Unto us a Child is Born!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
-Isaiah 9:6

While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
-Luke 6-20

I pray that none of us forgets the meaning of Christmas. While we are enjoying family and gifts, don't forget that God so loved the world that he gave His only son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

As you head back to the everyday grind after Christmas, remember to look up and be thankful for the life you have!

Merry Christmas folks. I hope to see you on the water in 2013!

Tragedy in Connecticut

Well, there really are no words of consolation we can offer the folks in Connecticut.  These types of tragedies are becoming all too common in this country.  I'm not sure I have many words of wisdom on this topic.

I guess what I'd like to say is this, as men, let's not kid ourselves about how much time we invest in our children today.  I'm not talking about the time we spend at work to earn the money it takes to put a roof over their heads, food on their tables, and clothes on their backs.  I'm referring to the actual face to face time we spend with our children.  While it's essential that we provide these necessities for our children, it's an even greater necessity that we invest personal time with our children daily being their fathers.

I hear all of the arguments about gun control and greater school security and I understand the many sides to these arguments.  But the biggest impact we could have on our communities and country going forward is to put down some of the things we often think we deserve for all of our hard work and just spend time strengthening our relationships with our children.  Our children need us daily as fathers to mold them, to teach them, to disciple them.  Our children need us to listen to them and they also need us to teach them how to deal with adversity in life.

Please pray for the families in Connecticut.  Pray that God brings them peace, understanding, and forgiveness.  And please, be proactive with your beautiful children today.  Make time.  Sacrifice your time and just commit to giving them that time going forward.  As men, we can lead our communities and our country forward on this issue, but it starts one home at a time.

As Christmas approaches, it's a great time to make time with the kids.  Think back over your childhood.  Are your greatest memories really the things that were under the tree or are they of the special things you did with your family?  It's that time we spend together that makes us who we are, not the stuff we have in life.

Embrace your kids today guys.  If there is anything I can do to help you on your journey with this, just say the word!

Take some time with your little pumpkins today!

Remembering Dad

I met David nearly 20 years ago during my brief time as a bad college wrestler.  David and I worked out together over the summer and went to several tournaments together.  At that time, David was already 40 years old and he roughed me up regularly on the mat.  We've maintained a relationship through the years, and I'm glad when we get together there is no longer any blood or bruises.

David's father was really into fly fishing many moons ago.  He built many rods and loved to tie his own flies.  As my fly fishing passion has further developed, David decided he would like to get on the water again with a fly rod and give a go at these steelhead I keep talking about.

It's been 22 years since David had a fly rod in his hand.  So, today's experience was a new beginning in fly fishing.  We spent the day getting David used to handling the fly rod, casting, and managing line.

Often in this type of situation it is difficult to get a fish to hand, let alone early in the day.  But, today was an exception.  We spent about 20 minutes in the 1st run of the day readjusting to the gear.  As David began looking more comfortable, I suggested we move to another run that should hold fish in the fast stained flows of the day.  It didn't take long and David's reel was screaming with his first fresh chromer.

This hot lady made a good first impression with long sustained runs that boasted her strength.  David was an excellent student as I coached him on battling and bringing the fish to hand.  As he admired the fish, I could see David remembering the days of old when he fished with his father.

As the day progressed David continued to improve.  The fishing was pretty tough today with the faster flows, but he was persistent.  As the day was winding down, David was doing an excellent job of accurately placing casts and maintaining good drifts.  In the last run of the day it all came together.

I pointed out a shelf on the far side of the stream and asked David if he thought he could now cast across the stream and maintain a good drift along the shelf.  I had caught many fish in the past along that self in the conditions this day presented us.  David was confident he could make the cast and manage the drift.

His line dropped at the top of the run along the shelf.  David made a nice mend in his line and BANG!  A beautiful fresh little buck came jumping out of the water.  The fish made a strong run up stream and David needed no further coaching.  He kept excellent pressure on the fish and even did a great job of rapidly reeling in line as the fish darted towards his feet.  In no time he brought the fish to submission and it was in the net.

