Seasons over

    Well I'm about done till spring. Maybe one or two short trips on snow to close by spots but generally over till about melt time. It was an OK season, with Kings in Sept and steel, rainbows  and hos till last week. Not one darned Brown, tried too. No NY deer but a nice 8 point on Ct opening day.  The flood really messed me up cause I dont like big dirty water and it seemed to bring the bulk of Kings in on that kind of water-and Quick.
   This was my first Forum experience and I want to thank you all for the info and tips. This seems to be a very nice place for fishermen to talk to each other when going nuts at home waiting for the next "time up". Wish they had something like this years ago when I first started up there. Really puts a twist on the learning curve.
   To any new fishermen out there you really ought to read each post on this forum-even the old ones. Sometimes it gets a bit-well, a bit- but that part of the fun. Mostly there is a great deal of knowledge being put forth that will make us all better fishermen and definatly more aware and respectful of the fishery itself.
   Thanks again guys. Ill still be on the forum but not on the river.
 

tight lines retired guy maybe we can hook up in the spring for some fantastic dropback fishin

Thanks guys-even Metal. Cant wait till the end of March or early April. Just cant do the cold like that any more or get out of any more hip grabbing crusted snow  or even have the thrill of busting through some shelf ice and wondering how far down Ill go. Nope - I'm just old enough to know when to quit so I can grow older and enjoy more FISHING later on.
Good luck to the Winter guys, safe fishing

BTW- did ALTMAR have their big vote yet-Wonder if they have to change all the rule books to some other bridge name.

Hey Metal,
For years I worked undercover. I trained a young guy who constantly groused about my  age. I bumped into him recently and hes about to retire. He apologized for his past stuff and admitted he is hearing it now too.

What goes around-----

A golf buddy says now were at the age where we get all the itises and isms.
The mind says go go go and the body says no no no. Ya gotta just sit back and get a laugh out of it --or just go nuts.

 Next time your in a gin mill watching the King of the Hill strut around watch the old guy who raises his glass a bit and pops it down with a bit of a grin.
He's looking in the mirror.

x2

   Not being up there in winter had nothing to do with how hard they are to catch. Heck I have trouble catching starving bluegills in a bathtub.
That being said glad you wrote back. Wish you luck this winter and hope you and all the other snow guys hook up regular on those zero degree fun filled days.  
  Might even try it once or twice ---on sunny warm days with deep paths to honey holes. Only trouble is Id feel like one of those guys by the bridge in Altmar.
  Watched some guys last winter leaving their trucks on snowshoes to go out fishing. Now THATS dedication. I shook my head and went back to my place and threw another log in the fire.

Heck you gotta long way to go-my grandkids are doing that stuff- Like to hook up -maybe in the spring

Keep on fishing


Fished  one winter here in ct with garden hackle way back -hadnt thought it through- no other bait but the worms. One cast each then they broke when I cast them out- FROZEN hackle dont get the job done......still feel like an idiot.

ORIGINAL: metalslayer

It wasn't a slam against the aged or those w/ physical limitations--hell I'm closing in myself(fast)---but the winter steel are alot harder to catch---hence ALOT of the reason for the diminished crowds.

 
Like Metal, I'm not exactly a spring turkey anymore, and I gotta agree with him.
 
The big # hero days of Oct-Nov become a rarity or non-existent.
 
Frozen fingers and sometimes toes, windchill factors, and busting a trail through a couple of feet of snow when you realize you better stop and take a rest up against a snowdrift makes winter steelheading on the SR something special - sometimes enough to question your own sanity...
 
BRING ON THE SNOW !!!
 

Nice to hear from you Drake-thanks for the compliment.
  Gotta keep your glass more than half full no matter what, otherwise you can go nuts.
  Last deer season on the last day I fineally met up with a real big guy i'd been after. I had been passing waiting this one out.  Over and 8 with big heavy low beams-snuck up on him in his snow bed and let go with the muzzel loader at about 30 yards----pop-- nothing but the cap.
  He looked at me and took off and I looked at him and laughed out loud. Watta ya gonna do?.--life goes on --- got his grandson last week.

i aint as good as i once was myself drake. 2 kids a wife and a cutthroat business to run puts the damper on that lifestyle for sure; i'm just looking forward to doing some fishing now since i can't work in the snow up there anymore. big plans for the spring to hopefully finish what we started... big plans to bank a few teens + bucks this february as well. i mostly hit you guys or the hotel since they are very close to me, but kasoag is cool... i like their wings a lot, they have a very original signature flavor. i've heard they have some good bands there from time to time but haven't seen for myself yet. i once rode my mountain bike to kasoag in the early a.m. and was scared sh8tless by the sounds of deer hooves running across the street. that was about 8 years ago though; don't think that will be happening ever again. the ride home was a tough one to say the least... tight lines

oh yeah; retired, definitely watch the weather in feb and if you have the time and the determination, you should hit some december steel for sure

Dime, right on with that. Never even touch them if I can help it unless to hold in current for revival -if needed, Letem Go is the rule of thumb here.
  The mail system isnt telling if my stuff is going out, must be doing something wrong.

gotten all of your pms retired...i wish you luck on your proposed december trip. maybe i'll be around when you're up. hey drake i had some homemade red italian style from an oldschooler in which he fermented it in old whiskey barrels. potent to say the least... happy thanks everyone....

ORIGINAL: draketrutta

ORIGINAL: metalslayer

Won't be long now---the real men come out---any idiot can catch steel from Oct-Nov and again late Mar-Apr 

Who do you consider real men?

Could it possibly include lucky cavemen with pin outfits that were fortunate to score a mastadon pelt sufficient to shelter their entire bodies from the wintry cold ? 

Got no prob with bobber boys in the fall,winter,or spring--just the attitudes of ALOT of em---do fish w/ some quite often(and even get out fished once in a while).If it was bout #'s for me I'd strap a bobber on.

ORIGINAL: metalslayer

ORIGINAL: draketrutta

ORIGINAL: metalslayer

Won't be long now---the real men come out---any idiot can catch steel from Oct-Nov and again late Mar-Apr 

Who do you consider real men?

Could it possibly include lucky cavemen with pin outfits that were fortunate to score a mastadon pelt sufficient to shelter their entire bodies from the wintry cold ? 

Got no prob with bobber boys in the fall,winter,or spring--just the attitudes of ALOT of em---do fish w/ some quite often(and even get out fished once in a while).If it was bout #'s for me I'd strap a bobber on.

 
No problem Metal - I actually get a kick out of your sig line (in many ways it is the truth).
 
Every time I put down the fly rod and pick up the pin I have to check a mirror to see if I look like that Geico cave guy... LMAO
 
Have a good one.
 
p.s. - wound up having 3 glasses of that wine last night. My head didn't feel like a 45 backstop this morning, more like a 38 special.. This year's batch is high octane. Might have to grab another Jug tomorrow..
 
later 

The casting part aint easy----but it's pretty much the only method that gives the clueless a reasonable chance at hooking up(why do u think ALOT of guides use bobbers?).Ya don't need a pin either---2 # 5's under a bobber on spin gear----called the blind man's rig.