Hey, no worries. I've spent 25 years chasing fish on the Stamp & have probably learned a thing or two . I was VERY lucky in the early years to have learned a great deal from a couple of Stamp "oldtimers" who were patient enough to put up with me. They were kind enough to pass on their knowledge to me & I like to think that by passing it along to others, it keeps their experiences & memories alive. That is the funny thing about fishing, we are all learning all the time. Just when you think there is nothing new left to learn or try, somebody surprises you with a great new idea & you start wondering "Why didn't I think of that before"? I hope everyone keeps posting their tips & techniques so's that everyone has the opportunity to improve their skills. After all, isn't that the whole purpose of the forum, to learn, share & have fun when ya get out there?
See ya on the river somewhere, sometime,

SS

Here is the belated report for Sunday. (Xmas shopping, blah, blah, blah....)

The water in the Stamp/Somass WAS perfect height & clarity when we started Sunday morning, but by the end of the day, not so much. There was about 3 feet of visibility at first light, with just that nice green tinge to the water. The Sproat stayed gin clear all day, but running VERY high. Started off at the rifle range, just above Beaver Crk. & worked our way down. We hooked 10 fish in total.....6 summer runs....4 winter runs. We had a few other good bites, but no hook-ups, so we don't know what they were. The fish were pretty spread out & the bite was sporadic, but that was probably because there were 6 other boats on the river besides us & a couple of shore guys. The fish saw a LOT of gear on Sunday, but if you kept at it, they were there to be caught. Roe sacks w/shrimp bits were the best producer followed by coho & steelhead roe. Didn't try the plugs today ( too much traffic ) & Nick didn't get anything on the pink worm. TL caught the biggest & nicest fish in the Sproat rapids at the end of the day with a Flo. Egg spin'n'glo tipped with the roe sack. It was a beauty, measured 32" long & weighed 13lbs. A little skinny for its length, but a nice chromer for sure!! When we saw it jump in the rapids, we thought because of its length, it was a mid to high teener for sure. Not to be, but still one of the nicest fish so far this year!! I got a nice 8-9 lb chromer just below the powerline pool in the rapids & the other 2 winters we lost before we could get them to the boat. The rain hardly let up at all during the day, & we were all pretty wet & cold by the end. The river rose almost 2 feet during the day & turned into a light brown mess. The Vis. was down to about 3 inches when we packed it in & it was still coming down hard. We were supposed to go back & fish today, but postponed it until Wednesday because of the rain. Talked to Nick this afternoon, he said it rained most of the night in PA, & most of the morning today. Just checked the updated forecast for PA, & it looks like clear & cold for the next 10 days. Just what we need to get the river back into shape. Hopefully, the river will start to drop & the fish will start coming in soon in good numbers. So far, this December has been a little slower than the past few years, but conditions are shaping up really nicely now, so hopefully it will turn on soon.

A few pics......

Those are some NICE chromers SS! Now that I got rid of my drift boat I think I'm going to have to do a charter this winter - whats the best month of the season ss?

Best month eh?? That's a tough one to break down with any certainty. The last few years, December has been gangbusters for winters. This year, there are fish around, but it is noticeably slower than than the last few so far. January & February can be very good also, but it is all dependent on the water conditions. Last year, the long periods of very cold weather made for low gin clear conditions that made fishing challenging to say the least. March can have some good pushes of fish in the lower, but that is when the mid river really gets going. Again, it all depends on the water conditions at the time. I will try & keep ya updated here as to what is happening week to week this winter. I'm usually on the river once a week & talk to Nick at least a couple of times a week to see how he is making out. A charter is definitely a great way to see parts of the river you would normally not be able to get to, & to spot fish lying in places where you would never think to try fishing for them. It can be a great learning experience for the next time you're cruising the shore.
Anyways, gotta get some sleep, headed out in a few short hours for one last cruise around this year. Hopefully, the water clarity has returned to that nice green tinge that makes for such good fishing . Will post a report tomorrow or the next day.

SS

Another great day on the Stamp. The rain has stopped for, hopefully, a week or so & the river is setting up nicely. The Stamp/Somass has dropped about 6-8 inches & has returned to that nice green tinge water. We headed down from the Sproat, which is still very high, but nice & clear, through the confluence & up to the rifle range where, on the third cast, got this guy:




Thought it was still a little dark to get a good pic, but the flash worked perfectly. Fished down the rifle range to just below Beaver Crk. & nailed this beauty:





Headed down to just above the clay bank pool & got number three. We also lost another nice one here & released a small 5lb hatchery.





Moved back up into the rapids & hooked this little wild guy. Only the second wild winter run so far this year. Nick was just about to reach over with the pliers & release it when it went nuts & almost jumped into the boat. We just happened to get a lucky pic. Popped the hook out & sent him on his way.





