Papa Bear's Outdoors

Mid State Report 5/14

papabearoutdoors — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:10:13 +0000

Fishing is getting really good with super reports coming in. The heavy rain system has not been as severe as predicted and the water levels are going to be fantastic for this weekend all over NY state. Steelhead are still being caught in the Salmon River at Pulaski and there have been some heavy releases this last 2 weeks. These fish were caught by a father and son team last week. Whom had come up from Texas and went there with some coaxing from the bear. Needless to say they were pleased with the results this late into the season. The walleye fishing at Oneida continues to be good but the best reports are coming from those whom are fishing at night. The trout fishing is where it is at right now and I think it is going to be great for the foreseeable future. Here are some more pics from last weekend of the beautiful wild brown trout that we are able to put our guests onto with great regularity. Not only do we have these great wild browns but we also have some really nice rainbows in addition and some of them are real behemoths. I have not got any reports from the West Branch of the Delaware but I believe it will be top notch also. Put away the yard tools and get out trout fishing!!

Fly Time Is Here

papabearoutdoors — Mon, 14 May 2012 16:42:18 +0000

While the rivers were a little high this last week it appears that the heavy rain predicted for this week is going to pass south of our region in the mountains. My friend Rich Garfield reported that he guided a client to a 20 inch wild brown trout this very morning. He also stated that the client was celebrating his 60th birthday so that was a pretty special birthday present. The fly of choice was one of Rich’s signature Sirloins which are available on his website flyfishtheadirondacks.com. I think that if the rain avoids us that things are going to go crazy as the waters approach 60 degrees this week. I suggest you get your trip planned as soon as possible and don’t let another year slide by without you making that trip, after all this is 2012 and according to soothsayers and wanabee Nostrodamases across the planet this may be the end. In the meantime I will continue expanding my operation and plan of seeing you for a trip next year if not this one. One more thing I see someone from Irving, Texas is on my site every day, do I know you? My e-mail is on the site.

Adirondack trout report 5/13

papabearoutdoors — Sun, 13 May 2012 23:34:27 +0000

Papa Bear here with your mid May update. I did little fishing this weekend due to a lot of construction projects but I had friends and guides out and about. Things had been quite cool up there all last week and with a fair amount of rain it made the fishing on the bigger flows challenging to down right impossible. The small to medium flows were full and productive with many fish up to 17 inches caught but no real hogs. Water temps were in the 55 degree range but there was not very much insect activity. That said I have a notion that the fishing is going to be great from here out. The foliage is about two weeks behind the southern parts of the state and while we didn’t have time to hunt there were a lot of turkeys sighted as we drove about gathering building supplies. Okay that is my brief report for tonight and I will have more pictures as soon as my sources get them to me.

Hot Opener on Oneida Lake for Walleye

papabearoutdoors — Sun, 06 May 2012 01:39:09 +0000

NYS Guide, David Versendy went out with a few pals for the opening of the New York walleye season and the action was smoking. They started at midnight, using a drift boat and prowled the sections near the hatchery at Constanstia. They threw stick baits into the rock piles and absolutely abused the fish. He said that between 2-4 am that fire tiger was the hot flavor and silver and black the rest of the time. Around 80-90 were caught and a nice batch were kept for medicinal needs (food), just a great night with the biggest fish being 23 inches. Oneida Lake walleyes are stocky bas@%&$#rds and are incredibly clean and tasty.

Adirondacks Trout Fishing update 5/4

papabearoutdoors — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:07:37 +0000

The report from the northern region is that the big rivers are steaming and at full pool. They will be tough to fish and the best bet is to concentrate on medium to small flows which are at nice levels right now. My friend and registered NYS guide, Rich Garfield (flyfishtheadirondacks.com) said that on an excursion to such a flow yesterday he landed over 30 trout in the 12-16 inch range. He also stated that he did little on nymphs but had incredible action on dry flies which is highly unusual for this time of year. As with my posting on the Delaware, he said that a #12 elk hair caddis, dry, was the fly of the day. Rich is an absolute master nymph fishermen and if you want one of the best fly fishermen in the northern Adirondacks at your side, then he is your man. Just look at his availability calender and you will see how popular he is so call early! He also sells his signature flies on his website and I would not recommend a trip up here without some of these in your box. A massive line of strong thunderstorms has been rolling through the state in the past 48 hours so now is when my recourse links can help you fine tune the rivers to be on and not waste time and gas going to a stream that is roiled and unfishable. We got pounded here in CNY last night and the streams are high and muddy but should be very nice by Sunday without additional downpours. It is going to be nice, warm weekend so get out there.

West Branch Delaware Report

papabearoutdoors — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:02:40 +0000

I now have input and current info coming in from my friends and guides fishing the WB on a regular basis. The word is flows are a little low for this time of the year. Prince nymphs had been real hot but the word for yesterday, 5/2, was elk caddis. Now this may have been due to the very strong winds that were gusting up to 35mph. Soft hackle seems to be the rage down there this year and it is worth investigating. I am adding a real nice link on my resource page that will instantly link you to water flows across NYS. The more I explore the USGS site the more valuable info I find there that will aid you in your quest for quality fishing. It allows you to anticipate the water conditions you will face on the streams you plan to visit. This in conjunction with the weather link I have posted will help you maximize your time afield and not support the struggling oil companies. I also am becoming involved in a property offering on the WB for a limited number of lots right on the river and just below the village of Deposit. I am constructing a page for it and will have it posted on the site shortly. Other than that most streams in the central NY region seem a little clear but with spotty strong thunderstorms in the next few says forecast, things can rapidly change, so use my resources links.

