The Latest…

Evening Spinner Fall on local waters…

Eric and I were instructors at last week’s Team USA Youth Fly Fishing Tryouts…

Chile!!!

Spring creek brown in Chile…

This is my first attempt at writing “the blog”.  For those of you who haven’t met up with me yet, my name is Lance Wilt and I joined forces with Eric, Tracey and the Spruce Creek Fly Company this past March.  I grew up on the waters of Big Fishing Creek and Penns, and started guiding with Eric and the Spruce Creek Fly Co.  After several years and places later, I’m back with Eric…and now Tracey, and couldn’t be happier.   As I’m writing, Eric is still on the water, I had an early trip today and Tracey (the boss) has put me in charge of writing the blog that is in serious need of being updated.

Now for the low down:  The fishing has continued to be some of the best Eric and I have witnessed.  So far (knock on wood),  Mother Nature has continued to bring us consistent rains  that should keep the streams in good shape for the next several weeks.  

Both Eric and I have had the pleasure of guiding some good “sticks” over the course of the last month.  May’s hatches are just starting to get going and the angler well versed in nymphing can expect to see good action underneath when bouncing the bottom with the correct imitation.  The numbers of fish have been stacked up in the faster riffs while the big boys still seem to be hanging in the deeper runs and glides.  We’ve had some great shots at sight-casting to some of the larger fish hanging on the banks.  Most of them haven’t left the soft hackle float by!  Anglers looking to see some heads on the surface stand a good chance at consistent shots at rising fish.  A few days ago we found ourselves casting at consistent risers for over 5 hours.  Cold weather over the course of the last 2 nights has limited rising activity but the nymph bite has made up for the visuals on the surface.  The next few days are supposed to be warm.  I still think the best is yet to come. 

One reoccurring question I’m asked on the water (unrelated to the guided day) is what Eric and I do in the off season.  Eric spends most of his time in the summer and early fall in Montana working with Donna and Jake  at Upper Canyon Outfitters which sits on the Upper Ruby River outside of the town of Alder.  Over the course of the last few seasons, I have worked extensively with outfitters in other parts of the country and world to develop travel opportunities for anglers interested in doing unique trips in exotic locations.  This year, Spruce Creek Fly Co. will be offering international trips to Chile as well as Mongolia with outfitters that I have developed excellent working relationships with.  If anyone is interested, shoot Eric and Tracey an email and I will be happy to forward brochures, pictures, and video. 

Hopefully this is the first of several updates that Tracey lets me do. 

See you on the water!

Lance Wilt

Fantastic Early Season Fishing!

Well, the guiding season is in full force right now and it has been absolutely tremendous! In fact I would say that the early season has been one of the best I’ve ever witnessed. The trout have fed non-stop and we’ve had several clients experience fish counts in the thirties.

Here are a few tactics I’ve been using in my guiding that may help you improve your success.

First, I have not been fishing the surface in spite of the fact that there are thousands of Grannoms. This is one hatch that usually brings them up, but I’ve not seen them rise with any consistency thru the entire hatch, so I stayed underneath…and DEEP.  Second, I have been fishing BWO nymphs in a size 16 since the beginning of March, and they’ve been eating them since. I’ve yet to find a reason to change rigs, though I’ve been looking.

The rig I’ve been using is a three fly rig. The top fly is a BWO soft hackle hanging off of a three inch dropper. Eighteen inches under that is a heavy tungsten bead olive nymph and six inches off the bend of the hook is a non-weighted olive nymph. 90% of the fish caught are on the last fly. The weight (split-shot) is applied between the top two flies. (usually 3 to 6 #2 shot) 

I have tried to change the rig over several times to match the caddis, but the olive nymphs worked better. I did find some moderate success with a deep sparkle pupa as the point fly.

Look for water with a moderate chop to it at the bottom end of a riffle or heavy run. The trout have been stacked in there and have fed from sun up to sun down. Here are some pictures from the past two weeks.

Wing Shooting-Fly Tying Materials with Walt Young

Our friends from Rise Form Studio came out to vist with us and our good friend Walt young. We did some wing shooting and Walt taught us more than a trick or two about materials, storage, and feather selection.

Eric

Fantastic March Fishing on the Little J

Eric Stroup with nice Little J brown

The temperature hit 25 degrees yesterday and we decided to hit the river. As expected, we didn’t see a soul and the fishing was fantastic! There was some desent midge activity, and a few olives, but nothing rising. I put a three fly rig on consisting of a size 20 pheasant tail on a dropper, a size 14 green weenie and a size 16 white caddis larva. Caught fish on all three patterns consistently.

