Perfect Day for Fly Fishing!

The conditions for this mornings fly fishing session would be tough to beat! The stream had the opportunity to clear up from yesterday's murky conditions and the fish cooperated very nicely. Our fisherman did an outstanding job casting, in fact he looked at me at one point and said, check out this bow and arrow cast. He performed it with ease and used it properly to sling an elk hair ant underneath a overhanging tree! Well done!

We had the luxury of landing six fish, watched a few fish attack the ant and had the chance to play a really nice 14 - 16 inch trout, although it came off a bit earlier than we anticipated. Oh well, we know exactly where it lurks for a future trip! 

We had a really great time today and I'll let the photos tell the rest of this mornings journey!

Enjoy!

 

Fly Fishing Central PA

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day on the waters of Central Pennsylvania. Sure, the heavy rain we got yesterday made the water a tad on the murky side, but we still fished hard! Most of the targeted areas were ambush points where the trout could stay out of swifter currents and still have an opportunity to feed on any unsuspecting insects. The varieties of flies that we used were terrestrials which are a popular meal throughout the summer months.

Both of our fisherman did a phenomenal job getting to know the basics of assembling a rod, fly casting, line control amongst a lot of other information! That combined with unwavering persistence and dedication in trying to fool a trout, both of our fisherman successfully had a fish on or got a fish to feed. They understood that this wasn't an easy thing to do as they heard me speak to other fly fisherman who weren't so lucky this morning.

Kudos to both of you and I look forward to getting out on the stream tomorrow and Thursday!

Enjoy!

 

*UPDATED 2017 SUMMER SCHEDULE*

Due to Mother Nature's recent Winter Storm Stella, the last day of school for State College Area School District is now Wednesday June 14th, 2017.  The last day of school will be a half day so the week one mountain biking camp has changed to Wednesday (6/14) from 3:30PM - 6:30PM, Thursday (10:00AM - 1:00PM) and Friday (10:00AM - 1:00PM).  

If you are unable to attend one or more of those days, please let us know at rfurmanek@yahoo.com. 

Thank you, 

Bob and Kirk 

Sticks and Stones Camp (08/05/2016)

Day Three (10 - 12 year old camp):

Today was an extremely memorable ride for Sticks and Stones mountain biking.  The riders were outstanding, their skill sets are continuing to progress as they tackled some rocky terrain and we had encounters with a large rattle snake and a snapping turtle.  On top of all of that, we were lucky enough to have Jamie Bestwick riding with us and giving valuable tips on riding that will be a memory that will last a lifetime.  Thank you again for riding with us, Jamie!

Enjoy the photos and thank you again for such an outstanding week to finish out our mountain biking camps for this summer.  Please stay tuned for potential Fall mountain biking and fly fishing offerings. Also, if you are interested in purchasing apparel see yesterday's post for additional details.

Thank you!

Bob and Kirk

Sticks and Stones Camp (08/03/2016)

Day Two (10 - 12 year old camp): 

Today was another great day to be mountain biking.  The weather was unseasonably cool in comparison to the recent dog days we've been facing.  The bikers ripped around the trails with little hesitation and great attitudes. In total we rode close to 10 miles and the riders crushed all of the challenges that they were given.  They did so well that we are going to take it one step further and head out to Rothrock on Friday. Stay tuned for more details, but until then, enjoy a few photos from today's ride!

Enjoy!

Bob and Kirk  

Sticks and Stones Camp (7/20/2016)

Day Two (Fly Fishing Camp): 

We had another successful day of fishing with a great group of people.  We caught some fish, missed some fish and even cooled off in the creek by free floating down a fast riffle.  The key element of this week's fly fishing camp was to gain the basic knowledge of fly fishing skills.  Some of the focal points were casting, mending, reading the water, entomology, dry fly and sub surface techniques. Each additional outing spent on the water will continue to hone each one of these mentioned skill sets until it becomes second nature and additional emphasis can be placed on the advanced elements of fly fishing.  

Below is an assortment of photos and a video of the boy's having fun taking a break from fly fishing. We hope to see you out on the water again sometime soon!

Bob and Kirk   

Sticks and Stones Camp (07/18/2016)

Day One (Fly Fishing Camp):

Today we had a great group of fly fisherman who embraced all that the creek had to offer.  It was good to chat and talk to the fisherman and hear them comment on how relaxing it was and how easy it was to lose track of time.  To me, that's one of the benefits of pursuing the sport of fly fishing.

With the low water levels and the abundant vegetation growing in the stream, it made the window for optimal fishing conditions slightly smaller than what is typical of this time of year.  The spirits remained high and the casting improved throughout the day.  I think it's safe to say everyone is looking forward to our next adventure on Wednesday!

One of the boys asked to see the difference between a rainbow and brown trout, so here are a few photos below to differentiate between the two species.

See you on Wednesday,

Bob and Kirk

Sticks and Stones Fly Fishing Camp (06/30/2016)

Day Two (6/30/2016):

The brisk air lifted off the water as we began day two of fly fishing camp.  The anglers quickly assembled their fly rods and reels and quickly asked for a fly so they could begin fishing.  After the initial getting used to the cooler thermal temperatures of the water, the fisherman were soaking up the beauty of wildlife around them.  All of this, while they patiently waited for a potential trout to engulf the fly imitations that we used throughout the morning.

With the low water levels and increasing vegetation growth, the importance is placed on the stealthy wading and drag-free presentation in each cast.  Keeping those two elements in mind, the boys had a challenging task in fooling a trout throughout the morning session.  

Watching the relatively new anglers cast, one could tell that they were improving as the frequency of knots and tangles were decreasing in comparison to Tuesday morning.  They were focused in casting their flies to where they thought offered the best chance hooking into a fish. All in all, they did an outstanding job throughout the entire morning, whether it was swimming, looking at wildlife or carrying a crayfish.  By the looks of the smile in the photo at the bottom, I'd say the boys had a great time learning a little bit of what fly fishing has to offer!

Enjoy! 

Bob and Kirk