Blue Liner Flows Review | USGS Stream Gauges
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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April Fly Fishing in Northcentral Pennsylvania: Zoom Presentation
Are you getting ready for fly fishing this spring? Join Dave Allbaugh and Dave Kile as they take a look at April fly fishing in the northern tier of Pennsylvania. Dave Allbaugh a Johnstown native, licensed guide, and experienced angler in Northcentral Pennsylvania since the 1970s. Dave is widely known for his unique expertise in wet fly fishing and tying.
With spring just getting started, the April hatches offer up some of the first opportunities to plan for some much-anticipated fly fishing. We will take a look at where, when, and how to make the most of the early spring fly fishing season on streams like Kettle Creek, First Fork and Big Pine.
So grab a beverage, kick back and enjoy a fun presentation on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at 7:00 pm.
Topics will include:
Northern Tier streams
April hatches
Flies and streamers
Your questions and answers
Audience: Beginner and intermediate anglers
Presenter: Dave Allbaugh, Wet Fly Waterguides
Hosted by: Dave Kile, Founder of Paflyfish
There is limited space and registration is required in advance for this Zoom meeting: http://bit.ly/3r2mbHg
This is a free educational program and will be recorded. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Dave Allbaugh at The Fly Fishing Show
First Fork in Potter County
With spring just getting started, the April hatches offer up some of the first opportunities to plan for some much-anticipated fly fishing. We will take a look at where, when, and how to make the most of the early spring fly fishing season on streams like Kettle Creek, First Fork and Big Pine.
So grab a beverage, kick back and enjoy a fun presentation on Thursday, March 18, 2021, at 7:00 pm.
Topics will include:
Northern Tier streams
April hatches
Flies and streamers
Your questions and answers
Audience: Beginner and intermediate anglers
Presenter: Dave Allbaugh, Wet Fly Waterguides
Hosted by: Dave Kile, Founder of Paflyfish
There is limited space and registration is required in advance for this Zoom meeting: http://bit.ly/3r2mbHg
This is a free educational program and will be recorded. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Dave Allbaugh at The Fly Fishing Show
First Fork in Potter County
Fly Fishing Getting Started - Stoneflies
In the Western states, stoneflies are held in high esteem as anglers anxiously anticipate them for their large numbers and size (Video). Generally, stoneflies are the largest of all insects that live in the water.
Like many insects, stoneflies have a successful lifecycle that dates back over 250 million years to the Permian Period and not much about them has changed.
Stoneflies have the characteristic six legs of insects, but four wings that are folded flat on top of the abdomen. Coloration is black, brown, yellow and tan. Despite 200 million years of evolution, they are considered awkward fliers.
Some general lifecycle traits of all species start with the females depositing hundreds of tiny eggs over a stream that quickly find their way to the bottom among the rocks. Nymphs then grow and molt 12-36 times before leaving the water. Some species can require up to three years before they mature into adults. As nymphs, they can be found under rocks feeding on algae, mosses and even other aquatic invertebrates.
While Mayflies and caddis flies emerge out of the water, most stoneflies hatch from the shoreline. Each species varies, but stoneflies will swim to the banks and crawl out of the water onto rocks or plants to molt into winged adult insects. Stoneflies are regarded as more nocturnal and you will more likely see the...
Great Budget Action Camera - AKASO Brave 7 LE + GIVEAWAY
Fairly often on Paflyfish, a thread starts up in the forum about what’s the best camera to use while fly fishing. Many traditional cameras are often suggested and I have gone through my share of high-end to smartphone cameras while on the water. I even tried an action camera several years ago. Everyone has their requirements, but I recently have had a chance to try out the AKASO Brave 7 LE and offer some ideas on how it may be a fit for anglers. AKASO approached me about a review but did not ask for any conditions on what I could say about the product. Anglers are looking for several things when it comes to using a camera on the stream. Most importantly we need something waterproof, on the small side, convenient, affordable, and fast to capture an image. With all the gear we are lugging around it can be cumbersome to add another item to our vest, bag, or hanging around our neck. All cameras offer challenges to meeting our needs and then providing easy access to capturing a picture of that awesome wild brook trout we want to share with others. I know I feel like a juggler managing the net, trout, rod, camera to capture the image at just the right angle.
I have used many different cameras and failed more than once. Some experiences are better than others. My favorite was taking a picture of a real nice brown on Penns Creek last spring with my iPhone, falling into the water while still holding the fish and dropping the phone. Nice! But I have dropped my phone in a stream before, so I’m getting pretty good at the mistake.
The AKASO Brave 7 LE offers some nice features to consider in lieu of a traditional camera or iPhone. Functionality includes: 4k video, camera, time-lapse, slow motion, still burst, driving mode, 6 axis stabilization, smartphone remote control, and a variety of video resolutions and frame...
About US
With over 10,000 registered members, 250,000 unique visitors, and 3,500,000 page views a year Paflyfish has a very enthusiastic community. Members include of course beginners, experienced anglers, authors, guides, fly shop owners, scientists, conservationists, and trout bums. The website consists of several community resources including Blog, Forum, Stream Reports, Stream Locations, Maps, Photo Sections, and Polls. The forum is a very enthusiastic community that is not only knowledgeable but very passionate.
The Paflyfish activities extend offline as well to include beginner clinics, fly tying workshops, fly fishing meet-ups, support to conservation efforts, and other on-site events. Many of the activities are informally organized by members anxious to help share with others.
