Blog Archive

Since the North Fork is so heavily spring fed; the question arises -“where does the water from Blue Spring, North Fork Spring, and Rainbow Spring come from ?  The following picture from USGS shows where. One can also see that the water almost entirely passes by the Bryant Creek watershed; exception Hodgkins Mill spring. These studies were done with red dye.  Click on USGS pictures to enlarge.

When I see this picture, I wish I was at River of Life Farm. Picture taken 6/25 at top of hill at 5:25 AM.

A doe and her two older fawns having a cold drink at dawn on the North Fork downstream from ROLF.

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This 10 1/2′ trout rod is a beautiful rod from my collection of vintage rods. Made by the H. L. Leonard Fly Rod Company; Central Valley, NY in about 1880. This is the exact same type of rod rod and model that Theodore Gordon used in the Catskills from 1880 -1900. I acquired this rod about 2 years ago and even though it is not the oldest Leonard I have (I have 2 Bangor Leonard’s also made 1873, and 1877) it is a complete rod with a butt, 2 mids, and 3 full length tips. original bag and tip tube. These rods were made for use with horse hair lines, possibly very early silk lines.  Notice the ferrules are spiked. Marked “Sole Agents – Wm. Mills and Son, N Y” which means it was not made in Bangor Maine. Complete and in original condition. The Leonard Rod Company was one of the best known bamboo rod makers until about 1970. Click to enlarge pictures. The Patten Collection.

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One of the ROLF’s common birds, the Red-eyed Vireo is heard far more than it is seen. It sings continuously from the forest canopy from dawn to dusk. The vireo’s song is a series of phrases interspaced with short pauses, like the song of an American Robin broken into pieces. The White Eyed Vireo is also common at ROFL and is more often heard near the North Fork River banks.

Taken from the bottom; about 18″ under the surface looking up and toward the bank; between the boat ramp and Jack’s Riffle. June 26th, 2008.

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This fawn was sleeping under the Whispering Pines cabin for several days; now I think there was two. He/she was anything but tame and darted through thee woods every time he saw me. Saw June 23, 24, 25.

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Using my new and inexpensive Pentax Optix waterproof camera; I took the following on June 25th, 2008. All photos taken near the falls about. Click to enlarge.

6/24 – Caught a 15″ Brown just at total dark, size 10 Kauffman Stone Fly with a Prince drop; he took the Stone Fly; also

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surprised caught a big goggle eye on the next cast; I mean big (about 9-10″) and just as black as they come.

6/25 – Caught 2 smaller rainbows at Kelly Ford at 6:00 AM on dries. Size 16-18 Blue Winged Olives in the fastest part of the chute. One was par marked. Didn’t measure but I’d say 8″ and maybe 9-10″.

6/26 – Caught a 15-16″ rainbow at Jacks Riffle at 5:50 AM. Lost one too.

One of the guests that left the day I arrived caught 8 Rainbows on dry flies; mostly on a version of Elk Hair Caddis (real light hair; almost white) size 16 around the mid stream rocks and sand washes, very early in the morning.

I am was humbled by this stream; although I only fished about 4 times in the week for two hours each.

(sorry for the bad pics but the light was poor and I was worried about reviving the rainbow)