2024 Season Recap

It’s been a while since my last photo journal so I wanted to kick off the 2025 season with a Penn State Fly Fishing entry. Below are a few of my favorite captures during my time teaching the Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing program at Penn State in Fall 2024. If you do enjoy these essays, please let me know and I’ll continue to publish my fly fishing adventures (professional and personal) on a more frequent basis. Thank you for your continued support and I want to wish you the very best in 2025.

Sincerely,

George

Images below are from Fall KINES 04 courses in both classroom and in the field. The Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program ran 8 fly fishing sections during Fall 2024 semester while teaching fly fishing skills to approximately 180 students. This is a job I’ve wanted since age 13 and I hope I can continue teaching this course for years to come. It’s truly a honor to teach this historic course.

Even had the opportunity to work with the Nittany Lion. Photo by Michael Owens

Not mandatory but I enjoy seeing how some students carefully craft their fly fishing journals during the semester.

We’ve added field trips to local lakes in pursuit of bass and panfish to provide a well rounded fly fishing experience to our students.

When offering optional field trips during harsh weather…it’s easy to see who really wants to learn fly fishing.

Students are graded on a number of practical exams, including fly tying skills.

The Jesse Arnelle Fly Fishing Program is designed to introduce the wold of fly fishing to all PSU students.

Students soon realize trout like to hold in “difficult to get to” locations. Hence, learning the roll cast is an important tool for all students taking the fly fishing course.

Fisherman’s Paradise trail is truly a paradise for both trail enthusiasts and fly fishers.

 

The images below capture two field trips our KINES 93 students completed with TCO State College Fly Shop during Fall 2024.

Going through the tunnel and Poe Paddy

The amazing TCO State College guide staff after our Penns Creek trip.

Anthony looking for the “fly of the day.”

Cole rigging up

Harvest moon while driving home from a KINES 93 field trip

Wanted to end this entry with a great shot of my mentor and friend, Joe Humphreys who will soon be celebrating his 96th birthday. Thank you for taking the time to view this journal entry.

 

Reeling In Experiences: Venture streamside with PSU's KINES 93 students

Kinesiology (KINES) 93 is an advanced fly fishing course offered by Penn State’s Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program. Prerequisites for KINES 93 are either completion of KINES 04 (Intro to Fly Tying and Fly Fishing) or demonstrate competency in fly fishing and fly tying skills.

The semester highlight is a full day guide trip on a local waterway. Guides from TCO fly shop provide one on one fly fishing instruction for the day.

Although I still enjoy catching fish, in recent years, I have found more satisfaction and purpose in helping others grow their angling skills and find enjoyment on the water. I believe one quality of excellent teachers/guides is that they live by the idea - “I am here to help others become better anglers, not show how good I am.” TCO’s guides embody this trait, which is why we continue to utilize their professional services. Their staff are excellent instructors and sincerely want to help anglers succeed.

This photo journal takes you on a journey with these Penn State students as they embark on a fly fishing experience with TCO’s guides/instructors.

Students learning fly tying techniques while preparing fly boxes for field trips.

Student learning “portion control” while tying a pheasant tail nymph. Slender/sleek patterns help to quickly achieve depth and stay within the strike zone

One student’s favorite transportation for hitting his favorite fishing spots.

Encouraging students to find their own “confidence” patterns is key. Students are taught to keep boxes simple and organized while focusing on good “on-water” tactics.

Size, shape, and color are three considerations when choosing the right pattern whether fishing surface or subsurface.

Guide and friend, Brian Wolfkiel, explaining how to rig for the morning session. Always helpful to keep it simple and Brian is a master at simplifying fly fishing rigs.

A quick peak at Brian’s box. He’s always trying new patterns. He has maintained a beginner’s mindset, striving for new angles, well into his 60s…a quality I hope to still possess later in life.

George Costa (right) discusses tippet length for a dry dropper rig as blue winged olives begin to emerge.

Emphasizing the importance of good knots!

George Costa (right) breaking down the water for KINES 93 student.

