-Troops

I have the kids in tow and it was time to check the Guide Business mail at the Post Office--Oley, PA 19547. The kids always get a kick out of opening the little mailbox and this time was no exception. The only difference this time was that there was a letter addressed to me from NY in there. What could it be?? I opened the envelope and inside were stars along with a typed letter. The paper the letter was typed on was bordered by red, white and blue and a few stars-- very cool. The letter thanked me for my service and stated that " I have sent you a Star that has been cut from an old flag that has flown over a home or business in our country ". The letter stated to check out the website and listen to a song about the STAR that was written by a veteran; furthermore stating that the idea behind Stars-for-our-Troops began in Florida and is progressing across our country.

This is a grand idea. If you think for a minute any veteran would go, huh, its just a star--well then you are greatly mistaken. This project will make veterans and current military men and women smile. There is no doubt about it. So, if you think this is something you would like to do or be a part of,

please contact Susan at: Stars4ourTroops@aol.com .

The website can be viewed at: www.troygermaniahall.com/Stars-for-our-Troops.html .

Inside every baggie that is home to a star is a small piece of paper that states:

" I am a part of our American Flag. I have flown over a home in the U.S.A. I can no longer fly. The sun and winds have caused me to become tattered and torn. Please carry me as a reminder you are not forgotten ".

I think this is a wonderful project that almost anyone can do. Please check out the website and if you can help, please do so.

Vinny

Sucker

Angler: So, whats the hatch?

Fly Shop: March Browns, Sulphurs and maybe the Green Drake

Angler: oh cool. hey, whats this fly

Fly Shop: something I came up with

Angler: it is cool looking

Fly Shop: Yeah, I know.

Angler: I'll take a dozen

Fly Shop: sucker.

Angler: yeah, I know-- sucker for anything pretty

Tred Barta Kicks Some Fin

Just watched The Best and Worst of Tred Barta episode where he was in Colorado chasing some rainbow trout. Even in a wheelchair the man is inspiring. It reminded me of one of the guys I went to college with. He had an ATV accident and was paralyzed from the waist down and had minimal arm movement. I stopped by his apartment a few times to see how he was doing and he said he really wanted to go fishing. I said, OK, we can do this. He looked at me like I was crazy. His mother had moved in with him to help him adjust to his new lifestyle and I asked her if she could help us out. She asked, Help with what? I said taking your son fishing. I got another Are You Crazy look !!! So, I knew a spot where some fish were pooled up and under a bridge. I first took the wheelchair down under the bridge and got it set up in a good spot. Then I carried my classmate over my shoulders and down to his wheelchair. I kept asking my classmate how much he weighs and then called him a liar. We both laughed like a madman while getting to his wheelchair!! The fishing was pretty slow and most of the fish that were there a few days ago had moved out. He kept at it. Cast after cast, drift after drift. Finally, he hooked one. The fight was on. The fish was foul hooked but at this point, it didn't even matter. The heat of the day was becoming an issue so we packed it up and in reverse order, left the stream. All in all, it was a great day. As proved that day and by Tred Barta, life is what you make of it. It is a matter of will, a matter of heart. If you want it bad enough, you will find a way to overcome.

Blue Fox -- Larry You Weirdo commercial

Woke up today and somehow, a TV commercial from when I was a kid popped into my head. It was a Blue Fox commercial. The commercial starts out with hot steam rising out of the bathtub. Soft music is playing and a lovely woman is taking a bath. Next thing you hear is a whistling sound followed by a KERPLUNK. All of a sudden you hear the woman in the tub yell: LARRY YOU WEIRDO !!! Then a very cool commercial voice comes on ensuring that it was some sort of Blue Fox commercial. It was absolutely hysterical. If anyone can find it, please pass it along. Yes, it was that awesome of a commercial.

B-52 Bombers

What a crazy evening of fishing !! I was searching for carp but found trout feeding just below the surface. I switched flies and tied on a size 18 tan CDC/Elk hair caddis. I picked up two holdover browns. I was happy to see some trout survive the boiling water of the summer. All of a sudden, I was under attack. I was being pelted left and right by bugs the size of a B-52 bomber. Honestly, I put my sunglasses back on for fear of losing an eye. I didnt know what they were at first and managed to catch one and photograph it. Biggest bug I have ever seen and I have never seen this particular bug before. I switched flies to a brown spent spinner. While I was tying on the spinner, I saw a monster carp--go figure. I caught a hoss of a fallfish on the spent spinner--it was all of 2 inches!!! The bombers were gone and the pool went still. Not another rise or ripple. I headed home and I downloaded the pictures of the bug into my computer. At first I was thinking Brown Drake, then Hex, then Isonychia. I have never seen a brown drake or a hex and the Isonychias I have seen prior were not this big. I contacted a few friends and a fellow guide. I searched the internet and my books. Finally concluded that the bug was indeed a Hexagenia species. Hexagenia Atrocaudata, also known as Big Slate Drake or Late Hex. Slate Drake is an Isonychia, but the Big Slate Drake is a Hexagenia. Confusing, it can be. All in all it was an interesting evening followed by some great reading. Finally getting the bug identified was a great relief. Being a guide, you want to know your bugs. I for one, dont know all of them (most of them, yes -- all of them, no). Not ashamed to admit it. Fly fishing, fly tying -- bug identifying is a never ending cycle of learning. I will say, they did hurt when they whacked me. Next time I might just run for cover until they fly back into the tree tops or hopefully drop onto the water !!!

