Stocking Up

It must be winter because the anticipated Tuesday Tying sessions have resumed. Picture a half dozen guys in a basement eating pizza, drinking beer and tying various fly patterns with college basketball on in the background. That about sums up this weekly gathering in a nutshell. While I am more productive tying alone at home, these little get-togethers do a great job of breaking up the work week. There are some very talented fly tyers around the table to learn from. Also, not a session goes by where I don't laugh my ass of with friends. Tuesday Tying is good for stocking up fly boxes. It's also good for the soul. 

Barred Owl roadkill going to good use

Ice Time

Friends and I logged some good ice time between the Holidays. Nothing real crazy to write home about, but we had fun and found fish on every trip. It was cool mixing it up for different target species like walleye, pike, trout, largemouth bass, and smelt. 

Here is to a happy and healthy 2011!

Photo credit: Aaron Swanson

Jigging Fix

Our first trout trip of the year was a far cry from what we had hoped for. The ice was just over three-inches thick, perhaps that's why we were the only ones on the lake that day; or maybe it was the 30 MPH gusts. The wind was so fierce it had us confined to the portable shelter and eventually snapped a pole supporting one its hubs. The fishing sucked too. When our honey hole didn't produce, we packed up the shelter and moved base camp a few hundred yards away for good measure. A few trout did cooperate and it was awesome watching them spiral up towards the hole through the crystal clear ice. We'll try again soon under better conditions and hopefully our results follow suit. 

Photo credit: Aaron Swanson

Photo credit: Aaron Swanson

Photo credit: Aaron Swanson



First Ice Pike

Another ice fishing season is underway. Hordes of hardwater enthusiasts are taking advantage of the early start and spudding their way onto frozen lakes and ponds in search of hungry fish. The first part of ice season is arguably the most productive so now is the time to use those sick days you've been banking up. It's no secret that fish tend to be more active and aggressive when lakes first lock up with ice, and pike are no exception. That's good to know because pike fishing can be painfully slow; any edge you can give yourself is a plus. 

Friends and I capitalized on the early-ice conditions by logging two consecutive 12-hour shifts in prime pike habitat. The action lived up to the hype with five respectable specimen caught and released and just as many missed opportunities. The best part about the two-day bender was that it was a team effort--each angler landed a quality fish and everyone pitched in around the hole. It was a great way to start what we hope is a long and prosperous hardwater season. Good luck and be safe out there!

Photo credit: Aaron Swanson

Photo credit: Aaron Swanson

Photo credit: Aaron Swanson

Wood Is Good

Winter is a great time of year for saltwater anglers to catch up on things they put off during the long fishing season. I use my off season from the salt to make leaders, tie flies, rig eels, and swap out rusty hooks. Some crafty anglers use this time of year to create wooden fishing lures that drive both fish and fishermen crazy. A friend and local plug builder has taken this hobby and turned it into a full-time business. Lordship Lure Co. is quickly becoming a household name in surfcasting circles along the Northeast. Lordship is based in and named after a small waterfront neighborhood in Stratford, Connecticut. Each one of Ron's wooden plugs is handmade using the highest quality components. He has a full line of fish-catchers from eel skin Atom 40's to small needlefish to a fantastic top-water spook. Below is a look inside the Lordship Lure headquarters.



Local surf legend John Posh ties each and every siwash bucktail.