Well, so far it has been a pretty good day for everyone but me. I had gotten a couple of really good bites, but only the one little wild fish to the boat . That would all change real quick Headed back up to the bottom of the rifle range & I finally hooked up with this beauty:






Back up to the top of the rapids, where Nick & I quickly hook & loose two absolute chromers. We were just about to move, figuring there probably wasn't a third fish in that run, when this chromer slams the roe bag. Don't know if it was of one of the two fish we just lost or another one all together. Either way, they were all VERY aggressive when they bit.





Well, I've finally got the whole river to myself. Nick & Peter are tagged out, so we decided on one more drift back down & then call it a day. I handed the camera over to the old fella & commenced to fishin'. We got down to the alligator run where I proceeded to hook & loose another nice one. The boys are giving me the gears good now, & just as I am about to say I know when I'm beat & join the fellas for a coke & some x-tra hot deer pepperoni, this guy just smokes the roe sack.




You can bet I took my time playing this one & finally eased him into the net to the very helpful chorus of "friendly" advice from the two now well fed observers. All in all, a pretty good day. We hooked 12 winters.... kept 6......released 2...& lost 4 others. Water conditions were near perfect ( from the boat that is ) & there seemed to be more fresh fish around. We never hooked any summer runs this time, so maybe they are finally all gone from the lower river. Bait of choice is still the roe sack with a piece of shrimp in it. All of the fish were caught on these except for one which hammered a piece of coho roe. Had a couple of bites on the shrimp tails & one hit on a pink worm. Hopefully, we will finally see some numbers coming in over the holidays. Gonna take a few days off now, hopefully get back at it sometime next week.

Here's wishing everybody a Merry Christmas & good fishing in the New Year

SS

Here's a belated update for the Stamp. Fishing has really picked up. Lots of fresh sea lice covered lazer bolt chromers coming in now to the lower river. You have to hunt around for them, as they haven't been holding in all of the usual spots. One spot is consistent for a few days, then goes cold.At the same time, a spot that has been slow all of a sudden is holding fish. It definitely pays to scout around & check ALL the water before passing on a potential hot spot. Nick did a quick trip with a buddy on Christmas Eve, & they got 14 chromers by noon just by checking spots before they roared past them. They found two nice fresh schools of about a dozen fish each & just hammered on them. Hearing the good news, Peter & I ponied up some gas money & deer pepperoni & headed out with Nick on Sunday. Bloody cold with the thick fog hanging around, but everything else was perfect. Nice height & color to the water & a good high tide that morning had expectations running high. We hit our usual spot below the rifle range to start & hook up with this guy right away...





Unfortunately, right after this pic, it threw the hook. Unbeknown to us, a theme for the day was established. ( With a couple of nice exceptions )


We start heading down stream & run into this fella....





He managed to escape just as the net suffered some sort of newbie malfunction Oh well, fish gotta win sometimes too


Down to the clay bank pool where we hook up with this guy.....





and you guessed it....a minute or so later, see ya!!...out pops the hook.


Slide down to the big rock at the top of the alligator run & on the first cast, hook up with this one...





This time, I figured we got him for sure, when just after the pic, the leader breaks. Small wind knot that went unnoticed was the culprit.


We fished our way down through the alligator run & lucky star, managed a couple of good bites, but no hook ups. We decided to head over to the Sproat & fish the first 100 or so meters above the confluence. We've fished the rapids a few times before today with limited success, 1 winter & a few summer runs. Last year, this was definitely the hot spot, as we hammered fish here consistently throughout the year.So far this year, not so much, but there was a good tide that morning, so we figured it was worth a shot. We were about half way down the drift when I had a really good bite. Still can't figure out how I missed that one A couple of casts later, a HUGE bite, & the fight is on Played this guy for about 15 minutes, managed to get him close to the net about half a dozen times but each time he would run just out of reach. I could tell by the feel it was a good fish, & I really didn't want to add this one to the list of escapees we had produced so far. Finally, I got him close enough for Nick to slide the net under him. What a beaauty!! A sea lice chromer just over 13lbs!!





So, now the jinx is off & everybody is feeling a little better, its back to fishing. I wasn't sure if there would be too many more fish hanging around that spot after that long fight, but ya don't know unless you try, so on the very next cast, Nick was free spooling down through the rapids when bang!!....another HUGE bite!! This one rolled on the surface so we could get a good look at it, & it was BIG!! It started running down the rapids back towards the Stamp & just as I got the camera out, the hook came out Man, I would have loved to have seen that fish up close. When it rolled in the rapids, the tail sticking out of the water was HUGE!! I'm sure it was bigger than the one I just caught, but I guess we'll never know. On the bright side, it's still swimming around out there somewhere just waiting for another juicy roe sack to float by
Well, about 10 minutes or so goes by without a bite when Peter's float disappears. He sets the hook, & after a short but spirited battle, he lands this beauty chromer...