Thanks to: www.troutnut.com , www.bugguide.net , www.flytyingforum.com

Pocket Guide to Pennsylvania Hatches -- Charles Meck and Paul Weamer

Vinny

Whats its worth?

Sitting here pondering new age technology, high prices and shiny fishing gear. Modern fishing equipment prices have gone through the roof. I was shocked to see a sticker price of 400 dollars on a new fly rod a few years ago. Now, that looks like a bargain. Everything has its place and everyone one has their own needs, desires and gear they want to fish with. I have fished with high-end gear and I must say, there is no complaint in the quality department. I was fishing with a G-Loomis Whisper Creek 8 foot 2 weight fly rod and was totally blown away at the feel of this rod. It was insanely perfect and I loved every minute while it was in my hands. I matched it with an Abel TR Light reel in an olive color with a brown aluminum handle. It was just so beautiful. I didnt pay full price for the rod, but I did pay full price for the custom Abel reel. I was able to hang onto this outfit for only a couple of months before I had to sell it. Getting hurt at work has made me feel like Crazy Eddie from the 1980s, prices so low -- They're Insane! At the time, buying such a high-end rod was not an issue, same with the reel. Do I need to fish with such a quality rod? No. Did I catch more fish because of this expensive outfit? No. Was the casting smooth as silk? Yeppers. Do I own other rods that cast just as nicely? Well, not really -- but some are close. So, why the need for the expensive outfit? Did I deserve it? Did I just want it that bad? Was it a status gesture? Was I now a better fisherman because of this outfit? Was I cooler or a lame goose for shelling out all that money on an outfit that didnt catch me anymore fish? Who knows. All I know is that at the time, I got a great deal on a fly rod and I could afford it. Guessing that is what it all boils down to, affordability. Fish with what you can afford. Ive been doing that since I started fly fishing. My first outfit was a Cabelas piece of crap. It caught fish and allowed me to fly fish. I moved onto a Scientific Anglers rod purchased at a fly shop. I paired that rod with a Daiwa fly reel. I then purchased my first REAL fly rod, a St. Croix Imperial, 9 foot 5/6 wt. I still own this rod. It was a beauty. That rod cost me about 130 dollars and has caught more fish than all of my other rods combined. It was like one stop shopping with that rod, it did it all. As the years went on and job security wasnt an issue, I began to buy more expensive fly rods. Each one better than the last. But, all that rod buying power didnt make me a better fly fisherman, I made me a better fly fisherman. There have been some great new rods put on the market in the last few years and I will say they are super nice and get the job done. Need a few extra feet on your cast while chasing steelhead or salmon? No room behind you for a backcast? Then try a Switchrod. Holy cow, thank the salmon gods for this wonderful creation. Talk about booming casts !!!! There is always something new, something neat to try that will give you an edge. Look at all the chest packs, fishing vests or fanny packs out there. Seriously, it could take days to pick one out that suits your needs. Reels, the list goes on and on there. Good thing for me, I love Fly Logic and I dont need to look elsewhere for the newest or greatest thing -- although I do. Wading boots, waders, rain jackets, polarized sunglasses, the list goes on and on as to what you can spend your hard earned money on. Some rain jackets will cost 5 dollars and some will run you 500 hundred dollars. It all comes down to what you can afford. If you barely have enough money to get by, but really love that Simms G4 rain jacket-- you will still be wearing your yellow Wal-Mart special. That is just the way it is. You use what you can afford and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I was looking for a new small stream rod since I sold my favorite G-Loomis 6 foot 6 inch 3 weight fly rod. I was searching and searching for a cheap acceptable fly rod. I came across a bamboo fly rod that was for sale on E-bay. I purchased the rod. It was old but refinished and looked absolutely amazing. I had a reel for the rod. As it turned out, I hated the super expensive brand new fly reel. I sold it and opted for a reel that was more fitting to a bamboo fly rod. It was a Vernley Trout reel and cost me about 16 dollars on E-bay. Actually, I won two bakelite reels in one auction. This reel dates to the 1930s or 1940s. I cleaned it up a little bit on the inside and it fishes just as the day it was made. Ive never fished with a bamboo rod before, actually-- I've never touched a bamboo rod before. This rod is a perfect little gem for small stream trout fishing. It is rated for 2/3 line and I have put Cortland Sylk WF2F fly line on it. The bottom line is I found a great deal thanks to a very kind man named Mr. Fish. How awesome is that. Hey, I'm a fisherman and my name is Mr. Fish. That is the second coolest last name, second only to mine. I now own a great small stream outfit that cost me around 150 dollars. The finish on the bamboo fly rod is impeccable and I love the soft feel to the rod. This outfit will be a treasure to hand down to my little ones and for them to hand down to their little ones. So, instead of going high-tech, I was thinking vintage and it all worked out perfectly.

