So between turkey hunting on Friday and Saturday, I hung up in northern NJ at a hotel for the weekend and met up with Doug for some trout fishing on Sunday morning. Weather was absolutely beautiful, perfect day...clear, blue skies...temps in the mid 80s, probably the best day of spring thus far...if you can consider what we've had so far really spring.
Anyway, we decided to start off at the Rockaway River off Route 15. First time I've fished the stream, and first time Doug has ever fished with waders...in fact he just got them last week. As it turns out, just making those size 16 waders created a shortage of rubber in India. It was money and rubber well spent, as I had an opportunity to introduce Doug to stream fishing, ala a crash course. Started the morning off getting suited up, got to talk to a local old timer or two that flyfished the stretch and got some insight into some patterns, although Doug and I were bait fishing today, I thought it might be useful if I chose to return. We start off in a small pool below a mini waterfall break...seemed like a great spot, took me a few casts to figure out the speed of the water and present it just right, as I roll a fish shortly after arriving. Next cast, I hook into and land a nice rainbow. Next cast, miss another one, slight roll. Next case, I hook and land another nice rainbow. Doug hasn't had a hit yet, so I tell him to come up and explain to him how to present the bait just right...where to cast, how to drift it just right, etc...and BAM, he hooks and lands a nice rainbow too! 3 fish out of the pool and two others rolled in about 5 minutes time. The day is starting off right! We fish the pool for a little while, but no more hits for me...Doug had one but couldn't induce a follow-up strike, so we opt to move down. The banks are thick, infested with briars...with a minimal trail going through. To me, that's good news! Why? Because it tells me it isn't a well traveled path and most guys probably aren't going very far downstream. With the heavy rains, I expect to find a nice pool absolutely packed with leftover fish! So off we go to search for the hidden, downstream pools. We fish the next 1/3 mile or so and don't come across a single piece of "good" water really. Despite the high conditions, pretty low water in many spots...super clear which is beautiful but the sun penetrates to a very visible and semi light colorer bottom everywhere. We fished it quick in many parts, not getting a single hit. Then we hit a small pool and cut about 20 feet long...and get nothing but creek chubs to hit. Say what?!?! How can there NOT be a trout in this little pool...it's the first one we've come across that is near certain the hold one. We fish it for a bit, nothing...and move down. Then we hit the daddy pool...I mean the pool I've been looking for ALL morning...one that should CERTAINLY hold at least 20+ trout. It's big, deep, and really the only deep, dark pool we've come across in nearly 1/3 mile of stream. I'm pumped, I know there has to be a big boy in there. We fish it for 30 minutes without a hit from anything but a single chub. How in the world?!?!? That is the kinda pool off the beaten path, way down and takes some walking to get to and there were no footprints around, no signs of fishing...should be one of those hidden jems just overwhelmed with fish...yet we couldn't catch anything there, cycling through baits left and right...and nothing. We were totally shocked...and dejected, so we left and headed back upstream. We fished a large "main" pool way up by the parking area for the next hour, I think I caught two more rainbows out of there, missed a couple others and Doug caught a nice brookie there. Things slow down, so we decided to head to the Musky next.
