The_Sasquatch
Well-known member
I had a day to fish God's Country before meeting up w/ our church's youth group who had a retreat this weekend in Morris, PA. Arrived in God's Country around 10pm on Thursday night (after a stop in at Big Meadows to see Sandfly). It was well in the 20s on Thursday night.
By Friday, the air had warmed up considerably. I was fishing with two noobs to fly fishing (one had only been fishing a few months, the other had never fly fished before). Our first stop was Lyman Run. I wanted them to experience small stream, wilderness fishing. They're both hunters, so I thought they'd appreciate the environment. On Sandfly's advice, we started close to the lake. At the first hole I showed them how to cast in a small stream situation, and I promptly got a hit from a nice sized brownie. Failed to land it, 'cause I was talking more than fishing!
After helping them learn to roll cast, drift, etc., we started hole hopping. I mostly showed them the holes and how to cast into them. They did pretty well, but I spent a lot of the morning tying tippet and flys on ;-) I managed one small brownie, and one fairly large 'bow that came up from the lake. Neither of my buds hooked up with anything, but they really loved fishing the small stream. By the end of our time on Lyman, they were starting to read water and find holes without me saying, "this would be a good spot to fish!" Didn't see any signs of the spawn. Water had a good flow, was relatively clear, and cold. Took a temp, I think it was around 46 degrees. Some of the standing pools in the meadows had a thin layer of ice over them, but it was quickly warming up.
After Lyman, we headed down to Slate Run Tackle. The lads weren't in, but we picked up a few supplies, parked at the big lot there, ate our lunch, then hit the big waters. Completely different experience for my friends. They really got to practice longer casts here. My one friend, who had never fly fished before, was a natural. His casting and his drifts were simply amazing. He didn't hook up w/ anything, though I'm convinced he had strikes, he was just slow and clumsy on setting the hook. My other friend hooked into two, but due to inexperience, lost them both (too much slack). I forgot how tough the learning curve is when you start fly fishing! I managed several stocked brownies, and this beauty, which I THINK may be wild, if not, a hold over for sure. I caught it at the mouth of Slate Run and Pine Creek.
My friends did great, and they loved every minute of it. They really got the bug for fly fishing. The weather was perfect, too!
By Friday, the air had warmed up considerably. I was fishing with two noobs to fly fishing (one had only been fishing a few months, the other had never fly fished before). Our first stop was Lyman Run. I wanted them to experience small stream, wilderness fishing. They're both hunters, so I thought they'd appreciate the environment. On Sandfly's advice, we started close to the lake. At the first hole I showed them how to cast in a small stream situation, and I promptly got a hit from a nice sized brownie. Failed to land it, 'cause I was talking more than fishing!
After helping them learn to roll cast, drift, etc., we started hole hopping. I mostly showed them the holes and how to cast into them. They did pretty well, but I spent a lot of the morning tying tippet and flys on ;-) I managed one small brownie, and one fairly large 'bow that came up from the lake. Neither of my buds hooked up with anything, but they really loved fishing the small stream. By the end of our time on Lyman, they were starting to read water and find holes without me saying, "this would be a good spot to fish!" Didn't see any signs of the spawn. Water had a good flow, was relatively clear, and cold. Took a temp, I think it was around 46 degrees. Some of the standing pools in the meadows had a thin layer of ice over them, but it was quickly warming up.
After Lyman, we headed down to Slate Run Tackle. The lads weren't in, but we picked up a few supplies, parked at the big lot there, ate our lunch, then hit the big waters. Completely different experience for my friends. They really got to practice longer casts here. My one friend, who had never fly fished before, was a natural. His casting and his drifts were simply amazing. He didn't hook up w/ anything, though I'm convinced he had strikes, he was just slow and clumsy on setting the hook. My other friend hooked into two, but due to inexperience, lost them both (too much slack). I forgot how tough the learning curve is when you start fly fishing! I managed several stocked brownies, and this beauty, which I THINK may be wild, if not, a hold over for sure. I caught it at the mouth of Slate Run and Pine Creek.
My friends did great, and they loved every minute of it. They really got the bug for fly fishing. The weather was perfect, too!
