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Paflyfish

Blue Liner Flows Review | USGS Stream Gauges

Jun 18

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Traveling more than an hour to go fly fishing often requires some planning. Weather and water levels are the two most important variables to understand before heading out. Everyone has their favorite weather apps, but this year more than ever, having a good understanding of water levels has been non-negotiable.

All water level data originates from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Surface-Water Data, which monitors over 13,000 stream gauges across the U.S. and more than 350 in Pennsylvania. The USGS has been transitioning to a new online interface over the past five-plus years. The updated look and feel have left some old features behind while adding new ones. I hate it.

So, I’ve been on the hunt for a desktop and mobile app that delivers USGS backend data through a clean, easy-to-use interface. Blue Liner Flows offers a solid solution for iPhone, iPad and Mac users, with apps built for both platforms. Most importantly, favorites and preferences sync across devices. There’s a free version, but I’ll be reviewing the $6.99 annual paid version.

Key features include: favorites, state selection, map view, latest data overview, discharge in CFS, discharge in feet, average annual discharge, various time views, weather forecasts, alerts, temperatures (station-dependent), turbidity (station-dependent), and other data specific to each gauge.

I found the app very easy to set up on my Mac. Once configured, all my favorites and alerts synced automatically to my iPhone. You don’t need both devices—an iPhone alone works just fine. I especially liked navigating between the state, favorites, and map views. It’s fast and intuitive. Most views display the key information I’m looking for, including directional arrows indicating whether water levels are rising or falling.

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2013 Fly Fishing Jamboree and Meetup

May 13

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Over the past 18 years one of the best things to come out of the site are meetups and the annual Paflyfish Spring Jamboree. The Spring Jamboree is our annual get together to fish, camp, tie flies and discuss the one that got away. Over the years we have found an accommodating campground in Central Pennsylvania for us all to meet and camp for the weekend. I wouldn't even call it an exclusive Pennsylvania event with folks coming from Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Florida. Some photo's over the years are here.

We have a lot of fun fishing over some of Pennsylvania's finest streams. If the Green Drakes often hatching and many head over to Penns Creek. Other streams the Little J, Spruce, Fishing and Spring Creek all offer some of the best in class fishing in the region. In some years it has rained, well every year, and there are many alternatives to the bigger named streams as well.

This year is no exception and members on the forum are making plans to meet the weekend of May 17-19, 2013 at Seven Mountains Campground in Spring Mills, Pennsylvania. Please contact them if you would like to stay there that weekend. They have a limited number of cabins and campsites.

We are working on more details but often we will have guest speakers, casting lessons, fly tying lessons, gear swaps and cool gear to check out.

Friday, May 17th
Jam attendees often start arriving throughout the day if they haven't arrived earlier in the week. We don't have use of the pavilion until 3:00 PM on Friday. Stop by after 3:00PM to help or meet others trying to get back out on the water.

Saturday, May 18th...

Paflyfish

Team Paflyfish Brings it Home!!

May 04

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Well I just received an email from Shane on the latest from the Harman Invitational. Phil ended the day on Friday having caught the biggest trout of the day. This put them into a good spot to start the day on Saturday. The day ended with Shane sharing the following line: "We brought it home!"

Here is Shane and Phil during their interview with Curtis Fleming from the Outdoor Channel

Congratulation to Shane "SBecker" Becker and Phil "PhilC" Chadbourn for their efforts this weekend and representing Paflyfish. More details when the guys get back home and to some cell coverage!!

Paflyfish

The Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum Grand Opening 2013

Apr 25

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By Dave Weaver

Earlier this month, the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum celebrated its grand opening and many from our PAFF community were in attendance. This museum, as many of you know, has been an accumulating collection of our state’s legacy anglers’ equipment, papers, and flies etc for many years. Some of the collection has been on temporary loan to various communities around the state including here in Gettysburg. However, some of the best interpretive displays that many of you no doubt are familiar with have been displayed in a small museum located in a hallway in Fairfield Hall on the grounds of the Allenberry Playhouse. These displays are still there although the topic material has been rotated.