Remember, you are fishing with what you like. It doesn't matter what the clown fishing next to you thinks. It is your gear, not his or hers. If your gear makes you happy and allows you to catch fish, then so be it. When it comes to fishing gear, it is all about personal preference and budget. Sure, wed all love to fish 800 dollar fly rods, use 600 dollar spinning reels or have the cash to buy the new G4 waders from Simms -- but there are only a few people in the world who can fish with what they want, when they want.

A good story from my college days when money was scarce and lunch consisted of 3 trout from the Youghiogheny River and dinner consisted of 2 more trout from the Youghiogheny River and deer meat given to me by my father. I was fishing the North Branch of Potomac River near the town of Barnum. I was upstream in the lures only area and working my way back down to the truck. There is a long huge hole before you hit the wire marking the end of the special regulations area that is loaded with monster fish. As I was wading downstream I noticed about 6 anglers covering the hole and it seemed they all knew each other. I sat down, tied on a new fly and watched them for awhile. They were all decked out in Orvis gear. Clothes, rods, reels, vests.you name it and it said Orvis on it. They didnt catch a thing and decided to take a lunch break. Two men brought a blue cooler down to the creek which had the lunches and plenty of cold beverages for the fellas. I asked if I could fish the hole, they said sure--go ahead. It didn't take long and I was into a monster fish. They were all, oh my god, and holy cow and I fished that hole for 2 hours and caught nothing. It was great. I landed a 20 inch or so rainbow trout. The fellers even took a picture for me. I have it on the Vintage photographs page of the website. I think I was wearing green Redball waders, Wiedbrenner wading shoes and was I rockin the Scientific Anglers rod with Daiwa reel. What a great feeling.

Another good story from college was the little kid fishing with a Snoopy rod and reel outfit caught the Maryland state record Bluegill. Our professor for our fisheries biology class was the local biologist for the Maryland DCNR. The class was able to take scale samples and age the fish. It was awesome. I still have the scale in a jar on my fly tying desk. So, aside from affordability, you have to look at luck and being at the right place at the right time. It doesn't matter what gear you are fishing with or fishing in. Honestly, the fish could care less who you are, what you are or what clothes you are wearing. I could be wrong, but I don't think you will see a fish going -- No, No -- not that one, that guy is using a Berkley rod. If you are going to get caught, wait for the guy throwing the lures with the Loomis. It just doesnt work like that.

So, what's it all about? What is it worth to you? You can only answer that and your answer should have nothing to do with what anyone else thinks. It is all about you. What you think is cool and what you feel comfortable fishing with or fishing in is all that matters. Affordability means plenty to fishermen and fisherwomen of all walks of life. Fish with what you can afford and what YOU feel comfortable with.

Vinny

NewspaperArticle

Morning Call article

April 14, 2002

Opening day of trout season goes swimmingly

Anglers of all ilks take to the Lehigh Valley's riverbanks, cast lines.

April 14, 2002|Randy Kraft Of The Morning Call

(Page 2 of 3)

After 8 a.m., the priority is making sure people are wearing current fishing licenses. Someone caught without a license faces a fine of $82.50. Because fishing licenses help pay for operation of the fish and boat commission, Creyer says no one gets off with just a warning.

"We get more violators after the season begins," says Creyer. Another common violation is people catching the legal limit of five trout per day, taking them home, then "showing up on another part of the creek" to catch more fish an hour or two later.

After opening day, Creyer sometimes uses his own vehicle, dresses like any other fisherman and goes fishing to catch lawbreakers. Other times "I just walk in and sit and watch."

Saturday was Creyer's second trout season opening day since becoming waterways conservation officer in Lehigh County. The 46-year-old Northampton native held the same post in York County since 1992. Before that he was a deputy waterways conservation officer in Northampton County since 1985.

He says there are about 100 full-time waterways conservation officers statewide. "We're spread pretty thin." But he added those officers are assisted by volunteer deputies.