At the end of the day, David said he thinks he will get out his dad's old rods and get them rigged up again and put them back to work.  I don't think the day could conclude any better than that.

Whether your fly fishing skills are a little rusty or even if you have never had fly gear in your hands at all, I'd love to help you put some beautiful steelhead like these in your hands too.  Call me...  LET'S GO FISHING!

Tweaking

Derek has been discussing finding time to get up to Steelhead Alley with me since back in August.  He is an accomplished trout fly fisherman, but steelhead have been giving him fits for several years.  He had planned to make the trip back in October, but he and his bride were expecting another baby and the new addition was threatening to come early, so he decided to reschedule.  Fate found a favorable time this past week for Derek to make the trip.

The conditions on Steelhead Alley have just been terrible for a couple of weeks.  We have had no rain and the tributaries have been low and clear.  The fishing has been really tough.  I had been preparing Derek for a tough trip and that is when fate stepped in.  0.67" of rain fell about 36 hours before our time on the creeks and this resulted in absolute perfect conditions.  Derek's 6 hour trip was feeling more palatable.

The biggest issue for folks with a lot of trout experience is how they view the fish.  Trout fisherman know that steelhead are genetically identical to rainbow trout, and often they assume that catching steelhead is no different than catching rainbow trout that are lifelong stream residents.   What trout fisherman forget is that the reason rainbow trout were renamed Oncorhyncus mykiss is because they are genetically closer to Pacific salmon than the Salmo species that include brown trout.  Once trout fisherman adjust their thinking of steelhead to being salmon, it becomes much easier for them to bring steelhead to hand often.

As the sun rose over the creek Derek was ready for a full day steelhead action.  He already had a handle on fly selection and getting the presentation to the fish.  He was really struggling with identifying water that held actively feeding steelhead in different water conditions.  I put him on a run and instructed him to make a drift.  He looked at me like I was crazy.  BOOM...FISH ON!  A beautiful fresh chrome hen came to his hand.

His grin was from ear to ear.  I told him it was pretty likely there is more than one fish in that run.  Hit it again.  BAM...FISH ON!  He quickly landed another dime bright fresh steelhead.  As he released the 2nd fish he admitted he would have never considered fishing that run.  We further discussed that run and why it would hold fish with the conditions of the day.  I could see the light come on for Derek. He got it.

The rest of the day, he identified runs that held fish and his reward was a double digit number of steelhead on his line.  A few simple tweaks to his game and now Derek is ready to successfully tackle the Alley on his own in the future.  It doesn't get any better than that!

If your game just needs a little tweaking...call me.  LET'S GO FISHIN'!

A dime bright reward.

The perfect drift in the right run equals FISH ON!

Look at the bend in that rod.

Yes, it does look like a rainbow trout...

A perfect release.

My Girl!

One of my daughters has been itching to get out on the water for a few weeks.  Over the past year she has landed her 1st rainbow on the fly and started tying a little.  She is just interested and I have not pushed her towards this.

She's really accomplished a lot with her fly fishing for an 8 year old.  When we hit the water the other day she hit the fishing hard for a half our or so and landed one little rainbow.  Not long after she landed the fish, she started getting distracted.

The fishing was a little slow and she started playing with rocks and splashing in the stream.  I started to get a little irritated.  I mean really, doesn't she know this will just disturb the fish?  In that moment I realized I was starting to act like a grumpy old man and not like a dad that should just be enjoying some precious time on the water with his daughter no matter what we were doing.

As Thanksgiving Day was winding down, my stepmother was telling me about how she used to fish with her dad when she was little.  I asked her what she remembered about fishing with her dad?  She told me she just remembered him grumping at her about not doing anything right on the water.  WOW!

This really got me thinking about the time Chelsea and I were fishing the other day.  I remember starting to get short with her because she wasn't taking her fishing very serious.  But, I decided to let it go, and we ended up spending time walking the stream while I held her little hand so she didn't slip.  I hope that's what she remembers and not that I started to grump at her when she was getting tired of fishing.

