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!

 

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      

Sticks and Stones Fly Fishing Camp (06/28/2016)

Day One (6/28/2016): 

The morning fog lifted off the stream as the campers started rigging up their fly rods.  This was a special morning in that all five fisherman were newcomers to the sport of fly fishing.  It's always important to make a great first impression for the new anglers, to make it a memorable experience that they want to come back and do again. 

                               

We spoke about the types of fly choices that can be made, how to assemble a fly rod, reel and a basic knot to connect the fly to the tippet.  Once all of the fly rods were ready to use, I had them use a Temple Fork Outfitters office caster to get used to the basic false and roll casts --  the two types of casts that we would most likely use throughout the day.

I'd also like to take this chance to recognize that all of our fly rods have been graciously donated by the Temple Fork Outfitters Company.  We really enjoyed using the NXT Series Rods and Reels, they are a great product from an outstanding fly fishing company!  If you are looking to buy a rod and reel combination, no one offers a better product for the price.

As the instruction progressed and the anglers understood more about the concepts of fly casting and safety, we had the boys go out in the water and experience the real thing! Before they left the parking lot we tried to instill in them that it isn't all about catching trout, it's about the whole experience.  We wanted the boys to take it all in, the environment, wildlife, relax and step away from other issues that are going on outside of fly fishing.

Wouldn't you know it, ten minutes later we hear one of the boys yell out, "FISH ON!"  He played the fish like he had done it before.  Although the fish came off as it got to his feet, we told him that it absolutely counted!  All of the fisherman were super excited for their friend to experience the thrill of catching a trout on a fly.  As the day went on the boys were getting more and more used to casting with the occasional snag, but we would quickly untangle it and let them know that it happens to everyone.

A bit later into the session another boy (pictured below) caught another nice brown trout which was a great way to end the first session of our fly fishing camp.  We look forward to fishing again on Thursday and having another great day on the stream!  Awesome work today!

2016 Summer Camp Schedule

Sticks and Stones 2016 Summer Camp Schedule

It's time to announce that our second year of Sticks and Stones summer camps is official. Check your calendars and sign up to be a part of our 2016 summer camps. This year we will offer three 6 - 8 year old mountain biking camps along with three 10 - 12 year old mountain biking camps. In addition to these camps we are also excited to announce that we will be adding advanced mountain biking skills camp (by invitation only) and three youth fly fishing skills camps (ages 10+).  

For those who do not know, our goal at Sticks and Stones is to provide a unique outdoor experience for children who have an interest and or passion for experiencing non-traditional youth sports.  The goal of our organization is simple but has the capacity to be life changing for those who experience our outdoor educational program(s).  

If you are interested in signing up for a camp, please contact rfurmanek@yahoo.com to secure a spot at one or multiple camp listings for the 2016 summer camp season.

Thank you!

Bob Furmanek and Kirk Hoover