On Saturday Creyer is assisted by 79-year-old deputy officer Stanley Long, who recently was honored for 55 years of service. Long starts his day by patrolling Swabia Creek in Alburtis and gradually working his way downstream to the Little Lehigh.

Creyer is accompanied by 29-year-old Vinny Dick Jr. of Mount Carmel, an officer trainee who will graduate in September. The men are in uniform and carry sidearms, pepper spray and expandable batons. Creyer says he's never had to draw his pistol and hopes he never will. He went through the same law enforcement training as any other police officer "and then some."

Before 8 a.m. Creyer and Dick stop a few times and quietly train their binoculars on people they spot through the trees along Jordan Creek, just to make sure no one is illegally fishing early.

"We're not out here to make anyone miserable," Dick said. "People are out here to have fun and enjoy the day."

After walking along Jordan Creek, they check Cedar Creek at Haines Mill then the Little Lehigh near the covered bridge in Allentown's Lehigh Parkway. Then they head back to the Jordan north of Allentown and wrap up their Saturday patrol at busy Leaser Lake at the north end of the county.

"Lots of happy faces," said Dick. "It's a good day."

Summertime Dreaming

Here is it, July 10^th and we have finally received some rain. A normal fisherman would be thinking how all the trout in his or her local trout streams would be smiling thanks to the douse of cool water. I was too, for a minute. Then evening came and I was able to escape to my shed. Once at the shed I put my trout fly rods into their tubes, put my trout reels in their pouches and then I picked up THE COMPLETE STEELHEADER by John Larison and put on TEMPERATURE RISING -- Spring Steelhead DVD. Trout fishing is far from over, but somehow my mind was swept away to what I love to do most. Chase Salmon and Steelhead in New York and Pennsylvania waters. It is July and I already want to start tying for October. I put the book down and watched the DVD. It is one of the better ones out there, but not sure if Chuck n Duck is truly fly fishing. In any event, the video has some great footage and Roller shares some very good knowledge. Rollers voice isnt annoying and he certainly has the passion that all of us METALHEADS have. I can just close my eyes and hear the water rushing, see the mighty King Salmon moving its way upstream. I can feel the rush as the KING moves 2 feet to his left to slam my DEATH STONEFLY nymph. The battle is on. In the end, I land a beauty of a fish, 40 inches. Mind you, this is all in my head. It is a sickness. I am pretty certain that I am not the only one with this sickness. It is beyond repair and to date, there is absolutely no known cure. The only thing that eases the craving is to tie flies and wait for October. This sickness isn't a bad thing and if it was up to me -- Id give it to everyone. Ahh, it is good to be back on the Salmon River, even if it is only in my mind.

Vinny

S N A K E !!!

I was on my way home from the Southeast Regional Office of the PFBC when I stopped at a red light. The weather was insanely hot and the AC was cranked. As I was messing with the patrol car radio, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I adjusted my line of sight and noticed a rather large Garter Snake that popped out from under the hood of the car. He came out to the left of the driver side wiper blade. My jaw dropped as I watched this snake slither to the top of the windshield, down to the bottom and finally over to the passenger side where the snake promptly fell off the cruiser. I immediately called my Regional Supervisor and told him my tale. I asked if he had ever seensomething like thator heard of that happening to anyone else. He said, nope, thats a first. Good thing I am not afraid of snakes. I thought it was rather cool and just something else to add to the list of: Things that could only happen to me.

Vinny

Vehicle Maintenance !

While at the dealership waiting for my truck to get serviced, I walked the little creek that runs through the dealership lot. I have walked this creek before and I have seen a few trout and a few carp. Today I noticed two 14-inch or so trout. I told the wife before I left that I was going to take a fly rod and catch a fish at the dealership. I didnt, I just took a book to read. Next time though, Im taking the bamboo 2wt and I'm going to do my best to catch a car lot trout. After seeing the trout and figuring that everyone at the dealership would think I was nuts if I started to stroll around with my fly fishing gear, I remembered a time when I did get looked at as if I were bonkers. It was Fall and the salmon run was upon us. I was scheduled to leave for my trip to Pulaski in two days. So, while my vehicle was in for service, I killed the boredom by tying flies !! I asked if I could borrow a desk and set up shop inside the dealership. I was given a puzzled look and told that I could use -THAT- desk because -THAT- guy is not coming in today. I took my bin loaded with my fly tying gear, placed it atop the desk and got to work. For the next 2 hours I tied up a good number of salmon flies. I kept it simple and tied up estaz eggs. Simple, quick and easy.

