For you fly guys like me, I met Joe Humphreys and Lefty Kreh at the
- Thread starter CattyGuy51
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Love to meet Lefty. Had the pleasure of taking fly tying/fishing with Joe Humphreys as a PSU student.
Back in the late 70's I went to a company "charm school" for young managers. One of the activities in the afternoon was a flyfishing session with Lefty. To show the importance of timing, Lefty made several 50-60 ft casts with no rod... just his hands. Amazing. He also had a string of rapid fire jokes that would put Rodney Dangerfield to shame.
I float the Upper Delaware about once a week. I have a friend with a drift boat. Does that count? I usually go to a place in Cabins, WV called Harman's. They have about 2 miles of private water on the N Fork of the Potomac. Very good dry fly water.
I have a Bahamas bonefishing trip last week in April. Probably a Wyoming or Montana trip in summer also.
Two FL Keys trips in May. Dream all year of those trips. Tough fishing but I have paid a few dues in 24 years of flats flyfishing. Lucky to live in Montana.
My kids belonged to a kids/youth fly fishing club. About 12 years ago, Joe Humphreys traveled the 2000 miles out here to be the guest speaker at their banquet. Great speaker, funny guy, he had the kids laughing and learning. A few years later, my adult club asked me to see if I could get him to come out again, hoping I could use some Penn State influence. It really wasn't hard, as he was more than willing to make the trip again. He charged very reasonable fee for travel, etc. He got a standing O at our banquet. His casting instruction is unique, in that he really simplifies the approach. ... What a great, awesome fisherman, teacher, and all-around good guy. My kids love him to death.
Great stuff for sure. 10+ year ago the wife bought me a day with Humpreys that included fly tying, casting, and fishing. I think it was through FF Paradise. What an awesome day getting tips from Joe and hearing his tales. We concluded the outing by heading down to Benner Spring on a wet snowy March day and watching Joe put on a nymph fishing clinic. Joe did not have a great day of catching but it was fun to watch him fish and hear the "play by play".
Damn, looks like they are fishing in a tarpon hatchery. I've seen gobs of swirling fish like this only once in Costa Rica long ago. I hear they often have lockjaw in situations like this. Maybe the "angler" needs to lead the pods a little more. Beaning the school blows them up (as we see) and does not make for happy fish. Also curious way of "poling" the boat.
Thanks Ned. Ck out The Angling Company website. Key West. The owner is a reputed great big three fisherman, and his fishing reports are excellent also with lots of links to videos, technique, tackle, gear. Once asked a legendary flats guide what's this guy's weak link in his fishing skills (we all have a few). His answer "the length of the fly line." Gulp.
T he bad news is the water is LOW! Just spent 3 days trout fishing in western Md and Pa. Tough go in low clear cold water
I fish with three top notch lower keys guides and they all think the world of Nathaniel. He shows up and goes hard all day, fair or foul. He must have a dozen slams. Maybe two dozen.
Been in his shop maybe 6-8 times last few years. Never met him... he's always out fishing. What a life!
I quit my job, sold my house, and moved to Montana 35 years ago. Best thing I ever did (don't tell my wife). Tarpon season is only 2-3 months long. Hard to trade trout, elk, skiing and bird dogs for that.
I was in Punta Gurda about 3 weeks ago and caught a 2 ft tarpon on a fly that I tied. Wasn't targeting them just got lucky. Checked that one off the bucket list also.
Cold, way too many years ago, I also saw Lefty on the Yellow Breeches casting 50-60 feet without a rod . I've also been lucky enough to meet Charlie Fox, Vince Marinaro and Ed Schenk - all Masters in their own right. Too bad I can't fly fish anywhere as well as those gentlemen could.
Love those guys. Do you know Joe lettered in both boxing and wrestling back in '53 +/-? I also had the privilege of doing some long jumping with his daughter Hanna in the '80's. Took Joe's class spring of '84 I believe.
Who wants to join me in coastal Oregon some September for some sea run cutt fishing, or July/August in Sierras for some hike-in golden trout?
Who wants to join me in coastal Oregon some September for some sea run cutt fishing, or July/August in Sierras for some hike-in golden trout?
None of us should feel too bad we could not match the skills of those past masters of the Cumberland Valley. In particular, I think Marinaro was the most innovative spring creek fisherman of all time. His refined techniques have carried over to all our "match the hatch" fishing, even today. Fox was a wonderful ambassador for the sport and inspired many from that bench behind his house. And Ed Schenk caught that massive Letort brown. Back in the seventies, I watched those monsters rise at dawn and decided they were impossible in that weed choked little creek.
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The first time I tried to fish the Letort and saw the trout scurrying as soon as I closed my car door I knew I was in trouble. While I've caught a few small trout there, I've never been able to handle the weed beds.
Way back when I occasionally fished the Letort, the upper stretch was gorgeous down to the highway bridge. Even the gravel plant seemed OK there and added a waymark. Any caught fish over 16" was a trophy and one of those bruisers over 20" was an impossible dream for someone with my skills. One of the publications (Fly Fisherman, I think) had a humorous photo essay of Lefty fishing that beat and below. About 6/7 pics of him hung up in every tree/bush/weed patch. Funny. Even the best. Unfortunately, I never saw Marinaro fishing there.
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