Like being outdoors in PA?

Thanks to BeerTrout for alerting me to this.  Under the proposed budget from Gov. Corbett, PA's land, water, and air are under serious attack.  There has been additional pressure put on our natural resources by the Marcellus Shale fracking, and now there are proposed budget cuts to funding conservation and recreation programs. 



Check out this petition to make your voice heard: http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/2012budget

Among the proposed cuts in the budget:

1. Transferring $30 million from Keystone Recreation, Park, and Conservation Fund to the general fund, which would completely eliminate the KRPCF.
2. Taking the funds from the state's cigarette sales tax, which has historically been used for farmland preservation, and transferring them to the general fund.  This would be a permanent change that would end the farmland preservation fund unless additional funding was found.
3. Continue using the Environmental Stewardship Fund to to pay the Growing Greener II bond debt service.  This would leave $23 million for Growing Greener programs and projects, the lowest amount in decades.

If you care at all about being outdoors, whatever your passion is and where ever you live, please sign the petition.  Don't let the government think that we will sit idly by as they try and take away what is important to us.  Once the natural areas are developed, we can't get them back.

Floundering in Lewes

To get the proper feel for this day, I suggest you read this entry sitting directly in front of a fan set on high and blowing directly into your face.

We started early Friday morning (5:30 AM) and headed down RT 1 with visions of flounder in our heads.  A check of the weather on the way down showed we were in for a treat.  Sunny skies with a high near 60 with winds out of the east at 15-20 mph.  Great!  Oh well, we were committed and decided to try anyway.  A stop at Bill's Sport Shop (formerly called Bill's Perms and Worms) an hour and half later revealed there was a small craft advisory in the bay.  We still decided to try since we were already there.  The boat launch was uneventful and went well despite the constant wind.  One look at the inlet and we decided to stay in the canal as there was no way the 17' center console was making its way through the white caps in the inlet.

We worked hard in the canal and had a great captain (thanks Bob) who wasn't afraid to motor around trying to find warmer water that was hopefully shielding from the wind.  That proved to be an impossible mission.  We did see the huge windmill and were able to see some osprey really up close.  Plus, a day spent fishing with good friends and the laughs that ensue is way better than any day spent at work.

Peter Laurelli's "Surf and Inshore Fly Fishing 2011"

Luckily for us, Peter Laurelli lugged his cameras with him as he fished the 2011 striper season up and down the Northeast coast.  From New Jersey to Block Island and every where in between, we are brought along for the trials and tribulations that is fly fishing in the salt water.  Peter is very skilled with the video cameras and the editing and put together an absolute feast for the senses.  It isn't enough to view the blitz (and there are incredible blitzes) from above, we also get a view from inside the blitz and the gorging that is happening.  Thank you Peter for sharing this video with all of us.  Check out Peter's Vimeo page for more awesome videos.  I had been planning on fishing more new to me locations this year, and it looks like Montauk needs to be added to the list.  Anyone up for the trip?

Surf & Inshore Fly Fishing 2011 from Peter Laurelli on Vimeo.

Lack of Posts

I apologize to my loyal readers (if any exist) for my lack of posting and interesting topics.  I just haven't been doing much fishing or tying this week.

I did my flies finished for Owl Jones' "Monsters of Fly Tying" swap, so once I get those back I will get up a post with photos of all the flies.

I signed up for another swap on the PA Fly Fish board for terrestrials.  Watch for a "How-to" on the Letort Cricket, one of Ed Shenk's masterpieces.

Traveled to Chestertown, MD on Saturday morning for their fishing and crabbing flea market.  Didn't buy a single thing as it was mostly trolling stuff and that's not how I fish.

There are a few trips in the pipeline.  Possibly heading to the beach the end of this week for some fishing action.  Also a possible trip to Asheville, NC for some trout action.  I'm excited for this one as it could be a return to the Smokey Mountains.

I'll get back out to the streams once the opening day frenzy dies down.  Southeast PA opened Saturday and DE opens this coming Saturday.  After a few days the initial push will die down and I'll be on the stream.

I'll try to get another fly tying "How-to" for my fly fishing essentials up in the next few nights.  Maybe a wooly bugger or a simple hare and copper or something like that.