I think one of the best skills beginning anglers need is developing “fishy eyes” for spotting fish. The challenge is knowing what to look for. Once you see it several times…you’re dialed in for life.

Students knowing when to drift versus when to swing. Gino is the current president of the PSU Fly Fishing Club and has assisted in helping his fellow student during this semester.

Big or small-we try to instill the importance of properly handling wild trout.

Nothing like your first trout on the fly. Jamie SanFilippo (left) owns and operates American Fly Fishing Company and got this KINES 93 student into her first trout on a fly.

Jamie and the student celebrate after the trout was released. The rod and reel this student used to catch her first fish was donated to the Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program. If you’re looking to donate older gear-please consider the Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program. I make sure the donations find a good home and will be put to good use.

Jamie helping another KINES 93 student connect with a wild brown trout.

A good guide will teach fly fishing independence and instill confidence within the angler.

Learning to catch fish is a byproduct of the Joe Humphreys Fly Fishing Program. The main goal of the program is to introduce a lifelong hobby. Fly fishing is an activity that continues to offer opportunity and experiences over a lifetime.

I hope you you enjoyed this photo essay.

5 Days In The Ozarks : A Photo Essay

I’ve been fishing the White River since 1999, when my fiancé (now wife) began taking the 17 hour road trip during our college winter and spring breaks to chase trout in the Ozarks. For me, the Ozark region offers a warmer environment (sometimes) to chase trout in one of several world class tailwater fisheries. It’s an annual journey I expect to continue for many years to come. I hope you enjoy.

Leading up to every Arkansas roadtrip I find myself dreading the long drive, but it quickly fades as the gap between home and world class trout fishing decreases. In some ways, a long roadtrip gets me more amped to fish than flying.

Our home for 6 days-The Shoals Condo located in Bull Shoals, AR. Great accommodations at affordable pricing. Beautiful view of Bull Shoals Lake and plenty of space to park a boat-more than any trout bum needs.

https://planetofhotels.com/en/usa/bull-shoals/cozy-bull-shoals-condo-1-mi-lake-access

Calling or stopping in at Flys and Guides (White River and Northfork Shops) is my first move before hitting the water. There’s nothing better than local information, especially with the dynamic nature of water releases below these tailwater. Owners, Jeremy and Lisa are topnotch. Dally’s Fly Shop is also another excellent resource.

https://flysandguides.com/

A good fishing partner is hard to find. Always appreciate spending time with someone who will push you to your own physical and mental limits. Brian Wilt (pictured) is usually the first on the water and last off, which means early and late days.

Sunrise near Cotter. The bridge is lit up as the mighty White River flows under.

Day one launching the boat, always a great feeling.

An experiment to simplify my gear this year-just the essentials.

This year, a white Tommy Lynch’s D&D was my top streamer pattern. In other words, it’s likely the first streamer to produce a decent trout which instantly makes it my confidence pattern for the remainder of the trip.

Tommy’s D&D is a buoyant streamer pattern requiring a sinking or sink tip line. I feel the key to fishing this pattern is allowing the line to fish the pattern. Meaning, allow a long enough pause between each short powerful retrieve strip, allowing the sinking line to settle below the level of the buyout D&D. This allows the line to pull the streamer downward during the strip. The pause allows the line to settle deeper in the current, decreasing the tension just enough to allow the streamer to quickly shoot towards the surface. This give and take (i.e. strip and pause) provides beautiful and erratic up and down movement the D&D is known for.

Usually a good idea to be on the water as the water rises from the dam release. Sometimes this means hanging out until the rising water reaches your location. Understanding water releases and when rising water levels reach certain locations on the river drainage is part of a successful fishing trip. Thanks to Jeremy at Flys and Guides for his help during our stay.

This year we could’t break the 22” mark but we ended up with a lot of quality fish (high teens) like this during our trip. Always next year…

A typical morning view on a southern tailwater: sun burning off fog in the morning

December is not the best month to fish the White River, so it’s common to see fewer anglers during your float.

Hunting larger trout with streamers sometimes means casting large flies for several days before making contact with a quality trout.

The sobering feeling of the last takeout of the trip before heading home.