The Times — They Are A Changin’
Professional Outdoor Guide In Upstate New YorkRead More →
Professional Outdoor Guide In Upstate New YorkRead More →
In 2018, after entertaining several public forums across New York state, the DEC fisheries managers reversed their inland trout stream management policies. After some 75 years of put-and-take, hatchery-fueled stream management, they abandoned their course. In the management, of anything, a drastic 360 degree turn in procedure, an abrupt change of path, is interpreted as a serious correction. In this case, 75 years of inland trout stream management based upon an in depth stocking program, was deemed no longer suitable. The creeks, streams, and flows that make up the inland trout waters of New York State have changed over the era for the worse. TheRead More →
It is clear, to all of us here in “The Real Upstate New York” that Mother Nature cannot decide — from one day to the next — if it will be Winter or Spring. In twenty seasons of guiding ice anglers; This ice fishing season was the most challenging. This winter started with 16 scheduled ice fishing trips on my calendar, but only eight of them were completed. Upstate New York resembled northern New Jersey this winter. Minus the casinos and gold chains. Mild temperatures this winter left most of the lakes around here with unsafe ice. The traditional ice fishing season in central New YorkRead More →
On occasion, like so many of us, I turn off my brain and surf through reels on Instagram. You know, like when you are in the waiting room at the dentist or waiting for a flight at the airport. The world of hunting and fishing has found a surreal home in this interesting cyber-land of eye candy. All forms of fishing (and self-proclaimed fishing experts) are alive and well on this social media platform. Ice fishing, in particular, is a current popular topic. While surfing reels today waiting in my car at the grocery store, I watched as a red-bearded 20-something ice angling expert declared;Read More →
In the Autumn of 2012, a decade ago, I launched myself into the game of guiding ice anglers. While I have guided ice anglers since 2003, and have been an avid ice fisherman my entire life, it was not until the winter of 2012/2013 that ice fishing became a signifigant part of my guide service. In the Autumn of 2012 the USDA closed the doors of the satellite laboratory where I was employed as an arborist. My day-job was lost. But my guide service was growing. I had been keeping it alive, on the weekends, for years while cutting down trees for the government. TheRead More →
November in Upstate New York is whitetail deer hunting season! Big game hunting is a healthy outdoor activity that can be both exciting and bountiful! Whitetail deer hunting is a great way to get outside and observe wildlife and put meat in your freezer. Deer hunting can mean different things to different people. What every deer hunter wants is a big buck. Each moment in the woods, in the blind, or in the tree stand, every deer hunter anticipates a mature buck with big antlers will appear. Sometimes they do. Whitetail deer hunting requires patience and skill, but it is a game of luck. AndRead More →
The other day a guest of mine, who was in the Adirondacks visiting, mentioned how he missed the change of seasons. Arizona is where he has been for the last 20 years. But he is from Albany. That comment made me think about living in a world without the change of seasons. With all my years spent in the northeast, I found it hard to grasp the idea of living in a place where everyday of the year was damn near the same. Living in a state of constant sameness could make a lazy man even lazier? No grass to mow in summer or leavesRead More →
Fly fishing is a large part of Upstate Guide Service. I have been teaching fly fishing and fly casting on the lakes, streams, and rivers of Upstate New York since 2003. Lefty Kreh taught me how to cast on VHS tapes in the 90’s. I have been consumed with mastering the presentation of the fly ever since. The year 2024 marks 21 years of guiding and instructing fly fishing. Over the course of two decades I’ve been fortunate to teach hundreds of people how to fly fish. My approach to teaching fly casting can help beginners progress quickly. Fly fishing has changed in theRead More →