Vinny

Ronnies Wisdom

The first time I ever spoke to Ronnie about fly fishing was while I was jumping on a scale to check my weight before wrestling practice. I had just read an article about fishing streamers and I thought I would ask the only fly fisherman I knew what the deal was. At that time, it all went right over my head. The first time I picked up a fly rod was while I was stationed in Hawaii. It was fun, but I really wasn't into it. Then college came into my life and I really started to fly fish. I'd take a spinning rod and the fly rod with me down to the Youghiogheny River and have at it. The fly rod at first, lasted only minutes before I picked up the spinning rod and started to catch fish. With every trip OnTheWater I became more comfortable with the fly rod and soon enough, that is all I took to the river. When I returned home to Pennsylvania it was time to fish Penns Creek and that meant spending time with Ronnie. I learned a lot by just watching him. The greatest lesson I learned from him came when I saw him cast directly downstream and just let his fly sit there. I thought he was nuts and I asked him: what are you doing? He said, fishing emergers. I thought, OK, something new, lets see how this works out. Almost instantly Ronnie snapped off a fish. Set the hook too hard he said. I was amazed. Again and again he would cast downstream and twitch the fly and on almost every cast he was rewarded with a fish. He would also cast down and across and swing the emerger. OK, I had to try this. Ronnie handed me an emerger pattern. It had a yellow body, orange hump and some soft hackle on it. Holy cow did the fish love this pattern. From that day on I have loved fishing emergers. I tied up a new emerger pattern the other day. My new fly was similar to the emerger that Ronnie handed me all those years ago. It had a black trailing shuck, yellow biot abdomen, orange hump and some CDC in the front. The fly looked killer. As I snapped the fly off the bottom and fish after fish smashed my emerger, I thought about Ronnie and the first time I had ever seen someone fish with an emerger pattern. What a great memory.

Vinny

A Ramble

I love fishing where I can see nothingno houses, no cars.no town or city..nobody.not a single person..I love seeing nothing..but at the same time, I am surrounded by everything

Vinny Dick Jr.

Happy Turkey Day

Well, just sitting here thinking of Thanksgivings past. Ahhhh, the time spent fishing on turkey day. Before the Fish and Boat Commission came into my life, I spent every turkey day fishing one of the greatest streams in Pennsylvania-- Penns Creek. On most days it was nice weather and on other days I would have to wait until noon for the thin layer of ice to burn off so I could fish. The best Penns Creek turkey day fish was a beautiful 12-inch wild brown trout. Not the biggest fish I have ever caught from Penns Creek on turkey day, but it was my favorite. I was throwing a Rooster Tail spinner and fishing the water below Weikert Run. I tossed the spinner to the head of a riffle and WHACK, fish on. The fish put up quite a fight in the icy cold water. I was amazed at the colors, the fish matched the fall backdrop perfectly. The shame of the whole thing is that I didnt have my camera with me. So, the fish only lives in my memory and I am pretty sure, the fish gets prettier with every passing year !!

After I was hired by the PFBC, they sent me to Berks County. Oh boy I thought--There goes my trout fishing!!! I was so wrong. The trout fishing in Berks County is pretty darn good. I would have never imagined it-- but a fact is a fact. There are a few waters that hold trout year round. I will say, instead of chasing trout in streams come December, January, February and March-- I settle for catching them in lakes through the ice. Just a small change of tactics will enable you to fish for trout year round. Well, back to turkey day fishing. Since I was living in Berks County, a trip to Penns Creek for a few hours of turkey day fishing was out of the question. I turned my attention to a smaller stream in Berks County that gets stocked by the state. This particular creek has a good stretch of water that is only accessible by walking. This stream has yielded turkey day numbers of fish that would make your head spin. I can honestly say I have never had one bad turkey day when fishing this stream. My most memorable fish on turkey day from this stream was a 20-inch Golden Rainbow Trout. Yes, you read that correctly. I had already fished my way upstream and was now on my return trip back to my truck. Throughout the day I spoke with plenty of hikers, walkers and dog walkers while on this stream, all of whom were very pleasant and were very curious as to why I was fishing on turkey day. I only mention all the people because not one of them was a fisherman!! In any event, I start working my way downstream when I spot a huge yellow-colored fish. I think to myself: No way is there a Golden Rainbow Trout swimming around on turkey day. Then, I almost immediately say to myself: How did you not see that fish on your way upstream? Alrighty then, game on. I throw a Pins Minnow lure in the direction of the fish. He follows, but does not strike. We play a cat and mouse game for over 10 minutes. He wouldnt strike, he would just follow and follow. Every now and then he would race after the lure and stop within an inch of the lure. It was very frustrating. I start to check out my fishing vest and notice I have a few egg patterns attached to my vest from my recent Steelhead fishing trip. I tried a sucker spawn pattern--nothing. I tried about 4 different colors of Glo-Bugs--nothing. So, I tied on a peach estaz egg and started looking for the fish. The fish was not there--Where did the fish go? I searched and scanned the water and caught a glimpse of his yellow body. He was hiding in what seemed to be a very deep crevice. The fish finally stuck his head out of his hiding place and I made a cast with a peach estaz egg in his direction. The fish raced over to it and HAMMERED it. WOW, what a hit. I finally figured out what he wanted. I managed to get the fish close to shore when all of a sudden--the fish went nuts and swam for the other end of the pool. I kept the line tight and let the drag sing. I had the fish close to the bank again and as I reached for the fish, the fish wiggled free and swam back to his hiding place. The fish was never touched and a picture of the fish was never taken. I was not disappointed. Actually, I was the happiest guy in Berks County. Not only did I catch plenty of trout, I was able to hook into a Golden Rainbow Trout on turkey day. Did I catch it? Well, I got the fish to the bank but never touched the fish. I would say I was OH SO CLOSE to landing it!! If I would have had waders on I could have entered the creek and had more control over the fish. But as it was, I was wearing hiking boots and I wasnt about to get wet!!

