Christian Men's Retreat: March 21-23, 2014, Girard, PA

WHAT:  Christian Men's Retreat.  Join us in Girard, PA to fish the Lake Erie Tributaries of Ohio & Pennsylvania to chase steelhead on the fly on Steelhead Alley.

We will host a total of 8 men for this retreat, so don't delay in getting registered if you are interested.

WHEN:  March 21-23, 2014.  We'll meet in Girard during the morning of March 21, 2014 and depart in the afternoon of March 23, 2014.

WHERE:  Conneaut Creek Outfitters, Girard, PA

COST: $250.00 Includes your room (2 nights), meals (2 breakfasts, 3 Lunches, 2 Dinners), and the Men's Conference.  $125.00 deposit is due at the time of registration to reserve your spot.  Registration will close when 8 men are registered.  The remaining $125 is due by February 15, 2014.  All registrations for the retreat are 1st come 1st serve.

FISHING:  Conneaut Creek Outfitters is situated on Conneaut Creek in Girard, PA.  The property features 2 miles of private access to Conneaut Creek and is within 10 minutes of Elk Creek and Walnut Creek.  Pennsylvania's Miles Creeks are within a half hour drive and you can easily access Conneaut Creek in Ohio and the Ashtabula River within half an hour.  The Grand River and Chagrin Rivers are both within 45 minutes to an hour as well.  And last but not least, New York's Cattaraugus Creek is about an hours drive as well.  THAT'S A LOT OF STEELHEAD WATER!

We'll fish during the day and incorporate some serious "Iron Sharpening Iron" time in the mornings and evenings  The goal of all of our retreats is to meet up at a fantastic fishing destination, and go home a better man.  We are staffed with great fisherman and even better men of God.  Join us for some great fishing and prepare to be challenged!

Late March is a great time to chase steelhead on Steelhead Alley.  With all of the water available in close proximity, something will be prime for your style of fishing.

**All of the fishing on Steelhead Alley for this retreat will require wading in moderate flows.  All fishing is at your own risk.

**You will be responsible for getting your own Ohio, Pennsylvania, &/or New York Fishing Licenses for this retreat.

GEAR:
6-8-wt Single Handed Fly Rods
7 or 8wt Switch or Spey Rods

FLIES:
Egg Patterns: Pink, orange, yellow, cherise, fire orange/red, chartreuse, white. Sizes #10-#14 depending on the water conditions.

Streamers:  Leaches, Egg-Sucking Leaches, Zonkers, Woolly Buggers. Sizes #4-#8 in black, white, olive, and purple.

Nymphs:  stone flies, hare's ears, pheasant tails, Prince, Copper John. Sizes #14-#16


STAFF:

 

Patrick Campbell:  Steelhead Alley Guide and Men's Ministry Fanatic

 

 

 

Scott Brooks:  Senior Pastor, Freshwater Community Church

50 X 2

As I pulled out of Beaufort, the rain started.  And the rain pounded all the way to Knoxville.  I was suddenly very happy I decided against riding the bike for this trip.

Driving through the Great Smokey Mountains immediately takes me back to simpler times.  We traveled here often when I was a child.  I always knew there were trout in this area, but I would have never thought I would travel here for something toothy.

My destination was Melton Hill Reservoir.  This reservoir was made from 1960-1963 on the Clinch River with the construction of the hydroelectric Melton Hill Dam.  Over the last decade, Melton Hill has become a well known stripped bass and muskie destination.

As I was researching where I wanted to finish up my Spring trip and I knew I wanted to get on the water for muskie with someone that I could learn a lot about muskie from.  It became quickly obvious that I needed to spend the day with Billy Davis.  Billy obviously had the Melton Hill muskie scene dialed-in. One thing that really caught my attention was the fact that Billy regularly shoots television shows for muskie and strippers with Larry Dahlberg.  Larry is a legendary muskie fisherman and has developed many of the muskie lures and techniques used to chase this fish of 10,000 casts.  I knew if Billy was good enough to guide Larry, he would send me into muskie overload.  AND HE DID!

My intention was to spend the day casting big streamers and hopefully get a stripper and a muskie on the line at some point.  We hit the water early and were marking strippers everywhere, but we could not get them looking up.  I was casting a large chartreuse streamer and Billy was casting various shad imitating lures.  We never did get a stripper to come up.  After a couple of hours of not moving a fish, we decided to move up and start hunting gators.

The muskie program on Melton Hill was started in 1998 and quickly became successful.  The number and size of these fish quickly put Melton Hill on the map as a premier muskie fishery.  My thought was that this is the a perfect situation for a guy that is new to muskie.  I wanted to be able to see and move some fish.  I understood coming into the day, that hooking and landing a muskie would be a different story, but being in the boat with a pro would help.

Billy would not call himself a fly fishing guide, but I did not care. I just wanted his expertise on the fish.   He was happy to accommodate my fly problem.  As we made our way to the muskie waters we discussed techniques and strategy.  I casted flies for several hours in some prime water, but just couldn't get the fish moving on them.

