JT's Fly Shop

    Dude this place rules.  They got all kinds of shit, sooo much stuff I now wish I bought, and lots of really cool stuff I wish I had (but shouldn't spend $ on). Me and my little lady made the hour trek up there to check it out. She flopped around in my arms like a trout with A.D.D. so I couldn't spend as much time as I wanted to studying the shelves, I still managed to make out with some awesome hooks, a new slit foam DRY fly box, stretch skin stuff, and some dub. Dub is addictive. Its one of those inexpensive materials I always buy thinking that I will use it on some killer dry pattern and before you know it, ya got yourself an entire tupperware bin of the shit. (don't ask)  Definitely check this place out.
   After taking a long drive up thru some great trout streams, we had to stop on the way home.  The first fish (a small bluegill taking a mayfly) really got my daughters fascination, and as it swam away, she followed it. Now soaking wet, crying, & muddy, thankfully DCF wasn't waiting at my car. Wet and cold.... think i had a change of clothes for her.... no.... well kind of. I did find a T-shirt in the back seat.
    She's totally got the fishing bug

Week Off!!!

  I have the week off and it is very much needed.  My fly box is getting bare from all the trees fish. Lately finding time between work, family, and drinking for a little fishing has limited my outings to barely 5 times a week. That, coupled with the fact that I caught my first bluefish in two years has gotten me a little depressed.  (i fuckin hate bluefish) The last blue I caught got a hold of my finger and went to the bone on each side, if it wasn't for my thumb placement, my index finger would have looked like a half-eaten corn-dog.  
   Anyways, I have been on a mayfly kick lately, only fishing mayflies on the surface, with my 000 bamboo setup. it's addictive, with line so light, it is soooo fun to lay a mayfly gently & softly right where the trout are feeding. the only downfall is the trees. the streams that I enjoy fishing are usually very small, hard to access,  and overgrown. Casting an oversized 18 mayfly w/10x or smaller means losing lots of flies to the tree-branches, again, i am glad to have the week off to catch up on tying.

  When the waters are low, I kinda feel that the bigger the bug, the more appetizing it is to a trout.  When their feeding area is so limited, selective, or 'picky' eating fades away.  Plenty of trout here... many approaching 12"          but today, they won.  there is some lucky or 'unlucky' brookie in there with two elk winged mayflies in his jaw. I must have lost a dozen flies today! WTF   

   At least striper action is pickin up from a two week low. Thursday I got a really decent fight out of a 28-30 inch'r then the next night I actually landed a 12" striper, definitely my smallest ever ....... both on the same fly