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Posts Tagged ‘Brown Trout’

Opening day of Trout Season

Posted in Stories, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2016| Leave a Comment »

First off I would like to say good luck to all of those headed out for opening day tomorrow. As I write this I am sure on some streams there are people already lined up waiting for midnight to start casting.

Opening day is a holiday for many. For those that have to work they will most likely spend the day doing their job while secretly planning their attack for Saturday.  I am sure there are some that will even call in sick if they haven’t already.

I am going back to work tomorrow after being out for 3 weeks due to having my gallbladder removed. I know going back to work on opening day is crazy but I have guide trips Saturday, Sunday, and Monday so I needed to be back to work before I can be guiding.  Also there is the fact that my home water, the Salmon River, is open for trout fishing all year. We have been chasing giant rainbow trout, steelhead, all winter long and will continue to do so through April. In fact the bite just started to really get good while I have been out of work and unable to fish so I am really looking forward to this weekend. I do still have a couple dates open but my April is close to being fully booked.

In between working and guiding for steelhead this month I will be organizing my fly vest and tying more flies. Just waiting for May when I will hang up the steelhead gear and start chasing brookies, rainbows, and browns. I have already been following the line blue lines on my topo map and searching for new places to try. There is a beaver pond I have been meaning to hike to for two years now and this is going to be the year I finally do it. I have never been a still water fly fisherman but that is going to change this year.

I am also planning a trip to my favorite trout stream the West Branch of the Ausable river. I introduced my friend Jamie to it last year and he had a blast even though we were only able to fish one evening. This year we are planning a 4 day trip filled with trout and craft beer which happen to be two of my favorite things.

I am looking forward to seeing the Facebook and Instagram posts tomorrow as the mild winter has left most streams in prime condition for the opener.  Even the Tug Hill streams that normally have snow lined banks are in great shape as all the snow has already melted and run off.  Again good luck to everyone that is fishing tomorrow or this weekend.

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Spring Brown Trout

Posted in Reports, Stories, tagged , , , , , on March 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

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Lake Ontario Spring Brown Trout

Posted in Reports, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on March 6, 2016| Leave a Comment »

It is only March 5th and I have already been on Lake Ontario. This is the earliest I have been trolling the lake by about 10 days.  It was a great deal of work to break up the ice at the launch to get the boat in the water. Then we broke through the ice to get to the river and more ice on the river to get to the lake. Even though we only fished for about a hour and a half after it was all worth it when we landed a nice brown trout that weighed in at 10 pounds on the boga grip. The fish was brought home for dinner tomorrow.

Over the next week we are supposed to see some warmer weather which will take care of the ice and should kick the brown trout fishing along the shoreline into full gear.  Today there was very little colored up water due to the lack of run of at the moment. The warmer weather will change that as the remaining snow melts.  I am guessing next weekend will be an excellent time to be on the water.  I will not be on the water Saturday as I will be selling tackle at the Eastern Lake Ontario Salmon and Trout Association flee market at the fire hall in Brewerton.  I am available for a trip on Sunday though.

The tough part of booking a drift boat trip trolling along the lake is it is very wind dependent.  If the wind is blowing hard we can’t fish the lake with a drift boat. However there is always a plan b and c.  We can go to Oswego and troll the harbor or go to the Salmon River or Black River and fish for steelhead.

If you are set on trolling the lake I recommend hiring a charter boat such as Irish Knots Sport fishing or High Adventure Sport fishing.  The benefit of going on a charter boat is that the wind is not as big of a factor. They are able to fish in a fair amount of wind and waves.  The cost will be more but you can also split that cost between 4 to 6 people instead of 2.

Spring brown trout fishing is a trolling trip most of the time. If you are fishing on a charter boat it will definitely be trolling. If you are on a drift boat most of the time we troll but if you wanted to cast that is an option. We could even try fly fishing for them. Trolling will produce the most fish though. I also have two trolling fly rods that can be deployed if you wanted to catch them on the fly.

With warmer weather right around the corner now is the time to think about booking a spring brown trout trip. I will be having my gallbladder removed on the 14th of March so I am not booking any trips until April but I have other guides that I work with that I will gladly set you up with if you wanted to go before April. If you would like to book a charter boat give Chris Yard (Irish Knots Sport Fishing) or Troy Creasy (High Adventure Sport Fishing)  a call and they will set you up for sure.