Vinny

Green Lane Reservoir Boat Patrol

I was on patrol at Green Lane Reservoir and decided that I would do a boat patrol. I asked the park if I could use their boat and they said, not a problem and that a patrol was just about to start. Awesome. Before we hit the dock I was in the boat rental station asking how many boats were out when I noticed a male and female couple with a bunch of rods, reels and tackle boxes. The man had his license on his hat and the woman with him did not. I ask the man what they plan to fish for and he immediately states--we are not fishing for anything, I will be fishing for bass and crappie. I go, OK, have fun. About an hour passes and we come across a boat with a male and a female who are both fishing. I ask the park ranger that is driving the patrol boat to slow down so I can watch this boat for a little while. It is the man and woman I was talking to inside the boat rental station. The same guy who said, I will be fishing for bass and crappie. I observe both the man and the woman making several casts and the woman lands and then places into a cooler what appears to be a Crappie. I then ask the ranger to head over to that boat. The ranger patrol boat is the only boat on the lake with a motor, so people generally know who is coming. The boat in question notices us and the woman immediately drops the rod and picks up a book. I say to myself, nice try lady. We board the boat and I ask if they have caught any fish. The man states he caught a crappie. I go, oh, is it a big one? He removes a fish from the cooler that his lady friend just put her fish into. I go, OK, nice fish. Now, tell me again who caught it. He states--I did. At this time I turn my attention to the fisherwoman. I ask if she has caught anything today. The lady states, Im not fishing. OK then, time for the gloves to come off. I go, well, let me tell you what I know. I know that at the boat rental station I was told that you sir were the only one who was going to be fishing. He goes yes. I go OK, so far so good. I continue to state-- that I did a patrol with the park ranger and checked plenty of boats, then I noticed a boat with a man and woman in it and both the man and the woman are fishing. I see the fisherwoman catch and place what appeared to be a crappie into a cooler. Now, that leads us to where we are at this point in time. I tell them: I will ask this one more time: Maam where is your fishing license? The man states she was not fishing. I look at the man and state, do you see --STUPID-- written across my forehead? The man states, NO. I go, OK then, I have been watching you two fish for over 15 minutes. Do you know what I saw in that 15 minutes? I saw you both fishing, making multiple casts and saw you Maam catch and place a fish that I believed to be a crappie into your cooler. What fish was inside your cooler? The man answers, crappie. At this point they get the picture. The man states that his lady friend wasnt going to fish, but couldnt resist. I go maam, why did you lie to me. She says, I thought you didnt see me fishing. At that point I asked for both their drivers licenses and issued a citation to the woman for fishing without a license. We pull away from the boat and I ask the park ranger to head over toward the fishing piers. We observe the piers and I take notes on who is fishing and what time they made a cast and how many casts they made. After about 30 minutes I say, OK, everyone is fishing, lets go and check them out. We pull under the pier and I point out to the ranger to watch the fishing lines. He goes, I got it. He pulls up to the shoreline and I hop out of the boat. The park ranger starts to pull the boat away. At that very moment I look up and see a fishing rod skipping its way across the pier. It then bends over the railing and whips itself into the reservoir. I look at the park ranger and tell him not to laugh, as it was hard for me not to laugh. I then grab the fishing line and pull the rod into me. All I can say is it was a good thing it was an Ugly Stik. I crawl up the side of the pier with the rod in hand and ask who it belongs to. I hear Its mine officer. I say, I am so sorry your rod was pulled overboard. The man was laughing and I said, In my defense, the individual operating the boat does not work for the Fish and Boat Commission and that he was indeed a park ranger. So, all joking aside, it was time to check for fishing licenses. Everyone had a license with exception to one female. Her boyfriend thought my questioning her about the license was uncalled for and pretty much wanted to fight. I go to the gentleman, How am I out of line here? He states, all you are doing is harassing us, all we wanted to do was catch some fish. I go, OK, but you said she wasnt fishing--she said she wasnt fishing and now you are telling me that all WE wanted to do was catch some fish. The guy does a mini-flip out and goes on and on how he will never see his rod again. I assured him, that once the citation was settled, either by getting paid or by taking a hearing, he could most certainly have his rod and reel back. I pull the woman aside and ask for identification. She was very apologetic and even told her boyfriend to shut up. So, I write the citation and climb back over the pier with the rod in hand and make my way to the boat. The man starts to complain about not getting his rod back. I look at him and go-- Listen, I gave Ms. SO and SO a receipt for your rod and reel. As I stated earlier, once the ticket is taken care of, you can have your rod and reel back. The guy was still chirping as I got into the rangers patrol boat. We moved away from the pier and I looked at the ranger, still trying not to laugh and said, I told you to watch the fishing lines !!!

