A Little Walk With God

View from top of WV

To quote Herbert Hoover: " Next to prayer, fishing is the most personal relationship of man."  Sometimes in life we need to immerse ourselves in the amazing creations that we so greatly have been blessed to share while we are on this earth.  Tony Blake said, "Some go to church and think about fishing, others go fishing and think about God."  Living in West Virginia we are blessed with so many great places where we can go and allow our souls to be renewed and refreshed.  Some people need a church to go to so they can pray and think about God but we are blessed with so many awe-inspiring places that you can not help but go to God in prayer.  For me the Seneca Creek back country is one of those places where when I go deep into those woods with no one around and the sound of the rushing waters allows me to go to such a spiritual place.  Things with our family has been a little chaotic lately with some major decisions we have had to make with our future unfortunately, so on this day my wife gave me a much needed day off to fish these extraordinary waters.  I started off taking the view in from the top of WV as the sun awakened another magnificent day.  I reached the trail head knowing a

long hike awaited me but full of excitement for what was ahead and what this great day had in store.  Being out of shape this year a 9 mile hike I wasn't sure about but I had hoped the fishing would make up for those aching legs after the hike.  After a long hike I finally reached the Upper Seneca Creek Falls and strung up my rod for action, which I was really eager to try out Redington's new Butter Stick in a 2wt version, the new fiberglass rod they offer.  The stream flow was a little low and clear but the falls was still flowing good and allowed for that first moment of prayer with God its amazing how a place like this can truly help a persons spirit.  Well the rod was strung up with a faithful stimulator as I seen a trout hovering just below the surface.  In no time a nice wild rainbow trout was the first fish for the day, it was amazing to see such great colors wild fish truly are special creatures and do not get enough praise at times and protection.  After a few casts on top at the falls with no real activity I figured I would try and dredge up something from the deep depths of the pool and what better place to go then a

good old olive woolybugger.  The butter stick doesn't seem to throw bigger or weighted flies with as good as accuracy as you would like but on a small stream you can get by with this at times.  And after a few casts I got by with it indeed as I hooked into a picturesque brookie in his full falls colors.  I hung around the pool for a while and soaked up all its pure beauty and charm.  I headed off up stream and the rainbows were eager to eat the stimulator as well as some brookies.  It seemed on this day the rainbows were a little more willing to take the fly for me as the brookies were a little more skiddish in those crystal clear waters, but when trout are this vibrant its hard to complain what type they are!  Sometimes the fish is truly a bonus on a trip on this trip in particular the fish were an extra special bonus as just being in some of God's great country was the true bonus.  The day allowed me to pray a lot about life and just reflect and know that no matter what he will always be there to help and a rising trout makes life always seem so much better!  Yes sometimes its about more than the fish and sometimes a walk with God is on a trout stream and sometimes those streams really do heal us!

 

 

 

Serving Fruit Cocktails

Eating the Fruit Cocktail

Fall is a awesome time of year.  Cooler mornings but the water temps are still great for some wading and flows aren't to bad so you can cover some good ground fast.  Today started with some overcast and was followed up with a nice long shower.  I figured it would be a good day to go searching for some smallies.  It was dad and Annie May day today and grandma had not seen her for a while so that gave me a good excuse to run off the hill and find some fish.  I love throwing poppers to smallies the aggressive take and explosion on top water is awesome then you get some great jumps to follow!  I broke out the fruit cocktail deer hair popper and started the day off where I had fished not long ago and did decent.  And before you knew it the popper had been inhaled and a good smallie was leaping from the depths.  The flows weren't great but the fish were still holding good in the weed beds and were aggressively taking top water.  Didn't take much longer and another good fish was on but after a few good jumps he was swimming back to the depths and the hook was thrown.  After another missed take the next two fish went much smoother good hook sets and good jumps and we had another two good smallies in hand.  Dry flies and streamers are fun but to me there is a big rush when you get something that blows up and absolutely handles a popper!  A quick trip on Fishing Creek and three solid smallies all on the popper not a bad way to spend a day!

