1. Troutnut Forum
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3. Long-time reader, never-time poster? Start here!

As of right now there are 1,022 people signed up on this forum, and only a small minority have actually posted anything. That is a typical ratio for an online forum, but I want to encourage the "lurkers" (not to make you sound diabolical or anything, but there ya go) to jump in and say something.

So, if you haven't posted before, say something. Anything. If you really want to impress everyone, write a limerick. Or just introduce yourself and the most important details of your life, such as how many fly rods you own and the size of your largest trout. If you're really shy, just tell us what you had for lunch, or tell us that you don't want us to know what you had for lunch, although that's probably more revealing than the actual contents of your sandwich. Maybe you didn't even have lunch. Breakfast will do. OK, I'm rambling... let the ice-breaking begin.

(By the way, feel free to reply to what people write here even if it's not your first post.)

I'm not a long time lurker, just a newbie to this Forum. Well I've already made and answered about a dozen entries and saw this thread and thought it was a good one to introduce myself.

My real name is Matt and I live in York, PA. I've been flyfishing for forty-two years and still love it as much now as when I caught my first 14" brookie on a white marabou in the Peabody River in New Hampshire!

I typically don't frequent local trout waters as I condsider the Delaware system as my "home waters". I lived in NJ until 1984 and Roscoe was just about two hours away. When I moved to PA I did fish quite a bit in local water like the Yellow Breeches, Clarks Creek, Donegal Spring Creek, Tulpehocken, and others. After a short period though I knew I'd not be satisfied with these little creeks and longed for the bigger Catskill waters.

In 1996 I bought a small cabin on the West Branch of the Delaware and began fishing in that watershed almost exclusively. I still fish the East Branch a few times a year but have not fished the Beaverkill or Willowemoc in at least a decade or two.

My two largest main stem Delaware fish were, ironically, both caught in the past three years. In September of 2005 I landed a 23.5" hen rainbow on a #16 Rusty spinner and 5x. In May of 2006 I landed a 23" hen brown, that was heavier than the rainbow, on a #18 CDC caddis and 5x. I have a photo of the brown but hesitate to post it as I was in my drift boat with a buddy and he really couldn't get me in the frame well and I happened to extend the fish from my body somewhat so it would frame well and you know what happens when guys do that. On another forum I did post it and got a lot of remarks that it really was probably only 19".

My largest West Branch fish was a male that I took in early June of 2002 on a very large streamer. While I'm not a fisheries expert it appeared not to have been a reservoir escapee as it had good length as well as girth. It was 27" and no I don't have a picture.

I tie flies but not nearly as much as I used to when I was younger. I'll tie in spurts and maybe sit down and over a few days tie 100 Hendricksons, Red Qills, and Paraleps, in all sorts of styles and then won't need another for years.

I go to Montana every year for about two weeks to fish the Missouri. The Moe has the most consistent dry fly fishing for large trout anywhere that I've been able to afford. This year six of us went down to Livingston for a day and fished Armstrong Spring Creek. I fished it frequently back in the late 1960's through the 1970's. When I first fished there it was free! I'd not seen it since the flood and was very disappointed to see that it was almost entirely different than it had been before the flood. It used to be primarily a sand bottom mixed with small stones and gravel and lush weed growth. Now it is just full of bowling ball size boulders that are as slippery as the dickens. I'd seen some site indicating how hard it was now to catch fish but it was so freaking easy that it was almost boring. If you fished any of the riffles you could catch fish after fish. I only fished flat water and then looked for only bank feeding fish and still caught far many more than I care to put in print.

I used to love to fish the Susquehanna for smallmouth and was really looking forward to fishing it during the summer of 2005. I retired in April of 2005 and usually fish the Delaware, with a hiatus for my two week Montana trip, until the beginning of July. Then I'd take my jet out and hammer 20 - 30 bass in half a day's fishing. Then the river experienced the low water, high temperature situation that caused that fungi to manifest itself and raise havoc with all of the fish.

So now I fish the WB all season right to the end of October. I'm hoping for some heavy, but not flood-like, rain during August so the main stem gets some water and we see flows of 1000 cfs and more so I can use my Hyde low profile boat. I like the WB but prefer the main stem due to more rainbows and my ability to get away from most everybody with the boat.

I hope you all have a great remaining 2007 season and all catch some awesome fish.

Matt, thanks for introducing yourself. I enjoyed reading your bio and learning a bit about what kind of fishing you like.