Adirondack Trout Fishing update 5/2/12

papabearoutdoors — Wed, 02 May 2012 15:56:39 +0000

Okay folks, we are now into May on what is an early year for everything. The cold weather of last week slowed things down considerably but now the forecast is for warm to hot temperatures for this week. We had some good rains this week across the northern part of the state and the streams are full, my favorite conditions. The big fish feel safer and will feed more aggressively during day light hours. In the center and southern regions we had less rain but the streams are warming again and the fishing is really good. I will be starting to post updates from the West Branch of the Delaware soon with the info being current and from guides I know whom fish here daily. This will give you fly suggestions and current reliable info to aid in your pursuit of these large but educated tail water trout. Last year at this time we were still an ice age in the Adirondacks and it was not until June that things became fish-able. This year is the flip side of the coin with us enjoying great fishing right out of the gate. The trout will be getting more aggressive each day with the warming temps and minnows are now migrating into the streams from their winter haunts, don’t be bashful about throwing a big streamer under the current conditions.

June in the Adirondacks

papabearoutdoors — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 02:30:53 +0000

Now were starting to cook up here. There is an absolute explosion of life and activity up here. The insects are going crazy as they commence their brief life cycles, the eggs of the birds are now hatching coinciding perfectly with the hatches. Meals ready to eat are flying around at a steady pace and the fledglings are gorging on them.With the water temps now holding in the 60 degree range the trout are putting the feedbag on something fierce. This is magic time for a fly fisherman and being up here on one of our picturesque mountain streams will make up for all those crazy hours you put in or the insane commutes you endure each day. You can feel the stress evaporating away as you are enveloped by the positive ions emitted by the rushing waters. They claim on TV that a bracelet can do this also but I’m not buying it, like the song says ” ain’t nothing like the real thing baby”. These water temps combined with manageable water conditions in conjunction with golden yellow wild trout are the fantasies of a trout fisherman brought to life. New York is blessed with an incredible amount of recreational opportunities and in June they are all coming into play. Many of us avid fishermen fancy ourselves as pretty good golfers also to help further boost our overinflated egos. Well then I highly recommend a round at the Malone Country Club to let the air out of your balloon and serve you up a good sized slice of humble pie. Here we are in the middle of cow country, surrounded by venues that involve snow most of the year, trout streams stuffed with fish, biting insects the size of hummingbirds and here sits this 36 hole gem of a gold course. This is a Trent Jones/ Donald Ross design, built in 1909, that is a brute and will challenge even the most skilled golfer. How nice, trout fishing in the morning, 18 holes midday and back to the evening hatch. Life is good here in the mountains, come join us for a while.

Adirondack Hunting and Fishing Resources

papabearoutdoors — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:16:32 +0000

Papa Bear here. The Adirondacks are an amazing cornucopia of hunting and fishing opportunities but they also can be daunting to navigate and find info on. That is why I have been adding links on my resource page(on the tool bar) that will help aid you in planning outings into the mountains and state in general. My idea is to make this part of my web site a one stop area that will quickly link you to sites that I use all the time to provide me with instant and accurate information. We live in an amazing age of technology and communication which can be oh so useful to plan trips to places you may or may not be familiar with. With the price of gas, the increasingly constricted time restraints that we all seem to have on our precious free time or lack of technology skills many of us experience, I felt this part of my home page would be great to assist you in addition to my blog reports to maximize your time afield. I have assembled these on this page and then you can click on them and explore further, fine tuning them to your specific destinations. A non electronic tool that every outdoors men should have is a Delorme Gazeteer which is an atlas of each state in the country, is incredibly detailed, uses no batteries and is always in service. I will continue to add links as I find them and if you have one that you think is great please drop me an e-mail. Information is what drives the Internet and lets all benefit from the vast knowledge that is available there. I love seeing people being successful and will continue to keep you as informed as possible.

May in the Adirondacks

papabearoutdoors — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 16:12:27 +0000

May is that pivotal month when the snow on an ordinary year is slowly but surely disappearing and there is an explosion of new life. Migratory birds are filtering in on a daily basis and there songs fill the air as they search for mates and twitterpate. It is a great time to observe them as they rush about building nests and they are highly visible before the trees become fully encased in foliage. Once they lay the eggs they become less active as they make themselves and the nest locations less visible to predators. With not many biting insects yet in full attack mode and the now mostly nice days I think it is the best month of the year for birdwatching up here. The insect hatches in the river accelerate with each passing day as the ground water begins to reach that magic 55-65 mark. The sun is still at a more direct angle and it heats the cobble rock in the rivers all day long and the trout love to move out of their shadowy lairs and feast on the insects which are migrating from under the rocks to begin their brief lives as winged adults. In the late afternoon as the sun reaches its zenith it quite often becomes very intense and I have experienced amazing, savage action during this witching hour. As the sun makes you feel good so it does for the trout. I read an article in fly fisherman magazine years ago that was about why trout feed and the gist of piece was that in the spring, the faster water temps rise from cooler to 65 the more oxygen that the water can hold and can even become super saturated with oxygen. This drives the trout into an absolute feeding frenzy where they will throw caution to the wind. It sure explains some of the amazing days I have experienced up here. Twice in my life I have had days where I caught over 30 browns in the 17-21 inch range in a single day. I looked up to the sky and asked what did I do right to deserve it!!! I only wish I had had someone along to film it, that is why my son is in training. May can also be a tough month when cold fronts drop down from Canada making the area resemble coastal Alaska. In May I recommend avoiding the deeper valley streams in the heart of the mountains that stay cool into June and July and prowl the foothills for warmer waters. Pretty much you can count on great action from the middle of May on up here. This is also turkey season and there are an amazing amount of them here, more than most people realize. Chances are you stop at some farms and ask permission you probably will get a yes and don’t be bashful about flipping the farmer $25 or so for this access, God knows these farmers could use it.