Some of the best fishing of the year is yet to come this fall and fishing with artificial lures can produce some of the best action. Both trout and a variety of warm water species of fish will be feeding more heavily as the water cools and the winter season approaches and with the multitude
READ MORECamp Susque, a Christian residential camp located in Trout Run, PA, is hosting their 3rd annual Harvest Festival and Trail Run event on September 22. Admission to the event is free and it runs from 9am-4pm. The Harvest Festival is a full day of great food, live music, demonstrations, local craft and business vendors, and
READ MOREWe fishermen talk a lot about catching all kinds of fish including trout, bass, walleyes, crappies, bluegills and even catfish but we don’t often hear of anyone going out to specifically target yellow perch. Like a lot of other lake fishermen who pursue panfish, we will catch our share of perch while chasing after other
READ MOREJohn Arway, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, has announced his retirement as of early November. In a previous column, I mentioned the conflict that had developed between Arway and some of the state legislatures over Arway’s request for a fishing license fee increase. Arway threatened the closing of some trout
READ MORETo be honest, the past couple of weeks have been so busy for me I haven’t had time to fit any fishing in, but with the flooding conditions slamming our area recently, it doesn’t appear anybody else could get any fishing in either. The thought of fishing completely disappears when your favorite streams become raging
READ MOREYou can obviously take the title of this story a couple of different ways, but the first thought is probably the temperatures hovering around the 90-degree mark — that definitely makes for some hot fishing. Hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and cold drinks help make the heat more tolerable. Admittedly these recent hot, sunny summer days have
READ MOREI’m sure the last thing on anybody’s mind right now is hunting unless, of course, you’re into groundhog hunting. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has come out with some new or changed rulings however that we hunters need to be aware of before the fall seasons get underway. I know, trying to keep up with all
READ MOREMost folks will agree that there is no more relaxing sound than a steady rain on an old tin roof as you are drifting off to sleep. One of the most serene sounds that most of us have had the pleasure of hearing is the calling back and forth of a pair of mourning doves.
READ MORELaw enforcement in this country has been taking it on the chin lately as the result of some high visibility, controversial incidents that have been taking place in various parts of the country. In Lycoming County, law enforcement owns a good reputation and the respect of the citizens, this may be the result in part,
READ MOREWith the catch and immediate release of the bass season now over, and the regular bass season now underway many fishermen have turned their attention to bass rather than trout. There’s no doubt that April is big for trout and May still attracts a pretty good number of trout anglers, but by June trout fishing
READ MOREWow. You look great. Have you lost weight? No. Not really. Jeez, you’re tan. You must be playing lots of golf. Not at all. Actually, I came up with a new workout routine. It doesn’t require much skill, and it’s somewhat refreshing. You only need a little time and a pole. I like to call
READ MOREWe seem to be hearing that phrase a lot these days, “It’s not fair.” I even hear that same suggestion in the world of hunting and fishing. Let me explain. I recently read something in an outdoor publication that I find kind of annoying. In a letter to the editor, the writer said it wasn’t
READ MOREWith fishing season now pretty much in full swing, I’ve been trying to look at various lures and some different approaches to successful fishing outings. This past week, we analyzed the attributes of the various metal spinners available to fishermen, but in this week’s piece, I want to take a closer look at spoons. To
READ MOREMy reference to “heavy metal” here is not about that so-called “music” that I occasionally come across as I’m searching for something worth listening to on the radio. No, I’m actually referring to metal fishing lures, which at one time was a mainstay of the fishing lure business. While metal is still used in many
READ MOREOver the past month or so, I’ve been writing pieces about improving your fish catching rate by becoming a more versatile fisherman; one of those improvements involved learning new techniques and presentations. I mentioned that fishing a tandem fly rig was something I had been reading about, but had not yet tried — that is
READ MOREBelieve me; I’m not suggesting that anyone have a bad or crappy time but rather now is the time to begin your search for some good crappie fishing. I know it’s the beginning of trout season, and I have been putting my share of time on the trout streams as well, but I’ve also been
