The Tow Path

Fly tying season... Tie or buy

2011-02-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

Every year at this time I dig out my fly boxes and take inventory. I make lists of my favorite and best producing flies. I organize the bobbins, spools and tools on the the fly tying table. I realize that today I have more money than time when it comes to flies. And I don't have enough to buy the 3 capes I need to restore the contents of my fly boxes. There was a time when time and money didn't seem as hard to find. Time is so scarce these days.
This year I've taken a critical assessment of my fly stocks only to find that most of my flies are used and real old! Used and old... Over 10 years old! I realize that it's been that long since I've spent much time at the vise. It's funny but that surprised me.

This year my New Years resolution is to get back to serious tying. Not in quantity but quality. Oh and to to buy some of Ivan's beautiful ties at Bright's Shop.

My opener

2010-04-25T05:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday the 24th was my opening day. And it was good. The weather was nice with only slight breezes. Just enough to keep the black flies away but not enough to really screw up too many casts. I met a guy who makes bamboo rods and was fishing a brand new one. A 5 weight. Real nice. I'm not a bamboo sort of guy being a litle clumsy at times but it was a beautiful piece.
I mentioned in an earlier post that I cracked a leg bone this winter and that the idea of wading heavy water was making me nervous. Well the water level was down to a near perfect level and the were hatches and fish snapping throughout the pool. There were fish slashing on emergers and sipping what looked to be spinners. There were a million size 14 spinners with little yellow egg sacks dancing above the pool. It seemed that the activity was greatest when they wer in the air. If anybody can identify the mayfly with the yellow egg sack please let us know.
I caught four fish and lost one beauty. The guy with the bamboo rod said I had lost it because I was horsing it in too fast. He was right. I like to get my fish in as quickly as possible so they don't croak. But the big ones need a lot more finese. I just feel so bad when I kill a fish by over playing it. Anyway I did land a nice rainbow and two really beautiful brookies and a small rainbow before I decide not to press my luck, my knee luck not my fising luck, and get out of the water. It was a good idea. I sure appreciate getting in the stream this year a lot more than the last few years.
Fish on.

Opening weekend a little too cold

2010-04-19T20:12:00.000-07:00

Maybe I'm getting a little too old or maybe it's the heated seats in my ride but damn it sure seemed cold this weekend. Cold enough that I didn't even suit up. For the past several weeks I've been watching the fish in my pond. They've been sunning and cruising around. Not this weekend. My fish aren't stupid. And except for the occasional typo neither am I. I don't especially like fishing the bottom with a lot of lead nor do I like freezing my _____ off. So after cruising the Tow Path, some long studies of the complex current patterns and a few close-up looks at the river I fled to my heated seats. There's always next week.

I wasn't alone in staying in the heated seats. There were a few old soles –– and I do mean old –– 'round and about but for the most part the river was empty. Only the easy wading holes had anyone in them. I did see one worm killer trudging up the road with a very sorry looking 8 inch rainbow swinging from his stringer.

Wow! We made it through another winter

2010-04-08T19:41:00.000-07:00

This winter was a rough one. Record snowfalls. Broken legs. Thankfully I'm getting better just in time to go fishing. I going to go up to Roscoe this weekend and see if I can muscle into a easy wading spot or two and drown a few flies. Who knows.

There been a lot of noise this winter over gas drilling. There a lot of scare tactics from the anti side reminissant of the 70s. Red herring stuff. Gas is here. They beefed up one pipeline and built another. It's not going to happen it's happening. Our world is changing. Farms are disappearing. Suburban sprawl isn't far behind. We have to manage our future. We need to promote outdoor life. Fishing. Hunting. Real conservation and stewardship.

Let's go fishin'.

It looks like a good week ahead

2009-07-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

At least foe access to the river. PPL has posted this coming week's schedule. Generation isn't scheduled to start until noon every day. that will allow for fishing right up to about 2 o'clock. Why didn't they do that when I was on vacation 2 weeks ago. I'm gonna fish on Sunday. What hatches , if any, are on right now? I should know but I'm swamped.

This has been another year of big rains. It's been that way for nearly the last 10 years. How has it affected your fishing?

PPL Updates Schedule - In Our Favor!

