I am an utter newcomer to the sport of fishing, spin fishing to be specific. I am a neophyte. A tyro. A greenhorn. A babe lost in the woods. I have been fishing for roughly seven months in the seasonal waters of Western Pennsylvania. This is a boast that would be quite impressive for a ten-year-old. However, for a 31-year-old, this means that I have just learned which end of the rod the fish are caught.
Read MoreThe trail mostly runs along the spine of Laurel Ridge, one of the western-most ridges of the Allegheny Mountains. It seemed to us that the hiking would be fairly flat once we got on top of the ridge. But first, we had to get to the top. For the majority of the first day, we climbed at a steady pace, stopping a little to catch a glimpse of the deep, lush Conemaugh River Valley. It didn’t take long before dark and ominous storm clouds began blowing in. The winds from the southwest pushed the dark gray clouds right toward us. Distant rolls of thunder followed us as we continued our upward progress.
Read MoreIf the house had ever been painted it had been decades ago, and a handwritten index card duct-taped to the door read, "Owner armed and dangerous. Nothing inside worth dying for," and another read, "If you have a cold, the flu, or any other plague, go visit a Yankees fan and leave me alone"; but we knew our knocks would be greeted by the gnarled, aged, yet handsome face of its only tenant, Wade Martin.
Read MoreUsing a kayak, or some sort of small watercraft, doesn’t require too much effort, and it can really provide a significant advantage. As deer get more and more pressure from hunters during the season, they will use natural obstacles, such as rivers, to provide cover and solitude. By using a kayak or canoe, one doesn’t create much noise and doesn’t leave behind a trail of human odor. It can be a great way to sneak up close to bedding areas without alerting deer to your presence.
Read MoreOne of the streams that I managed to fish this summer was Minister Creek. Ellen and I were camping with some friends over the weekend of Summer Solstice. Our campsite was positioned close to the confluence of Minister Creek and the much larger, Tionesta Creek. The weather was perfect. Early one morning, I headed out to fish the lower portion of Minister Creek.
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