welcome
Healing on the Albany 2009 was a Huge Success!
Once again the good folks at Wilderness North came through for the troops of Project Healing Waters. We had a great time in Northern Ontario's Boreal Forest chasing Brookies, Pike and Walleye at the Miminiska Lake Lodge. Soldier On Canada sent us 5 wounded Canadian soldiers to join 4 veteran PHW participants for a week of fly fishing and fun. The First Nations guides from Fort Hope really added to the whole event and made me very, very glad to live in North America.
Since HOTA 2008 PHW has expanded from 18 to 68 regional chapters and opened up for business in Canada under the watchful eye of Kerry Pitt, our Canadian Coordinator. This event was our first official cross-border international trip and based on the results it won't be the last.
Krista and Alan Cheeseman were awarded the Patriot award for their extremely generous donations over the past two years. It is one thing to give when times are fat and the wallets are open but it really shows some character to do the same thing during an economic downturn like we are currently experiencing. I can't thank them enough for all they have done.
I am now back to the small streams of Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York but I will keep dreaming about 2 foot long footballs in the Boreal Forest.
For more information, email us at phwtrip@nativebrooktrout.com
Read the story of last summers trip here here.
Click here for the photo gallery of the 2008 trip.
Football Sized Brookies!
We just returned from Lake Miminiska and the first 2008 trip of Albany River Adventures. When Tom Doolittle of Charlotte, NC saw the posting for these trips he didn't hesitate and booked the Grand Slam for the last week of May; prime time for trophy brookies. I knew this would be a good trip but I had no idea that the numbers would be so high and the fish so huge. Our smallest fish was a puny 19" inches with a 23" lunker and this 21" football in the mix. You know it is something special when you line up an 8 weight for brook trout and still feel a little under-gunned. Read all about Tom's dream adventure here or just visit the photo gallery to see the results. You can book trips just like Tom's; just click Albany River Adventures to learn more.
A Good Spring!
The spring rains have provided us with either great fishing or blown out conditions. After the terrible droughts of the past years, it is hard to complain. A few noteable events from the Spring. I took my friend RC to a very cool spot in the Shenandoah a few weeks back. A couple of weeks later RC invited his cousin Rob down from NY to try his hand at Southern Natives and he scored big by catching a 13" fish out of my favorite spot; a cool slot canyon way up in the SNP. Despite Rob's extensive fly fishing experience, this was his first brook ever. His casting skills were the ticket to getting his two weight to the back wall of the canyon where the fish was hanging just below a waterfall.
Here is an entertaining clip. No he isn't a midget. Just someone who got an early start.
If you have any questions, comments or ideas you can write us at : feedback@nativebrooktrout.com. We look forward to fishing with you in 2008.
Fish on!
Mark Snyder, Webcaster
features
Cabin Fever Steelhead
A frigid trip to chase away the winter blues in Erie, PA.
Albany River Log
Notes from a dream trip to Lake Miminiska with the folks from Wilderness North.
Making the Connection
How to make line/leader/backing connections with the Gray's Loop
Sage SLT Rod Build
An online rod building project.
Topo Maps & Scouting
A look at topographic maps and using them to find native brook trout.
October Wulff™ Instructions
Take a look at this easy to see, versatile Wulff variation. My current favorite for chasing natives on small mountain streams.
Beadhead Micro-Bugger Instructions
A little wooly bugger for little mountain streams. Great early spring fly and very easy to tie.
