I'm Back...

After a brutal 32 hours straight in the truck driving back from Miami I am back in Vermont safe and sound.  Lots of stories to tell, but I need some rest and recuperation first. Plenty to write about with this trip, but for right now I am going to put up a couple of pictures to get your attention.... Lots more on this awesome trip coming soon....

 

Friday Angler Interview- Tim Sienkiewycz

Tim with a gorgeous Lake Ontario trib brown

Tim Sienkiewycz is a very good friend of mine and we have put a lot of time on the water together in the past few years. I probably should take responsibility for the fly fishing bug taking hold with him and Marty in recent years (sorry Priscilla and Tina...). Tim and I have had more than a few adventures in Vermont, Northern New York and Western New York.  Tim is a great guy to have in the boat with you and spins deer hair like nobody's business (which is great because I really don't enjoy doing it much- let me rephrase that- I suck at it).  


Since Tim, Marty and myself are embarking on our greatest adventure yet I thought it would be an appropriate time to interview him.

How did you get your start in fly fishing?

Sienkiewycz family friends Phil and Gordie with dinner

I grew up in a family of sportsman. I remember my uncles were big into muskie fishing they would often stop by to show off their catch. Of course back then there was no such thing as catch and release- it was all about putting food on the table.
Well, way back in the mid 70’s my good friend Jerry got a fly rod and I was not sure what it was all about. But after reading lots of Fur, Fish and Game, and Stream and Field magazine articles about fly fishing I got my first fly rod from Herter’s with money I made from running a couple of small trap lines. I got a 5-weight fiberglass set up. Jerry and I chased smallies and rock bass in the local northern New York rivers on our summers off. We even tried our hand at fly tying.
But other interests took over and I got into it again about 10 yrs ago.

It seems to me that it has become a pretty serious pursuit for you lately. What are some of the species you most enjoy chasing on the fly?

For me its all about warm water species, mostly bass, pike, and musky.

I met your brother Marty because of a mutual love of muskies. It seems to me that you share that love as much as us. Can you remind me of the story of your first musky?

Tim's first musky- he was a happy man!

Well, I have been muskie fishing for many years. My Dad would take my brother and I muskie fishing every chance he got and some fish were caught. But the fish of 10,000 casts eluded me for many years. I lost plenty and caught a few but my first muskie as far as I’m concerned I caught with you on a fly rod. Remember?
I can’t remember the name of the river but we were fishing the red horse pool and just as my Dahlberg hit the water underneath an over hanging tree there was the classic explosion of water and the game was on. After a nice fight with your help the muskie was in hand and high fives were in order.
  
What is it about muskies that get the angler in you so excited?

Tim with another gorgeous musky.

Musky fishing is usually a day or weekend long adventure floating down a river which makes for a good time with friends.
I like to fish surface flies and when a muskie hits your fly (and you usually get see it coming) it’s something you will never forget! It’s all about the explosion of water and the visual of a big toothy critter slamming your fly.
I also enjoy the art of casting big flies with pinpoint accuracy.

I have been very impressed with your musky flies. How long have you been tying and what do you enjoy tying most?

I started tying back in the 70’s and I still have my Herter’s tying vise and tools.  I hadn’t used them in many years until I met up with you and I got started tying again.
I like to tie all kinds of flies but my favorite is big 2/0- 5/0 Dahlberg Diver deer hair surface flies. There is something about spinning deer hair that I enjoy.

You and I have had some great adventures and awesome fishing on trips to Western New York. What do you like about fishing out there?

Well one reason I like going there so much is that my family has a hunting camp in Western NY. I do not hunt any more but when the guys are deer hunting I go fishing for big browns and whatever else I can find. At the end of a day of great fishing I can go back to camp and have my own stories to tell. It’s really the best of both worlds.

Do you have any memorable fish in WNY you want to share with us?

I have many great memories of lots of big fish- some caught and many lost. But nothing can beat the memories of days fishing with friends and my brother Marty. Really for me the fish are only a small part of the experience. It’s all about good times.

So, do you have any big trips coming up? I think I might have mentioned one on this bog already…

Won't catch any of those in the Everglades Tim!

Well I Have a GREAT trip coming up with my fishing buddies.
We are going to Florida to Biscayne Bay and the Everglades. We are leaving today to hit warm salt waters. This is truly going to be a trip to remember - good friends, good times and hopefully lots of fish.

What are you doing to get ready for the trip?