Introducing my good friend, newest employee and absolutely fantastic guide, Lance Wilt.

Lance began working for me a few years ago and has now come back to join our SCFC family. He is a remarkably talented fisherman and an even more impressive guide. He’s the rare type that actually understands what this game is all about. If you’ve used our guide service in the past and have not had the opportunity to spend a day on the water with Lance, give us a call and arrange it. You will not be dissapointed, . I promise!

Preparing for the Season

Sorry I haven’t posted much recently, I’ve had my ass glued to this chair for the past several weeks. Outside of a few road trips to go talk about what we do, and a few articles I had to get done, I’ve been tying away and trying to stay warm next to the stove. It better warm quickly over the next few weeks or we’ll run out of wood!

On a Bright note, our bookings are great this year and we’ve added to our staff. We will be making a formal announcement/introduction on the site sometime this week!

On The Road Again

Just a reminder that we will be out of the office Tuesday, February 10th thru Friday, February 13th for the Eastern Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, PA.  If you are in the area stop by the booth.  We are with our host ranch, Upper Canyon Outfitter and will be located in both the hunting and fishing section.  The show is 10 to 7pm daily.

Our travels continue on Friday, February 13th to the Ramsey Outdoor Show; Cabin Fever Days in New Jersey.  Our presentation will be on fly fishing Montana on Saturday, February 14th at the start of the show.  Drop by our booth for information on our great package for Montana or our services in central, PA.

The weekly Saturday morning fly tying session will be cancelled for Saturday, February 14th but will resume at the regularly scheduled time the following week; 9am to noon.

We have email access through Tracey’s email tracey@trainedbytracey.comor if you would like to speak with us directly our cell number is 814-932-5716.  We will be back in the office Monday, February 16th.

The Maryland Club

Last Wednesday evening, we had the pleasure of speaking and presenting to the The Maryland Club in downtown Baltimore. The event was well attended and the dinner was unbelievable! A very special thank you to our hosts, Bill Martin and Ann MacIntosh.

Here are a few pic’s from the evening.

Fly Fishing Video-Reading The Water

Here is a video I shot with  McAwful back in October. We wanted to do a primer about approaching and reading the water. Check it out and pick up a trick or two. Nice Brown Trout abound…

Saturday Morning Classes

Steve and Ken perfecting the Sulphur Nymph

This past Saturday, we worked on a couple hatch nymphs that are important around these parts once spring gets here.  Not only did we enjoy some laughs and good company, Tracey made a mexican baked tortilla that we promptly disposed of after the class.

This Week,

we are going to tie sub-surface caddis patterns. All are welcome, please let us know you’re coming by Thursday!

New Email Alert

As reported, we’ve had a major system crash and lost all of our emails and contacts. If you have been trying to contact us in the last week, we have not been able to recieve or send. Please use this NEW ADDRESS to contact us. We apologize for the inconvenience.  eric@ericstroupflyfishing.com

Welcome to the NEW SITE!

Welcome to the new site!
Tracey and I have just returned from the International Fly Tiers Symposium in New Jersey where we had a fantastic show and caught up with some old friends and GREAT FLY TIERS! Tom Baltz, Walt Young, Bill Skilton, Dick Talleur and many, many others who are equally impressive. We met some wonderful folks and booked alot of trips for the upcoming season, so thanks to all who stopped by our booth to say hello, and a very special thaks to Chuck and Janet Furimsky.
ALSO……for those who stopped by and have not recieved an email from us, it’s because we couldn’t read your “chicken scratch”, please feel free to call us, we have a special offer for everyone who attended the show and stopped by our booth.
We gave away 2 FREE trips during the show and the winners are…………….
Keith Torok and Larry Bunch— We will be contacting you today to schedule your trip!

SULPHURS
One of the great things about the show is that you get to sit there and tie flies ALL DAY LONG! Each tier ties what would amount to their “specialty” patterns. I normally tie something that is common in our area and this year I focused on Sulphurs. I tied parachutes, quill bodied Catskills, spinners, soft hackles and nymphs. Needless to say, I got my supply built up pretty well. See our products page for ordering.

Henk Verhaar, a GREAT tier from the Netherlands, will be staying with Tracey and I this week and He and I will be tromping around the waters of central Pa for a few days. I’ll be sure to post some pics!