No offense to the man who had his rod jump into the lake, but that was without a doubt one of the coolest things I have ever seen. The park ranger who was operating the patrol boat turned out to be one of the best Deputy Waterways Conservation Officers the Fish and Boat Commission has ever had.

PS-- The man never made an attempt to collect his fishing rod. I made several attempts to get the rod to the man. The rod is probably sitting in Harrisburg with many other unclaimed rods, reels and tackle boxes.

Vinny

Green Lane Reservoir Boat Patrol # 2

On the reservoir with a park ranger and in their patrol boat. Everything is going along smoothly with no major violations and only one or two warnings handed out. We come alongside one boat with a lone fisherman in it. I state to the guy, State Officer Fish and Boat Commission--could you please show me your life jacket and type-4 flotation device. The man holds them up and I say, thank-you. I ask the man if he is catching any fish and he states, you know what, you have checked me the last 3 weeks in a row--I am out here every weekend to fish and every weekend you check my boat. I reply, Im sorry, but I cant remember every boat I board and I certainly cannot remember every person I come across. The man states, I always have my safety gear and that all you are doing is interfering with my fishing time. I look at the man and say, sorry--but when I do a patrol on the reservoir I check every boat for safety equipment--telling me that I checked you last week and you had your safety equipment, certainly does not mean that you have your safety equipment this week. The man continued to cast and pretty much ignored my last statement. At this point I told the park ranger we were done here. The man is now implementing the STAREDOWN tactic---I shake my head and say to the man,see you next week.

And yes, his fishing license was on his hat.

Vinny

Attack of theImmature Bulls !!!

Once upon a time I was fishing Yellow Breeches with my father. We worked a good stretch of water and caught a few fish, nothing spectacular. Upon making one last cast, it was decided to head back to the truck and call it day. Instead of walking the stream back to the truck I said, lets take a shortcut through the farmers field. All was going well until we were approached by about 25 cows. My Dad says, Hey, look at all those cows. I said, theyre not cows, theyre immature BULLS. They came running at us!! They stopped within 20 feet of us and started snorting and stomping their hooves. I tell my Dad to get behind a tree and I did the same thing. Every few seconds one would give a half-hearted charge!! We were swinging our 5 foot ultra-light rods at them, laughing like crazy. I had tears rolling down my face and my stomach hurt from laughing so hard. I was pretty much doubled over thanks to my laughing and the pain in my stomach. My Dad yells to me, in between chuckles, Im gonna make a run for it. I somehow manage to yell back, I wouldnt do that, theyll knock you on your butt. Now mind you, while all this giggling, laughing and talking was going on, we were continually waving our scrawny fishing rods at the bulls and shouting at them. They just kept walking closer and closer to us. You would tap one with the rod and he would run back to the group--then another would take a shot at us. It was a non-stop Porterhouse attack. Ten minutes into the ordeal my stomach still-- really, really hurt and I could not stop laughing. We needed a plan to get out of the field. I told my Dad to slowly walk backward to the next tree. I did the same thing and we finally made it to the wire that marked the boundary of the field. We crawled under the wire and we sat there on the ground, staring at the bulls that followed us all the way to wire. I guess they were making sure we were OK. We finally stopped laughing and we both were able to catch our breath. We crossed the creek and made our way upstream. When we reached the walk-out point, we were greeted by a big white truck. Our luck had changed. The Fish and Boat Commission was there to stock fish. Sweet.

