A Break In The Heat... Let's Go Fishing!

As a kid, I seem to remember really enjoying the summertime.  The ridiculous heat of a Philadelphia summer was just an excuse to set up a sprinkler in the backyard to jump through, to hide in the house and play hour after hour of Mike Tyson's Punch Out, or eat thousands of "ice pops," leaving the clear plastic wrappers pretty much everywhere in our wake.

Mmmmm....

As an adult, facing almost 11 straight days in the mid to high 90s, with more than a few days topping 100... well, it just sucks.  Remarkably, Lilly gets through it much like I did as a kid... Slip & Slide in the backyard, Wipeout 2 on her Nintendo DS, and a freezer full of Fudgesicles.  But me... as a guy who's one real hobby is fishing... going outside into the broiler is not something to look forward to.  Because when it's that hot with very little rain, even wet wading doesn't provide much relief.

Yesterday afternoon provided an too rare opportunity of not XXX-rated hot weather, so a few text messages exchanged, Matt (aka Func Fish) & I decided to hit an undisclosed area of the Perkiomen Creek to pester some fish.  

Matt wore waders, I wet waded, and upon entry the first good sign was that the water actually felt good.  Nice and cool(ish), unlike last weekend's mission where it felt like warm pis... well you know what I mean.  Even if we didn't catch a thing, the simple refreshment that was being bottom deep in some cool water made it worth the trip.

Simple refreshment for someone else...

First we hit a spot where he had previously spotted a bunch of carp hanging out doing what carp do, which is primarily being ugly.  While they weren't stacked on top of each other like the last day he saw them, they were still there, lurking.  Not being carp people we just threw random flies at them without any luck.  It got old pretty quick, so we moved on... because the panfish bite was on.  Holla!

Waderboy tying on

Sunnies, bluegills, rock bass, even the random smallmouth bass all obliged... one after another after another.  All shapes, all sizes, all colors.  It was pretty fun.

Although we didn't catch any trophies on the day... or stupid carp... I think we both left happy with the 3+ hours of fishing... and the fact that neither of us had heat stroke.

Time for an ice pop...

Pizza, Bad Monster Movies, & Fishing

Wow, 5 days between posts.  Feels like an eternity to me.

The last week or so, I've pretty much been removed from the computer (which in all honesty is a good thing).  No blogging, a little Facebook & Twitter on the smartphone, but that's about it.  

As I mentioned on June 25th, I spent the large part of last week in Jacksonville, Florida on business.  I had hoped to steal a few hours while in JAX and at least check out the fishing pier, but Mother Nature had other plans.  Tropical storm-like rains...ummm...rained down on the city for a good two days straight creating flooded roads - and for better or worse trapping me inside the hotel on Tuesday night.

That said, the flights back and forth were not plagued by weather-related airport delays, so all in the end was good.  Jacksonville might not be my favorite place in the world, but I will miss a nice slice of Moon River Pizza.

Moon River's Godzilla Pizza...foreshadowing, perhaps?

Anyway, back up in Pennsylvania, I was fortunate to be greeted by 100+ degree days the last few; I forgot how much I hate the extremes of the Philadelphia summers.  Makes you want to hole up in your house, blinds drawn, AC crankin', and just veg out.  Which I did the lion's share of yesterday.  The SyFy Channel was running a day's worth of "creature" movies, which I really like because a) they are so poorly done, and b) they are guaranteed at least one B (if not C) level actor/actress.

Yesterday's bounty included Anaconda 3 starring David Hasselhoff as a for-hire reptile hunter.  Like in all of the 'Hoff's roles, his acting was superb, the script just let him down.

After that was Bigfoot.  And you know how I like me some Bigfoot.  Unfortunately, they portrayed Bigfoot more like King Kong than a humanoid-ape.  Luckily Danny Bonaduce & Barry Williams (Greg Brady) were there to save the day - and also send a missle through Abe Lincoln's head at Mt. Rushmore.

No video I could scrounge up...sorry.  Or maybe you should thank me.

Finally, a battle to the death ensued between two true monsters...no not Mega Python vs. Gatoroid.  Nope.  Rather Tiffany vs. Debbie Gibson.  Great flick.  Honestly I can't say I made it through that one all the way.  For fans of either, Debbie Gibson is holding up well.  Tiffany...not so much.

As for fishing...yeah, fishing.  I did do a little of that yesterday once the sun finally started to go down.  Went over to the Indianhead Dam section of the Perkiomen Creek for a few hours to get my first wet wade of the year on.  Heck, hadn't fished that section of the Perk since 2009.  Was hoping for some smallies, but only found sunfish and rock bass.  No bronzebacks or even barracuda this time.  Oh well...

Wednesday Nibbles - Selbbin is Nibbles Backwards

Just for kicks I Googled "Selbbin" and found a YouTube page by a user of the same name.  This also presented the following very disturbing bunny video...and is now this post's newly adopted theme song.  I didn't know Bigerrfish was sucking helium & singing songs...



