My first day of trout fishing this season

What a day! I decided to start the season off on the Little Lehigh Creek near the fish hatchery in Allentown. I left for the stream around 7:30 AM and fished for about 2 hours. The fishing was horrible. I didn't get any bites and neither did the men around me. I didn't see anybody fighting a fish and nobody had a trout on their stringer. At this point, I decided to fish a section of the Little Lehigh where I grew up, right off of Spring Creek Road in Lower Macungie Township. I knew this creek always was great in the past but I haven't stepped foot next to this creek in a little over 10 years. I used to live right by the creek until my parents divorced. Ever since then, I have never returned to my favorite fishing holes on Spring Creek (Little Lehigh) until today. I made my first cast with Berkley Powerbait, sherbet color, and instantly had a fish on the line. I reeled the fish to the edge of the bank where he then jumped off the hook. I continued to get bites on every cast using this bait. I was witnessing a feeding frenzy with this sherbet Powerbait and it was such a pleasant change from the fishing I was experiencing earlier in the morning. About a half hour later fishing this hole, I casted my line and placed the rod down on a branch. I sat and watched my rod tip for any movement. About 30 seconds, my rod tip started to violently shake up and down. I grabbed my rod and started to reel in slowly. My rod tip continued to move and I knew I had a fish on the line. All of a sudden, this dark shadow came from the depths and to the surface and I couldn't believe my eyes. A very long Rainbow Trout was on the end of my line. The same size fish I would watch others catch year after year. I quickly yelled to the fisherman a little up the creek from me to help me land this whopper. I reeled the fish right to the bank and he was netted after 2 or 3 attempts. The trout measured 22" and is currently the largest trout I have ever caught! In Pennsylvania, these trout don't come very often. Ever since I started trout fishing, I have dreamed of having a trophy trout on my wall and I'm excited knowing this trout is currently at the taxidermist waiting to be mounted on a piece of drift wood. I will post some pictures once it is finished in a few months. The 2011 fishing season is off to a great start!

                                     My catch is featured on Berkley's "BigFish" website!

Trout season is lurking in the distance!

Next Saturday, April 2nd is the day! The opening day of trout season. Well, atleast for the 18 South Eastern PA counties. April 16th is the opening day for the rest of the state. Unfortunatley I will be busy that Saturday but I will be traveling to Lehigh County on Sunday, April 3rd to start off the season. On April 16th, I will be in Luzerne County fishing for trout for the very first time in the county since I have moved here a little over 2 years ago. I will most likely be fishing both Harveys Creek and Bowmans Creek. Last week I put new Berkley Trilene XL Smooth Casting 4 lb test (Invis-Green) on my Abu Garcia reel and replenished my stock of spinners. I'm excited for what this season has to offer and plan on fishing many different streams including streams that produce wild trout. Wish me luck!


Image above was provided by: PA Fish & Boat Commission - The Commission retains the copyrights to all images.

Fishing is in my blood

Fishing and the sea have been in my blood for generations.  My great-grandfather is famous playwright Eugene O'Neill, who spent his early 20's as a seaman traveling the world on a freighter.  His son Shane (shown in the pictures below) worked on fishing boats off the New Jersey and New York coastline.  My father Ted worked on the Norma-K boats out of Pt. Pleasant, NJ. 

TOP: Shane (bottom right-hand corner) with a group of men and their catches after a fishing charter

MIDDLE: Shane showing off a proud days worth of fish

BOTTOM: Shane holding a nice looking shark

  

                                               

                                                       

                                                           

Vintage Tackle

It is early January and the fishing bug is biting.  I'm awaiting the day when the trees start to bud, the air is warm and the days are long.  Like every fisherman during these cold winter months, I am home, watching fishing videos and reading articles, just as an athlete would during the off season.  These short, chilly days are often spent dreaming of standing on the banks of a wide river, or a calm babbling stream, fighting a beautiful rainbow trout watching it soar out of the water and splashing upon re-entry.  Like a smoker who just needs to hold a cigarette, or even just be in a smoking environment, I need to be around tackle.  Sharpening hooks, shining blades or cleaning the tackle box, I am at peace in this environment.  With that being said, this past weekend I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to browse through the basement of my neighbor's deceased husband.  His name was Clemmy and he was an avid bass fisherman.  Clemmy frequently spent his spare time traveling to NY from PA to go bass fishing on his boat.  I stumbled upon some old bamboo fly fishing rods and streamers from L.L. Bean in their original packaging.  I have loaded my tackle box up with over thirty-five new lures that Clemmy had.  I have also found some unique vintage lures (some in their original packaging) that I will be displaying in a shadow box.  Below I have posted some pictures of a few vintage fishing feels that I came across and soon I will be posting pictures of some old lures as well.