Cold and Dismal: Week 4 Ramapo River

     Today was just awful for fishing! With temperatures in the mid 50's and 20 to 25mph winds, it was downright uncomfortable to be out on the river. It seemed that the fish weren't too happy with it either as we got nary a bite!

     What struck me today was the amount of drug baggies I found along the river bank from Mahwah all the way to Oakland. I found bags with residual marijuana as well as white powder and rock fragments. Also one or two syringes. I know this has always been a problem but I have never seen it so vividly while trout fishing.

      I will never understand what drives humanity to poison themselves with illegal drugs. I can only say this to those who do. Open your eyes, there is more to life then a chemical high. God Bless you and God help you make the right choice in life.   ....AND STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY TROUT STREAMS cause I'm getting tired of seeing this SHIT! You can at least be kind and properly dispose of your residue especially your syringes! We don't need some bouncing little kid pricking themself with your filthy disease pack'n needles!

Week 3 Trout Season: Paulinskill, Blairstown, NJ

     For starters yet another gorgeous spring day! Today was originally supposed to start with at trip to Roscoe, NY and a day of fly fishing on the Beaverkill. Needless to say that did not happen. After my trunk release mechanism on my car came loose, I had to make an emergency repair. So instead of Roscoe, our first stop was Home Depot for a couple of nuts and bolts. A few turns of a screw driver and a wrench made for a permanent fix and it was finally fishing time! Since it got a little late in the morning, we decided to hold off on Roscoe and headed out to Blairstown to fish the Paulinskill River.

     Our first stop was in the little park along 94 by the Blairstown diner. Walking downstream of the crowds we found a nice deep pool and I got a fat brook trout and a nice size rainbow. Next Tracy picked up a rainbow. Then I got another brookie after moving down stream a bit. Upon turning around to head back to the car, I came accross a foreign fella proudly sporting a stringer full of suckers! I guess to each his own, he seemed happy to have a meal but I can't imagine how their gonna taste....my guess is a resounding YUCK!

     We then headed west on 94 and took a left down Lambert Road and followed the river along Gwinnup and Sipley Roads. There were some nice stretches of river back there however with the low water conditions you really had to work to find fish. After walking downstream about a 10th of a mile, I got another two rainbows and a brookie. Not a bad day of fishing overall for me at least. Tracy just didnt have her mojo going today but she caught plenty of little small mouth bass and chubs to at least keep the rod bending a bit. I also got my fair share of warm water fish and noteably had one nice small mouth that just fought like hell on my ultra light.

     I wanted so bad to fly fish for a while, however after ariving on the river, I realized I had left my three boxes of flies home so it was another day of worms and roostertails.

     Might get out tomorrow for a bit before the big rain thats supposed to show on Sunday. I hope the weatherman is right on that because our rivers really really need it! Keep your fingers crossed!

Social Trout Fishing 4/13/2012

     Can you say people? Today was a beautiful spring day and of course I took to the Ramapo for another round of trout hurt'n! I was really amazed at the turnout of people today and was happy to see many father & son fishing teams. I think I spent half the day telling fish stories and hearing folks lament about the lack of rain. I enjoyed the interaction and just want to say for the most part everyone was friendly and completely unstressed!

     As for the fishing? Well after yesterdays fresh load of hatchery fish you can imagine it was pretty good especially early in the day. Right out the gate I brought 7 rainbow trout to the net fishing just above Halifax Road. The rest of the afternoon the bite slowed down however I caught 2 additional rainbows and 1 brook trout at the Reservation as well as down behind the Oakland Recreation Complex respectively. 

     I talked to a bird watcher today and he pointed out a Lousiana Waterthrush nesting on the river bank. I also noted alot of hairy, downy and red-bellied woodpeckers as well as 2 belted kingfishers. Plenty of Palm warblers hanging about the field around Halifax Road as well as your usual cast of sparrows, robins and such. If anyone is interested in spotting wood ducks they seem to be spread out all along the length of the Ramapo River in groups of 2 to 6  individuals.

     Oh well, hope to get out again this weekend with Tracy perhaps Sunday a trip to the Musconetcong River if I feel the ambition to travel. Til then stay tuned! 

Day 3 Trout Season, Solo Run on the Ramapo

     So today after work, I grabbed my gear and took off for the streams again. Once again I fished the Ramapo this time up near the 287 Bridge on the Mahwah side. I didn't have high expectations but was pleasantly surprised at the number of trout I caught. In a matter of 2 and 1/2 hours I brought 12 brook trout to the net and of course released them. The big thrill of the day was when I hooked a monster trout probably about a 17 or 18 incher and lost it just shy of the net. That would've made for a nice photo but I will have to settle for the typical sized fish pictured below. By fish number 12 I figured that I had had enough and decided to try another spot near the reservation just to see if I could scare something up... Nodda!

     Bait of choice today was worms and a white roostertail. I got 6 on worms and the other six on the roostertail. All in all not a bad day of fishing.
     Still trying to perfect my raindance but dont know if I got it right or not, time will tell! The only thing missing today was my Tracy she makes a good day of fishing into a great day of fishing!

Opening Day Trout Season 4/7/2012

     Here we are again for another round of trout chasin and nature loving on the Ramapo River. Today started out cold with morning temperatures hovering just above the freezing mark. It was an odd sort of scene with the cold temps and the river flowing at levels usually reserved for mid June. Bottom line? We need rain!!!
     At any rate we started fishing just after the 8 o'clock bell and within a couple minutes Tracy had 2 brookies in the net. As it would turn out they would be her only fish of the day. I picked up 1 on that first stop and another 3 towards the end of the day. Fishing was slow for some and others loaded the stringer. Once again I hope mother nature is kind and grants us some precipitation otherwise trout season 2012 is gonna be a short story!
     Hoping to get out Friday with Dave, I suspect we ought to do alright if the weather keeps up. Til then keep your lines tight and your hopes high for rain!