2009-07-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

I just checked the schedule for power runs and noticed that PPL has decided not to run power on Sunday. I'll see you there.

Delaware River Water Trail Map

2009-07-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a Delaware River Boater's map. A nice job. You'll need Acrobat Reader.

In the summer when the trout are sleepy and PPL is running full bore a canoe trip on the Delaware can be a fantastic experience. Bald Eagles. Smallies. Trout!

Did I mention the smallies.

Do it on a weekday.

Possible Conservation areas for Lackawaxen River and Middle Creek

2009-07-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Here' map that show possible conservation areas for the Lackawaxen River and Middle Creek. Its a pdf file that you can download. You'll need Acrobat Reader. The credit is on the pdf.

Oil Leak on the Banks of the Lackawaxen

2009-07-08T18:01:00.000-07:00

Heres a story in the Pike County Press by Pat Camuso detailing a hydraulic fluid spill by Penn Dot at Mollies Pool. A well written piece.

New Hosting Site for LackawaxenRiver.com/The Tow Path

2009-07-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

Good news. Less down time faster response. And Wind Powered.

Weird Fish

2009-05-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

I like to complain. It's like scratching an itch. I doesn't solve anything but it makes me feel better. But not this time.

I haven't had a lot of time to fly fish the Lackawaxen River this spring. Just a few short outings. I've been lucky and have caught fish every outing. I caught a beautiful Brook Trout and a beautiful Brown trout. I also caught 4 or 5 Rainbows. One was a nice fish. The others. Well, the others were from a horror movie.
One fish expired when I netted it. Its just started bleeding and died. On inspection it was nearly fin-less. No dorsal fin and only one pec fin. Okay he got picked on in school. It happens right? I've caught 3 other deformed rainbows without fins or with sores. Okay the sore were probably from having been caught before or rooting for nymphs. One had no pec fins and no dorsal fin. Un fortunately I don't have any photos. From now on I'm going to kill any weird fish I catch so I can have documented evidence.

This is absurd. The state has decided that fisherman and hunters are ghouls. Bureaucratic cynicism has produced a uncaring and cruel system that raises and distributes the damaged fish that I have caught. I would like to hear from anybody else that has caught similar low grade trout this year.

Opening Day

2009-04-20T08:23:00.000-07:00

Opening day on the Lackawaxen River was absolutely beautiful, except for the wind part. I hadn't got my license so I stopped at Bright's Shop and got my new computer license. Hideous. The heritage of the trout stamp is lost in PA forever I guess. I'm an artist and though I never would have entered the trout stamp competition it means one less opportunity for art to be part of everyday culture.

Here's a picture of Mollies. They're stacking in. Not like 20 years ago but more than the last several years. Probably a positive result of the Monster Trout Derby. I talked to one guy who had caught a big 'Bow' in the morning. It's that morning action time of year. I saw a lot of Caddis flies. The ones with the grey wing and black body. I didn't fish. Just as I was about to put on my waders on I discovered a dime sized mouse hole. Oh well. Next week.

The other shot is the dollar hole, the head of the pool.

Monster Trout Derby

2009-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

This story in The News Eagle
The Business Owners of Lackawaxen Township and G. Anderson Homes are sponsoring the third annual Monster Trout Derby, open to all anglers, with approximately $2,500 in prizes being offered. There is no entry fee for the public and no pre-registration. All that an angler needs to do is catch any one of the 100 monster trout being stocked in the Lackawaxen River between Hawley and the Village of Lackawaxen.

Signs of spring

2009-03-29T19:10:00.000-07:00

New signs along the Lackawaxen River. Remember the old signs: CAUTION RIVER LEVEL RISES RAPIDLY. To the point. Even a dash of the dangerous.

So here's a new sign from PPL. The level of the Lackawaxen river below the plant is subject to rapid elevation change.

I wonder if the lawyer that wrote that has ever gotten caught in the rapid elevation change

NYC continues o ignore upstate responsibilities

2009-03-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting story from the record online site. Again NYC ignores it watershed. If fish the Neversink or many other NYC controlled stream read this story.

Ecotourism?

2009-03-05T06:16:00.000-08:00

Please read this story for the language used.

