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There’s a new chapter in the Trout Bum Diaries. Along the Great Lakes we might title it “Chromer.” Out in the Pacific Northwest, where the most recent video in the series was filmed, the term is “Metalhead.”
Five fly-fishing friends apparently survive brutal camping conditions to muscle spey lines onto big water for steelies the size of a man’s leg. The 5-minute trailer for the 60-minute film is worth a look.
David Rearick, a Pro-Staff member from Avery Outdoors, has been providing NWPA Outdoors with weekly in-season reports on waterfowl migration patterns and hunting results in western Pennsylvania for the past two years.
Here’s David’s season summary for the 2009-10 season:
Randy Leighton, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission deputy waterways conservation officer for western Erie County, provides this week’s fishing report for the Erie area:
“Erie has been in deep freeze over the last week strengthening ice conditions on the bay and area ponds and putting the Erie tribs back into ice over. This past weekend Presque Isle Bay was one busy place with hundreds of ice huts scattered, ice boats making their way throughout, and even quite a few ice skaters. One unfortunate ice boater managed to find some thin ice and broke through but was pulled out unharmed.”
“Angling success was hit or miss depending on who you talked to, but a good number of panfish limits were observed coming off the ice. The occasional steelhead and a a few bass here and there were reported as well.
“Although the ice continues to harden, use caution.”
The public is invited to an open hearing of the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee on Thursday, Feb. 4, at 3 p.m. at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, 301 Peninsula Drive.
The primary topic will Erie’s steelhead fishery and its economic impact on the region. Other topics on the agenda are the financial status of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission and Lake Erie management and operations.
Though there’s no indication that the favored nest site at Presque Isle State Park is being rebuilt, at least one American Bald Eagle most definitely is making itself at home there this winter.
Dave Lefebre of Union City is just about to head back out on tour, but this year will be a bit different than his past tour seasons: His Indiana-based TABU Tackle Co. scored a big contract by getting its Tiny Tim Baby Swimbait placed in select Cabela’s stores and on the Cabela’s Web site.
“It’s really, really good, far beyond our expectations,” he said. “What we figured was going to happen, we’re actually ahead of that. We’ve finaly got a big box; Cabela’s is going to be carrying the baits in some of their stores and also on their Web site. We weren’t expecting that in the first five years, and we’ve only been around three years. That’s like a dream-come-true type of deal.
“I’ve always wanted a tackle company,” he said. “Right now it’s fun and it looks like it’s going to turn out to be a little lucrative for us in the future.”
Lefebre shot a Field Clip video for Cabela’s that will play in its stores. Look for it when you visit, or just check out this video of Dave demonstrating the Tiny Tim Baby Swimbait:
Congratulations to Zac Czerwinski of Waterford on his eight-point/doe day during a Hunt of a Lfetime outing with the Squirrel Hill Hunting Club of New Florence, Pa.
Hunt of a Lifetime provides outdoors adventures to children with serious illnesses. Czerwinski, 17, was diagnosed with cancer in September.
Czerwinski shot an eight-point buck and a doe on the first day of a three-day hunt during the Pennsylvania firearms season. Local sponsors provided lodging, gear, outside activities, venison processing and taxidermy fees, and Czerwinski and his family were guests of honor at a banquet. Video of the hunt will be included in the upcoming “Whitetail Ambush 4” release from Parsons Outdoor Productions.
See another photo of Czerwinski’s trophies at the bottom of the Your Trophies gallery page.
The Keystone Elk Country Alliance is holding a fundraiser banquet Jan. 30 at the Bel-Aire Clarion Hotel and Conference Center., 2800 W. Eighth St. Dinner will start at 5:30 p.m. with an auction at 7 p.m. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and open bar starts at 4 p.m.
Proceeds will primarily be put toward the completion of an 8,400 square-foot Elk Country Visitor Center in Benezette Township, Elk County. Scheduled completion is summer 2010. It’s on 245 acres of prime elk viewing area.
For ticket information, call Diane and Dennis Sharer at (814) 725-9393. For membership information, call John & Linda Geissler at (814) 866.6421 or (814) 602.4901, or send an e-mail to jlgeissler@peoplepc.com
A rapid meltdown this past weekend brought significant changes to area fishing conditions. Temperatures in the 40’s left open water in some areas of Presque Isle Bay and very unstable ice conditions with little to no activity as most hard water anglers choose to play it safe for now. The warming trend opened up a short window of opportunity for fishing the tribs with levels rising and eventually giving way to full blow out conditions Monday afternoon. As of Tuesday levels had dropped and temperatures again began to plunge. As of Tuesday afternoon area tribs were high and flowing and starting to clear in some areas. Temperatures in the teens are predicted over the next week perhaps making the open water window short lived.