Ugh...awful right?  Just when you didn't think there was anything more awkward than Charlie Sheen on the Today Show...but more on that in a bit...

The Fly Fishing Show's in town this weekend...holla!...at the Valley Forge Convention Center like 15 minutes from my house.  Will I be there?  Probably not.  Lilly's 5th birthday party is on Saturday, so I will be knee deep in pink & princesses.  Actually, that's not a bad place to be.  I swing a mean Wiffle ball bat and we've got a piñata on tap.  Sunday?  Nope, have to hit the airport in the afternoon for a business trip.

Oh well, I don't need to look at all that shiny new gear anyway (or at least that's what I'm trying to convince myself)...but my lack of attendance shouldn't dissuade you if you live in the Philadelphia metro area.  I know...it will be tough to go on without me.  But if you're brave enough, check out the website HERE for more information.

The show must go on...

Have you seen that the new wave of camping upon us?  Bubble tents.  Yup.  I'm ditching that Wal-Mart special I bought last year and getting one of these bad boys for the summer.  I guess sleeping in the nude isn't an option in these things...but then again, perhaps that's the whole point.  Either way, kinda reminds me of an awful Travolta movie I saw once....or the equally awfully awesome Gyllenhaal remake.

This probably will get lost in all this randomness, but the 2011 Perkiomen Watershed Clean Up will be held on Saturday, April 16th from 9 AM to 12 PM.  This is a nice event for those that are local, and is also being supported by Perkiomen Valley Trout Unlimited (my chapter, that I'm also pretty much an absentee member of).

Registration is open now by following THIS LINK.  Or you can visit the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy's website HERE for more information.

As I mentioned above, Charlie Sheen is everywhere these days.  I don't get it.  Can't a guy drink a bathtub full of Jack Daniels' for breakfast, snort coke off multiple prostitutes' body parts for lunch, and then show up on every "serious" TV news show rambling nonsense these days without losing his #1 sitcom?

I'm telling you, we live in a world information overload.  I'm sure Mr. Stratton of Silver Spoons fame had his demons...they just didn't have the internet and shows like Access Hollywood back in the early '80s to blow them up to extreme proportions.

Nice "Pennsylvania Tuxedo" Mr. Stratton

In any event, Charlie set up a Twitter account yesterday and started making indecipherable posts (with pictures) about "Winning!"  Going viral is not the word to describe how apesh*t this has become.  Go Charlie!  P.S., your porn star girlfriend(?) has a nice rack.

Winning!  is so awesome.

Finally, blog love this week will be short and sweet, especially since I gave out more than my share of hugs & kisses yesterday.  This week's suggestion to go visit all that good stuff is Fontinalis Rising.  Good writing, great pictures, a solid all around fly fishing blog.  At the time of writing this FR had 25 Google Followers, I know we can do better than that for him.  Plus you can find Jason over on OBN & Facebook, so those are two more things in his favor.  We like those places here.

Perkiomen Valley Trout Unlimited Stream Bank Erosion Control Project

This Saturday, September 18th, the Perkiomen Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited will be holding a "workday" to complete Phase 3 of their stream bank erosion control project at the Longacre Farm property on the West Branch of the Perkiomen Creek. This is one in a series of annual workdays held by the club, local land owners, and the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission.

The PVTU's first stream bank erosion control project was in 1995, building fencing & cattle crossings at Packwachen Run in Berks County.  This year's project calls for the installation of several large log deflectors & stone ballasts in an effort to fortify the stream bank from future erosion. The West Branch of the Perkiomen Creek is a wonderful stretch of water well worth preserving, serving as the home to a naturally reproducing population of wild trout.

If you are interested in joining the PVTU this weekend in their stream bank project, the meet-up time is 8:30 AM at the Longacre Farm, located on Route 100 in Bally, PA.  Parking is available across from Jake's Flea Market.

For more infomation on the Perkiomen Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, please visit their website at PVTU.net.

Indianhead Watershed's 4th Annual Fishing Derby

Here's one for the kiddies...

The Indianhead Watershed Association is holding their 4th annual kids' fishing derby on Saturday, June 12th from 9AM to 1PM.  It's limited to the first 75 registrants between the ages of 5 to 14, so if it's something your family may have interest in, you should act quickly.  In light of some recent news regarding the Perkiomen, this is an event you definitely do not want to miss.

The Perkiomen holds many species of fish, including bass, carp, a some trout that make their way down from tributaries such as the Skippack Creek.

The event will be held in conjunction with the Lower Providence Optimist Club & the Stony Creek Anglers, so there will be plenty of experienced anglers on hand to assist.

The registration form can be downloaded HERE, or visit the Indianhead Watershed Association's website for more information:
http://indianheadwatershed.com/

Help Save Hoy Park Wetlands

I've been tied up in a lot of things lately (blog posts to come), so I haven't posted in about a week.  This came in my email last night, and I thought it was definitely worth posting here.  Hoy Park is a great little park along the Perkiomen Creek in Lower Providence Township.  I've fished there several times (previous post HERE), and tons of people use it for bird watching and as a canoe/kayak launch point.