We drove down off Route 57 and hit up some of Doug's old childhook haunts on the Musky he used to fish from shore with his Dad. The stream is HIGH, really high and really fast...almost unfishable in many spots. All of the subdued cuts and shifts in current are now just one singular, swift moving mass with no discernable lies for fish to seek a vantage and fisherman to take advantage. Sure there are fish there, but the trick is keeping the bait in the strike zone long enough or get it close enough to entice a fish to go out in the fast current and snag it. Well, it took some work, but we managed to entice a few hits at the first spot. I landed two more rainbows there which subsequently felt like steelhead in the current, so that was fun. Doug had a few hits but didn't manage any hookups. The humor (looking back) of this spot was twofold. We have one gentleman that decided to fish from the TOP of the bridge and cast down to our left, and then we had his buddy, an old timer, who fished from shore and casted ACROSS all three of our lines into the pool. I mean...wow...here you have this whole river, and this is the only spot you guys can come to? And you have to cast across our lines to get to the fish? ACK! Well, the poor old man spent more time catching the trees above him than fish...I wasn't sure whether to feel bad for him amidst his cursing sprees or feel like maybe he deserved it a little. I felt bad about the later, and after some Paul Bunyan-like, frustration induced clear cutting of the trees around him, he could suddenly cast, unhindered...perfectly across our lines. Doug and I decided to leave shortly after and try another spot. We move upstream a bit to hit another area. The pool looks promising, but as we get down to the water, we fish it for a short while and realize quickly that it's pretty much way too fast and surging to catch out of without maybe tying a sash weight on to hold bottom. We opt not to and decide to head home...partially because we are tired, but mostly because we are now rock lobster red in the arms from the sun beating down on us all day. I'm not sure how he is feeling but I feel like I spent a day roasting on the BBQ...at least my arms do. Ah well, it was worth it...great day out on the water with good ol' Doug! Was great getting out with him and *trying* to show him the ropes of stream fishing for trout. Hopefully with better conditions, our next trip will be a bit more successful.
On the day, I wound up with 6 rainbows and Doug wound up with 1 rainbow and 1 brookie...each of us missed a few fish as well.
Hopefully we can get out a few more times, and once he gets the hang of it, I'd like to break him into the fly fishing world...it's definitely quite awesome and I know he'll enjoy it!
Well here's some pics on the day...
Doug and I arrive...he's ready for his first time in waders...
![Image]()
Couple shots of the Rockaway River...
![Image]()
![Image]()
Doug, trying out the waders...
![Image]()
Hey dude, that's a might fine vest...you just get that? Note the tag behind his left arm...hahaha!
![Image]()
My first rainbow of the season...
![Image]()
And my second...
![Image]()
Another shot...
![Image]()
Doug with his first fish on...
![Image]()
And Doug with his second one on...
![Image]()
This one didn't want his picture taken...
![Image]()
Probably the same fish...
![Image]()
Another nice shot...
![Image]()
Doug, catching some rays, feeding the fish on the Musky...
![Image]()
The pool and current we were fishing on the Musky...
![Image]()
Another shot of the Musky, same spot...
![Image]()
One of the two rainbows I caught at that spot...
![Image]()
And a final shot of Doug with the stringer...some good eatin!
![Image]()
Well that's all folks, until next time...
Anyway, we decided to start off at the Rockaway River off Route 15. First time I've fished the stream, and first time Doug has ever fished with waders...in fact he just got them last week. As it turns out, just making those size 16 waders created a shortage of rubber in India. It was money and rubber well spent, as I had an opportunity to introduce Doug to stream fishing, ala a crash course. Started the morning off getting suited up, got to talk to a local old timer or two that flyfished the stretch and got some insight into some patterns, although Doug and I were bait fishing today, I thought it might be useful if I chose to return. We start off in a small pool below a mini waterfall break...seemed like a great spot, took me a few casts to figure out the speed of the water and present it just right, as I roll a fish shortly after arriving. Next cast, I hook into and land a nice rainbow. Next cast, miss another one, slight roll. Next case, I hook and land another nice rainbow. Doug hasn't had a hit yet, so I tell him to come up and explain to him how to present the bait just right...where to cast, how to drift it just right, etc...and BAM, he hooks and lands a nice rainbow too! 3 fish out of the pool and two others rolled in about 5 minutes time. The day is starting off right! We fish the pool for a little while, but no more hits for me...Doug had one but couldn't induce a follow-up strike, so we opt to move down. The banks are thick, infested with briars...with a minimal trail going through. To me, that's good news! Why? Because it tells me it isn't a well traveled path and most guys probably aren't going very far downstream. With the heavy rains, I expect to find a nice pool absolutely packed with leftover fish! So off we go to search for the hidden, downstream pools. We fish the next 1/3 mile or so and don't come across a single piece of "good" water really. Despite the high conditions, pretty low water in many spots...super clear which is beautiful but the sun penetrates to a very visible and semi light colorer bottom everywhere. We fished it quick in many parts, not getting a single hit. Then we hit a small pool and cut about 20 feet long...and get nothing but creek chubs to hit. Say what?!?! How can there NOT be a trout in this little pool...it's the first one we've come across that is near certain the hold one. We fish it for a bit, nothing...and move down. Then we hit the daddy pool...I mean the pool I've been looking for ALL morning...one that should CERTAINLY hold at least 20+ trout. It's big, deep, and really the only deep, dark pool we've come across in nearly 1/3 mile of stream. I'm pumped, I know there has to be a big boy in there. We fish it for 30 minutes without a hit from anything but a single chub. How in the world?!?!? That is the kinda pool off the beaten path, way down and takes some walking to get to and there were no footprints around, no signs of fishing...should be one of those hidden jems just overwhelmed with fish...yet we couldn't catch anything there, cycling through baits left and right...and nothing. We were totally shocked...and dejected, so we left and headed back upstream. We fished a large "main" pool way up by the parking area for the next hour, I think I caught two more rainbows out of there, missed a couple others and Doug caught a nice brookie there. Things slow down, so we decided to head to the Musky next.