Well I have been tying lots of flies, including the secret Electric Dread (Cordell Baum’s awesome killer fly for almost anything that swims!). Also many shrimp and streamer patterns.
Let’s see I have new fly lines, shirts, hats, sunscreen, gloves and I’ve been watching YouTube videos and just getting fired up!
I can’t wait to meet our guide Cordell Baum and see how he operates and learn from a master.

Do you have a species that you really want to catch down south and why do you want to get into that fish so badly?

I do not know why but a big tarpon has always been my dream fish.
Oh and maybe a bone, snook, shark, permit, redfish, jack……..etc.
Other than that any fish that gets me into my backing would be ok with me!

Getting back to Vermont- what fish have you not caught yet that you would like to get into and why?

Tim with "bycatch" while musky fishing... His Dahlbergs really work!

I have never been much of trout fisherman and I would love to learn more about that.
But on the top of my list is a carp, I have hooked a few but never landed one. But my hookups were memorable.  Just being out on the lake on a hot summer day and seeing those big fish gets me going. And I understand they but up a great fight. Any ideas of someone who could help me hook up?

 
Do you have any goals as an angler in the next few years?

Catching and releasing a muskie over 20lbs, and to become a better trout fisherman are on the top of my list. Oh, and to work less and fish more.


Thanks a million Tim! Really looking forward with 9 days in the company of two of my best friends! And yes, there will be stories... lots and lots of stories....

Headin' South

Hey sharky- I am comin' for ya!

The gear is packed and the canoe is ready to go. The flies are tied. Word is that the bones are on the flats and that there are loads of sharks around- lemons and blacktip reef, but mostly bullsharks. Bullsharks. The most aggressive fish that swims. Highest testosterone of any animal alive today. And we will be chasing them on flies out of canoes..... LOVE IT!!!!!!!!

Right from Cordell's camera on Monday.... anyone hearing the Jaws Theme?

WWW.BONEFISHWHISPERER.COM  You know you want to do it too and this is the man that can do it for you!

Here are some fly shots for ya....

Bleeding baitfish... yum yum in your tum tum sharky!

shark or tarpon fly- you decide!

Opening Day Weekend from the Orvis News Blog

I put together all my weekend happenings into one piece and sent it in to the Orvis News Blog. 

Check it out when you have a chance!

http://www.orvisnews.com/FlyFishing/A-Memorable-Opening-Weekend.aspx

Opening Day

A great opening day!

I woke up at 5:45 this morning and I was pretty beat. I went to the Fly Fishing Film Tour in Middlebury last night (phenomenal!!!! Thank you Jesse and crew for putting it together!) and didn't get home until about midnight. I started running around trying to find everything that I needed. I felt like a chicken with its head cut off. With a trip to Florida just a week away, working in a long term substitute teaching position, getting all the ducks in a row for my guide service, tying flies for shops and folks, working another job, and having a life, I haven't had a lot of time to think about trout season. And something had come up that was pretty big for me that I had to do today.

In the net....

After rounding everything up, I headed out the door with a minimum of gear. I finally found the 3X leaders I misplaced 5 times this morning, got my rod rigged up and headed out to where I saw a gorgeous brown last Saturday. I was pretty sure I knew this fish. I caught him in this same stretch last year. He looked a bit different when I saw him this time. A little bit thicker, a little bit longer, and his jaw was jutting out a bit more- full kype effect folks.

Not a bad start to the season.... 23" Master Class brown

I got to the spot and I knew that I was the first boots in the river there this year. Fresh tracks are always good. The water was up a bit and slightly discolored. Perfect conditions. It was still a bit cold, in the low 40's. That didn't bother me. I crossed the pool down at its tail out and headed up to the bend where it began. I started out with one fly then switched to another one. The Toad Puppy Lite- a big rabbit strip streamer that is a bit smaller than its daddy the Toad Puppy. After swinging it a bit with no success I ran it through the inside of the bend like a nymph. At first I thought I had a snag until it moved and I got a look at the broad side of a good fish. A damned good fish indeed. I got the excess line on the reel and played it. I had cut off a foot or so of my leader and put on 30" of 3X Mirage so I knew I was in good shape. 

You can see the scar on the lower maxillary bone- Catch and release works folks!

I started hootin' and hollerin' as soon as I had the fish in the net. I knew it was the fish I had caught there last year and the same one I saw last weekend. He was bigger and had a nice kype too. I took pictures of him on the same patch of sand that I took shots of him on last year. He was in the Master Angler Program last year and he will be again this year- another first for me- the first time that a fish has been entered twice in two years in that program (by the same angler no less!). He was 23" this year- an inch longer than he was last time I held him. I had seen him several times over last summer and I knew he was doing pretty well. This has been confirmed. He has a scar on his left maxillary bone to show where I hooked him last year. I watched him swim into the depths of the hole a bit wiser than he was. Hopefully that helps to keep him safe this year.

