A Matriarch

I  fished a favorite creek located southwest of my home yesterday. I decided to try a section that I had not fished for 4 or 5 years. I remembered catching a chunky 15 inch smallmouth in a nice looking pool the last time I was there.

 Today would be an even better day. As I  fished the pool with a homemade 3 1/2 plastic worm I felt the worm stop and I set the hook. The little Daiwa spinning reel's drag began to scream as the fish had deep runs trying to reach the logjam down stream. I was able to stop her each time and slowly guided her into shallow water where I grabbed her by the lower jaw.

19 inches of small creek Smallmouth. I imagine there is a good chance that she's the same fish that I had caught years ago when I fished this pool. Her bottom fin had some sores on it and her tail was getting worn around the edges, signs to me that she was getting close to the end of her years.

As I slipped her back into her pool, she finned slowly in the shallows getting her strength back and I hoped that she would live another year to spawn another nest of smallmouth fry to keep this stream stocked with her genes.

The Start of a New Fishing Season

I started my 2012 fishing season in my favorite stream not far from where it tumbles down off the Allegheny Front. It a rocky stream with clear cold water and holds some large Smallmouth Bass.

Some sort of large Damselfly that I've never seen before caught my attention. 

 I didn't catch many on this first trip with this healthy 13incher being the nicest fish of the day.

My wife came along on my next trip, to a slower flowing stream with more of a mud bottom.

 The Fallfish seemed to be drawn to her lure today with a heavy 12 incher being her big fish.

 I was able to pull in this 12 inch Smallie as my best fish of the day.

It feels good to be out on the streams again and hope to put in alot of water time this summer.

Pictures from around the Homestead

A Brown Thrasher has a nest somewhere between the house and the manshed, but it remains hidden to me.

 Several evenings ago while the dogs were out and about Dance, my mountain cur, brought us a turtle that she had found in her wanderings.

It was the smallest box turtle that I have ever seen although not a new borne by any means. These pics doesn't do justice to the brilliant colors of it's shell.

It soon became bored in it's shell and was ready to get on with it's life.

This morning we had visitors in the lane. We prefer to let the our land "grow naturally" and only trim back the lane when limbs begin to rub against the vehicles. We often see does but this encounter was a pleasant surprise.

 Someone's thirsty.

Finally after a suitable number of pics were taken Mom decides it's time to move on.