Time to Make Plans for the New Year of Fly and Spey Fishing
Walt Geryk
date 01/06/09
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First of all, Happy New Year to All and To All a Good New Year of Fishing!

For those of you who already frequent the Northeast and for those who are planning to.
It’s time to offer up a little winter reading, weather your at your office or relaxing at home by the fireplace. The Northeast offers some invigorating outdoor activities that are great for the whole family during the four seasons. So when planning a family getaway and not everyone wants to fish, then how about other outdoor activities than can be coordinated with your fly fishing outings.

Massachusetts
Get Acquainted with Mother Earth:

Hilltown Wilderness Adventures is an outdoor adventure outfitter right here in the foot hills of the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts.  HWA is year ‘round adventure service from dog sledding to Martial Arts and more! You can book a couple of hours, half day, or even whole day with an experienced guide to Hike, Bike, Kayak, & Swim in some of the most pristine & scenic hideaways Western Massachusetts has to offer. Family & Dog Friendly packages with homemade box lunches and dog biscuits can be part of your enjoyable day outdoors. Enjoying Nature is for the whole family. Hilltown Wilderness Adventures is an insured outdoor guide service for all ages and needs with outdoor packages tailored to your needs.
For a full family experience, go online go to: Hilltown Wilderness Adventures  and there can be more then fish talk at the end of the day.

East Coast Spey Fishing
Salt and Fresh Water:

Why Spey Fishing (2 handed rods) is showing up more, and with good reason on the East Coast Waters of the Atlantic for Stripers, Blues and other salt water game fish. With Spey Fishing on the rise, more rod companies are manufacturing these long rods in 4 to 6 weights for smaller game fish under 24 inches to complement the 7 weights and heavier for larger species.The inland water ways of the Northeast is also becoming popular for swinging spey flies and streamers for Salmon, Trout, Steelhead, Bass and more.
For more information on Spey Fishing and Lessons and more, contact Walt to reserve time on the water to share his knowledge and casting abilities with you.You can also catch up with Walt at the Somerset New Jersey Fly Fishing Show January 23rd thru 25th in the Northeast Orvis Endorsed Fly Fishing Guides Venue. Here Walt can help you with your fly and spey fishing, casting and presentation needs required to take trophy fish in the Northeast.

New York
A Winter Steelheading Note from a Friend:

Hey Walt,

Well I guess it had to happen sometime and today was a good day for it to happen.  The day started at 8 am when I was getting into my waders in a snow storm. After getting dressed and bundled up cause it was 15 degrees out I walked down to the second set of power lines below the school house and managed to find a spot to fish.  After about a half hour I dropped my rod hand too low and got half of my reel wet.  (Smiling yet?)  I fished like that for another half hour and decided I was sunk if I hooked anything good so I walked back to Malinda's Fly Shop and dried out the reel. After about an hour and a half I was getting ready to go back out when 2 guys came in to thank Malinda for suggesting a certain fly as they hooked a couple of fish but didn't land any. As soon as they left I asked about the fly they were talking about.  She went to the case and gave me a copper a green and blue. Forgot what they're called but they are small have a tungsten bead head a small hackle and the body is one color. I caught browns on them back on Thanksgiving Day.  I already had a copper one and a green one.  So I go back to where I was in the morning only to find a boat anchored where I was wanting to fish.  Well I noticed earlier where another boat had taken a couple of fish and I began to look it over to see if there was a way to fish this split seam from where I was.  (Water running 1800 cfs)  I managed to find a spot waist deep and with some interesting moves was able to get a 50 ft cast out and get my drift and presentation the way you taught me.  Well the Green Highlander wasn't getting any attention from the fish so I put on the blue bead head Malinda gave me. I chose the blue because I had never fished that color before.  The first drift brought a sudden stop to my line which immediately came loose and I thought to myself "that bead couldn't be sinking that much" so I laid another cast to the same spot and when the line stopped this time I hauled back hard.  Whoo Hoo!!!  Several BIG headshakes and I knew this was special. The fight didn't last long probably due to the cold water but it lasted an eternity to me. I was in a small cove which had nice white sand next to the bank so when I finally grabbed the leader and drew the fish towards me, there I could see it very well. I was tempted to put it on the bank for pictures but the cold would have iced up the fish and the snow would have filled the gills so I opted to just get the hook out of the corner of its mouth and then release it. I got a really good look at it and it even stayed at my feet for 15 or 20 seconds so I could admire it some more.  It was a dark fish, been in the river for awhile. IT WAS ALSO THE BIGGEST DARN STEELHEAD I'VE EVER CAUGHT.   Now I'm the first to admit I haven't seen a lot of these fish but I have caught enough 15 lb salmon to know one when I see one.  This female was all of that.  Not a bad way to end the year eh?  So now the bar has been set for 2009 and tomorrow it’s going to be cold, in the single digits. We start the quest to top this fish.  So we start a New Year. Now I’m looking ahead to renew friendships made this past fall and to share good times on the water with.  This was a rough time for me personally this past fall and I THANK YOU for sharing not only your knowledge and expertise with me but your patience too.  Sharing your time on the water with me has proven invaluable to me. It meant a lot to me and I can’t thank you enough. Without people like you and Malinda and Bob who are good decent people and willing to share themselves both personally as well as professionally, we could easily lose the values we cling to in life and in the pursuit of our fish. I wouldn't have caught that fish today if not for you guys.  Malinda got a big hug from me when I walked back into the shop this afternoon and you would have gotten one too because after thanking God for this fish you guys were the ones I thought of and grinned wishing you were all there.  So here's to 09 - tight lines - good friends and I hope we're together when I get my hook into today's steelhead’s bigger sibling.

HAPPY NEW YEAR,
Rich

It is time to reserve your New York and Massachusetts Fly and Spey Fishing Outings and Lodging for 2009!

See Everyone Soon,
Walt Geryk

2008 Videos

Salmon River Fall Spey Fishing

Salmon River Winter Spey Fishing

Deerfield River Fly Fishing Summer Float Trip

2009 Spring Steelhead Season is Just Ahead

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