The month of May in New York state is a busy month for the sportsman who likes to hunt and fish. State wide the trout season has been open since the first of April and for the fly fisherman things are settling into the normal hatch cycles on area streams and rivers. May 1st was the spring turkey opener, which this year was a soaker and May 5th was the state wide walleye and northern pike opener.
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| Nice 16" brown that sipped in a #16 BWO sparkle dun |
For the trout fisherman who throws flies it has been very good fishing. The trout are for the most part tuned into the mayfly and caddis hatches and bait fishing is becoming less productive. For the local streams around home, they are mostly empty of anglers. I have had some great evenings lately, landing probably 35 -40 trout in the last two evenings alone. We have a mix of bugs on the water with the recent arrival of the Iso, the kind you tie on a #10 or #12 hook, the big spring Isos. Most trout I have hooked are preferring 2 flies, one is the BWO #16 sparkle dun which is a comparadun with an antron (poly) tail. This is a very productive pattern here on local streams and I have had excellent success with this pattern out west in Wyoming, Idaho and Montana . The second pattern, and the most productive fly I think I have ever use is an x-caddis. This is a hair wing caddis pattern with an antron or poly tail. The tail is about the same length as the fly body and looks like a caddis trailing it's nymph skin. I use this in a brown size #14 and it doesn't seem to matter what color caddis is hatching, this fly catched fish. I have tied this fly in tan and it works well too.
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| The stockers are fattening up! |
Some of the trout are hold overs but most are stocked from this year. Their diet is making them fat and their colors are turning more 'traditional' brown trout looking, beautiful fish. Most are very robust and fiesty which is a lot of fun.
For the turkey hunters this season so far has been a 50/50 mix of wet and dry mornings. They (the gobblers) have been vocal at first light but quiet from then on, hard to get them to gobble later in the morning. They still come to the call, just have to stay alert.
Walleye fishing has been good with the focus on Oneida Lake and Oswego Harbor. Trolling stick bait is working well as is trolling worm harnesses. Haven't heard much from the northern pike anglers although I'd like to head up to Lakeview Marsh off Route 3 north of Sandy Pond, I've always had fun on the northern there.
Hope you're enjoying the spring but don't ingore the 'honey-do' list, too long.
Tight lines.
