Obama to Ban Recreational Fishin?

"We are endangering all our little fishies!"

http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/saltwater/news/story?id=4975762

The Chief has refrained from political commentary on this ungodly blog until now. That's it...I ain't gonna take it no mo.

A Different Kind of Spring Excitement

Seems every Spring, the Fair Maiden manages to catch something on fire. One year it was two power poles; another year, it was two acres of donkey pasture, yet another year it was the grape vines. This year, damn near the homestead. The prompt response by the good men of Beech Creek Fire Company lowered the Chief’s blood pressure to a manageable level knowing that the home would be spared. She only managed one-half acre this time. The Chief hid all matches and lighters. With the Fair Maiden there is no such thing as a controlled burn. Photographs were taken for evidence.

Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot

Grannoms and skunk cabbage, March Browns and redbud, and coltsfoot and those Little Olives. You can count on it. Yes, coltsfoot is an invasive species. We suspect the Frenchies brought it to the US for medicinal purposes, of all things.

Springtime in Pennsylvania

Marsh Marigolds & Skunk Cabbage

...continuing the slouching........ Figured I toss up some shots of spring because, well, because I can.

Look for both of the above species in boggy riparian wetlands and along stream banks in early spring. The Marsh Marigolds in particular are in decline due to the draining of agricultural wet lands. While they're always a welcome sight in early April, they seem to disappear as quickly as they emerged. The above specimens where photographed in Poe Valley early one April morning just prior to the Grannom emergence.

Slouching Toward the Vernal Equinox

There must be a connection between the fact that brain tissue is referred to as gray matter and the gray days of winter in Penn's Woods. The grayness of winter days invaded my gray matter about 5 weeks ago and sucked me down a spiral. Not even the gray shale dust used for traction on asphalt could provide enough friction to stem the slide in my head. Like the Greg Brown song, I was going driftless.

Scientists say that the recent earthquake in Chile threw a tiny kink in the Earth's rotation. Maybe that's why the sun finally came out during the last few days. Or, maybe it's just the eternal cycle. Whatever, the cause, the increased irradiance from the dying star 93 million miles away along with the sight of emerging Baetis on Spring Creek and the slurpy rise of an anxious brown trout has roused me from this infernal funk.

Spring is coming fellow prostaffers. I have it on good authority.

RBF Rugged Leader Wallet

The Chief is in the design & development phase of the RBF Rugged Leader Wallet. Working with the creative folks at Equinox LTD of Williamsport, PA, his ungodly rugged leader wallet will be constructed initially of 400 denier nylon, then if all goes well, recycled breathable waders. The Fair Maiden got involved in the design process and there just may be a ladies version. No more cheap zip lock bags and ratty vinyl pockets to store those RBF Ungodly Stealth Dry Fly Leaders.

The folks at Equinox asked if the Chief had a means of testing the prototypes as they wanted to make sure the Chief was satisfied with the design before they went into production. He responded, “We have a RBF Pro Staff that can test anything in the most arduous conditions known to man.”

In a short time, you will be called upon to field test the RBF Rugged Leader Wallet. RBF is also planning on marketing several other fly fishing accoutrements; All American Made.

The RBF Rugged Leader Wallet

MADE IN USA

Bowman Baetis & RBF 2 Fur

The Bowman Baetis

This perfectly crafted fly no doubt will fool the smartest trout. Bowman suggests medium dun hen hackle for the wings with medium dun hackle wrapped four times like a Catskill. He makes one turn in front of the wings to hold them tilted back slightly, then two turns behind the wings, with a final wrap in front. Then he skillfully flips the fly over and figure-eights the thread once or twice to draw the hackle up. He ain't done yet. He then dubs the thread and completes a couple more figure-eights.


It's sort of a Catskill Parachute Comparadun Spinner Emerger Dry Fly. This ungodly contraption caused quite the discussion amongst the Pro Staffers on the use of this and similar contraptions for catching trout during a baetis emergence.

The Chief's thoughts on the effectiveness of the various discussed contraptions is slightly diverse. His vast experience, especially while sober, leads him to cast floating nymph-type contraptions to dumb trout feeding on the spring baetis especially when every dumb trout in the stream is rising. The water is typically covered with, yes, floating nymphs. Those little creatures quickly dart to the surface then lay there waiting to be eaten. Thus the RBF 2 Fur. Seems no one mentioned the versatile snowshoe hare foot hair for wings. The Chief ties in a small clump of natural hair by the tips, then clips it short. The abdomen is formed with twisted BRF's Mayfly Brown Zelon. Fur from a brown sheared beaver coat purchased at the American Rescue Workers Thrift Store forms the thorax. Some versions may include a turn or two cream hackle around the base of the snowshoe hare foot hair wing.

The RBF 2 Fur Baetis