In other news, we have what looks to be about a 600 pound bear in our neighborhood. The track is 12 inches long and 7 inches wide! Blue hates bears and is quite nervous! ha ha! we’re keeping him quite busy in the bird fields though and he doesn’t spend much time frolicking in the yard these days!

let us know what you think of the New Site! Be sure to visit often, as I plan to update this a few days a week and will keep current information on conditions, events, products etc….

Happy Thanksgiving!
Eric & Tracey

SCFC Scheduled Events

Please visit our website for more information for all our hosted events or to register. Spaces are limited!
www.sprucecreekflyco.com

SCFC Fly Tying Instructional Weekend Schools
Regal Endorsed!
March 6, 7, 8th.

SCFC Women’s Fly Fishing Wellness Weekend: FISH PENNS CREEK!
April 24,25 & 26, 2009 @ the Aaronsburg Inn
(Registration Deadline: April 10)

SCFC Couple’s Fly Fishing Wellness Weekend
May 1, 2 & 3, 2009
(Registration Deadline: April 1, 2009)

Contact the Spruce Creek Fly Co to register for any of our great events! eric@ericstroupflyfishing.com

Thanksgiving Fishing on the Little J

 

Last week Tracey and I had the good fortune of hosting our good friend Henk Verhaar for a few days of fishing before he headed home for the Netherlands. Henk and I met last year at the International Fly Tying Symposium in Sommerset New Jersey and quickley became friends after we were introduced by Steve Sylverio, a fellow tier. Henk wanted to fish central Pa before going home and Steve said he had just the guy for him to talk to. Long story short, Henk stayed with me and even shared Thanksgiving with me and my family and the rest is history.
Henk is an incredible fly tier. He ties extended body mayflies and has a winging technique that is nothing short of awesome!

 

Henk and I headed to the Little J early Wednesday morning (in the snow) and found ourselves to be completely alone on a great stretch of water. This was not surprising, as the temperature was right at freezing with a constant blowing snow. I didn’t expect much in the way of successful fishing, but it was sure nice to be on the water with a rod in my hand with a friend I see once a year.

                                                                                                                                  Henk’s Extended Body/CDC March Brown

We saw lots of reds on the stream bottom and were careful to avoid wading through them. The trout were no longer on them but they still looked fresh. If the spawn this year is half as successful as it appeared to be, we’ll be in great shape over the next couple of seasons!

 

My rig was set up with a small green weenie and an orange egg pattern off a dropper. Two small split-shot were all that was needed to get down, as we are still very low. It was 9:30 when the fishing started to heat up and I hit two browns in about ten minutes-one on each pattern. The fish were stunningly beautiful as always!

 

 

 

 

It really made me wonder why I don’t do more guiding during the winter months. Sure the weather can be difficult to deal with, but the fishing during this time of year is about as peaceful and sereen as it gets. Henk and I never saw another angler through the snowflakes and I must say, if you dress properly and prepare yourself to not expect great numbers (which can happen anytime by the way), you can have a wonderful time.  We continued to fish this great stretch of water, paying particular attention to the edges of current lines and tailouts. They really seemed concentrated in the moving water which told me they were on the “post spawn feed”. We fished until we desided we were cold and hungry. By 1 pm we had landed 8 or 9 trout and thought we would grab some lunch. I had a place I thought we might see some risers for the afternoon and so we headed down stream to try our luck.

 

Sure enough, there were risers where I thought there would be and even got a little dry fly fishing in!

Fish were eating Midges and Olives! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After fooling around with the dry fly fishing for a while, I headed to a deep run downstream to see if I could nymph another decent fish. After losing several rigs on the bottom and one in a tree (yes, we ALL get caught in trees!) i got lucky and landed a nice brown on an egg pattern. 

Not every day during the winter will produce like this day, but it’s still a heck of a nice way to spend a few hours or a day with a friend! Henk and I fished two days later with our friend Steve Sylverio and the fishing was not quite as productive, but we still had a great time on the stream together and shared alot of laughs and idea’s. I did manage to Land a really nice Brown on a weenie and all of us got into few here and there, but I’d have to say the highlight of the day was the conversation and the hot coffee at the end of the day. Don’t get cabin fever! Get out and enjoy the water, the fish don’t go anywhere, they just get a little tougher to catch!

Tight Lines and Happy Holidays!

