Fat Dan

We did the trip and had a good time. We struck out on the trout fishing but it was plenty of fun anyway. When I get some time I'll post more details.

Thanks everyone. I am trying to decide between mid-April and mid-May. Those 2 options are based on his school schedule so I can't just switch it to the end of April, etc. I think April would save us from insects but the water may be too cold for good fishing. Mid-May would probably be perfect for fishing but I have heard black flies can be brutal around that time. As much time as I have spent in the woods, I have still not experienced black flies but I have heard they can be brutal and ruin a trip.

Thanks, guys

I am leaning toward Pharaoh Lake since I am familiar with the area. The lake is 100 feet deep in places. I am not sure if we'll be able to reach the fish from shore but it's worth a try. Thanks.

Thanks everyone. I do have tents and will bring one. I'll pick up a bear canister. I used to throw my food in a nylon bag and hang it up in a tree but I am sure a bear could figure that out. I need to get a bear canister anyway for hunting up there.

Thanks. We would spend 2 or 3 nights. I did see that Pharaoh Lake is stocked. I am not sure how hard it would be to fish without a boat but it might be the best option of the lakes I know. There are supposed to be brook trout and lakers in there.

Hi Everyone. I am looking to take my 12 yo son on a camping/fishing trip this spring. I am thinking a lake in the Adks that requires hiking in would be a fun option. A lot of them have lean-tos so that would be nice if not already occupied. I have experience hunting in the Adks, especially the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness, but I have never fished there. I am thinking about trying Pharoah Lake for trout. Do any of you have experience fishing there? If not, can you recommend a place a ways in from the roads where we would have a good fishing opportunities. Thanks

I think he looks older than 3.5 but I am no expert. I shot a 4.5 year-old buck in VT that was smaller than that. That one looks like he would dress out at 185-195 lbs to me.

Yeah, I’d imagine prespawn walleyes are bunched up at the base of the dam. It might be worth a try but it would be potentially dangerous. I would try it under the right conditions. My buddy was pretty much done fishing after the first hour of the first day. I was less adventurous than I would have been solo since he is way less gung ho. He’s a good guy but loses interest fast.

We stayed by the wall. The river looked pretty treacherous to wade. We saw a couple guys across the river wading a bit but no one near the dam. We actually went to the salmon river too. That is where we saw a guy catch a steelhead. We didn't see any catches in the Oswego. It was a stronger and faster current there than I expected. it is hard for me to imagine walleye in the Oswego current but I know people catch them there.

We had a fun trip but didn’t catch any fish. We fished both the Salmon River and Oswego River. We were starting to think the steelhead were just a myth to attract tourists (like the Loch Ness Monster) but the a guy near us managed to catch one. That was the only fish that we saw caught. I might try again this spring if I can get some free time.

We are making the trip tomorrow. We postponed for 2 weeks hoping for better weather but it looks like the gamble didn’t work. It’s going to be cold and windy but it beats watching t.v.

Yeah, it seems like fun. I ride with some friends at different times. The one guy also ride a road bike and is over 6’ and probably 150 lbs. I would need an ebike to keep up with him on the climbs. On the downhills, I have the momentum!

Cool. I have never tried an ebike but I am interested in them. I don’t want one yet or I’ll have a hard time going back to a regular bike.

$1300 isn’t bad at all. The guy I know had a big Cummins diesel generator and a big fuel tank. I forget what he said it cost but I remember thinking it was crazy expensive. (The number sticking in my head is $25k but I may be mistaken).

Thank God! I hope she is okay.

If I had a lot of money, I might do this. It sounds like a good idea. I know a guy who had a diesel generator installed at his house. It was pretty costly, I think. For me, I can live without electricity if need be. My cabin in the woods has no electricity and I have grown to like it that way.

I have field dressed deer with a lot of knives and they have all worked fine as long as they are sharp. I always see Havalon-style knives suggested. I own one and use it for certain tasks but have never used it for deer. I think they are good for certain things but a traditional knife is more versatile. I wouldn’t want to go into the woods with just a Havalon. Since I am already carrying a knife (usually a Buck or Benchmade) I just field-dress it with that. Now, If I am going to be boning it out in the field, then I might bring the Havalon. Most of the time, my Havalon collects dust.

Change of plans. I talked to my friend and he still wants to go. We understand that there is a good chance that we get skunked but, barring something unforeseen, we are planning to head up on Friday morning. We should get to the river around 11:00 or 12:00. I am hoping the moving water will mean that it is open water and fishable. I have all the gear we need, I think. We are planning to drift floats with beads, jigs, spawn sacks, etc. Our plan is to stay at a local hotel and fish Saturday too. If the Oswego seems hopeless after Friday, we might try somewhere else on Saturday. We’ll head home on Saturday evening. This is all subject to change if a blizzard comes or something. I may be too stubborn for my own good (I drove alone to Colorado with a bow and tried to shoot an elk despite being alone and not knowing where I was going). I figure it can be a recon trip. At least I will know the lay of the land for a return trip in March or April. If anyone wants to meet up, that would be cool. In the meantime, if anyone has suggestions that would be great too. Thanks

Yeah, this time of year I fish from shore.

Yeah, I was out on Sunday and didn’t get a bite. I was using jigs with soft plastics. Minnows may have done better but they are hard to find since Cabela’s drove the local bait shops out of business. I don’t have the patience to buy the at Cabela’s. I did see a lot of waterfowl and a big ass beaver that kept swimming around. I caught some pretty nice walleye last winter but it was a bit warmer than this year. I’ll be trying again tomorrow or Sunday. I might even bring my 9 year-old son. He’s been asking to go but he’ll be bored after 15 minutes. I get bored this time of year so I go even when I’m not likely to catch anything. I need to learn how hunt geese or something for this in-between time.

Thanks. I appreciate the advice. I am itching to get out but maybe I'll wait a few weeks. I don't know if I can wait until April but I can make it until March, haha. I'll focus on walleye down here in the meantime. I bought a pair of stockingfoot waders and boots. I got the felt soles but that might make things slippery in sub-freezing temps. I was thinking about fishing from an area they call the high wall. I guess I can pick up a cheap pair of lug soled wading boots to increase my versatility. Thanks again.

Thanks for the info. I wonder if it might make sense for me to push the trip back a week or two.

Update: I got some gear together. I bought an inexpensive centerpin setup (11'6" rod and an Okuma something or other) and I have long spinning rods (10'6" and 10'). I think I have all of the gear that I need: floats, sinkers, leader, jigs, trout beads, spawn sacks, etc.) I talked to a guy who speculated (he's never been steelhead fishing) that it might be too cold of a winter to have much success but I am still planning to try it. My plan it to try the Oswego River next weekend. I think it can be fished without waders so I probably won't even pack them. I picked up a pair but I don't think wading in 32 degree (or so) water would be much fun. Anybody been out?

What trail? Are those ebikes?