All posts by Christopher Kuhn

Bass

Fall Bass in the Campaign Season

Saturday was a busy day! The Kuhn and Stracco campaign for Frelinghuysen Township Committee kicked the day off with an early morning strategy session, followed by the full deployment of yard signs throughout the community. Remember, the election is 15 days away, be sure and vote for your sportsman’s issues. More info on our campaign for Frelinghuysen Township Committee can be found at www.electkuhn.com.

The Campaign Strategy Session

Fall Trout Season

MKFF set out to hook into a few Trout the State of New Jersey dropped into our local streams in the beginning of October. Unfortunately, the result was a painful skunking. The day was salvaged with the Nick’s 206 Lobster and Steamer Special.

We Ate These, All of It!

Fall Bass Fishing In New Jersey Lakes

Mark purchased a new fish finder that was on sale at Amazon.com. The Humminbird 140C Fishin’ Buddy 3.5-Inch Waterproof Fishfinder now replaces Dave’s famous fish finder that we are pretty sure can’t find a fish if its’ circuit boards depended on it. After some minor adjustments to sensitivity settings, the thing was chirping away.

Ripped This Lip Using a Worm With Weedless Size 4 Hook, Rigged Texas Style.

In the fall lake environment, Bass activity is temperature dependent. Many, if not most lakes have flipped at this point; effectively equalizing the ambient air temperature and water temperature. Initially we weren’t even detecting fish, we relied on the fish finder and found the warmer waters and drop offs.

Mark Tied It Up With This Guy

Following significant success with worm rig outs, we switched off to Rapalas. I used a fluorescent yellow and green, jointed model. Mark used a silver, non-jointed; success rate was roughly similar though he hooked more Crappie and Sunfish.

Hooked In the Shallow Stump Infested Waters.

As the daylight ends prematurely these days; the sun goes down and it gets cold, unfortunately we had to wrap it up after two and a half hours of fishing.

Final Chunky Bass

Back To The Campaign Trail

On the national scale, be sure to investigate the candidate’s stances on gun rights, fishing and hunting. Further, evaluate their stance on the Sportsmen’s Bill.

If you are a resident of Frelinghuysen Township, New Jersey or know someone who is, I kindly request your vote for Kuhn and Stracco on Tuesday November 6, 2012. The polling location is the Johnsonburg Town Hall and it is open from 6AM to 8PM. More info here.

Trade Shows

Orvis Game Fair and Country Sporting Weekend

Gallery 6 Comments

Orvis Sandanona

Two weekends ago, the MKFF crew saddled up in the old FJ riding up to Orvis Sandanona Grounds in Millbrook, NY. The Sandanona Shooting Grounds is the oldest permitted shotgun range in the United States; it was built during the presidency of Thomas Jefferson. We like to keep our readers apprised of trade shows and other industry developments; the 6th annual Orvis Game Fair and Country Sporting Weekend presented an excellent opportunity to explore the fishing and wing shooting community in more depth.

Wing Shooting Training

Orvis hosts a world renowned wing shooting school at their flagship store in Manchester, Vermont and the Sandanona Grounds. Visitors were able to experience an abbreviated version of a lesson. There were two stations with instructors; they assisted students with shooting form and tactics.

Land Rover Driving School

Generally, when test driving a brand new Land Rover, you are not expecting a very advanced or technical course. I figured, we would go over a few bumps and roll over a log or two. The MKFF crew was pleasantly surprised, the off road course and training was borderline “expert level.” There are several pictures in the gallery for you to browse through, I’m pretty sure we had multiple wheels of the ground in a few places on the course.

Fly Fishing

An Orvis event would not be complete without Fly Fishing. Complimentary casting lessons were available for the revelers. Further, check out the Striped Bass one of the exhibitors had preserved caught off of Chelsea Pier.

Exhibitors

The event was geared towards the upscale shooting and hunting community; this segment representing the Sandanona Ground’s target market. Several Orvis affiliated Fly Fishing Lodges were represented with their guide staff. We met up with and immediately took a liking to the Glendorn Lodge in Pennsylvania. Mark and I were promised that they could hook us into a Walleye on the Fly this spring! We may have to take them up on their offer in the spring.

Wild Trout Streams

Headwaters

Exploration

I sit here compiling this blog entry, hoping, that these passing thunderstorms finally break the humidity and usher in pleasant early fall weather. The topic for today’s installment is exploring the pristine headwaters of northwest New Jersey.  Due to a bit of foresight and a failed government dam project, a large area of Warren and Sussex counties consist of protected state and federal parks. These forested areas protect much of the cold-water fisheries of the area.

Key to fishing a small mountain stream like this is determining where the Trout are holding.

As early as Monday, most of the streams were flowing at under 20 CFS. As result of the thunderstorms we have experienced, the area is again fishable. Infusions of the fresh, cool water have certainly livened up the Trout.

Setting Out

I drove around in my FJ conducting ever-important reconnaissance on the varying water conditions in the region. As we have previously discussed in an earlier New Jersey wild trout streams blog, not all sections of water will produce Trout. I have found it is useful to review maps and aerial photos to determine likely Trout holding areas ahead of time.

Abandoned Remote Fishing Cabin

Holding Areas

In a mountainous environment, Trout will hold in a small number of places. Key indicators of trout suitability are depth, coolness, and availability of cover. These areas can be summed up as follows:

  • Head and Tail of Long Pools
  • Large Rocks
  • Deep Undercut Banks
  • Bridge Abutments
This Bridge Abutment Held Fish Along Both Sides

The conditions of headwater streams will vary depending on season and water levels. Experimentation generally works well as there is no set method that will work to catch fish.

Success

When approaching a new target, I prefer to throw general attractor patterns. In the late summer and early fall, an indicator fly should be set up with a dropper. The options for indicators in a Brook Trout stream include; Tootsie Roll Ants or Royal Coachman trailed by a Midge, Hare’s Ear Nymph, or a Purple Prince.

The Mighty Creek Chub

I took my initial cast and had a hit, then several more. The fish hitting were way to small to set the hook into. Migrating into some bigger water, I was able to land one of the little Creek Chubs. Continuing down the tail of a large, Hemlock shaded pool, I had a beautifully colored Brook Trout dancing on the end of my line.

This Brook Trout Inhaled a Royal Coachman

More MKFF Coming Soon

As we move into the fall, MKFF will be providing up to date blogs on all the activity from fall stocking season. Keep checking back for more!

In addition:

August Adventures at Spring Creek Guest Ranch and the Green River

The Orvis Game Fair and Country Sporting Weekend