Eric

Winter Fly Tying Sessions

 Spruce Creek Fly Co

Presented by:  Eric Stroup

Winter Fly Tying Sessions

Every Saturday beginning January 10th thru March 28th!

9 AM to 12 PM

Coffee, brunch and materials provided!

Classes designed for beginners as well as advanced tiers. All faucets of fly tying will be covered through the winter until the fishing season begins. Class schedule will be flexible and available on a first come, first serve basis. The cost of each session is $20 per tier and this will include all materials.

Call for schedule, availability and directions!

814-632-6129

 

 

 

Fly Fishing Fitness: Preparing for the Season!

My background is in the health and wellness industry.  It has been my way of life and career for the past 25 years.  My idea of exercise is a planned workout and good nutrition.  Upon meeting my husband, it was a great surprise to me, that the ‘job’ he did everyday was in itself…a workout.  Fly Fishing is usually not thought of as ‘exercise’ but the duration of the day, wading through high waters, balance, endurance, hydration and nutrition are all contributing factors that can make or break a great day of fishing.  The physical ability of the angler can enhance or detract from a great day of fishing.  If you are not physically able to get to the prime spot, unable to sustain the duration of the day or unstable in the water, causing a lot of commotion and scaring the fish your day on the water may not constitute a ‘great day on the water’. 

A recent adventure to Montana allowed me to experience firsthand not being prepared for specific conditions of a sport.  I was ‘scouting’ for an outfitter in Southwest Montana during the hunting season and having difficulty breathing.  I was not acclimated to the high altitude and initially found the hikes challenging.  This experience stimulated the thought process in my head!  If someone in fairly good shape found High Altitude Hunting challenging, how would a sedentary person who enjoys this great sport feel when they embark on the hunt?  Their experience and success would be greatly decreased due to lack of preparation.  I should have trained for the experience more sport specifically…BEFORE I traveled out west.  I now offer a High Altitude Conditioning program for Big Game Hunting out west.  The program is designed to be performed during the off season to get in and stay in shape for on season!  Fly Fishing is no exception.  A stagnant winter will lead to the de-conditioning of the muscles, balance, core strength and skill that is crucial for a ‘good day on the water’.  Staying in or getting in shape during the ‘off season’ will definitely enhance your fly fishing season.

Preparing for the season:

Several physical components are utilized during a day of fly fishing.  Muscular endurance is one such component.  Wading in high waters is difficult, especially if you have been stagnant for the entire winter.  Not only do you have to wade in the streams but you do it for hours on end.  Conditioning for the duration will build muscular endurance, decrease muscular soreness and the potential for injury. 

Balance is another physical component and probably the most neglected of all the components of fitness for any sport.  But for fly fishing wading out into deep waters across slick rocks having good balance is key.  Falling in may feel good on a hot day and be quite entertaining to your fishing buddies but it can definitely be a bummer if you scare off a good pocket of fish or worse injure yourself!  Incorporating balance activities in your off season training will help with the unstable conditions fly fishing provides and even enhance everyday activities.

Core strength may be a term you are familiar with in the fitness industry but did you know fly fishing’s center physical component is good core strength.  The ability to stabilize the spine requires core strength and enhances all the other physical factors of fly fishing.  It will allow for better balance for wading and casting.  The ‘effort’ put forth to stay vertical will be less so your endurance will be greater.  An off season core strengthening program, sport specific for fly fishing will have tremendous value for your health and fly fishing success.

Nutrition:

Let’s face it…we treat our cars better than we treat our bodies.  Days on the water are long…especially on a hot, sunny day.  You would never drive your car all day long and not fuel up.  Your body functions quite the same way.  Carrying snacks and eating throughout the day will provide the energy and nutrients you need to make it through the duration of the day.  When selecting snacks think NUTRIENT DENSE not CALORIE DENSE.  Nuts, fruits and granola bars are just a few suggestions of foods easily portable and will last through the day.  They will have the highest nutrient value and give you a great base of vitamins/minerals and fuel for your day on the water.

Hydration: 

I can’t express the importance of proper hydration.  Water is the medium of every process in the body.  It is essential in vitamin processing, muscular recovery and organ functioning.  Keep in mind the body will pull water from non-essential parts (muscles/joints) to hydrate essential parts (organs).  This process can lead to fatigue and musculoskeletal injuries that will certainly detract from a great fishing experience.  Dehydration can ZAP ones energy.  And energy is what you need to sustain throughout the day.  Increase water intake NOW…prior to your scheduled guided experience to deter dehydration.  Limit alcohol, caffeine, antihistamines and other products that ‘strip’ the body of water.  I recommend consuming half your body weight in ounces per day in water. This process can be achieved over a thirty day-building up- period.  If this amount is not possible, drink enough to cause urination at least every three to four hours.

