Busy at the Vise

Since I got home from school last Friday, I have been busy with working in the shop, the hectic mess that is Christmas time, but mostly with tying flies.  I picked up a new Cliff's Bugger Beast the other day and I have been tying like a mad man to fill it.  As of now, I'm at a little over 60 new articulated streamers (some with multiple articulation points) and I'm still working hard to get it filled.  There's something great about looking down into a jam packed streamer box full of big, gnarly flies ready to feed to some even bigger, gnarlier browns.  I'm trying to get out to Western PA with the boat this weekend and float a new river that supposedly holds some really, really large browns and a whole bunch of muskies in the same stretch of water... Sounds like paradise to me!  With a little luck, I might even be able to do one my favorite things ever: Strip huge streamers from a boat on big water in a snow storm.  (Yeah, it has to be that specific!) Here is a little sneak peek of what I've been tying.  Hopefully, I'll have some cool pictures from the float to post if I can make it work and get out there.  Hope everyone had a great holiday with family and friends and remember, it's never to cold to go fishing, so get out there and catch some fish!

For some perspective, the top left fly is about 6.5" long. 

The greatest articulated streamer hook ever designed.

Low and Slow Day on Penns

This past Saturday, my buddy Justin and I headed over to Penns creek to take advantage of the improving conditions after the small rain storm that passed through State College.  While we still had below average flows, we did receive some water and we decided to give it a go.  We fished for most of the day, and while the fishing was FAR from great, we still each managed to land a couple fish and just enjoy being out on the water.  Here are just a few pictures from the trip.

First fish of the day... and it was HARD earned

Nice view of Penns

Another stream shot

Another nice Penns fish

As much as it pained me to do it, the egg was killing them

Justin wayyyy up there working a nice riffle