Hope all is well after the holidays as there are a few items that may be worth noting. Orvis has a recall on certain waders, so now is the time to contact them and see if your waders are affected. Orvis continues to focus on customer satisfaction and this is one of the many reasons why I highly recommend them and their products.
It’s just about show time for many of the high profile companies as well as outfitters, guides, dealers and other fly fishing vendors to show off their products and services. Go to their website The Fly Fishing Show for dates and times.
With the recent warm up in the northeast during the last week of December, fishing picked up in many rivers, the Salmon River in Pulaski NY was not to be denied. With great fishable flows, the steelies turned on by mid week and stayed fairly consistent into Sunday AM. Light colored flesh patterns, white sucker spawn and egg patterns worked well up to mid mornings, and then the sparsely tied black stone flies seem to fill their plate.If you drifted bright colored patterns or swung larger colorful streamers, you may have gotten into some of the fresh runs of 5 to 7 pounders that just entered the river. One here, one there, and then a small blitz if you found one of those holding spots that others just passed by. Keep a look out for a break in the weather to go along with good fishable flows and your winter Steelheading can be a very enjoyable fly fishing / learning experience and your chances of hooking up and landing a trophy are also increased!
My "Slack Line Mend" is becomming the talk among traditional fly fishers, flyrodders who want to flyfish for New York's Salmon and Steelhead without added weights, and all those that have learned from me who are legitimately hooking up and catching more fish then before. As I promise, "Leave the water a better flyfisher!"
Charlie Charlesworth (see above photo), host of "Fly Fishing the Northeast" of PAX TV; "Being a bit skeptical at first, then seeing is believing as Walt convinced and taught me and my co-host Dr. Juan Gala how his methods really work on all fish!"
Catch me on PAX TV, fly fishing the Salmon River in New York with Charlie, Juan and our gracious lodging host Tom Rodda of Salmon Acres!
To hear more about this show and others, see "Fly Fishing the Northeast with Charles Charleswoth" on WQPX PAX 64 Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA and affiliates.
While planning your next trip, be sure to plan early because prime dates fill fast, both guiding and lodging.
New York:
Spring Steelheading Season still has some great dates left.
Check my reports page for available dates.
Massachusetts:
Best to call as dates are starting to fill now.
Alaska:
If you haven’t gotten you deposits in yet, it’s best you get them in shortly. As we currently have 4 spots left. We are also taking reservations for Alaska’s 2006 week and season. If this is not a week that fits your schedule, then give me a call and I’ll do my best to fill your needs just as a few others have chosen other weeks from July to the end of August.
See my Alaska Page for Details!
I’ll be doing seminars and slide presentations at the sites listed below and will be available for questions and friendly conversations before, after and during my stay in:
Orvis Manhattan 01/19/05; Steelheading in New York & Fly Fishing Alaska….
Orvis Darien 01/20/05; Alaska.
Orvis Avon 01/27/05; Alaska….
Somerset NJ.01/28,29,30/05 The Fly Fishing Show "The All New Orvis Exhibit"
Orvis Darien 02/10/05; Spring Steelheading in Upstate New York….
Orvis Avon 02/24/05; Steelheading Upstate New York.
Manchester (NH) Fly Fishing Association 03/09/05; NY, Alaska, Western Mass.
Orvis Avon 03/24/05; Fly Fishing Western Mass's Deerfield and Westfield Rivers.
Be sure to check with your local Orvis Stores for all weekly seminars for any changes or updates.
I’ll be more than happy to assist you with any of your fly fishing related questions, weather it is on equipment and line choices, tactics and techniques and lodging or my hosted Alaskan trips.
You can also review archived newsletters for more information.
See you on the water,
Walt Geryk
"World Class Waters"
Carry a camera and a cloth measuring tape then use the formula, which is fairly accurate, if you'd like to have the weight, (length X girth X girth / 800 = lb.) and this should give all the info needed for bragging rights without over stressing the fish. Once you land that trophy fish of a lifetime, it's your choice to kill and have mounted and no one should condemn you for your decision to do so. You can also send a good photo and measurements to a professional taxidermist where they can make a reproduction of the fish that you released.