READ MOREOver the past couple of weeks, I’ve been writing about how one might go about increasing their fish catching opportunities. Being willing to target a variety of fish species is one way to increase your catch rate, and using a variety of equipment will also add to your numbers. Another possibility I would like to
READ MORESunday is Earth Day and this year’s campaign centers on ending plastic pollution — but I’ll get to that in a minute. The idea for Earth Day was the brainchild of then U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson. He organized the first Earth Day after witnessing the ravages of the 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara,
READ MOREI’ve mentioned before that I am one of North Central PA’s biggest fans. It’s true. Seriously folks. What’s not to love about the 570? This place is just splendid, and our beautiful area is the perfect backdrop for an outdoor enthusiast like me. Yes. I absolutely dig everything about her, and I am still patiently
READ MOREIn last week’s piece, I mentioned that versatility was a key to catching more fish. In fact, the whole point was that the more different species of fish you were willing to pursue the better your chances of hooking up — literally. I would like to continue that theme of versatility but with a different
READ MOREFor us outdoor types, two big openers come up in April; first, the regular trout season for our part of the state opens on April 14, and then on April 28 spring gobbler season opens. Those of us who are serious about these activities don’t sit around and wait for the opening day, but rather
READ MORE“A bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work.” How many times have you heard that little quote? Well, I don’t buy it; a better thought is, “A good day of fishing is better than a good day at work.” Yea, I know it’s nice to just be out there enjoying
READ MORE“Double your pleasure, double your fun — with Double Mint, Double Mint, Double Mint Gum!” This popular jingle was used in years past to advertise a brand of gum that remains popular to this day. Careful, if you remember this jingle, you may be giving away your age! But, “Double your pleasure, double your fun”
READ MOREFor some years now, the regulations for spring gobbler hunting in Pennsylvania have allowed a limit of two birds — with the purchase of a second spring tag, of course. Combine that with the possibility of more than one family member hunting these spring birds, and suddenly you may have more wild turkey meat than
READ MORETo be honest, I haven’t fished the opening day of trout season for many years. It wasn’t always that way though; when I was a young fellow in the 60s, I wouldn’t have missed the first day for anything. Most of my first days were spent on Sinnemahoning Creek using Mike’s Lucky Seven salmon eggs.
READ MOREI would much rather be writing a story about catching trout on an assortment of great nymph patterns, but there’s another outdoor related issue that I feel needs some further explanation. It’s no secret that the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has been seeking a license increase in order to stay viable. The fact is,
READ MOREAmericans are obsessed with diets and food intake. The average man needs a balanced mix of nutritious food that totals 2,500 calories per day. Athletes need more. Special issues such as thyroid or illness may dictate otherwise. But I’ve got a secret that will save you money, treat you to less carb intake, and is
READ MOREThe opening day of trout season is still a month away — April 14th here in our part of the state — and a couple of weeks until the trout opener in the southern part of the state on March 31st. With the openers still that far out, why would I be ready to give
READ MORENo, this is not going to be a story about one of my favorite socks, but it is a piece about one of my favorite trout streams — the Loyalsock Creek. My wife and I left DuBois, PA following our wedding and our next stop that evening was just beyond Williamsport. I remember telling her
READ MOREWell, it’s great to see the month of March just on the horizon. Before you know it everybody will be migrating back outside. The baseball, softball, and soccer fields will come to life. Everybody will resume those warm weather activities we love in the West Branch Valley. We’re only a few days away from the
READ MOREWe are at that time of the year when most of our hunting is over; sure we can still chase rabbits and squirrels until the end of February and, of course, coyotes can be had anytime. Last week, I even spotted a distant field with a bunch of goose decoys spread over a large area.
READ MOREThe ball has dropped. The New Year’s Eve parties are behind us. Hopefully, our heads have cleared up by now from the revelries of New Year’s Eve, and we can take time to focus on what lies ahead in the coming year. So, steep a pot of tea, or brew a jug of coffee, and
READ MORE“There is an old saying that one can never enter the same river twice. The river is always new; the man is forever changed.”- Mike Crockett and Grant McClintock, Flywater “It is the challenge of the fishing more than it is the catching of the fish.”- Joseph D. Bates, Jr., Atlantic Salmon Flies & Fishing
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