It was just after 9am now and I needed to go. I was pretty nervous. Two nights ago I was asked if I could guide Peter Shumlin, Vermont's Governor, for a bit on the Winooski River in Waterbury for opening day. I jumped at the chance but that doesn't mean that I wasn't a bit anxious about the situation. I got there early to meet up with Tom Wiggins, the head of fish culture for the state, to take a look at the river and come up with a game plan. The water was a bit high and dirty but we were seeing flashes. We had a spinning rod for the Governor since he was not a fly angler.

Myself, Gov Shumlin and Com. Berry

The Governor showed up around 11 with worms he collected himself saying "like any good Vermont boy would do! You can't trust someone else's worms!". He tipped the Panther Martin with one of his nightcrawlers and I got him casting into likely spots. I had some help from Vermont Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Pat Berry (a former fly fishing guide himself) but he let me run the show. Unfortunately, as is the case with most opening day anglers, the fish just weren't interested. Governor Shumlin was awesome though and took it in stride. I offered to get him out later in the year when the fish would be more interested and he said he would be taking me up on that. Something to look forward to. 

I spent an hour fishing with Commissioner Berry after the Governor left and we talked shop a bit. Great guy and I think that Vermont is very lucky to have such a dynamic guy in the top spot for Fish and Wildlife- or as he likes to call it "the Commissioner of Fun". We will definitely be fishing together this year. I want to help promote Vermont fisheries, especially those that are underutilized like carp and other warm water species and he asked me to help him do just that. I will gladly do it!

Friday Angler Interview- Lawton Weber

Lawton with a lovely wild rainbow in VT

With the opening of trout season tomorrow I thought I would hit up a very well known fly fishing guide in Vermont (and New Zealand as well)- Lawton Weber. For those of you not familiar with Lawton, he runs Pleasant Valley Fly Fishing and guides all over Vermont. He has near encyclopedic knowledge of Vermont's trout waters, how to fish them and the issues that surround them. On top of that, he winters and guides in New Zealand. I don't think that there are too many folks out there who can match Lawton in his love for trout. 


With that, here is the interview this week!

How did you get your start in fly fishing?

I started by casting my grandfathers old fiberglass rods in the yard; but at 15, my uncle bought me my first graphite rod; an Orvis Green Mtn. series.  I fished all over the Champlain Valley and the Winooski watershed for trout and smallies.

From the Orvis catalog this year- be a tripod Lawton!

You guide in both Vermont and New Zealand (that combo makes many people jealous I am sure!). What do you see as the biggest differences in trout fishing between the two areas?

 The size of the trout and the wind are the first two to come to mind.  You do need to have good eyes to be a guide in NZ; if you can't see or find them in NZ, you or your clients won't get many opportunities.  In Vermont, I do sight fish a bit, but most times we're blindly fishing good lies.

After fishing New Zealand in the winter, is it hard to come
home to Vermont?

 For the fishing, yea, a little bit.  But it’s good to get back and catch up with family and friends in Vermont. 

Are the threats to trout in NZ similar to those in our home
waters?

Not really. The biggest threats to NZ trout are floods and water removed for irrigation or dams.  While we certainly have issues in Vermont with dams and poor flow regimes, the bigger issue in VT is habitat loss thermal stress caused by the removal of buffer zones by folks.


You have guided for a long time now and have seen it all. If you were to give a piece of advice to someone that is being guided for the first time, what would it be?

The result of advice well heeded!

Don't be afraid to ask questions; a good, knowledgeable guide is happy to give you their best answer.  Also, if something doesn't "seem right"; don't be afraid to ask the tough question of the guide; i.e. "why does the water feel so warm and why are we out at 3pm in July?"  If I had a dollar for every time I've either heard from folks going out with certain guides about crap fishing in hot weather and not catching a thing; or seeing it myself....I'd be a rich man!  If the water is over 70, tell your guide you want to go somewhere else where it’s cooler.  If he/she does not have a cooler option, ask them why would they guide someone in such unfavorable conditions for trout?  Guides have a responsibility to protect the resource they make a living off of, simply put.

(Very well put Lawton, there are definitely some very clueless guides in VT- DP)

Can you give a story or two of a trip gone horribly, hilariously wrong (please leave out names to protect the “victims”)? 