In recent years, as the museum’s collection has grown, there has been an effort to secure a larger space with the capacity for better displays showing the full fly tying desks or rod building shops of men like Vince Marinaro or George Harvey. These displays are similar to the ones that can be seen celebrating the Darbies or Wulffs in the Catskill Museum of Fly Fishing. In addition to Marinaro and Harvey, who have larger “rooms,” there are display booths for Joe Humphys, Jim Bashline, Ed Koch, Ed Shenk and several others. Speaking just for myself, when I gaze at the gear collections of so many great and innovative fly fishermen, I’m often struck at how basic and well worn their equipment was. These guys don’t often look as if they were kitted out with the latest high end stuff from the latest trendy catalog. In any event, if you’d like to check out the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum’s website where you can see more pics of the museum, please hit: http://www.paflyfishing.org/.
You can also join or support the museum association.

It’s a wonderful museum - kudos to the volunteers from the museum association who have worked so hard for so long to bring this new museum wing to fruition for us to enjoy. If you’re joining me for the 8...

Paflyfish

Winter Photo Contest Awards 2013

Apr 04

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It is always a lot of fun when members share their images from the stream. I love photography and try to capture those moments on the stream when I am fly fishing. So this winter we held a photo contest to add to the fun this winter.

Allen Fly Fishing sponsored our event this season and offered up some of their fine rods for our winners. I want to thank them for their support of the contest. Anglers can find out more about the complete line of rods, reels, hooks and lines that Allen Fly Fishing offers here.

So our judges enjoyed the many entries by members with the contest. Our first place goes to Dshee1 with Steelhead Beauty and wins the ATS 9'0" 5wt.

Second place to Tomitrout with Anticipation and wins the ATS 7'6" 3wt.

Finally and honorable mention by Studiomule for Snowman and is awarded the Compass 9'0" 5wt.

I want to thank all the participants who dared the cold and entered the contest. Thanks to our moderators/judges for their voting and of course Allen Fly Fishing for providing the rods to our three winners.

Winners please PM with your contact info.

No specific plans yet, but hoping to announce another contest this year. So keep those fly fishing images coming this spring and summer!

Paflyfish

2013 PAFF Instructional Jamboree (aka Newbie Jam)

Mar 25

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Heritage Angler, Pcray(in the photo) and Foxgap239 put together the planning for another Newbie Jam on March 16. One of the several meet ups every through out the year that members on the site put together to fish or provide instruction.

The focus of the jam was the coaching and training to those new to fly fishing. The Newbie Jam was held at the Wildlands Conservancy's Pool Wildlife Sanctuary in Emmaus, PA on March 16.

Several members here from Paflyfish helped Heritage Angler, Pcray and Foxgap239 to then deliver hands-on training about many different topics including:
• Gear/Setup - “Head to Toe”
• Knot Instruction (hands on)
• Leader Setups
• Entomology (What trout eat, and their imitations)
• Fly Tying For Beginners
• Fly Casting Instruction
• Where to Fish – Types of Streams, and How to Find Them.
• Wild Brook Trout Fishing – Gear, Techniques, Navigation

Also in attendance was site sponsor Michael from Gogal Publishing sharing information about fishing guides.

I very popular event and one that speak volumes to the Paflyfish Community. Heritage Angler summed it up pretty well , "Today reminded me what good friends I've met through PAFF. I hope everyone makes the kind of friends that I've met here. Good fishing buddies are the best kind of friends, and I've been blessed with some truly great ones."

A special thanks to Heritage Angler, Pcray, Foxgap239 and all those who helped put this together.

Paflyfish

Trout Tails From Chile

Mar 13

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I met Bill Kosmer a few years ago on a trip to the Fly Fishing Show in Somerset. I really enjoyed his knowledge and observations with the many conservations issue that our waterways face in the region. His photography also caught my eye. When I heard about Bill heading on a trip to Chile I was sure he would be coming back with some good stories and some fantastic images as well.