All the above activities and suggestions should be put together in a structured program specific to your medical history, exercise history, current physical condition and personal goals.  Proper technique is essential and will allow you to gain the most benefit out of your off season training program and decrease injury potential during the program and on the water.  Nutrition is key for sustaining energy and fueling your body properly for the sport.  A professional fitness trainer can design a program that will fit your needs and get you prepared for the upcoming season.  As an online fitness consultant and co-owner of a fly fishing outfit, I have the access and know-how to set up a program to enhance your day on the water.  For more information or to contact me directly visit my website at www.trainedbytracey.com.

The sport of fly fishing is wonderful not only due to the physical benefits is provides but for the serenity and connection with nature you experience every time you walk out on the water.  And I assure you it will be a lot better…above the water…

May you have the best fishing season!

Happy New Year!

Tracey L. Stroup

President/Owner

Trained by Tracey, Inc

www.trainedbytracey.com

GRANNOMS

Due to the snow, our Saturday morning fly tying session was cancelled, and so I began the winters task of tying next seasons bugs. I always start tying hatches in the order they appear, so that I don’t end up with 60 dozen sulphurs in April and not enough grannoms or olives when I need them most.

These are the standard patterns that I’m never without during the grannom hatch, and of course, there are always a few patterns each year that are either new or experimental. In addition to these, there are many patterns that I like  for the egg layers, but I’ve not included them. The patterns shown here will catch fish throughout the entire hatch and I have not yet seen the day where I had to have an eggsack on my pattern to have success.  If we ever reach that point, trust me; we’re in trouble!

 The top pattern is the dry fly I use most often. It is a CDC / deer hair pattern that I have had alot of success with over the years.

 

 

 

Peacock & Partridge Soft Hackle

These patterns are extremely effective in the surface film when fish are rising. They both impart alot of movement which I think is key during this hatch, and the soft hackle is a great imitation for the emerger, or a struggling adult.

The next pattern shown is a La Fontaine Sparkle Caddis and there may not be a better pattern out there for an emerging caddis. Take a look at the following photos that i’ve collected over the past few seasons, and you’ll see why this pattern works so well.

La Fontaine Sparkle Pupa

 

The last fly is the Peeking Caddis. This pattern was introduced to me about four or five years ago by Ron McGraw and it is deadly. Now one thing that should be noted is that grannoms pupate in their case. In other words, when they emerge out of their case, they do so as a winged adult. That is why the soft hackle patterns work so well for them. Many people fish a green caddis larva during the grannoms with alot of success, but it’s not because the grannom is out crawling around, it’s because the rock worms are also very active once the photosynthesis begins to occur with the spring sun. This picture is of the Rock Worm, not to be confused with the Grannom Larva, but a major reason why bright green is so effective.

Rock Worm

Grannom Larva in case

Grannom pulled out of case

Peeking Caddis Pattern

April 23, 2008 Little Juniata River

Make sure you have plenty of bugs for this hatch, it is no-doubt, one of our best hatches!

We will be tying all of these patterns in our weekend tying sessions held every Saturday at our home in Spruce Creek. Give us a call by Thursday to let us know you’re coming. Plenty of coffee, conversation, snacks and materials!

As always, if you have any questions or comments, please feel free to call

Cold Day in the Bird Fields

It was a cold day in the bird fields on Saturday as Blue and I headed to Sinking Valley for our hunt at Tom Crawfords Hillendale Hunt Club. Our Hunters were from Richmond Virginia and I wasn’t sure how they would handle the cold, but Blue was ready as always. Fifty Five birds up, on the counter-Twenty nine dead. Great Day!

Fly Tying Video-Charlie Meck Ties The Patriot

Charlie and Mike  were out a few months ago and filmed this video at my fly tying bench. Tie up a few and be ready  because before you know it, the fish will be looking up again…

Patriot Materials list

Hook: #12-18 Dry fly
Thread: 6/0 Bright Orange-Red
Tail: Brown hackle fibers
Body: Smolt-blue Krystal Flash with thread midrib
Hackle: Brown
Wings: White calf-body hair