Kids have a short attention span and really just can't focus on tasks the way we do.  Their brains are not even developed to the point that they can focus the way we do.  I just want to encourage all of you to enjoy the time you get on the water with your kids.  And if they get tired of fishing, then so be it.  Enjoy some time skipping rocks and hanging out with them.  They grow up so fast.

Our ability to help our children mature and develop their relationship with Christ hinges on days just like Chelsea and I had.  The focus on the day should always be strengthening our bonds with our children, not producing perfect drag free drifts.  As we build trust with our children we give them the confidence in us they need that allows them to share tough issues in their lives with us.  That last thing any kid needs is fear that we will blow up at them over something as insignificant as fishing.  And, if they are not comfortable with us with unimportant things like fishing, they are not likely to be comfortable that we won't blow up on them with important issues.

Get out on the water with your kids and enjoy them.  I hope this gives you some food for thought on your next outing with your children.

Big Brown Comin' Down...

I've been itching to fish the Lake Ontario tributaries in New York for a while.  These tribs get great runs of salmon, brown trout, and steelhead each Fall and Winter.  The lake run brown trout fishery is legendary.  It's difficult to pass up the chance to get into 30" brown trout.

Dead drifting egg patterns is the mainstay of fly fishing for these big browns.  But as the evening cooled water begins to warm in the late morning sun and the browns start to get a little more active, don't underestimate just how willing these fish are to hit streamers on the swing.  Between slab browns and fresh steelhead in the systems, you will have tired arms by the end of the day.

Started the trip off right with a 27" hen right out of the gate.

I love the variety in brown trout color patterns.

TOUCHDOWN!

One stream we fished had beautiful resident wild bows as well.  Look at that rose stripe and those rose fins.

Even in slower small runs, don't hesitate to swing a bugger or smaller wet fly from the top of a run.  WHAM!

I knew that switch rod was going to pay off! 

This little hen hammered a swung egg sucking leach.

Just be aware...there are some places in NY that DON'T allow chairs in the stream :-D

And just when you think all you are going to swing up is brown trout...a steelhead crushes your streamer!

Iron Sharpens Iron

Scott was fortunate to spend some years in Montana sharpening his fly fishing skills, but after more than a decade in northeast Ohio, he had not yet taken time to chase steelhead on the fly.  When we met a few months ago, we immediately set a date to get that done.  Today was the day.  And, we got it done.

Being the lead pastor of a growing congregation has not afforded Scott as much time on the water as he once had.  I respect that.  I love where Scott has his priorities.  Getting to spend the day on the water with Scott was a treat.

Although Scott had not chased steelhead previously, he took to the game quickly.  He was the model student, and boy does that make my day easy.  The first fish he hooked caught him off guard as it streaked across the stream and vanished from his line.  He quickly made some recommended adjustments and fish were coming to his hand regularly the rest of the day.

As we walked the trail back to the truck I wondered to myself if Scott gained as much from this day as I did.  He is a guy that truly understands what it means when we talk about iron sharpening iron.  I know Scott walked away from the day with better fishing skills.  It's always my goal for the folks that fish with me to walk away from the day as better fishermen and as better people.  Today, I have to say, I walked away a better man for the time I spent with Scott.  For that, I owe you one buddy!

The first steelhead is the one that starts the addiction!

The second steelhead builds one's confidence.

This is the thrill we all look for.

The third steelhead is the one that earns a lifetime of appreciation.

A healthy release of life's stressors.

Fresh

It's great to be able to get out on the tribs of Steelhead Alley during the mid-week for a day of fishing.  My buddy Greg decided to take the day off and asked me to get out on the water with him.  I agreed as long as I could go along for the ride for a change.  We piled in his car in the darkness of early morning and headed to Pennsylvania.  Our old friend Elk Creek was calling and we obliged her ring.

If you would like to see some of these fresh chromers in your hands...call me.  LET'S GO FISHIN'!

This little guy was hanging along side a newly fallen tree compliments of Sandy.  He kicked our day off nicely.

Shelves...look for shelves.  And when you find them, drift along them.  This fellow will be waiting for you.

