Tag Archives: spin fishing

The Paulinskill River

Smallies on Funday

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Now that the primary elections are complete, I have once again focused attention on generating some quality reading material for our audience. The MKFF Team East assembled in full force at the Dale’s Market parking lot on Sunday morning. Eating Dale’s Famous Breakfast Sandwich on the tailgate of Mark’s Toyota Truck has become a regular ritual for the team. In a future video blog we will evaluate the Taylor Ham or Pork Roll sandwiches available from the shores of the Paulinskill. For today, we decided to provide you (our readers), with a short synopsis on Fly Fishing for Smallmouth Bass with info on the species, techniques, flies, and river conditions.

When Nature Calls The Bio Wipes Are Ready

Conditions

Early in the season we reported on the low water levels and high temperature. Fortunately, conditions have changed. On June 11, in Blairstown, the river is flowing at 160 CFS. I neglected to take the temperature, however, what I can report is that the temperature is in the higher range of optimal for Trout. Evening thunderstorms are ideal for controlling the river temperature.

Mark And Kuhn Fishing A Slow Run

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass occupy a habitat similar to that of Trout; they are more amenable to a wider variety of water temperatures. Thus, you will locate Smallies in watercourses with sand or gravel bottoms and cool, clean, and clear water. In the Paulinskill, when the balmy summer heat forces the Trout into the cooling springs, Smallies occupy the territory vacated by the Trout.

Smallmouth Bass

Juvenile Smallmouth Bass feed on Zooplankton and Midge Larva. The adults feed on Crayfish and other aquatic invertebrates. The adults typically reach sizes of 12 to 15 inches, possibly reaching a maximum of 24 inches. One to two pounds is the typical weight of an adult Smallmouth.

Baby Turtle Hanging Out Riverside

Tactics

Smallies that make the Paulinskill their home tend to hold in a few key areas:

  1. The shade of overhanging branches and logjams.
  2. Behind large rocks and other obstructions in the stream.
  3. Areas of visible current or runs.

I have found that Smallmouth Bass will feed on almost all of the same flies that the Trout will consume in similar sizes. In addition, the Bead Head Woolly Bugger, preferably green with some flash, size 10 or 12, pulls fish out of the Paulinskill.   Rainbow Trout Pulled Out Of A Cool Section Of River

Bragging Rights

As I indicated above the water temperatures and conditions were optimal for the full range of Paulinskill River species. Special shout out for Mike’s Bass Grand Slam!

  • Mike Busteed – Smallmouth, Largemouth and Rock Bass
  • Mark Beardmore – Smallmouth, Sunfish, Brook Trout, Shiner
  • Christopher Kuhn – Smallmouth, Rainbow Trout, Sunfish
  • Deborah Walters – Smallmouth, Sunfish
  • Dave Boynton – Smallmouth
    Green Woolly Bugger With Tan Marabou

     

Fly-Fishing for Smallmouth: in Rivers and Streams

The Paulinskill River

Rippin’ Lips Jersey Style Weekend II

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Following Tuesday’s Slay Ride, the Moose Knuckle Crew was out again on the streams of beautiful Northwest New Jersey. The water levels are more indicative of early summer than mid April. Nonetheless, the trout do not seem bothered by the missing water. There are bountiful quantities of Trout in all the streams around here. Across the state, most anglers swear by the size 14 through 18 Hare’s Ear Nymph. In addition, I have caught ample trout on the Mickey Finn, Gray Ghost, Moose Knuckle Fly Fishing’s Woolly Bugger, and the Hornberg Wet Fly.

Moose Knuckle Fly Fishing Black and Coffee Wooly Bugger

South Branch of the Raritan

Saturday, the crew met in Califon, New Jersey to visit out friends at Shannon’s Fly and Tackle. At present, the South Branch is low, thus the fish are weary of the anglers seeking them. We had limited success down in the Gorge with a mixture of wet flies, the Coachman, and a Brassie. Additionally, it was reported to us, the stocked Brook Trout were going bonkers over a dead drifted White Wooly Bugger. Here I will give a shout out to the Califon General Store and their Jersey Devil Sandwich. After eight hours of fishing it hits the spot. If you enjoy spicy Horseradish combined with delicious Roast Beef, like myself, you need to try it! Overall my fishing was mediocre, pulling just one Brook Trout and one Rainbow Trout. Others in the crew did better than me.

Blairstown

Sunday brought the team to one of my personal favorite places to fish, the Blairstown section of the Paulinskill. This slice of water, above and below Paulina Dam, is generously stocked with sizable Trout. Furthermore, the water supports year round Smallmouth Bass, Crappie, Sunfish, Perch, and various warm-water species. It is conveniently located near Dale’s Market, renowned for their Dale’s Famous Breakfast Sandwich and The Blairstown Wine Gallery, a liquor store with a bar within 30 feet of the Paulinskill. Remember to support local business when you are out fishing, the big chain stores make enough money.