Nice smallie on top water

A Good Labor Day

Well Labor Day started with my wife and Annie May heading to a friends to hang out with her and her kids for a little while.  I was told to drop her off and go fishing...hmm I haven't been a husband that long and dad way less but when the wife says go fishing I do  not blink at the chance I head to find some water as quick as I can.  This year has been a rough year on some local waters its been a wet year and when it rains well its usually chocolate milk and tough fishing for a while and this summer its been that way a lot.  Labor Day marked something else some fairly good conditions on the local creek so instead of heading to the ponds I pulled off in wide spot after a bridge where there is some good weed beds and strung up the 7wt with a nice sized popper.  Started off fairly slow, the water had a good flow but I seemed to be turning nothing then all a sudden right off a weed back whack first smallie fish on but not long enough after a few jumps away he went back into the depths.  I pressed onward and upstream still some better water was ahead and I had hopes of making this a good day when all a sudden a nice boil behind the popper and we have another solid hook up.  This fish was not like the others however he was solid the immediate bend in the 7wt was a good sign of things to follow.  The fish inhaled the popper so the hook set was good and after several water clearing jumps that was probably a good thing.  After a nice battle the smallie was at my feet and to my surprise a very good one! After a few pictures and a quick release we were back at it running the popper past weed beds.  Another decent smallie and it was a good day on the water, but then again any day on the water seems like a good day!

A Crappie Day Fishing

Sometimes a crappie day fishing can turn into a good day.  Today it was just dad and Annie May kinda day.  I had to run out to the store the Heinz Ketchup supply had gotten horror story low so I figured we'd take a walk around the local farm ponds on the way.  It seemed like a cool morning with the sun not to bright yet so I figured it was a good time to get some time outside with the kiddo.  I had the 7wt already strung up with a good sized popper so I figured we would see if any largemouth were looking ready to eat something if not I figured we could downsize and maybe get lucky and pick up a few bluegills.  I was not hoping for much just happy to be outside with my baby girl.  After a few casts had a big boil behind the popper set the hook and a good rod bend I figured we had another good sized largemouth on our hands at least that's what I was hoping for but I would soon be greatly surprised.  A few fish have alluded me for some reason and a crappie was one of those fish I have yet to catch especially on a fly.  Well today that all changed.  After a good fight and some nice rod bending I had at my feet a chunk of a crappie taped out at 13 1/2 inches not bad for a public farm pond fish!  Got to spend the day with a kid, get a good walk in, and land a fish that had alluded me until this point I will take that any day of the week!!  It was the only fish of the day but at least it was a good one! Keep casting you never know what you may hook into one day.

Thankful For A Good Wife

Sometimes you have to be thankful for a good wife.  This year has been a busy one and not as much

time on some streams with a new baby.  But lately the wife has been giving me the green card to chase some fish.  Today started with a trip to town well of course I had to throw the fly rod in for that just in case there is a chance to fish.  Treated her to a nice Chinese lunch.  That wine and dine thing sometimes gives you that green light to fish and in this case sure enough I got some time on the mighty Ohio again.  Started off with the Chart Clouser as its been good to me the last few days.  And in no time big fish is hooked unfortunately it got in the swift water quickly and in no time the hook was out and a good hybrid was lost.  Figured I would change things up and try the upper section for a while and much to my delight three quick fish in succession they were tearing up the clouser.  Well those just were not what I was looking for I was keyed into a bigger fish with some size so dropped down to the lower spot and kept hitting the seam and wham there he was right where he should have been.  Nice good fight out into the swift water and in no time I had a 19 inch hybrid at my feet a good fish on the fly for sure.  Tried to the upper section and finished the day out with another small fish. 

My brother in law has been getting into fly fishing big time and we were going to hit the the local farm ponds up.  So I look at the wife and she gives me the green light again.  Two times in one day I must be doing something right maybe its the beard I dunno.  After a nice soaking rain figured a few

blue gill would be possible on top water and such.  Started off with a little bigger cork one and missed a few fish right off the bat.  Figured I better scale down and try to get into some blue gill so went with a smaller sneaky pete.  After that was able to land two small bass on the top water.  The lower pond just wasn't full of excitement TJ had a few fish in and I had a couple so we elected to go try out the upper pond as dusk was approaching even though it was a pond I never had much luck in except for a few small sun fish from time to time.  So kept the sneaky pete on since it seemed to have been working.  Noticed a good boil right next to some tall grass not far from shore and snuck in a cast.  Next thing I know the Sage One is fully bend and I am not gaining much ground at all hes hugging the bottom and not moving much.  Finally I got some leverage and was highly surprised with a good 20 inch Largemouth!  Nice way to end the evening on the water.  A lucky day getting on the water twice thanks to that special wife I have!