 

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Colville Outfitters and Custom Tackle

Posted in Product Reviews, tagged , , , , , , , , on November 29, 2015| Leave a Comment »

If you live in or are traveling to western New York to fish this place is a must stop. The owner Danny Colville prides himself in provided the best gear for a good price. I personally haven’t been to the shop however I have made multiple purchases over the phone. The customer service is excellent and Danny is a wealth of knowledge.

I was ordering some things from him while I was in Connecticut and told Danny how I wanted to try fishing out there. Having fished there before he started asking questions. Next thing I knew he was on his computer while still on the phone with me doing some research to help me out. That is when I realized this guy was serious about customer service. His advice led me to catching my first ever stripped bass.

Now for the custom tackle end of his business. I will start with a disclaimer that I do not currently own one of his reels or rods YET. Danny is currently making custom center pin reels that I believe are going to take over the high end reel market. These things are sweet. There was a lot of thought put into the features of his reels. I look forward to fishing one in the near future. His custom rods are some of the sickest looking rods you can buy. There is so much though and care put into the rods when he constructs them. I have talked to a few people that fish them and they absolutely love them.

Colville Outfitters and Custom Tackle is located at 4475 Lakeshore Rd, Hamburg, NY 14075. If you are in the area you should definitely stop in and check it out. You will not be disappointed. If you are in the market for a center pin reel or a custom float rod give them a call. Make sure to like their page on Facebook also.

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Fishing with Tom and Joe 11/14/15

Posted in Reports, Stories, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 14, 2015| Leave a Comment »

I had the pleasure of guiding Tom and Joe today. I decided yesterday I was tired of playing the who can get on the river earliest game. Last Saturday I pulled in to the Launch at 3:50 am and was not the first boat in the river. This morning we launched the boat at 5:30. I knew we wouldn’t get the spot I wanted but I also knew we could still get a good spot. We anchored up in a spot I like, started the heater and waited for day light.

Once it became legal fishing time we started casting Finger Lakes Tackle spinners. On Tom’s third cast the spinner stopped dead then took off upstream in the mouth of a nice 6 pound steelhead. Tom did an excellent job fighting the fish and it wasn’t long before it was in the net. They had decided they wanted to keep one to eat so this one went into the box. It was a good thing it did because the rest of the day we had a lot of trouble getting them to the hoop. We did land a nice little brown trout later in the morning though.

Spinners and egg sacks took all the hits today. Talking to people as we made our way down the river it seemed that most people were having a slow day. There were a few drift boats that had a pretty good day though. I know Tom and Joe thought it was an excellent day, as did I. We battled snow, wind, and cold all day yet still managed to hook multiple fish and land a couple. That is a good day in my mind.

Tom and Joe also enjoyed the comfortable seats and the warmth of the heater. Multiple times they complimented the Pavati especially using the doors to get in and out of the boat. I am definitely looking forward to fishing out of it this winter.

Finger Lakes Tackle Spinners doing work

Finger Lakes Tackle Spinners doing work

Happy Customers

Brown Trout and Cigars

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Rate Increase

Posted in Reports, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on July 17, 2014| Leave a Comment »

As everyone that fishes knows the cost of tackle has been on the rise the last few years. I have held out on increasing rates for the last 5 years but I have been left with no other choice at this point. Due to the increased overhead costs my trip rates have increased by $25 to $50.

I will honor my old prices for all trips already booked and any trips booked before August 1st. I have very few Salmon dates left so call soon.

I work with many other excellent guides so if I am booked I will be able to set you up with one of them.

 

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Water Report 3/30/14

Posted in Reports, tagged , , , , , , , , on March 30, 2014| Leave a Comment »

After listening to the rain and wind all night long I decided not to get out of bed when my alarm went off. I did go for a drive later on to check things out. I started at Mexico Point State Park Launch where I found no less ice than there was a few days ago. It will still be a couple weeks before we are out there chasing brown trout.