Hi all, i've posted here once or twice and figured i'd introduce myself. My real name is shane and i'm going into the 9th grade. I live in rochester minnesota with my parents and brother. I'm definetly a beginner as i just started flyfishing 3 years ago. My home water is trout run creek(a gem of a stream)and thats where i caught my biggest fish to date a chunky 15 inch brown thats exploded on a gray skittered caddis, gotta love caddis hatches. This year i finally started fishing hatches successfully getting fish on hendricksons, sulfurs, and march browns. i also enjoy smallmouth fishing in town on the zumbro river.well, thats me in a nutshell. tight lines all

Welcome, Shane! I never would have guessed that you were going into the 9th grade. No insult--I'm very impressed. Keep up the good work!

Hello Shane,

Hey, ur awesome! It is great that you have taken up fly fishing and I can tell that you really like it. You'll find that it can be a lifelong passion that you can keep doing until your and old man (like me LOL) You write very well and as Gonzo mentioned I'd have thought you to be older based on your post.

Thanks for your good words gonzo and wbranch. just out of curiosity how long have you guys been flyfishing and have you ever fished trout in minnesota.
gonzo i hope too get up to your status as a fly fisher, i don't have your book(yet), but from what i've heard you are a fly fishing genius.

Nothing wrong with being a beginner, Shane -- I started about 3 years ago myself!

Surely you've learned by now not to believe everything you hear, Shane! (But thanks for the entirely undeserved praise.) Truth be told, our man Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger is the real genius. He's learned things in three years that it took me more than forty to figure out. Scary, huh?

jason did you really start 3 years ago, You sure are ambitious too get all of your pictures for your photo library compiled in 3 years! keep it up. Can't wait to see more alaskan bugs.

Yes, Jason just started 3 years ago and right next door to you! He is a fast learner and a real trout nut!

Actually, I guess it's been almost 4 years. Time really flies! Still, I've been busy... this is one addictive sport!

Shane,

I've been fly fishing since I was 17 years old and that was forty-six years ago. Actually a long time ago I lived in St. Paul for awhile and fished the St. Croix River for smallmouth and just across the river into Wisconsin I fished a little stream called the Kennekinic (I'm not sure of the spelling anymore)

Hi all,
It's great to see the legacy is being passed along. To Shane, keep up the good work. You'll never tire of this sport and learn more and more as you go along. I'm sure Wbranch will attest to the fact that even after many years of fly fishing there is still some learning going on. I can attest to that myself, after 45 years of fly fishing. It never gets stale.

Mark

amen, Mark! and in that respect, fly fishing is like baseball: it rewards attention. both offer long periods of great expectation and effort, followed by joy if you're lucky; if not, you go out and do it better next time. after 20 years of baseball fanaticism and 3 of fishing, i have to agree that a single lifetime is not enough to master all the intricacies of either sport. the best part of all, though, is that you don't have to start young. perfectly reasonable functioning adults take up these sports, and can then hold intelligent conversations with 9-year-olds AND 99-year-olds.

Hi all! My name is Mark and I live in Northern Virginia. This year was my first time fishing for trout. What an amazing experience!I caught many brookies in the Shenendoah National Park this year and became hooked on those beautiful fish. The highlight of my year happened by accident in Vermont. I spent four days fishing on a mountain stream close to my in-laws house. I had no idea if it contained fish but I thought it looked good so I gave it a shot. I caught numerous brookies and browns between 10-14 inches, all on dry flies.As I was walking out of the stream one day, one of the locals asked me if I had any luck because he had never seen anyone fishing there before. I can't wait to get back!I have spent the summer fishing for smallmouth in the Shenendoah. If anyone lives near me and is willing to fish with a relative beginner, let me know. I am new to the area and I am always on the lookout for new fishing knowledge.

Welcome, Mark. Sounds like you're having a fine summer and a really great introduction to fly fishing. I'll give you one little tip: whenever you fish a great little mountain stream, and a local says he's never seen anyone fishing it before, never breathe a word about it to anyone you wouldn't trust with your life. (Even then, be careful!) Best of luck to you as you continue.

When a local asks you again just say: "Ya! I caught some big chubs and suckers!"

We all started as beginners and now have a passion for the sport. If you have any questions I am sure someone here will be willing to help answer them for you.

I don't post often, but I do have a question for you Gonzo. I seem to be hearing a lot about "your book". So...what is the book about, what's it called? You seem to be a skilled enough fly fisherman that it would be worth taking a look at :)

Mike

Hi Mike,

The book is: "Fly-Fishing Pressured Water, Tying Tactics For Today's Trout" by Lloyd Gonzales... ISBN 978-0-8117-3220-8.

Go here: Link to Amazon