We drove down off Route 57 and hit up some of Doug's old childhook haunts on the Musky he used to fish from shore with his Dad. The stream is HIGH, really high and really fast...almost unfishable in many spots. All of the subdued cuts and shifts in current are now just one singular, swift moving mass with no discernable lies for fish to seek a vantage and fisherman to take advantage. Sure there are fish there, but the trick is keeping the bait in the strike zone long enough or get it close enough to entice a fish to go out in the fast current and snag it. Well, it took some work, but we managed to entice a few hits at the first spot. I landed two more rainbows there which subsequently felt like steelhead in the current, so that was fun. Doug had a few hits but didn't manage any hookups. The humor (looking back) of this spot was twofold. We have one gentleman that decided to fish from the TOP of the bridge and cast down to our left, and then we had his buddy, an old timer, who fished from shore and casted ACROSS all three of our lines into the pool. I mean...wow...here you have this whole river, and this is the only spot you guys can come to? And you have to cast across our lines to get to the fish? ACK! Well, the poor old man spent more time catching the trees above him than fish...I wasn't sure whether to feel bad for him amidst his cursing sprees or feel like maybe he deserved it a little. I felt bad about the later, and after some Paul Bunyan-like, frustration induced clear cutting of the trees around him, he could suddenly cast, unhindered...perfectly across our lines. Doug and I decided to leave shortly after and try another spot. We move upstream a bit to hit another area. The pool looks promising, but as we get down to the water, we fish it for a short while and realize quickly that it's pretty much way too fast and surging to catch out of without maybe tying a sash weight on to hold bottom. We opt not to and decide to head home...partially because we are tired, but mostly because we are now rock lobster red in the arms from the sun beating down on us all day. I'm not sure how he is feeling but I feel like I spent a day roasting on the BBQ...at least my arms do. Ah well, it was worth it...great day out on the water with good ol' Doug! Was great getting out with him and *trying* to show him the ropes of stream fishing for trout. Hopefully with better conditions, our next trip will be a bit more successful.
On the day, I wound up with 6 rainbows and Doug wound up with 1 rainbow and 1 brookie...each of us missed a few fish as well.
Hopefully we can get out a few more times, and once he gets the hang of it, I'd like to break him into the fly fishing world...it's definitely quite awesome and I know he'll enjoy it!
Well here's some pics on the day...
Doug and I arrive...he's ready for his first time in waders...
Couple shots of the Rockaway River...
Doug, trying out the waders...
Hey dude, that's a might fine vest...you just get that? Note the tag behind his left arm...hahaha!
My first rainbow of the season...
And my second...
Another shot...
Doug with his first fish on...
And Doug with his second one on...
This one didn't want his picture taken...
Probably the same fish...
Another nice shot...
Doug, catching some rays, feeding the fish on the Musky...
The pool and current we were fishing on the Musky...
Another shot of the Musky, same spot...
One of the two rainbows I caught at that spot...
And a final shot of Doug with the stringer...some good eatin!
Well that's all folks, until next time...