Vinny

Dads First Salmon

Now, I have been heading to the Salmon River for a few years and most, if not all of my trips, were done solo. My Dad finally made the decision to try salmon fishing. He has been to Erie with me for Steelhead, but he has never tagged a salmon. As we arrive in Pulaski, New York, we are greeted by sunshine, followed by clouds, followed by hail and lastly followed by rain. This was within the first 20 minutes we were there. Insane. It was Sunday evening and we were headed to Fat Nancys to get our licenses. After getting our licenses, we made our way to the 1880 House Bed and Breakfast to register and drop off our gear. We quickly got our waders on and rushed to the river. We headed to the Trestle Pool section of the river. We stopped atop the huge pool and watched in amazement at all the people fishing. Fish-on!!, Fish-on!!, was all we heard. There were salmon jumping and flipping every which way. I remember seeing one fish doing a 20-foot long cartwheel. My dad was pumped. We made our way to the waters edge and waded a good bit upstream. My dad wanted to fish immediately, but I told him--The walk will be worth it. As we were walking my dad was saying, It's going to be tough to beat the steelhead fishing in Erie. I said, Well-- we might not get the numbers, but the power of these fish is nothing short of amazing. So, we walk upstream and passed a few anglers when all of a sudden I tell my dad to stop and kneel down. He goes, What? I turn to him and whisper--why I whispered I dont know, I saw a female King Salmon with a huge male right next to her. I told my dad to hold on and that I was going to try to catch the male. I had a huge wooly bugger tied on and my plan was to swing the fly right to the fish. Well, first cast, nothing. Second cast, the bruiser swiped at the fly and missed!! I was jacked. Then, I told my dad to get ready. My third cast was the charm. It swung right past his face, the fish followed it and hammered it. I yelled FISH-ON and motioned my dad to take the rod. My dad laid his rod down and hurried over to take the fly rod out of my hand. Within 5 seconds my dad was smiling ear to ear. He looked like a 10-year old kid who was just given the gift he always wanted for Christmas. I walked back to the bank and enjoyed the show. The old man was looking at me and saying Man is this fish strong! kind of laughing and giggling, sort of not believing that a fish could pull that hard. I yelled up to him and said, Feels a little bigger than a steelhead, huh? He just laughed and continued to hold on for dear life. The fish ran upstream, the fish ran downstream..the fish had no quit in him. After about 15 minutes, we made the decision to try to land the beast. I stood downstream and waited for the chance to put the beast in the net. The fish wanted nothing to do with me or the net. He made another run, which prompted my dad to bear down and put more pressure on the fish. The fish was close again and this time the fish made a sprint downstream and swam right between my legs!!! I managed to get my foot over the fly line and all was well. I yelled to my dad, laughing, Control your fish!!! Now, I looked downstream and saw a downed tree. I yelled, Dad, you have to turn the fish. Dad was racing after the fish, trying to keep up when the fish reached the tree and snapped the tippet. The fish was free. My dad looked at me and said, I cant believe how strong that fish was. We spent the rest of that evening hooking and playing with a few salmon. We even managed to land a few. The rest of the trip was pretty good with many salmon landed. Wednesday morning came and it was time to hit the river. Dad was a little too sore to go. Something I have never seen, my dad too sore to fish!!! I went solo and found a bunch of Kings on the move. I caught and released a few fish. All the while telling myself that--Dad is surely missing out. It was close to 10am and it was time to leave. Time for me to head back home to Pennsylvania and time for dad to head back home to Virginia. What a trip.

Vinny

Lake Trout in the Delaware River???

So, I was working at a Sports Expofor theFish and Boat Commission and I was asked a question of utmost importance. Well, it wasn't much of a question as it wasmore ofa statement. The gentleman goes, let me ask you a question. I go, OK. He goes, "why can't I catch Lake Trout in the Delaware River"? Hmmm. The man went on a 15-minute tirade. I couldn't get a word in. He finally stopped babbling and I tried to explain to the man that it is a matter of geography and that all he would have to do to catch Lake Trout was to drive to an area of the state that has LAKE Trout, say LAKE Erie or Raystown LAKE (I put emphasis on the word LAKE) . The guy goes, but I can drive 20 minutes into New Jersey and catch Lake Trout. I say, OK then go to Jersey and fish. The man goes I want to catch Lake Trout in the Delaware River, not Jersey. I explain to the man that the fish in question is called a LAKE TROUT and went into small detail about the requirements a Lake Trout needs to survive. This entire ordeal went on for about 45 minutes (I kid you not). The man finally shakes my hand and says: well, ya know, you make a good argument and I totally understand what you are saying--But I still want to catch Lake Trout in the Delaware River. It was a very painful 45 minutes. My fellow officers at our booth did nothing to come and save me. It must have been very funny to watch.

Since that time I learned one very important thing. That most people don't want to ask you a question. They just want to argue. I learned to walk away. The idea of asking a question is to obtain a truthful and honest answer. I was quick to learn to just walk away and not get into an argument with somebody who has an agenda.

Vinny 2009-2012 Copyright 2Bonthewater Guide Service