Grindstone Creek was completely blown out. It should fish very well in a few days as long as we don’t get any more rain. This high water will bring in some new fish.

The Salmon River is high and off color in town.  The Pineville gauge is reading 1150 cfs. There was no one fishing in town but there were 4 or 5 cars at the DSR. The Salmon is fishable but you will need to find slower water. This is a good time to hire a guide if you are not familiar with fishing high water. Plug fishing from a drift boat is often very good when the water is up. There is no rain in the forecast so everything should start to drop a little. Warm weather will start melting the snow on the hill though so it may not drop a lot. The flow cast is 750 cfs through tomorrow.

There are also some smaller creeks that will be fishing excellent in a day or two as the water recedes.

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Ice fishing report 12/19/2013

Posted in Reports, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 19, 2013| Leave a Comment »

There was safe ice today on Sackets Harbor inside the marina. The pike bite was good. I am thinking it might be fishable tomorrow but after that it will be no good until it gets cold again.

The pike and panfish bite on Lake View has been ok but again tomorrow will be the last day I would venture out on it until it gets cold again.

Rollaway Bay on Black Lake had a very good Crappie bite and had 6 inches of ice. It might stay good through the weekend but I would make a phone call or two before making the drive.

As you can see this warm weather is going to put a damper on our early ice. Hopefully Christmas week will lock everything back up for us and we will be back out there.

Take advantage of warm weather and hit the rivers for Steelhead or Brown Trout. That is what I will be doing tomorrow morning. The trout bite has been hot in Oswego and on the Salmon River.

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Steelhead Fishing Report

Posted in Reports, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on November 24, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The water is dropping and the fish are hitting. The Salmon River is at 900 cfs. This is a great level to fish from shore or a drift boat for Steelhead. The river has fish from top to bottom with most of the fishing pressure being on the top half of the river. Your best bet is drifting an egg sac or bead under a float. If you are fly fishing egg patterns such as the 3 loop pink lady(my favorite) will get the job done.

Cold weather, snow and strong winds will keep most away the next couple days. If you can handle the weather you should be rewarded with fish.

The smaller streams are also on the drop. The Sandy’s have been fishing well and and should be at good levels by now. Earlier in the week they where both still very high. After all the high water we had there are Steelhead in all the small streams. Don’t over look even the smallest of waters. If it connects to Lake Ontario there are probably fish in it. Remember though if the water is low and clear it will take a lot of stealth to get the bait to the fish before they see you.

Grindstone Creek was fishing well Tuesday and Wednesday. I fished it both days and we hooked multiple fish on each day. Unfortunately our 6 pound leaders where no match for the fish we hooked and they all got off.

If you need flies, egg sacs, hooks, sinkers, floats or anything else stop into Salmon River Sports Shop. Button will hook you up with everything you need.

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Mexico Bay Fishing Report 7/4/13

Posted in Reports, tagged , , , , on July 4, 2013| 1 Comment »

Andy and I went out of Mexico Point State Boat launch this morning just after 6 am. We ran out in front of the A-frame and set up to troll for bass. After trolling for about 5 minutes we caught and released a small bass on a Flicker Shad.

We continued to troll back past Mexico Point and in front of Sage Creek. It was there that lead core rod with just shy of 2 colors out fired. This time we knew it was a good fish. When the fish jumped we saw it was a nice brown trout. The fish put up a good fight but eventually ended up in the net. It weighed in at just over 5 pounds. After trolling a while longer with no hits we decided to pull lines in and run over towards Catfish Creek.

As we got over that way we noticed there where a lot of bigger boats fishing the deeper water in that area. We set up in 20 feet trolling towards shore. This time it was the flat line rod with a Small Mouth Bass colored Live Target lure back 60 feet that fired. This fish took a bit to get to the net as it was a 6 pound brown on a very light bass rod. We then trolled back to Mexico Point with out another hit and called it a morning as it was getting hot and humid.

This was my first time not doing well on the bass in Mexico Bay but the brown trout more than made up for it.

Brown Trout caught fishing Mexico Bay

Brown Trout caught fishing Mexico Bay

A nice brown trout caught in Mexico Bay on Lake Ontario

A nice brown trout caught in Mexico Bay on Lake Ontario

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