Paflyfish was created by Dave Kile initially as a way for anglers to find fly fishing locations across the Pennsylvania region and a way to give back like those who had helped him first get started.
Dave grew up in Southeast Pennsylvania and first got started fishing with his father as soon as he could pick up a Zebco rod. Spring times were spent trout fishing in the Poconos and summer family vacations were largemouth bass opportunities in Canada.
While attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) he was first introduced to fly fishing. The friends who took the time to teach him how to fly fish were a significant inspiration for Paflyfish. After graduating with a degree and a concentration in digital cartography, Dave pursued a technology career that initially landed him a position with...
Trout Carvings - January 2021 by MathFish
Just sharing my newest fish carvings. Last weekend, I started 3 fish and carved them on and off throughout the week. This weekend, I painted all three. It was a nice way to spend some time inside watching the snow happen out my window.
The first trout was a brookie carving I made as a thank you gift for a friend of mine who really helped me out this past fall. I based it off of a trout I caught a few years ago. I'm happy with how it turned out and I almost wanted to keep it for myself.
The brookie that the carving is based on
Here is the painted carving.
Next, I decided to make a California Golden Trout. This carving is based off of photos I found online of them. I made a pinewood derby car of one of these trout, but this is my first attempt at carving the fish without wheels. This fish took my about 4 hours to paint. I told my wife that I plan to one day get out fish for these.
...Mayfly Sex Identification: Male or Female
Rolling thru my mayfly photos I was able to take many pictures at one of the Spring Jams two years ago. I wanted to demonstrate the differences between spinner (imago) male and female. These two coffin flies (Ephemera guttulata ) attached show these differences.
Male (left photo)
Long forelegs
Rear claspers or forceps at the rear of the body
Eyes on a male tend to be larger and more bulbus
Female (right photo)
Short fore wing
Forceps do not exist
Smaller flatter eyes
Try Some Winter Fly Fishing
With colder weather, many give up on angling, but with the fall clean-up finished it can be a good time to explore new fly fishing opportunities. December is the time to get a new fishing license and break out a map.
Where
No secrets, but there are plenty of streams across the region that are open year-round that are often stocked in the fall or have naturally reproducing trout. Some really good opportunities can be found in the limestone spring feed streams too. They generally hold good water temperatures and some of the more challenging fly fishing opportunities. Take a little time and do some research for something new there are plenty of places to explore here in the forums!
When
Any day works as compared to moving your old soccer trophies in the basement. No sense waiting for that late evening sulphur hatch because that ain't gonna happen. On mild winter days, your best bet is late morning through mid-day. Trout are going to be the most active when they get a chance to warm up a little (whatever that means when the water is 47 degrees). Certainly, it will not be at the crack of dawn so a little sun on the water often helps, but not required.
Flies
If you are lucky on a warm day you may find a BWO hatch or some stoneflies coming off. This is rare and will only happen on the warmest of days. So most of your time you spend chucking some lead. Everybody has their favorites and truly it depends on the stream. My approach to each stream is a little different. I often start with some streamers or woolly buggers. For stocked streams, I like San Juan worms, bead head nymphs and dare I say the dreaded green weenie when I get desperate (after standing in cold water that happens [IMG align="right"...
Where Can I Fly Fish?
The spectrum of opportunities is pretty remarkable. Generally, you can find streams across the state stocked with millions of trout every year by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC). There are hundreds of miles of fragile backwoods waterways with native wild brook trout. There are magnificent-looking streams teaming with natural reproducing brown trout. To add to the opportunity, the region is blessed with a mix of freestone and limestone streams with a wide variety of aquatic life that trout thrive on. Every part of the state has its own unique waterways.
To help, Paflyfish is chocked full of maps, tips, news, stories, and conversations already at your fingertips. Pennsylvania is a sizable state so starting with the Pennsylvania Trout Streams section under the site menu is a good place to begin. The map identifies all the special regulation streams that are ideal for fly fishing. Other types of streams are explained and linked to their locations.
The best advice I can offer for the site is to take the time to do a little research in the forums. Stream Reports can usually yield a string of information. There are plenty of guides, trout bums, locals, scientists, and enthusiasts who hang out here. Don't jump onto the site and make your first post, Where do I fish in Potter County? This approach does not build a lot of trust with other members. Take some time to participate and then ask some good specific...
Reflections: Paflyfish 25 Years Online (Part 1)
I think the Grateful Dead said it best, “What a long, strange trip it's been.” While it’s only been 25 years, it has been a very strange trip. December 1995 was when I first started up an old desktop Macintosh computer and turned it into a web server running a program called Webstar. The website was only capable of serving up a few pages of HTML code and GIF files for the 67 Pennsylvania county fishing maps that were on the site. The Netscape web browser was the latest thing for anyone that had dial-up access to the World Wide Web. At the time there was no Google, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) website or much of anything else for that matter.
I think the first month online in December of 1995 the site was overwhelmed with 200 hits. The fact anyone found the site and looked at a few pages was fascinating in itself.
The concept to create the site was more of a personal desire to share the locations online of many of the streams I had found across the state in my early days of fly fishing. There were many fine books written sharing great detail on the topic, but I wanted to experiment with my own effort of creating something more visual online. The early online maps were very crude with some limited information about roads and streams. Nothing anyone could print off and use as navigation, more of a high-level thing if you wanted to simply explore an area and then you had to get out your Delorme Atlas to plan your trip.
My early fly fishing experiences were spent running around the state with my friends Ron Kolman and Greg Sipos. The two of them took the time to show me where and how to fly fish...