Days in the Wake

[hooker-of-men]

I took the family camping up on Raquette Lake in the Adirondacks for a couple nights this week, and I hit my 50th fishing day of the year while there (I'm successfully keeping a journal for the first time ever - despite many aborted attempts in past years due to sheer incompetence 😂).

I'm not sure how this compares with my historic norm - I feel like I'm getting out less due to just being busy as hell recently - but I'm having an enjoyable year. Some fun destinations, lots of days just popping out for 45 minutes locally, some mild on-the-water debauchery - these are all good things.

This camping trip gave up some good smallies on the lake eating dragonflies at sunset while wading right from camp and a nice surprise in a brookie stream one morning.

Fairly certain that's a wild fish from a population that comes out of the lake to spawn, which is a first for me.

I did eat absolute sh!t on the brookie stream and went straight down on rocks for the first time in a couple years, so the LL was karmic balance. Still, altogether, it was a fun trip.

How are things with you and your year?

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear hooker-of-men,

Nice smallmouth! Is that a Landlocked Salmon? If so, nice work, if not I have no idea what it is.

My fishing season started with good intentions, and I've tried often enough, but the Red Gods have conspired against me. I've really tried to fish more locally but every time I head out something fouls things up. The biggest problem for me has been wind. I don't mind a breeze with an occasional gust, but whitecaps are not worth the effort.

I'd try harder, but when the lakes feature stunted sunnies, and not much else it's tough to get motivated. I did have a good day or two in early June that encouraged me, but since then it's been hit or miss no matter where I've tried. Even on the Susquehanna and Juniata Rivers I've been greeted with howling winds every damn time I've tried.

I had high hopes of going to the WW Jam this year but once again the Red Gods said, "Not so fast fat boy!" and proceeded to jack the host river up to unfishable levels with a big dump of rain. There are trout fishing opportunities close to where the Jam is held, but I'm too old and too big to mess with trout on mountain cricks anymore.

But the Fall is coming and if the wind ever dies down, or if deluges of rain don't flood the big rivers, I'll get my time in.

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[hooker-of-men]

I get plenty of "not so fast, fat boy" from nature, family, etc. As such, I'm not yet a jam participant, spring or summer, and that grinds my gears. Just too far away to cash the necessary chips, I guess. Someday...

Yeah that's an 11-12" landlock. Didn't even consider they would be in the brook. I've previously only caught landlocks in lakes that were stocked, so I was very happy with this little one.

 

[CinnamonJoe]

Nice ouananiche!

I've got less time on the water this yr than last, but I've been up to some other hobby things, so, its more personal choice I think that its ended up that way.

Like Tim, my eyes look towards early Fall for a flurry of activity. I plan to get out ahead of the brookie and brown spawns. I have a cabin booked for 4 days in northern WI the last week of September, and will be targeting trout. Its not in the Driftless, more the north woods region, so a little different corner of WI than what Jfigz posted about in June. Stay tuned.

Joe

 

[jifigz]

Love that report, Hooker. I'm hoping I can find a landlocked next year while I'm up there.

 

[poopdeck]

If you remove January and February, 50 is pretty a good year when there is still 3 months of prime fishing left this year. Earlier this year my bum knee would no longer allow me to put my waders on and off but I was still able to get my boat out often until a nasty fall at the boat ramp. This stopped almost all fishing for about 6 weeks. I still can’t walk on uneven ground so well and climbing in and out of my boat is a no go. I have been surf fishing the beach and going out on friends boats in the salt since I can still get in and out of a boat when there’s a dock but these trips have been limited. Fortunately I was blessed with a new set of Grandkids in the spring that have kept me really busy. Anybody with grandkids know they are way better than fishing so this year has been one of my best years ever. The new knee is coming so I’m going to spend the rest of the year focusing on family, rehab and finding a place in Florida for February and March.

 

[Swattie87]

If you remove January and February, 50 is pretty a good year when there is still 3 months of prime fishing left this year. Earlier this year my bum knee would no longer allow me to put my waders on and off but I was still able to get my boat out often until a nasty fall at the boat ramp. This stopped almost all fishing for about 6 weeks. I still can’t walk on uneven ground so well and climbing in and out of my boat is a no go. I have been surf fishing the beach and going out on friends boats in the salt since I can still get in and out of a boat when there’s a dock but these trips have been limited. Fortunately I was blessed with a new set of Grandkids in the spring that have kept me really busy. Anybody with grandkids know they are way better than fishing so this year has been one of my best years ever. The new knee is coming so I’m going to spend the rest of the year focusing on family, rehab and finding a place in Florida for February and March.

Congrats on the grandchildren poop. I’m sorry to hear about the trouble with the knee. Best wishes on the surgery and recovery.

It’s gonna eventually be shoulder(s) slowing me down. Issues starting in my mid 20’s, with a pretty serious flare up in my early 30’s to where I was temporarily motivated to do something about it. Right is significantly worse than left. I’m right handed. Playing less golf in my later 30’s seemed to help, or at least slow the progression. 42 now. 2 kids in last 4 years. Have noticed that unconsciously I only carry them with my left arm. So now, my left upper body is far stronger than my right, though far less technically proficient. Kinda a weird feeling.

Best wishes during the offseason, let us know how you’re doing.

Edit: I need to be going to PT for my right side at least. I know.

 

[poopdeck]

Congrats on the grandchildren poop. I’m sorry to hear about the trouble with the knee. Best wishes on the surgery and recovery.

It’s gonna eventually be shoulder(s) slowing me down. Issues starting in my mid 20’s, with a pretty serious flare up in my early 30’s to where I was temporarily motivated to do something about it. Right is significantly worse than left. I’m right handed. Playing less golf in my later 30’s seemed to help, or at least slow the progression. 42 now. 2 kids in last 4 years. Have noticed that unconsciously I only carry them with my left arm. So now, my left upper body is far stronger than my right, though far less technically proficient. Kinda a weird feeling.

Best wishes during the offseason, let us know how you’re doing.

Edit: I need to be going to PT for my right side at least. I know.

Thank you. I hope your shoulder are not interfering with your fishing. My wife is having shoulder surgery next month which is why I’m waiting till November for the knee. Kids and bad shoulders doesn’t sound like a good mix. Shoulders are tough with kids around. My wife can’t pick the grandkids up anymore which is why she is finally getting the shoulder repaired. The recovery from shoulder surgery would be impossible if caring for young children on a daily basis. I wish you well with your shoulders and your family.

 

[Swattie87]

Thank you. I hope your shoulder are not interfering with your fishing. My wife is having shoulder surgery next month which is why I’m waiting till November for the knee. Kids and bad shoulders doesn’t sound like a good mix. Shoulders are tough with kids around. My wife can’t pick the grandkids up anymore which is why she is finally getting the shoulder repaired. The recovery from shoulder surgery would be impossible if caring for young children on a daily basis. I wish you well with your shoulders and your family.

So far so good on the fishing front. I suspect that would motivate me to do something about it. I don’t really miss the golf, I’d miss the fishing much more. The kind of small stream fishing I do mostly is easier on the shoulder than hauling long casts on big water all day. I do feel it a little if I fish the Susky or Big J all day for Bass, but don’t do that all that often.

I still could pick up the kids with my right arm, I just don’t. Some sort of unconscious protecting it I assume.

 

[pheasant tail 2]

Nice share. Brings back memories for me. l lived on a Raquette Lake island in the summer of 1987. Beautiful place to spend a summer, minus the late June blackflies.