Winter Trout Fishing by: Steve

 It is a new year and I have done something I never have before: I purchased a New Jersey freshwater fishing license. My idea was to take my 4 weight fly rod, (my first fly rod, dating some time) and try for some winter trout. I went to the Pequest River.

What I really wanted was to take my little old rod and a few flies I tied from Wendy's wool and the fur from the Island Beach roadkill rabbit of last year, and hike into the woods, and try for some trout. I drove hours north from Philly. Instead of the gradual fade into woods I thought of, I went first through Allentown driving, and Easton, and Phillipsburg next, of course, we are beset by towns here. By a little parking lot, by a sign for a fish hatchery, not far from some other fishermen, there is the Pequest. Has the solitude, the autonomy of the kayak spoiled me that I am a little disappointed? This really is a pretty little spot.

I hooked a rainbow on one of my homemade flies which is always a surprise to me, and even more a shock, considering I'd been snagging bottom all day, to have a snag moving up from the bottom, and seeming like a fish. I saw the little red cheek once, but I did not land it.

These are the flies I used, I fished them in tandem on a 5x tippet, I didn't need to add weight as the stream was very shallow. I saw two other fish caught, clearly it is not a bad winter spot, but I'm not sure that I'll go back, I'm going to keep fly fishing through the winter, but I'm looking for something a little further on from the beaten path.

Dec 5 Report, by Alexi

   
    Although there haven't been many posts this fall, I have been fishing.  I have not been too successful in my catch rate, but the weather and wave height have both been good for surf launching, and so that's what I've concentrated on.  I have NOT been drifting eels in the Sedges at all so far (and that is something I miss dearly), but maybe that's ok.

4:00 A.M.  Load the boats.

7:00 A.M. Use the bathroom at the gate at IBSP (I have to use the pass for something!)

7:30-8:00 A.M.  Launch kayaks at the Motor Lodge

9:07 A.M take a picture of the second fish of the morning (the first was a blue that came unbuttoned at the side of the boat)
   

about 25" striper out front on a chartreuse stretch 

9:35 A.M.  I had already caught 2 short bass and 2 blues, but this one wins!

KGB has a keeper bass 31" (first in a long time!) 

the tools of the trade:

good old bomber did the trick!

9:46 A.M. we're working the birds with the boats about a mile out, some boats are jigging and hooking up, but the birds and the bait are moving FAST and our little plastic boats can't keep up.

boats and birds 

11:45 A.M.   KGB had to get his camera out a few times, and almost floated out to the ghost grounds, but finally realized we (me and the boats) weren't moving away from him but he from us, and he decided it was time time paddle his sinking ship towards shore.

the ocean

12:06 P.M.  The ocean is a tiring place in a kayak.  And even if it was just 3 or 4 hours of fishing it feels like nine!  We were done, and nothing else mattered since we had caught fish.

no wave is too small to turtle a kayak (but this time it was ok)

This is (part of) the bait that was in the belly of my bluefish!

perhaps blue back herring

The End! (well, maybe one more trip!)