Sometimes It Rains

Sometimes it rains. Sometimes it even rains every day for a week. WNY has been getting hammered this year, which is a distinct difference from the draught conditions the area was stricken with at this time last year. 

It has been messing up the spinner falls this year. I even got chased off by lightening right as a big green drake hatch started on the Wiscoy. It was my first experience there. We watched single drakes pop off and get dive bombed by swallows, only for them to explode into a heavy fall that finally woke up the fish. It was like God was playing a cruel joke as we saw the storm move in, complete with ground-crashing lightening. We ran out with broken down rods, scared to death that the next roll of thunder would lead to a demise inducing crash. 

But all things end. Between these storms we have had moments of clarity. Like a day on the Oatka when the black caddis were so thick that your daily value of protein was satisfied simply by breathing. The fish were hungry that day. Loving the cold water, high flows and lack of fishing pressure. 

Life can be a lot about perspective.... and sometimes it rains. 

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New Toy

Got a new toy today. It's been a couple months of searching Craigslist, local marinas and the paper before I finally pieced together a total package. I wanted to get a boat that I could motor up larger rivers with, but be able to row it when water gets skinny. Plan on using it a lot this fall on the Niagara. The boat is a 14ft Landau jon boat paired with a 7.5hp Mercury 2 stroke. I plan on putting a deck on the front and repainting it, but it is water ready as we speak. 

What should I name her? 

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I'm Not Dead

Sorry for being a little absent the last couple months. Here are some fish as an apology.

Photo by Matt Dunn

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First WNY Steelhead

Photos By: Nick Pionessa

www.oakorchardflies.com

Popped my WNY steelhead cherry. Good times. 

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Jive Ass Turk-E

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Swimtank Sessions

My homeboy Nick Granato just got featured on the Swimtank Sessions. 

I like your moves...

I like your style....

flyobsession.com

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Thou Shall Not Fear High Water

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Hope Springs Eternal

We spring forward on Sunday at 2am. Let's rejoice. 

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Get Your Fair Share

Photo By: Matthew Bruen - http://theslipperytrout.blogspot.com

Hey NY'ers... you have to fight for the right..... to party. Read below and follow the link below to voice your opinion on the upcoming Delaware River Water Release Plan. 

We're asking that you support the attached sign-on letter concerning our recommendations on a new Delaware River water-release plan that will go into effect on June 1, 2013.

HERE'S HOW TO SIGN ON: Please reply to this email with your organization's name, your title, and your name and we'll add you to the letter.

We invite everyone to sign: businesses, organizations, individuals.

We call our recommendations Fair Share 2013. We've attached the simple, one-page document. It has four modest but vitally important recommendations:

A formalized public comment period before any changes are made. This brings transparency to the process.

A one-year term for any change to the current flow program. We are concerned that the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) will lock into a long-term release plan (up to five years) regardless of changing circumstances, for example, the availability of additional water from Croton. We believe a short-term plan makes more sense, as explained in Fair Share 2013 (attached).

Any new flow protocols should include a provision to cushion the impact of sudden reduced flows ("directed releases") from reservoirs, which can have a jarring impact on the river ecosystem. All releases should be ramped both up and down gradually.

A formalized provision to alleviate thermal stress on the river ecosystem during hot summer months. Our scientific research partner, Dr. Peter Kolesar, has devised a simple solution to a longstanding problem, as detailed in Fair Share 2013.

As you'll see, the sign-on letter already has the support of a number of important groups, and we expect many more to join us. As you all know, coalition-building is key to gaining a voice with government agencies. The more support we have for this letter, the better the chance that our positions will be paid heed.

This is an urgent request to you. We will present our letter and list of signatories at a DRBC committee meeting on March 7 in Trenton, N.J. We will be giving testimony at that meeting, and the impact of broader support will serve as a megaphone for our voice. 

Thanks so much. Please let us know if you have questions or if we can provide further information. Note that if you'd like to send your own note in support of all our requests, we could send you a template letter. A list of DRBC committee contacts is attached.

HERE'S HOW TO SIGN ON: Please reply to this email with your organization's name, your title, and your name and we'll add you to the letter.

Delaware Watershed Conservation Coalition

DWCC Sign On Letter 

Fair Share 2013 

RFAC Contacts 

To actually do this you will need to go to this link and follow from there. Thank You!

www.fudr.org/blog/2013/03/01/fair-share-2013-we-need-your-support/

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Good Things Come To Those That Wait

Hey dudes... they were right, they told me that it would eventually stop snowing, and today.... it finally stopped snowing in WNY. I'm sure it's just a glimpse of it, but i'll take it. Some good buds of mine decided to take me fishing, and I finally caught my first NY fish. It twas a good day. 

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Never... I Repeat, Never... Trust Psycho Timmy...

VD Flyfishing Episode 1 from VD Flyfishing on Vimeo.

Charlie and Psycho Timmy know their audience. 

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oh... I miss the warmth so...

New Reads

Rick Kustich just released his new book on Great Lakes Steelhead. I have done some snooping on it and the pictures are worth the buy alone. It's going to be a "must have" for anyone living in the Great Lakes. You can pick it up on Amazon, but don't be lame, and support my local fly shop. Call up Nick at Oak Orchard Fly Shop . Info is below:

The Oak Orchard Fly Shop
5977 Main St.
Williamsville NY 14221

716-626-1323

info@oakorchardflyshop.com

STORE HOURS:

Monday - Friday 10AM - 8PM

Saturday 10AM - 5PM

I'll Always Be A Mountain Hippie at Heart...

I have loved these last 8 years living in Colorado, but I have received a job opportunity and it is going to relocate me to Western New York. I will still be able to get out to Colorado pretty regularly, but this new adventure should lead to some great new fishing as well. It will be great to dust off my spey rods, tie more intruders and finally have good smallmouth fishing again. 

I'll miss my CO peeps and we will still get to fish throughout the year, it will just involve a plane now. So stay tuned for some interesting new topics on the Sip.

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Happy Holidays, Y'all.

It's been a slow December on the Sip, but a lot of things are happening behind the scenes here and a lot of new stuff will be posted on in the new year. Meanwhile, I hope everyone has a great Festivus and says, "screw it" and get out to fish whatever open water you can find. It's a great time of the year to fish small flies, tie flies and stoke a wood stove. Life is what you make of it, my friends. I hope you all take advantage of this special time of the year. 

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