While asking questions is a-ok, it did go overboard for me on one trip.  This client would literally ask after each time where I told him to cast, "Now, why did you have me cast...there?"  After around the 79th time (no kidding) in a row, I replied, "for the same reason as every other time, those are the lies trout prefer in this kind of stream.  It's their prime feeding lie..."  The minute hand literally went backwards that morning....

You have long been an advocate for trout and their habitat in Vermont. Right now, what do you see as the biggest threats for cold water fisheries in the state?

Protect your watersheds- this will be the end result!

Folks/politicians who don't understand river health and are willing to destroy it for short term gain by cutting trees off the riverbank, and supporting horrible ideas like "micro-hydro" development; which would dewater and increase water temps on many small streams that are the lifeblood of the larger trout rivers in the state.  These spawning streams and their summer time swimming holes would be destroyed just so one landowner can run a few light bulbs in their single home.  A lot of smart folks are selling their souls believing this is a cost effective means of power.  It's simply not, and the numbers when you actually look at them objectively, show it’s a joke financially and environmentally.

As a “champion of trout” what have some of your greatest successes been? 

I don't think I've ever single handedly done much, other than to be the unfortunate person to discover Didymo algae in Vermont.  Everything else I've been part of that could be considered a success could not have been done alone, and I've had some great teammates in the past that helped accomplish things like buffer zone restorations and the spring closure of vulnerable spawning tributaries on the Winooski watershed.  A team effort will always succeed over a voice of one, in my opinion.

What would you say is the best way for anglers to help out cold water fisheries? 

Get involved with your local angling group, and don't be afraid to speak up for what concerns you.  That may be a farmer with poor practices affecting the stream; or, it could be an area where you see folks breaking the law and taking over their limit.  Generally though, if we had better overhead cover and riparian buffer zones on most of our trout streams, they would stay colder, would clear quicker after rains, and provide valuable habitat for various ages of  wild trout.  Find a willing landowner who needs a buffer restored and plant some trees!

You recently purchased a raft to guide out of. How do you like it? 

It's great!  It only draws about 4 inches or so and being only 165 lbs, I can put it in and take it out of spots that a fixed hull drift boat simply can't.  As you know, Vermont has little to no areas to put in a watercraft larger than a kayak. 

What can a float trip offer anglers that wading cannot, and vice versa?  

Lawton at home on the Upper Connecticut

Well, I do a fair bit of guiding during the heat of summer on the Upper CT river as it stays cold all day, and on that river because of its size and remoteness in places, fishing out of a raft can get you places you simply could not wade to.  On the Winooski and Lamoille, there are some spots that a raft can be used to get to water that a wading angler could not reach, but mostly its just a great way to cover a ton of water without having to jump in the car 6 + times throughout the day.  You certainly get a different perspective when looking and fishing water from a raft.  We often get out of the raft to fish the productive riffles and runs before we row over them; that usually results in happier fish and better catch rates. 

Vermont isn’t known for super prolific insect hatches, but there are definitely a few. Do you have a favorite and why? 

A good March Brown spinner fall can bring out some big fish if flows are just right.  M.B.'s are big beautiful mayflies, and when they're dribbling off the water, there are usually other hatches occurring as well, meaning a good fishing day!  I used to love fishing Trico's, but with the "clean-ups" of some municipal treatment plants, the Trico hatches are 10% of what they used to be, which is a shame.  Perrier water doesn't make for good hatches. 

The Isonychia hatch is perhaps the most important mayfly hatch in Vermont, as it is a big bug and hatches for nearly two months.  Sulphurs are prolific on many waters too, but they often hatch when water temps are a bit too high to enjoy good fishing. 

How about New Zealand- are there prolific hatches where you fish or is there a terrestrial that pops out and makes things really interesting? 
NZ hatches are weak on all but the lowland, fertile streams.  The Deliteadium Mayfly is the single most important mayfly in NZ, and there are only about 5 other species in total and those are often very habitat specific.  Terrestrials like the annual Cicada emergence are what can make a 7 pound brown act as goofy as a 7 inch brookie.


Alright Lawton, if you could fish anywhere for anything, where would it be and what for? 

I'd like to try for Sea run brown in northern Russia someday.  There are Atlantics there too, but Sea-run browns are a different beast altogether.

If you are looking for a great match the hatch guide or want excellent instruction in stalking wild trout in Vermont or New Zealand, Lawton Weber is the man you want to talk to. Check out his website Pleasant Valley Fly Fishing.