Greg had seen enough fish in my hands.  A small green egg caught this hen's attention and he was on the board.

Greg had caught a fish out of this run earlier.  It was a challenging run because it was short, deep, and fast.  As we came back to the run, I told Greg I wanted to take one swing at it.  He told me I would need to get my bugger down quick.  Watch this....  I took the indicator off my line and made one cast just above the hole.  BAM!

Filling Back Up!

Hurricane Sandy did Steelhead Alley a great service.  She gave us water!  We really needed those days of slow steady rain.  The tributaries are flowing nicely and the fish are spread throughout the systems.  My lovely bride told me to go fishing today, so I headed East to see exactly what impact Sandy had on the tribs.

There are plenty of fish around.  Call me...LET'S GO FISHIN'!

Bumpy Landings

Yesterday was a fantastic day to be on the water chasing steelhead.  The air was warm.  There were still some wonderful Autumn colors around.  Rain was steady.  The water was stained.  And my company was great!

Rob and Tim were geared-up for a day of chasing chrome.  The guys had limited fly fishing experience and even less experience with steelhead.  Early on we hammered out some casting issues and how to make a good drift.  They both finished they day with plenty of experience.

The morning was tough and a little slow with the clear low conditions.  Tim hit into a wonderful fresh steelhead as his woolly bugger swung to the end of it's drift in a fast run.  That fish was HOT.  Flashes of lightening blazed through the sky as she jumped.  She was just too hot to handle and finally threw the bugger right back at Tim.  He was charged and disappointed at the same time.

As the rain fell through the morning, the waters began to stain.  And even better, everyone seemed to leave the water but us.  The steelhead were really on the move after lunch.  The afternoon was fast and furious.

The hook-ups started coming pretty consistently.  As well as things went in getting fish on the line, we were struggling getting fish to hand.  Everything that could go wrong for these guys in landing hooked fish...did. 

I guess that's really what makes steelhead fishing exciting.  The fish are unpredictable and some days, no matter how well you handle it, they just give you the slip. 

Rob & Tim had a great day on the water and they are well prepared for their next adventure with steelhead.  Things are really starting to move on the Alley for the Fall season.  The predicted rains in the forecast for the next week will only make it better.  I have a few open days left for the Fall season.  Call me...LET'S GO FISHIN'!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Autumn is like Christmas morning if you like to catch trout and salmon on the fly.  I made a trip up to Michigan last weekend to fish the Pere Marquette River.  The Pere Marquette is a great trout fishery that also gets a wonderful Fall king salmon and Fall/Winter steelhead run.  And if you hit her just right, you can catch them all in the same day.

We had a great weekend.  I think hitting the Pere Marquette would make for a fantastic Christian Men's Retreat. The rooms in Baldwin are very inexpensive, the fishing is truly world class, and the type of fishing would work well for discussing men's issues while we're away.  If you would be interested in a future Fall Christian Men's Retreat for some "iron sharpening iron" time and some time on the water in a world class fishery, let me know and I'll start putting it together...with your name on the list!

Who cares if you catch anything?  Look at this place!

An early run bonus steelhead...schwing!

The butter bellies are stuffed with salmon eggs.

The average king salmon on the Pere Marquette is 15-17lbs.  That should put a bend in your rod.

You can see yourself fishing in this scene...can't you?

LET'S GO FISHIN'!

Ramping Up!

The numbers of fish in all of the Steelhead Alley tributaries are ramping up nicely.  The rain over the weekend helped bring in fresh fish and push fish further up into the creeks and rivers.  I was on Elk Creek this morning from daylight until about 9:00am and landed five nice fresh steelhead.

As I headed back to the truck I heard time and again about how there were very few fish around.  The fish were right where they were supposed to be this morning.  If you would like some help sorting that out, call me.  LET'S GO FISHIN'!

Fall Colors

While you're gearing up for Fall steelhead, don't forget the brown trout.  The wild browns are starting to get active.  And, their Autumn colors are starting to show.  If you're a trout fisherman, don't forget the butter bellies. They are loads of fun on 1-3wt rods!