 

 

Hybrids From the Milky Way

To many times as fisherman we look at water that's off colored or chocolate milk looking and see some choppiness and flow to it and we get all nervous and think I can't catch fish in that type of conditions.  We lose all the confidence we have as fisherman of just fishing holding waters or what they call fishy looking areas instead of just fishing to fish.  Sometimes doing this we pass on great fishing days when big fish no matter if its trout or bass come out to play in those murky waters.  Past couple days coming from and going to work I decided to try my luck in these waters.  I pulled in both times to a deserted fishing area with no one around.  Sunday evening I pulled out the Echo 10wt and tied on a newly tied up Chartreuse Clouser minnow.  Things started off a little slow and was hoping for a little bit of anything when to my surprise I pulled out a small clouser out of some slow water. Well this got me in fish mode and thinking well lets see if any bigger fish are around.  So moved down a little and found a good seam and figured there would be some fish holding in the slower section picking off some bait fish with the water ripping by.  Few casts later good fish misses the fly twice well as they say third time was a charm and we got some bent rod action going on and a drag cranking.  Several more casts and the clouser did its work again and an even better Hybrid soon was at my feet.  Not a bad stop by after work for water that we would sometimes pass on. 

So today I went in a little late to work after I was relieved of diaper duty since the wife was off I figured I had some time to see if I could try some magic again.  Broke out the Redington Predator 11wt to see if we could put some bend in it and tied into the clouser again.  Started checking the

water and wham right in the seam again big fish feeding so a few casts later and the drag is ripping once more another good hybrid on the fly.  Managed another small fish to end a fast pre work trip.  The water isn't always the way it seems sometimes giving it a shot when your not expecting much pays off more than you think.  For me I was just thankful I had a chance to throw a few flies and lucky enough to land a few solid hybrids.

WVAngler Top 2012 Moments

 

WVAngler Top 2012 Moments

2012 Was a big year for WVAngler and so many great moments as well as some truly heartbreaking ones as well.  Lots of time spent on the water and with some great people I call family!  Looking back we were just truly blessed to be able to be a part of some of these events and even more blessed to be able to continue to share such a great website with so many.  Below is our top 10 moments of 2012.

 

10. WVAngler Dinner in Flatwoods - This is always a great time with so many people that attend.  Its nice to kick back with the gang and hear some tall tales and enjoy some good food and fun!

 

9. Forging some great relationships with some new friends and great companies!  Companies like Vedavoo, The Fly Stop, Vermont Fly Guys, Hook & Hackle & Risen Fly to name a few!

 

 

8. Harman's North Fork Invitational - It was an honor being able to be a part of this and watching the team fish (Jonathan Paine and Zach Adkins).  The guys fished amazingly against some pros and a were a fish or two away from really fishing right at the top of the standings. 

 

 

7. 10 Different Species on the Fly Rod This Year - I had hoped to make the number a lot higher but missed out on a few species maybe next year the total will be grow beyond that.  This year managed these fish on the fly: brown trout, rainbow trout, brook trout, largemouth, smallmouth, sunfish, hybrid striped bass, freshwater drum, musky, and fallfish.

 

 

6. With a lot of hard work by Jonathan Paine being able to unveil a newly revamped and better than ever WVAngler.com!  The new format allows things to be updated so much easier and faster.  And it will allow us to even grow more in the future!

 

 

5. Spending some time on the water with so many great WVAngler Famly: Jonathan Paine, Zach Adkins, CD Caldwell, Bubba Holt, Fly Rod Chronicles, Nate Rees, Craig Miller - hopefully I never missed anyone!  Being able to spend share some time on the water with some good friends make a trip that much more special.  Hopefully 2013 brings some more time spent with even more wvanglers on the waters!

 

 

4. First Musky on the Fly Rod - Day started being able to give back and help with the Middle Fork of the Williams Bucket Brigade!  Carrying bucket after bucket to help restore a fishery giving back is what its about!  Great day on the water with Jonathan Paine and fishing a Vermont Fly Guys fly I hooked up and put my first musky on the fly in the boat!  Great epic day for a float.

 

 

3. The news that the WVAngler family will be growing come 2013!  Guess we will be buying some pink fly rods in the future!

 

2. The loss of one our our own Eric Workman.  Eric was one of our long time members and one of the best musky fisherman around and a WV State Police Officer.  His life tragically taken while on duty as a WV State Police officer. 

 

 

1. Being able to be a part of the Fly Rod Chronicles/Eric Workman Tribute Show.  It was a weekend I will never fully ever forget.  Some epic floats with great friends while we remembered our brother.  Watching Curtis catch some colorful brookies!  Being able to net a Musky for Nate while Wade caught it all on film.  We was able to present Erics parents a 2013 WVAngler of the Year award one of the hardest things I have ever had to do since I created WVAngler.  Can not wait to see this on film the crew did a an awesome job filming and I am sure they will put together an amazing product!