The Central New York Fly Fisher

More on Catch and Release by Matt Chapple

In the past I have received quite a few e-mails with stories of the sickening behavior witnessed on New York Streams. Stories of driving fish into nets (this one I even witnessed), stories of hooking beautiful steelhead and brown trout with treble hooks (I caught a treble hook in a Finger Lakes tributary once) and dragging them through the water with 20lb test. In all honesty I do not see the sport in these activities, but how can a change be made. Education?

I have heard stories from some that practice such techniques that these migratory fish don’t take flies as well as stories about how the fish are all stocked anyway so killing them does not matter.

I just wanted to document that natural reproduction does occur.

The fish pictured below were all taken from the same Finger Lakes tributary system.

Gorgeous 21-inch female rainbow

Gorgeous 21-inch female rainbow taken on a #10 Hare’s ear nymph (Still hooked in the mouth if you look closely) This was a wonderful fish but one of the pectoral fins was missing, which got me thinking. Maybe it was damaged on the journey upstream or maybe it was a predator or parasite?

Hare's Ear Nymph

	Hook	#10 2x long nymph hook
	*Thread*	Wine 6/0
	*Tail*	Pheasant tail fibers
	*Abdomen*	Natural Hare’s mask
	*Rib*	Fine copper wire
	*Thorax*	Natural Hare’s mask
	*Wing case*	Peacock herl

Beautiful 23-inch male rainbow taken on #10 green-butt hare’s ear nymph (Still hooked in the mouth if you look closely.) Another example of a spectacular Finger Lakes rainbow! This one was great to catch. The water was ultra-clear and the take was real subtle. I didn’t notice at the time but someone was kind enough to drop some cigarette butts on the ground before I arrived.

Beautiful 23-inch male rainbow

Green-butt Hare’s Ear Nymph

	Hook	#10 2x long nymph hook
	*Thread*	Olive 6/0
	*Tail*	Pheasant tail fibers
	*Butt*	Florescent green floss
	*Abdomen*	Natural Hare’s mask
	*Rib*	Fine copper wire
	*Thorax*	Natural Hare’s mask
	*Wing case*	Peacock herl

Tip to tying these two flies: use a loop and spin the hair in the loop to create a spiky look.

Wonderful 3-½ inch rainbow taken on a wet fly (Not a very good picture though)

Wonderful 3-½ inch rainbow

The fish pictured here demonstrate what it takes to create wild fish. The 3-½ inch rainbow was not stocked but was the result of what happens when fish like the 21-inch female rainbow and the 23-inch male rainbow get together and spawn. The streams were the two larger fish were taken are not stocked either. The more fish like these spawning adults we leave in the streams the more little guys they create, and the more big wild fish will return to the streams in the future.

For the future of the Finger Lakes rainbows, “Practice Catch and Release”

Show respect for the pristine Finger Lakes Tributaries, “If you carry it in, Carry It out”



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