I was getting tired of casting flies...literally tired.  Billy had move a couple of fish on Double Cowgirl spinners.  So, I decided to take break from casting flies and grab the bait caster.

Within no time I had moved a small muskie, but did a poor job with my figure-8 and did not get her to strike.  Billy and I immediately started hammering out the details of the figure-8 at side of the boat and what I needed to do to keep a fish in play that follows to the boat.  Little did I know, the time we spent on this would ultimately make or break my day.

Things were going very well.  I continued to move fish and then mid-retrieve...WHAM!  I got hammered and my line was running deep.  The power of this fish was incredible.  Billy kept yelling at me to keep pressure on the fish, and in my mind I was.  The fish then turned and ran straight at the boat.  He was headed to the tree beneath us and he found it.  Once he got in the tree...it was over.  The line was broken off quickly.

As we discussed this fish, we came to some common understanding.  When Billy said, "Keep pressure on the fish."  What he meant was...get that fish up to the surface ASAP and let's get a net under him before he gets to the trees.  All right, we are now on the same page.

At this point I am bummed about loosing a fish, but thrilled that we had moved so many fish and even had a chance to get one on the line.  It was moving towards late morning and Billy suggested we fish for another hour, take a break, and then come back out and hit it again in the evening.

A very large tree came straight out from the shore line.  We started discussing tactics about how to approach a tree large tree like this.  Billy wanted my 1st cast out past the end of the tree parallel to the shoreline.  He said the fish like to sit right in the end of the trees and ambush things coming by and that it is important to make a few of these casts before for casting along the length of the tree to avoid startling fish.

I made the long cast in front of the end of the tree.  As the Double Cowgirl came close a big fish was right behind her.  I was not too excited at that point, but I was starting to get anxious because I knew I was going to have to figure-8 this spinner correctly to hook this fish.  As I reeled the line in the leader came to the tip of the rod and I plunged the rod down deep and made the 1st figure-8.  The fish didn't hit, but she was still following.  I made a 2nd figure-8 and as I brought the Cowgirl up closer to the surface...CRUNCH!  FISH-ON!

She was insane.  I pulled and reeled with all I had to keep this leviathan at the surface. She was thrashing and made one really strong dive, but I was able to get her head to the surface and Billy was ready with the net.  We had her...and I just experienced the biggest quickest rush of adrenaline I have had in years.  And, there was a toothy MONSTER in the net.

She was really big, so we hoisted her up to the boat so we could get a measurement and weight.  50.5 inches and 35 pounds.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  That is a fish of a lifetime.  I'm done.  I'm retiring.  This is crazy.

We snapped a few pics and quickly got her back in the water and revived.  She swam along the surface for a little while and we followed along snapping pictures and making sure she was fine.  Eventually she turned back towards the deep and down she went.

Sweat is dripping off of me and I was still breathing heavy.  Billy is just laughing.  I felt like I had just come off the wrestling mat.  I started drinking a sports drink and Billy says, "It looks like we have a pretty good window of the fish feeding.  We better get back at it."  I was ready for lunch and a nap.  But, I mustered enough energy to pick up the bait caster again.

We moved back into the cove a couple hundred yards.  Billy says, "You know what to do."  I made 3 casts and on the 3rd cast, a nice fish is following again.  Billy saw what was happening and again grabbed the net.  The fish followed right up to the boat.  I made one nice figure-8 and again, as I brought the Cowgirl up shallow the ski attacked.  FISH-ON!  Here we go again.

She made 2 really strong runs straight down towards the tree below us.  I pulled with everything I had and got her head up.  Billy netted her and we just starred at each other.  IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?  She was bigger than the 1st fish.  And broad...she had some broad shoulders.  Billy says, "You did get your fishing license....right?  Because this fish could be a state record."  WHAT?

We lifted her to the boat.  She was 51.5 inches and 38 pounds.  The TN state record is 42.8 pounds.  This fish is just post spawn and Billy is fairy certain, had we caught her a month ago, she would have been a state record.

SURREAL!  I had just landed 2 fifty inch muskie.  And when we went back and checked the time on the camera, they were 20 minutes apart.

We took a lunch break and met back at the lake later that evening.  My arms were still Jello, but we had to keep going.  I quickly moved another couple of fish and then hooked another fish away from the boat.  Again, the fish was strong.  I got him to the boat.  As Billy dunked the net below him, he shook his head, sent the Cowgirl flying and quickly turned before the net scooped him up.  That fish was in the 42" range.  A dink, really....by my standards.

We fished a while longer and the bite seemed to shut down.  My arms were limp noodles and it was just time to call it a day.

What more can I say?  I wanted to learn about muskie from a pro and hopefully hook one.  All objectives EXCEEDED!

If you are new to muskie and want to spend a day learning from one of the best or you are an experienced muskie guy that wants a new adventure, you have to get down to Melton Hill and fish with Melton Hill Bill.  Obviously he can't promise anyone a day like I had, but he knows his stuff and is dialed-in on this lake.  I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Red Bull

My wife and I have been in love with the low country since we got married in Hilton Head many moons ago.  Over our years of traveling to South Carolina, I have discovered a fantastic inshore fishery and you have to get down there and try it for yourself.

