Thank you to those of you who organized, led, or joined outings in 2022. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have, and I look forward to more in 2023.
I appreciated Pete Ring and Andy Mekelburg leading an outing on November 19, 2022, to the Catoctin Watershed near Pete’s home in Thurmont, Maryland. While I was unable to make it due to a work obligation, I understand from Pete and Andy that we had a very good showing and that plenty of brook trout were caught (and released). I also appreciate Pete’s willingness to host some additional outings in 2023 and encourage you to join him. I love fishing with Pete and always learn a lot from him; it is literally like fishing with a guide. So, be on the lookout for some outings with Pete in 2023.
On December 17, 2022, I led an outing to Smith Creek, a private spring creek near Broadway, Virginia. I was joined by Andy, Roberto Tartaglio, and Kyle Shenk. The water had come up and was opaque. While it was a little chilly at times, the skies were bright and sunny, and we had some success. We certainly enjoyed the Glazier hotdogs Andy cooked for lunch. For those who wish to buy them, you can do so at glazierhotdog.com.
Kyle did very well with a silver woolly bugger-like streamer and caught about ten fish over the course of the day. Likewise, Andy caught four nice rainbows with woolly buggers, including one at the end of the day on the proverbial “last cast.” I was pleased to catch a nice rainbow about 12 inches long on a bead-head pheasant tail in a riffle at the end of a bend. I later had two long distance releases (LDRs) in the same riffle on a prince nymph that I had tied myself. Tellingly, one of those LDRs was due to a breakoff or knot failure. As Dan Neuland advises this month, learn your knots.
I will lead two outings to Smith Creek in 2023, on Saturday, April 22, and Saturday, September 16. In my view, the beauty of Smith Creek is that it is easy to access and provides a variety of water – riffles, runs, and pools with different degrees of openness. I love that you do not have to worry about beating other anglers for parking or holes and that it is extremely friendly for beginners.
One of the primary reasons people join the club is to have the opportunity to fish with other anglers and to learn about new locations. Thus, we are and will be working to get other outings on the books. However, we would very much welcome outings organized and led by other club members. It would be great if some folks would agree to host outings to local waters like Beaver Creek, Catoctin Creek, Morgan Run, the Gunpowder, Savage River, Yellow Breeches, etc. If you want to host an outing, please let me know and we will get it on the website calendar.
By Mike Holland
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