There's a proposal on the board right now involving a sewer project that would change the face of Hoy Park & its surroundings forever.  Please read below, and if you're so inclined sign the online petition.

Signing this petition will show your support of our efforts to stop the middle interceptor sewer project from destroying our wetlands and the Perkiomen Creek in Lower Providence PA.

The latest plan (there have been several previous proposals) has the interceptor running across the Perkiomen Creek 4 X within a mile and a half. Origionally the pipeline was to stay on the Upper Providence side of the creek running through areas previously disturbed. In Arcola, the pipeline will destroy the only wetlands along the valley since the other side is very steep. This sewer line is 48 inches in diameter & requires a 70ft wide cleared area and a ditch 20 ft deep and 40 ft wide!!! Try to imagine the damage to the creek that will create with 4 crossings. The current survey map plan does not include a lot of the wetlands (not sure how they missed it) where standing water is found year round - the pipe will be laid directly under this area. The steepness of the bank on the Upper Providence side forces all flood water onto the wetlands on the Lower Providence side - this will cover the pipeline 3-4 times per year. At times the flooding will be as much as 5-10 ft high above the grounds surface level along the pipeline. The current plan only cement encases the portions under the creek bed. The entire length in Lower Providence will be under constant water pressure due to it's close proximity to the creek, the bedrock shale which is found just under the soil (6"-2ft max), and its location under wetlands.

The infiltration & intrusion (I/I) is already the primary problem facing the Oaks Treatment Facility (see LP Newsletter under Sewer Authority). There is an EPA document describing an alternative that seems to make a lot of sense in this project - the use of a forced main. Several of the original alternatives did not require crossing the Perkiomen creek but instead used a pumping station. The current line ends very close to an old railroad bed which has been converted to a local bike path. This would be a perfect spot to put a much smaller forced sewer main. The railroad bed is relatively flat, its elevated (dramatically reduced water intrusion problems, more easily installed -smaller pipe, smaller shallower ditch - more easily monitored for leaks (current sewer line is inspected using this same bike path), and when it needs to be replaced/repaired it is much more accessible. The proposed location of the pumping station is still open & part of an industrial site.

In addition, the current plan path will require a lot of blasting in an area paralleled by numerous houses dependant on wells for their water. Such blasting may adversely affect theses wells. If there are sewer leaks in the future, these wells will be in peril and there is currently no water main supply to this area. The forced sewer main seems a logical choice considering the damage to the creeks ecosystem, the wetlands, and difficulties in future repairs of the currently planned system.

This is a beautiful area frequented by Bald Eagles, RedBelly Turtles (PA Threatened List), Mink, Herons, Egrets, Red-Tail Hawks (Nesting), Spring Peepers, Leopard Frogs , Bull Frogs, Box Turtles, Muskrats, Puddle Ducks, and many other wetland creatures. Please give us your vote to help our cause.

PLEASE ATTEND A RALLY ON MAY 7th at HOY PARK to show your support - our local reps, DEP, etc will be there.

The Indianhead Watershed Association Lower Providence Concerned Citizens Association

To Sign the Petition, click on link below:
www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthesewerinlp/

For more information on the Indianhead Dam Watershed, please visit:
www.indianheadwatershed.com

Hoy Park - Cold!!!

This morning I thought I'd give Hoy Park in Collegeville a try. Hoy is this small little park at the intersection of the Skippack & Perkiomen Creeks. There's a boat launch for kayaks or canoes, and some spots to fish in and around. I hadn't fished Hoy Park since the summer, (before we found out about K.C.'s cancer), but I had caught my fair share of bass (& even some holdover trout) bank fishing from the bottom of a small bluff.

The circumstances were kinda funny the last time I was there, maybe in early August. I packed all of my normal gear, but I guess forgot my small tackle box...so I fished the entire morning using one homemade inline spinner. If that sucker got snagged and broke off, I was screwed, but luckily it didn't and I brought in 4 bass. My camera was in my tackle box, so no pics that day either. Oh well.

Drop dead sexy

So I rolled into Hoy this morning about 8AM, and it's cooold. The thermometer in the car read 35 degrees...I guess it isn't summer anymore. To compound that, today wasn't considered a "good" day to fish. I redeemed some bonus points I had collected on my one credit card for a free fishing watch. I wanted it b/c it is waterproof, but it also tells you if the fish are going to be active based on your longitude and the moon phase (or some nonsense like that)- and spits out a rating from 0 to 4 fish. Well today was a 0 fish day.

So Hoy's changed since last I was there. That bluff I used to fish from the bottom...well there's now a small fishing pier there. That's a nice add. 

Anyway, to the fishing. I figured since it was so chilly, would have to fish slow, so I worked some senkos slooooowly along the bottom for about an hour and a half, but really didn't have much luck. Got skunked actually. I would have stayed longer, but I really didn't dress too good for the cold, and my fingers were beginning to get numb so I bolted for warmth and sunday afternoon football. Win some and you lose some. This one was a loss, but I'll be back!