Fantastic! Federal Money... goes to federal agency.

2009-03-02T07:59:00.000-08:00

Like so much of 'Federal Money' for our region heres some more being recycled to a Federal Dept. Sort of like paying yourself to research new car prices.

It's a new year.

2009-02-09T17:29:00.000-08:00

I'm hoping that this year will be a better year for me than last. One thing I'm gonna do is is expand my fishing beyond the Lackawaxen River. I'm not turning my back on the Lackawaxen but maybe moving upstream. I've notice on the PFBC's trout stocking page that they are stocking up in Honesdale from KMART to Dyberry Creek. I'm also expecting to try the West Branch of the Lackawaxen River above the Prompton Reservoir and Van Aukens Creek. The stocking page has the great feature of including latitude and longitude which when clicked open in a Google Map page. Cool.

What the hell is this??

2008-06-03T19:37:00.000-07:00

This is a Nubbin Post. When the road was The Delaware and Hudson Canal the barges on the canal were towed by mule. The tow ropes were wrapped around these posts. The stone is not local. When you're passing by one on the tow path stop and have a look. You can still see the grooves made by the ropes over hundred years ago.

The Partys' Over

2008-06-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've posted because I been stoned. No not that kind of stoned, well maybe. I've been Kidney stoned and thus painkiller stoned. What a drag. and it happened while I was fishing in the Lackawaxen. Boy what a drag. Not only for the misery and pain but I missed all the spring hatches.

The spring season is over. How do I know. PPL is back to all day power generation. With the tubes starting around 7, there should still be some early morning fishing. The little yellow stones and newspaper caddis have produced big for me during June in the past. Get on the stream around 6 or earlier. When the sun hit the pool, go home.

Just a little complaining. Last Thursday evening I made the 45 min run to the Lacky and when I hit Rowland corner I was floored. The tubes were running full bore. This was after I checked the site earlier and had called the 800 number the previous day to confirm that they weren't supposed to be running. I wasn't alone there were 20 to 30 guys and ladies watching the water with as much disappointment as mine. Thanks PPL. Heres another good citizen award. ..|.,

A Beautiful Day on the Lackawaxen River. Where's all the fisherman?

2008-04-21T09:15:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I took a few hours and went over to the the Lackawaxen River. I was a little apprehensive about the mobs of 'Monster Derby' folks but when I got there it was just a typical early season Saturday. A few guys in the regular spots. A mix of spinning and fly gear. A light easterly breeze. I went to one of my early season spots and found the the Jolly Green Giant had already been there. I wondered if he had caught a Monster Trout. I bounced the bottom for about twenty minutes without any luck. I moved down stream to a bigger pool and found a few fish snapping at emergers. There was a nice if not extraordinary caddis hatch. I haven't witnessed a hatch like this for several years. At times it was like being in a snow storm. The caddis was about a size 14 with a apple green body and medium gray wing. I got one good rise from a dry. I had little luck with sparkle pupa patterns or small green wooly buggas. I notice a few black stones landing on me so I tried a couple of good imitations. No luck. It was turning out to be one of those 'what are they eating?' days, I tied on a rather odd sparse stone pattern and had no luck with about 30 casts. As I retrieved it a a fairly fast pace to change patterns - Bang - I hooked a very pretty 9" brown. That turned out to be the only taker. Oh well it's early yet.

PPL is giving us a break this week and not scheduling any power runs. That and the weather forecast bode well for for those lucky enough to fish during the week. I can't get on the stream 'til Friday so leave a few Monster Trout for me.

The usual stuff

2008-04-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Opening weekend was beautiful. I missed Saturday the better day to running errands. But I did get out on Sunday. I got cold even though I was all bundled up. Yeah, but I was fishing! This weekend is opening day or Turkey Season so the morning should be less crowded than the afternoon. Water levels should be good and for what they're saying right now it may even be hot.

Pretty good charts

2008-04-09T18:08:00.000-07:00

The charts show that we can expect a pretty normal opening day. Water at or just above 50°. High water wadable only by the stout of heart. Streamers, nymphs, live bait and spinners will probably do best. Rain is forcast for the weekend but they're wrong a lot of the time. Good Luck.