Yellow Perch ate a size 18 Copper Brassie in the Mud Pool

Approaching the stream, I had a good hour of pools to myself before Mark arrived. I prefer to tie on a colorful traditional streamer, for example the Gray Ghost, in order to prospect for some lunkers and determine what lies beneath. This is a tried and true tactic in the Paulinskill with its long, slow and meandering pools. Off the bat, I hooked into a few Rock Bass; a mediocre fish to get the rod bending, as always I was there for a Trout. I commenced dead drifting the Gray Ghost whilst performing a varying speed strip retrieve. Soon enough, Rainbow Trout on, the fight was intense and aerial. Rainbow Trout on hooking, shoot for the moon and when they do, they spit the hook right back at you. Following this epic loss, I tied on a Hornberg Wet Fly, executed the requisite drift, and caught a nice Brook Trout. This fly was real hot, many strikes, I just could not hook one into the mouth.

Blairstown Bow

Mark an expert Bass Fisherman, was on site to spin fish. Subsequent to witnessing a Trout gulp a top water Dry Fly, he will be joining us Fly Fishing soon enough. Mark’s day was a solid recovery from Saturday’s lack or Trout. I was casting my Wooly Bugger about 50 feet from him and it appeared he had taken a big cast and been snagged. I found it strange for him to snag, he had on an intermediate sinking two inch Rapala. Then there was action, the line was moving! The “snag” was a fish, and a large one! Mark, an avid Bass and Salt Water angler, had hooked his first Brown Trout ever. Not only was it his first Brown Trout ever, it didn’t even fit in my net!

Mark Beardmore’s First German Brown

Dry Flies Finish Strong

Continuing on after Mark’s fish of the day, it appeared as we moved upstream that small intermittent hatches were occurring. Some Trout would randomly rise to take small flies from the surface. Not being able to directly match the hatch, I tied on my size 14 Coachman and enticed a few strikes, while missing all hook sets. Reasoning that a Coachman is a good attractor fly, I tied on my CDC and Deer Hair behind it. The Brook Trout really loved this combo and they came after it, though it still proved difficult to set the hook. Finally, I moved downstream a bit and was able to lip hook a Brook Trout. Upon reaching the goal of a Trout on a Dry Fly, we packed up and walked back to the truck.

Brook Trout ate a Moose Knuckle Fly Fishing CDC and Deer Hair behind a Coachman

Until next weekend:

Mother Goose was not pleased with our choice of fishing holes
Bass

Bass and Panfish Poppin’

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Here Fishy Fishy!

Taking advantage of the near 70-degree highs that we experienced on Saturday, the Moose Knuckle crew headed out to a legendary lake in Sussex County. We were expecting to catch a few Sunfish, maybe a Crappie and at best a juvenile Bass. What came to pass was a Panfish Slay Ride not witnessed since early in the fall of last year.

Panfish Slay Ride

The neighbors graciously allowed us to borrow one of the 12-foot Aluminum hull rowboats dry-docked along the shore. We brought our own electric trolling motor, a necessity if you want to fish and not row yourself to exhaustion.

Mark was spin fishing primarily with a two inch Rapala Floater; I of course, commenced throwing my Mohair Leech. We put in around 1:00 PM with blue skies and the bright sun overhead. As one would expect, our shadows spread far and wide, disclosing our approach early to the sluggish fish.

Crappie ferociously swam up from deep below

Besides a few Crappies nailed right at the put in, we messed around for a while attempting to comprehend the underwater ecosystem. Whilst conducting our exploration of the lake, Mark and I landed around ten Sunfish each. Then it dawned on us, fish are cold blooded, the water is chilly and the sun is hot. We motored straight back to the shallow, swampy, and most importantly warm flat-water section of the lake.

Head to the Flats

Here as we navigated the partially submerged stumps and the militant Swan, Mark landed his largest Bass of the year; that is until he caught the next three after that. Myself refusing to admit defeat to the Rapala Floater, switched to a Muddler Minnow. This quick fly change was rewarded with a few more Sunfish. At this point, I was intent on catching one of these Bass I pulled out of my arsenal an old standby, the Black Hale-Bopp Leech.

Chunky Bass landed on a Rapala Floater

Just as I switched flies again, Mark landed another Bass! Consumed, with a feeling of pressure, an intense biological demand to get my fly in the water; I cast out to the shallows as far as my Sage VXP 4 weight rod could go and hooked right into a log.

I attempted to free my hook from the “log” but it started moving back and forth like a tractor through the algae. There was a Bass at the other end of the line! At this point, it should be noted that when a Bass swallows a leech dangled on a 4-weight rod quite a contest arises. After a few minutes, out popped the most haggard Bass I have ever seen. He had a cataract in one eye; the scars of herring attacks on his back and sandpaper like skin. Needless to say a fish is a fish.

Haggard Bass and the Sage VXP

Lessons Learned

Fishing is turning on much earlier than last year. The mild winter, in the majority of the lower 48 states, was lenient on fish. This being said, waters are still not at their optimal range for active feeding activity. Bass and Panfish will be caught in the warmer, shallow and flat areas of a lake or pond. Attempt a retrieve at varied speed, on the fly I found that two six inch strips followed by a short waiting period was triggering a strike. Bass seemed to strike during the active retrieve while the Sunfish attacked when the fly stopped. Do not be afraid to experiment and vary the speed of retrieve.

See all of the pictures here.