Coming to a Fly Shop Near You!

Gettin' jiggy with the pike!

Snot Rockets for snot rockets!

Jesse at the Middlebury Mountaineer wanted to have some pike flies from me in the shop for opening day. He got his wish. If you want some of these head to Midd and get 'em while they last!  There will be a few of these as door prizes at the Fly Fishing Film Festival on Friday night too!  

For those of you further north, some flies should be heading out the door to GM Troutfitters later this week as well!

Tight lines folks! 

Big, tough, lots of motion, pike love 'em!

Rainbows- on the menu!

Some fish for them, I fish with them!  Rainbow Snot Rocket- get 'em while they last!

Eat me, I'm a jelly bean!

Vermont Master Angler Pin

I got this lovely pin in the mail last week from Vermont Fish and Wildlife. It recognizes me as one of only a handful of anglers who qualified for the new Master Angler Program that the department started last June. Not only was I the first to qualify for the pin, but I also entered the most species and the most individual entries as well. I suspect someone could outdo me, but I really wanted to kick this program off with a bang and I did just that. Along with the pin I also got a great letter from Pat Berry- the new Fish and Wildlife Commissioner recognizing my accomplishment. I will definitely be participating this year and I am hoping to enter at least 5 new species in 2011, but I would be much happier with 10!

Friday Angler Interview- Vince Wilcox

Vince with a nice ADK brookie

Many of you who read this blog probably already know the name Vince Wilcox- he is a signature tyer for Idylwilde Flies, a frequent contributor to Fly Tyer Magazine and others, and a damned good guy. Hailing from Saranac Lake,  New York, Vince is your go to guy for fishing the Adirondacks- his shop, Wiley's Flies, is a few miles from Saranac Lake in Rainbow Lake. He grew up fishing the waters there and few know them as well as Vince. His flies are innovative, original and work!  Vince and I share two vices- fly fishing and the Ominous Seapods- and we have been at the same shows together without realizing it. We have probably been on the same water at the same time too... With that, on to Vince-

How did you get your start in fly fishing?

Vince is a danger to all anadromous fishes!

It all began in a land far far away...:O) My father was a fanatic fisherman  (still is) and guided and tied flies. I'm not one of those BSer's saying I started at two..but I did get a start since I can remember from when he cast out for me and hooked 'em and let me pull them in. One of my first fish on my own was a landlocked salmon  when I was seven. He would sit me on the rocks in the Boquet with a life vest and some food while he went down river..landed three that day just letting line out and stripping a marabou ghost back....

We both grew up in Northern New York and the Adirondack Mountains. What is it that you love most about the North Country and it’s fishing?

Tough question...It really was the family that brought me back and the opening of the new shop. I will say that you do have an opportunity to fish just about everything within driving range. I was excited to get back and fish warm water rivers again..I grew up fishing the Saranac in town from about the time I was 11 or so, pedaling my bmx with #44 on the front plate down to the river with a box of flies, jeans and canvas shoes..

You spent a big part of your fishing career out in Colorado and the west. Can you compare the guiding there to where you are at now?

VW Hopper- this one could be your miracle...

That is very tough to compare. In Colorado we had twelve months out of the year trout fishing, outstanding trout fishing! The fishing isn't easier out there but there are far more opportunities to catch them. With the diversity of high country streams and ponds to man made reservoirs and tailwaters you had it all at your rod tip and many rivers had thousands of fish per mile.

Obviously the west is still in your blood a bit- you still put together a trip to Wyoming every year. Where do you head to and is this year all booked up already?

This year was tough and the economy seemed to play a major role. We take the trip to a private ranch in WY on the Wind. Four miles of river and a tailwater that is private at our disposal for $300/day and couldn't fill it this year..spectacular place but we are not launching the western fling this season.

Are you planning on heading out there next year too?

We are definintely going out next year. Back to Colorado. I am going to shrink the trip and take two to three anglers back to my old stomping grounds on the Front Range instead. Should be a blast, after 13 years out there you can't stay away!

Caddis anyone- Vince suggests this one...

April 1 is the opening of trout season in New York. Are you going to be out there?

I don't get to tricked up for opening day at this stage, I got used to fishing anytime I wanted out west and although we will be floating a river 4/2 with my daughter, running the shop and writing I just can't get out on 4/1. I'm sure like you, I have literally fished thousands of days in my life and I have grown older and more patient, I can wait a day.

Any advice for anglers heading to the Adirondacks hoping for some fish this early in the year?