The Beaufort, SC area is full of history.  Plantations, traditional southern architecture, Paris Island, huge oak trees, Spanish moss, and low country feasts define this area of the country.  But at the end of the day, shrimping, crabbing, and fishing are the true face of this region.

Sport fishing has always been popular along the coast in the South.  But, have you ever thought of this as a fantastic fly fishing destination?  You should!  These inshore waters are full of redfish, speckled trout, cobia, lady fish and tarpon.

My intent was to come down and fly fish the Broad River for cobia in early June.  This is the prime time for this pelagic species as they come inshore to the Broad to spawn.  Cobia will cruise at the water's surface to hunt while they are in the river and explode on stripped streamers.  These tanks range from 30-90lbs.  Unfortunately, conditions have to be perfect to fly cast for these fish.  Wind can ruin a day of fly casting for cobia as it ruins the surface visibility of these fish.  And wouldn't you know it, the wind kept us off of the Broad Rivers both days I was in town.

Luckily, the South Carolina redfish fishery is fantastic and the redfish are well distributed in all kinds of areas.  So, if there is wind keeping you off of the big river, hit the creeks for redfish.  And we did!

The redfish were tough this past weekend.  There were plenty around, but they did not want to play.  We kept finding schools of redfish, hundreds of fish in a couple of them, and they were taking nothing. We were switching out flies, switching out to lighter tippet...nothing.  They mocked us.  At the end of day one I had hooked one redfish and one lady fish, and lost them both.

Day 2 held greater promise.  The weather reports indicated we may get less wind and be able to chase some cobia, but when we hit the water at 7:00am, it was obvious that was not going to happen.  We headed back to find the redfish again.  I quickly caught a platinum colored lady fish and this time got her in my hand.  This little pygmie tarpon was a spectacular fish.  For her small size she was strong and she was jumping 3 feet out of the water.  What a show!

As we moved on, we found a couple of schools of redfish early that were again snubbing us.  Captain Tuck was working hard and putting us on fish.  I was putting flies right in front of them.  But the fish refused to do their part.  Finally as the tide was rolling out fast we found a large school holding in a deeper hole off of a point to wait out the low tide.  I shot the little black and purple crab imitating fly out in front of a push and BOOM...I was finally hooked-up.

This fish had some shoulders and was pulling strong.  My 8wt rod was doubled over in the fight, but not relenting.  As the fish tired it came near the boat, but not ready to give up the fight, she shot to the back of the boat behind the tower.  Tuck ducked down and the line cleared his head, but then the fish brewed up another plan.  She shot straight under the boat.  That in and of itself is generally a manageable thing, but something happened and my line was no longer pulling.  Tuck reached down to see if the fish was wrapped around something and came up with the fly line with the leader cut off only a few inches long.  WHAT?

As we progressed through the morning it became obvious what happened.  The leader got hung on the
mount for the transducer for the depth finder and in the process broke the mount and then was cut off.  The transducer was just dangling below the boat giving crazy readings.   Murphy was dictating the day and it was starting to stink.

And from there Murphy started plaguing us even more.  The forecast called for partly cloudy with no rain.  And then the rain started.  We moved to a different area in the rain and identified a huge school of fish.  There were 200 fish in front of me.  They were not spooking because to rain was concealing us well.  Cast after cast right in front of them....hundreds of them and not even a sniff.  We moved around this school 3 times and they would not take.  And better yet...we're freezing our butts off from being soaked.  At this point, I'm ready to call it.

Finally, the rain stopped.  The clouds broke and the sun came out.  Tuck and I dried out and our moods lightened.  The tide was rolling back in and we decided to go back and find the school of fish in which I hooked-up earlier.

We found the school waiting in some shallow water at an inlet to a large area where they like to feed.  They just needed a couple of more inches of water and they were going to be able to move into a very large area and spread out a little to feed.  This was our chance to get that fly in front of a lot of concentrated fish.  Tuck gave me directions and I sent the little fly sailing right to his coordinates.  BANG!  FISH ON!  The Tibor reel was singing and this fish was really pulling.  He was moving away fast and staying down.

Tuck asked me, "Are you to your backing?"  I said, "Am I too my backing?  I'm half way through the backing!" I kept the pressure on and got back to the fly line only to be taken to the backing several more times.  This fish was panning out to be a real beast.  After what felt like a 20 minute fight the 29" TOAD finally came to hand.  A perfect ending for the day.

If you are going to be in the Beaufort and Hilton Head area and need a day on the water or you are just looking for a new fishing destination, call Bay Street Outfitters and get on the water with Captain Tuck Scott.  Tuck is a true pro.  He can and will put you on fish, but even more important, he will help you continue to perfect your fly casting and fishing skills.  That in and of itself is worth the price of admission!

AND, this is just the 1st half of my Spring fishing adventure.  Stay tuned for the 2nd half of the story
that will play out just West of Knoxville, TN.