Well, we fished for another 20 minutes or so without any more action, so we decided to start moving back up river to chase any fish that might have moved in on the morning high tide. We're just cruising into the s-turns below the island, when Nick says" Holly sh!t boys, look at all the fish over there!!" We stood up & looked into the shallows at the start of the back channel, & there was a school of about a dozen fresh fish just sitting there!! Nick hovered the boat above & to one side of them, & let the games begin!! First cast, & Nick has one on. You could actually see the fish swim over & hit the roe sack...AWESOME!! I get out the camera & get this pic......





We land the fish & decide to release it after a quick pic. Nick holds up the 6-7lb chrome buck & the camera does nothing A quick check, & the battery is dead!! I had been taking so many pics over the last week fishing & at Christmas, that I had forgotten to swap out the battery
Anyways, we put the fish back & proceed to hammer on the school. We hooked 7....landed 5...& lost 2. The school finally scattered & we called it a day after that. All in all, a pretty good day..... Hooked 15....landed 8...lost 7. Sure nice to see some fresh fish coming in. Talked to Nick last night, he had a trip on Monday, the guys hooked 14 fish by noon, kept their 4 fish & called it a day. Nick said he saw a lot of fish, & they probably could have gotten more, but the clients wanted to keep a couple of fish each, so that was that. Peter & his buddy are headed out with Nick on Friday &/or Saturday, so I should have an updated report then.

SS,

Thanks for the detail report and with pics. It's nice to see pics with report. Do REALLY really enjoy reading them since I don't get out as much as used to, but does bring back some memories of the Stamp.

Keep up the good work SS.

Happy new year.

Hyde.

Great report SS, man you guys sure can get into the action.

When you are fishing from a motorized fishing platform it is not really all that difficult. Every cast is from a perfect position and if you miss a bite you just power up and do it all over again.

If you want to see how easy it is go with ANY of the jet boat guides or take your own jet boat on the river and see.

You can launch at service road.

The regulations say 10 horse or less unless you are a guide but no one has ever been charged or even fined since the law came in. If it went to court the ruling would be overturned and we would all be able to use jets again and end the monopoly that the guides have been given.

Happy new year and Happy boating as well!!

Really, that's all there is to it I would have thought that the 60+ years of experience, 45+ on the Stamp, of the guys in the boat might have a LITTLE something to do with it. You still need to find the fish before you can catch them. Nick has been averaging 10-12 winter runs per trip through the month of December. Some days saw 14 fish by lunchtime & then they headed in. I'm pretty sure, there isn't another boat, powered or not, that has been putting up those numbers, not even the guys who are camped in the Falls Pool all day. We haven't fished above the bucket yet & don't intend to. We would much rather chase fresh sea lice chromers in the lower that haven't been holding & pin cushioned for over a month.Why fight the crowds when there is no need, yet every day, 3-4 boats run the bucket to get to the Falls Pool. If fishing is so easy from a power boat, then why do you suppose these guys run all the way up there to fight with the gong show when there are just as many fish in the lower & a lot less pressure? Couldn't be because it is easier to hammer on holding fish than to have to look around & find the fresh ones could it?? Just because someone is fishing from a boat, doesn't mean their are going to easily catch fish. You still have to know what you are doing to be successful.Too many guys spend a lot of time running around looking for a SPOT to fish instead of looking FOR the fish. We spend almost as much time searching as we do fishing & it has paid off nicely so far. Here is a prime example..... we were hovering around in one of our favorite shallow spots checking things out, when we spotted a school of about 10-12 fish. We immediately backed the boat off & started casting to them. First two casts, double header & then 5th or 6th cast, another one. Tagged out for the day, we slid the boat downstream about 150 meters or so & put up on the beach for lunch & to clean the fish. Spent about 45 minutes here & observed the following: 1st jet boat running up river cruises into the shallows & runs right over the school of steelhead. Doesn't bother to slow down or even look around. 2nd jet boat about 15 minutes later, does exactly the same thing, right over the fish. A little later, a raft with a couple of guys floats down through the shallows, nobody even looks over the side. Right before we leave, two pontoon boats drift down, right over the fish, & again, nobody even looks around. We are pretty much dumbfounded at this point that NOBODY has even bothered to look for any fish & just kept on drifting down to the next "spot". We broke down the rods & decided just for fun to go back up & check that place one more time. As we putted up slowly through the shallows, there was the school, right where we had been hammering on them. If even one of those guys had bothered to look around, they would have spotted a fresh school of aggressive winter steelhead that were very willing to bite. Nick went back to this spot the next day & hammered on them again. Weather or not it was the same fish or some fresh ones that had pushed in on the morning tide, point is there were still fish in that spot the next day & still, nobody else had noticed them. The only REAL advantage to being in a boat, is the access it affords you to places that otherwise would be inaccessible. It doesn't make fishing easy, it just gives you an opportunity to cover more water, you still have to know HOW to cover it.





Great idea!! Book a trip with Nick, & then go with ANY of the other guides or in your own jet & see just how "EASY" it really is. I look forward to the results.