Microstone

Sure, get down deep and work it slow. The heads of pools and riffles and pocket water as the day progresses will be the most active. Buggers, stones and attractors will work best. I like the Bunny Bugger, Microstone and a Superman or Marabare to get the job done.

Float trips are part of your guiding arsenal and it doesn’t seem like many other Adirondack guides offer them. Tell me a bit about what you do on a float trip and what you target…

Oh man..I get fired up for floats. No they are not common in this area but we are working to change that. We offer 4, 6 and 8 hour floats for trout, bass, pike and we are even doing some musky and landlocked salmon trips where and when we can. The flows dictate where and what we can go after around here...obviously we need a little water so if flows get too low and warm the trout and salmon are out and we look to warm water species....we have inflatable pontoon Scadden crafts with front and rear casting decks so the angler can see the fish coming and it is a fabulous way to get away from all other anglers and fish miles and miles of river that you can't get to any other way.

You have a great selection of fly patterns available from Idylwilde. Can you give us the story of how you got involved with them and the story of a few of the flies there.

Back in 2003 I launched my operation, mainly on-line and had to what I call (excuse the expression) "whore" myself out to the shops. I would walk into a shop with a few thousand flies and show them what I had and what I could do then take orders. The orders got too big and too frequent as I was tying over 15,000 flies/season and had a couple of solid tiers helping me with specific patterns. So I signed a contract with Idylwilde at the end of 2004. They carry about 30 of my patterns now so it helps the tying load, I still do about 3 to 4,000/year but I don't even consider that commercial any more...I guess it depends on the ties but if you aren't in the 10,000+ fly category and depending on your flies to eat it just isn't the same! lol The flies are like my children so to single them out is very difficult but I can tell you the JC Special, TNT, Little Green Machine, Microstone, Superman, VW Hopper and Glo-Ants are the best sellers in their respective categories.

Ever seen this cover?

Superheroes have inspired some of your fly patterns (with great success I might add). What other weird inspirations have you had for tying?

Oh wow..hmmm...my brain is active and I take most of my inspiration from the stream. I think about the fish, what they are looking for and how I can deliver it. When it comes to naming them then you get into all kinds of weird thoughts..Dingle-Berries need no further explanation...Sneaky Sally well you as a Pod head should know the answer to that! lol

Sounds like you have another book in the works. Would you be willing to share a bit about it?

The new book 'Vince Wilcox's Naturally Artificial Signature Flies" is a daunting project..I had it rattling around in my head and articles since 2004/5 and worked with three publishers before I signed a contract with Lyons Press. The book will be released early in 2012. It covers 30 of my Signature flies, how to tie them with over 1,000 color step photos, how I came up with them and why I use the materials I selected. I tend to create flies blending naturals and synthetics, hence the title, in a process I explain as synthetic synergism where the combination of the two makes them more durable and effective then acting independently. James Prosek is painting my flies which is another cool addition to the book and i will also explain how to fish them and rigging techniques for still water and streams..the rest I can't talk about because I am doing several things that have not been done yet with a fly tying book but I can say from beginner to expert there will be plenty to look at and any tier will be able to follow the very detailed images and step text..I didn't want to alienate any level of tier.

Vince, what is the fish you haven’t caught on a fly in the Adirondacks that you  are dying to get into (or is there one)?

Well...I really have about caught them all on the fly at this point...but you are a weirdo fishing for gar and bowfin..on the other side of the lake..that sounds like a blast!

Any big plans for fishing and guiding this year?

Roger Waters recommends Vince....

Well we would like to expand the shop. We have St. Croix, Winston, Hareline, Lamson, William Joseph, Wapsi, Stone Creek, Chota,Spirit River, Rio, Scientific Angler.Flies from Idylwilde, Brookside, Montana Fly, Spirit River and custom. Over 100 new patterns coming in this year and by far the best fly and fly tying selection of any shop in the area. You have to drive two hours to even come close. I love the mom and pop feel of the shop and we are looking to make it bigger and better. We are packed to the gills and basically out of space. We even have a spin fishing section. As far as guiding we are and have been working to spread our float trips and get more anglers involved in warm water species. I'm often known as a trout guy and believe me I am but I have spent thousands of hours chasing toothy critters and in July and August in the ADKS and over 90% of water now containing them...seems like a great way to go. We just want to get the word out! We are also making a new short movie on what we have to offer and centering on the float trips. Hey we have been blessed over here. God is great!

Thanks a million Vince!

Check out Vince- a great guy and definitely someone you want to support!  www.wileysflies.com