If you want to follow these charts during the season go to my site, www.lackawaxenriver.com and follow the USGS button in the upper right.

Monster Trout Derby

2008-04-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

PIKE COUNTY – Sponsored by the Business Owners of Lackawaxen Township. Catch one of 100 monster trout stocked with tags between Hawley and the Village of Lackawaxen to win $2,500 in prizes. No entry fee. Anglers must take their catch to Angler's Roost, Lackawaxen, or Wallenpaupack Sport Shop, Routes 6 & 590 for weight, certification and photos. Contact: mountainman@ltis.net or 570/6858-2010.

Lots of water and a new swinging bridge

2008-03-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

I took a drive up the Lacawaxen on the Tow Path this weekend. It seemed like a million years had passed since last summer. There was a lot of water coming down and the snow is almost all melted. The lake is pretty full as is is Prompton Reservoir. The tow path is in good shape with a few bad potholes and no new winter damage. There is a new swinging bridge.

Last week we took a drive up the West Branch of the the Lackawaxen River. This apparently isn't stocked but there has to be a few brookies and smallies in there. A really nice ride to do off season or when the tubes are blasting. I'd like to drift a few craw-dads up there. Anyway it won't be long now. 3 weeks, thats all. I can't wait.

The Delaware River Power Line Story Continues

2008-03-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

This is a good article from Hudson Valley Press Online. It offers a good definition of New York Regional Interconnection's (NYRI) upper hand.
Power lines, ethanol trash plants, what else can they throw at us. This is what happens when states are run by slimy pols. Pols that care more for urban votes than the environment. The real environment that we live in. When I say pols, politicians, I have little respect for any of them. I take that back, I have no respect. Bait fisherman are way above politians.

Reservoirs not always villains

2008-03-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

A really good news story from the Times Herald-Record online.

Chemical refinery proposed for banks of the Lackawaxen

2008-03-10T19:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a news story from the Wayne independent.

Potential Investors Look At Ethanol Site
Wayne Independent - Honesdale,PA,USA
The proposed property is located behind Kost Tire and Muffler on Route 6, east of Honesdale, on the opposite side of the Lackawaxen River.

Ethanol. Isn't that from corn, or beets or cane. What the biggest Wayne county crop. Hay? Or Bull crap?

Stocking Schedule

2008-03-05T19:32:00.000-08:00

Stocking schedule for the Lackawaxen River semi published- no counts. What it means is that sometime during the weeks posted you can wait at the supermarket until the fish truck shows up. If it does you can schlepp buckets of fish down the banks and splash them into the river. (You even have an armed guard.) Make a mental note come back in a few days and not catch a damn thing. Ha!
I shouldn't complain. At least they put fish in the river. They could manage and develop the river but they don't. Oh well.

Another 100 Year Flood??

2008-03-05T07:39:00.000-08:00

Todays rains are causing flooding issues throughout nepa and the Catskills.

Thurs AM:
Region escapes serious flooding

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080306/NEWS/803060314

The Tow Path Google Map of the Lackawaxen River

2008-03-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

Better than sliced bread. Use this map to plan a weekend of fishing. Which pools to fish, which pizza joint to eat at or where to get gas(ed).
This is really cool stuff for fisherman. Link to the map, make maps with alternate plans, turn on the feature highlights and print it out.
You can even make your our version at Google Maps.

Winter Fishing

2008-03-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

I've received a couple of emails about winter fishing on the Lackawaxen. I don't recommend it. Not because the fishing isn't good. I wouldn't know. But the wading or more to the point getting to the water is so difficult and even dangerous. The water should be a good temperature coming from the bottom of the lake and all. It's just that there's just too much of it. I haven't been around a lot this winter but when I have been the water has been high. Real High. Also a lot of shore ice. To me trout fishing should be a pleasure and not a chore so I'll wait until April, even late in April, to start my fishing in the Lackawaxen.

There have been several times when Zane Gray Pool has a lot of Gulls and a few Eagles. A good omen for this season's fishing.

$1.6 million to fund rail, span work

2008-02-16T19:27:00.000-08:00

Heres a story from The Times Tribune in Scanton concerning the Stourbridge Line railroad...

