Their on the Move

Woodcock have been scarce in my coverts for the first several weeks of the season. It's been hot and dry but superstorm Sandy changed all that. Yesterday Emma had 2 points in a local covert with me getting a shot at one but missing. Today we traveled northward to try several coverts. The first one was empty, but the second one gave us 3 nice points. I missed the 1st two woodcock as they lay in tight cover and almost let me step on them but the 3rd one Emma pointed was in more open cover and I finally connected for my first bird of the year.

Emma has turned into quite the camera ham.

1st day outing with Jim-Bob

My nephew Jim and I headed to the Shawnee covert for a short afternoon hunt today, the 1st day of the grouse and woodcock season here in Pa. Today was also the 1st day of a week long muzzleloader-doe only season so that limited our places to hunt. The hot dry weather made the leaves sound like cornflakes as we walked into the cover and didn't raise our hopes of finding any woodcock here today. Never the less it felt good carrying Colette the little 16 ga. Belgium hammergun through some beautiful-looking woodcock cover.

We were 3/4 of the way through the covert before Zeke's beeper finally went on point mode. Jim made it to the point first and I heard a single shot from his 12 ga. over and under. When I finally reached the scene of the point Jim was walking in circles encouraging the dogs to "find the bird". We searched thoroughly but couldn't find the woodcock even though Jim was sure as to where it had fallen. We even looked in the hawthorns to be sure it didn't get "hung up" in its fall. The dogs began to widen their circles and I began to get that sickening feeling that the bird was lost. Then Jim found some feathers on the ground and we searched with renewed vigor. Finally Jim looked up again and there in the top of the tallest hawthorn was his bird.

After much tree shaking the woodcock was in his hand and the dogs were shown their trophy.

We soon came to the woods road that would lead us back to the truck and we walked out with Jim's one woodcock, not much to some people but we were happy with a solid point, a good shot, and a bird that was nearly not found.

Catching Up

A trip last Sunday up to the West Branch of the Susquehanna yielded several average sized fish including this one.

Only 10 or 11 inches long she was a beauty regardless of her size. A yellowish-gold color with a black trimmed tail and very red eyes, I've never caught one quite this color before.

Monday morning found me on my favorite stream and she didn't disappoint me.

After several average sized fish she gave up this beauty. 17 inches of fighting muscle.

A bit of moss was all that was needed for this weed to take seed on the top of this rock.

Last Friday morning found me knee deep in the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. The bite was slow with mostly rockbass inhaling my bait. But this big boy made the morning worth while.

For awhile I thought that he might wade right over to me, but he must have decided that the eating looked better on his side.

Chalmer & Martha Together Again

Growing up on a farm my wife's dad worked the land with 2 tractors, a 861 Ford Powermaster and a 641 Ford Workmaster. After her parents passed away she was able to buy the 861 at the farm sale but the 641 was bought by a farmer that lived down the valley from her home. Over the years she has vowed to someday own the little 641. Last week her vow came true.

The smile says it all.

My wife Janet on "Martha" the 641 named after her mom and Caleb on "Chalmer" the 861  named after her dad. For many years they sat side by side in her dad's tractor shed, now they sit side by side in ours.

A Morning Fish with Caleb

Hiked in to the Enchanted Pool section of the creek Sunday morning with Caleb. We stopped and tried the Deep Pool section on the way up the creek.

A few small Rock Bass were all that we could coax into biting so we moved upstream.

 The Enchanted Pool, as beautiful as ever, was slow to give up any of it's treasures.

I finally was able to hook this 14 incher which turned out to be the best fish of the day.

A Longeared Sunfish proved that it could get a 4 inch plastic worm and 2/0 hook into it's mouth.

Caleb with a small but feisty Smallie in the Long Stretch Pool.

 The Long Stretch gave us the most action today.

A nice healthy Smallmouth. Fish like this make the long walk worth it.

This little fella was fishing on the other side of the creek.

The Cardinal flowers were in bloom giving the creekbank a splash of color.

On the way back downstream this strange fungi caught our attention so I paused for a pic. So our morning ended with no lunkers caught but never the less an enjoyable morning shared with Caleb. Hopefully we'll be able to get out for another adventure before the summer ends

New Water

I fished a new section of stream on Monday morning. The terrain of this stream varies widely from level fields of corn and hay to steep near vertical ridges making some sections very hard to access. This pic doesn't really show the steep descent to the stream but it's the only one I thought to take.

In this pic you see a large rock outcropping on the left side of the stream. Deep water made me climb up the ridge using roots and small trees for handholds.

The water was slightly stained but I managed to catch several nice healthy looking smallies in the 9 to 11 inch range.

Your never alone when your fishing a stream. This little fella was out for a late breakfast.

Then he decided the eating might be better on the other side of the stream.

All to soon my watch said that it was time to head back to the truck. It was a good morning spent on new water and I filed this section of stream in the back of my mind to return again someday.

My Gem

With my big water not giving up many smallmouths I traveled to my little Gem of a stream that never seems to let me down. Although I had planned to walk downstream to the RailRoad pool, I tossed a purple Carrot into the Bridge pool and immediately caught a  feisty 8 inch smallie. It was just a little after 6 AM so the pic is a little dark.

I started upstream into the Bridge pool and never looked back. My first four casts got me two smallies and two missed strikes. After I lost the Carrot to a missed strike I tied on a Mustard Seed Crayfish, the smallies seemed to like it too.

All too soon it too was torn up and was replaced by an Oxblood colored Crayfish. I tossed it farther upstream in the pool and was rewarded with a solid strike. I knew I had a "nice" one as she made the little Daiwa scream with several deep runs through out the pool. Slowly I worked her into the shallows and I had my prize.

17 inches of battling Smallmouth. A nice fish most anywhere, a real trophy in this small stream.

I continued my way upstream catching several more Smallies and RockBass.

I shared the water with an Osprey and a Kingfisher this morning, but this Hummingbird far across the stream was the only one who held still for a pic.

After a couple of hours my back told me it was time to call it a day and head back to the truck. I didn't mind as it had been a wonderful morning with cooperative smallies in a beautiful setting.