With his DSLR cameras and two Contour video cameras he and his friend, Herb Baker, captured their trip into South America. I really enjoy seeing fly fishing from around the world and lucky when we can get a first person point of view from someone in our region share their story. Give yourself a little time to kick back and enjoy Bill's journey fly fishing in Chile from February 2013.

About Bill -
Bill’s passion for fly fishing and photography was set in motion at an early age by his father. He spent most of his childhood days fishing the mountain freestone streams of his home waters of North Central Pennsylvania. Since those early days, the pursuit of wild trout has become a lifestyle for Bill. Over the last 20 years, camera and fly rod in hand, he has traveled extensively to fuel his passion for pursuing wild trout in remote locations from southern Chile to Montana to the backwoods of PA. His photos and writings have also appeared in the Drake and several newsletters and catalogs. He has given numerous presentations on his adventures and is an active member with the Doc Fritchey Chapter of Trout Unlimited in Harrisburg, PA, giving back to the resources he values so much. Bill is also an accomplished fly-tier and licensed guide. You can follow Bill further on his blog Trout Tails.

Paflyfish

Hank Patterson's Fly Tying 101

Mar 08

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I'll also add that the males are overall, noticeably smaller than the females.
Often, when the hatch is just beginning - the males are the first to emerge. And a smaller pattern is required to match the hatch then

Paflyfish

2013 Winter Photo Contest - Reminder

Mar 04

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I like lightweight reels.

For regular PA trout fishing- the reel is little more than something that holds the line.

I have never been into my backing on a trout stream- maybe someday.

Steelhead and Salt- "now for something completely different"

Paflyfish

Mods Day Out

Feb 25

4,195
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That's a good bit of info there. My knot tying is up to par and I've got a technique I use for blood knots that only takes about 4 hands and your mouth, but it gets the job done in about 20 seconds.

Even the best of fly casters get knots, so check your line periodically throughout the day. Don't leave wind knots in your line! All that time you spent to present the perfect fly, on the perfect line and perfectly get the fish to perfectly take it, only to have a wind knot break on you is not worth it.

I also implement the "if the fly takes me less time to retrieve from said tree/rock than it takes me to tie another one at the vise, then go get it!" theory.

Paflyfish

Product Review - Fishpond Pawnee Gear Bag

Feb 20

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I had been looking for a wader and boot bag for quite some time. For over twenty years I was using a 5 gallon plastic paint bucket as my boot storage of choice. I store my gear in the garage and after continually finding stinkbugs in my boots along with a few cracks in my beloved bucket, I figured it was time to get serious about a real bag.

Last March I finally settled on the Fishpond Pawnee Gear Bag. It served the perfect combination of storing my boots on the bottom and waders in a separate top compartment. There is an extra gear compartment to stash plenty of other fly fishing boxes and other gear.

The bag is well built out of nylon with sturdy large zippers to access the different storage areas. The bottom boot compartment also holds a fold-out padded changing mat. The base storage area for the boots is nicely ventilated all he way around.

I have used the bag for almost a year now and very pleased with the value build quality. The large top wide mouth open provides easy access to stash my waders quickly and easily. A shoulder strap makes it easy to haul around as I usually bring enough gear when I fish to make Lewis and Clark jealous.

I like the size and large anvil style opening. I paid list price at $139.00 which may put off some, but it is well built and see it lasting a long time and a solid investment. All and all a good purchase and one I would suggest

Paflyfish

Argentina 2013 Fishing Trip Report: Patagonia Trout and Golden Dorado

Feb 11

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Last night on tully, I had success with BH emerald caddis pupa. 15 strikes, 7 sets, 3 to hand (my highstick nymphing is coming along slowly, I was unable to make good sets but I'm getting there) in the 45min I was able to fish before a thunderstorm pushed them down and me out. So nice article, very apropos as I agree that I also over look the caddis both "up-top" and "below" when fishing some of these streams that really have good populations. Nice article!

Paflyfish

The Fly Fishing Show - Somerset 2013 Recap

Jan 28

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That is one beautiful Maryland Tailwater Fishery he is demonstrating on. :-D

Paflyfish

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