HAWLEY — Nearly three years after flooding wiped out the Hawley Bridge, the Wayne Industrial Development Authority has secured nearly $1.6 million to repair the span...

I'll be damned.

2008-02-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

Not not for that. Everybody does that it's a natural thing. But for this. I was looking around at references to the Lackawaxen River on the net and found this picture of me fishing in Macy's Pool advertising a cabin rental. Ha!

Are these guys on acid?

2008-02-03T10:47:00.000-08:00

There are fewer people fishing Pennsylvania's waters these days. So what does the Fish and Boat commission do? A study. Read this study. Whatever it cost it was too much.

My advice...

Make fishing accessible.

Make fishing fun!

More Sewage for the Lackawaxen

2008-02-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

Three Wayne County municipalities are preparing to turn their sewer system assets over to the fledgling Central Wayne Regional Authority...

Another Damned Power Line ?

2008-02-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

Here's a story from Honesdale's The Weekly Almanac, Jan 31. It briefly lays out a proposal by PPL's building a new 500,000-volt electricity transmission line stretching from the Susquehanna River east to the Delaware River.

Sorry to say... this isn't the same power lines story that has been around for the last year or so.

It's that time of year again

2008-01-20T20:47:00.000-08:00

Taking inventory of flies. Studying journals from 10 years ago. Tagging pages in the 2008 editions of the multitude of Fly Fishing catalogs. Planning trips to pools yet unknown. Pools packed with wild Rainbows, enormous Steelhead and tasty little Brookies.
It's the same every year. Exuberant expectations most surely followed by the realities of yard and field work, overtime, nasty spring colds, 100 year floods, car inspections and Turkeys.
The most lovely month of May is oh so short. Only 4 weekends. Only 2 weeks of PPL time out.
But ya gotta dream. All alone in Millers Pool. Sun setting over Mollys. That early morning hatch of paper grey caddis in the Swimming Hole. What are those fish rising for.

Lackawaxen River Dry Fly Print

2008-01-16T21:18:00.000-08:00

iPhone edit test

2007-12-16T13:59:00.000-08:00

From the iPhone

Fewer Eagles, Opening Day Changes, Green waters

2007-04-06T07:42:00.000-07:00

Last week I talked with Charlie Bright at his shop at Rt 590 on the Tow Path. He said there were fewer Eagles this past winter. Comfirming what I had seen. Only a few birds early in the winter.
One thing that Charlie was concerned with was the new staggered season opening. I think only time will tell on both eagles and opening days.
I am concerned with the color of the rivers. Both the Lackawaxen and the Deleaware are greener than past years. The Lackawaxen has quite a bit of green mossy crap around the edges. This has been growing every year since the first flooding year a few years ago. There are far fewer early bugs around. Usually there's alot of small black and brownish stones around. I've seen only a few and they are real small. Probably normal.

Winter seems to have arrived

2007-02-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

Maybe it's a bit late but it's here. Full Blast. I write this from the comfort of my New York City studio. The furnace in Beach Lake , that blew up back in January, still has not been repaired. Oh well the wading would be tough now anyway. As if I'd be wading. It'll be prime Eagle watching for the next month. You can find them from Molly's down to Barryville on the delaware and all the way north to Hancock. There's a pretty good resident population but this time of year there's a lot of wintering birds. You see a lot of immature birds. There heads and tails haven't turned white. Look for them just downstream from openings in the ice-cover opens where they get a look at any bait-fish washed out of the lake. If you see Gulls and you'll likely also see an Eagle.

What size is that BWO? Are they taking the emerger?

2007-01-22T08:08:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo of an eagle that I took either last year or the year before. This is one of the wonderful things about the Lackawaxen. Not only eagles but coyotes, bears and all the wildlife in the valley. This is a good time of year to watch for these beautiful birds. Though they are resident year round there is a large population of wintering birds. I have video of at least a dozen birds fishing the Zane Grey pool late last winter.

Welcome to The Tow Path

2007-01-19T08:56:00.000-08:00

I have started this new blog to allow users to interact somewhat on the happenings of the river. It's winter now so I'll be getting this set up over the next month or so. I'll be posting articles in the news, Fish and Boat commission releases , a rant or two. Lots of stuff.