Gordon Mueller
(516) 850-3689
muelle@us.ibm.com

Long Island Flyrodders Finger Lakes Trip
Friday, July 28, to Sunday, July 30, 2006

Where:  
Finger Lakes and Cortland, NY area

Details:
The home base will be my vacation property, ‘Windmill Farm’ in Cayuga County, in the heart of the Finger Lakes region. This area is just gorgeous in the summer, with hundreds of vacation and recreation activities. The Farm is easily accessed from I-81, about twelve miles from Cortland, NY. 

My pride and joy of the Farm are the two spring fed ponds on the property. Both were stocked with Largemouth Bass, Bluegills and Crappie in 1975. The fishing has been strictly catch and release with barbless hooks for the past twenty years, so there are some very healthy specimens. Popping bugs, nymphs, woolly buggers and large dry flies will produce lots of action for one pound bass and ‘piranha’ bluegills. You can fish from the bank, wade or canoe on the big pond. I guarantee you’ll catch fish!  

In addition to our home base at the Farm there are many other fishing opportunities in the area. Downhill from the Farm, the pond springs empty into Owasco Inlet, which is one of the better known trout streams in the Finger Lakes. Other nearby Trout streams are Fall Creek and the Tioughnioga River, which runs through Cortland.  

We’ll also fish in the Finger Lakes themselves. I’ve arranged a charter with a local guide, Captain Dave Kukella, for Saturday. Dave operates out of Auburn, NY and fishes in either Owasco or Skaneateles Lakes, depending on wind and fishing conditions. Because of the depth of the lakes, the usual summer fishing technique is deep trolling with downriggers for very big rainbows, lake trout and landlocked salmon. Fly fishing for smallmouth bass and yellow perch is possible in shallower areas of the lakes. Depending upon how many members go on the trip, we can take turns on the charter and fish for smallmouth bass closer to shore from canoes. Dave’s charter rates are very reasonable. 

If that’s not enough to do, there’s dozens of other things to do near the farm. My home town of Ithaca, at the south end of Cayuga Lake, is a lively college town with lots of shopping and excellent restaurants. The Cayuga Wine Trail is a group of fifteen small wineries that offer tours and tastings. There are dozens of beautiful waterfalls in several state parks. If you’d rather golf than fish, Fillmore Golf Club is three miles away and open to the public.  

Facilities at the Farm are rustic, but semi-civilized. There’s a small cabin on the Farm with electricity, electric range, refrigerator, wood stove, gas grill and running water (including a shower).  There’s plenty of space for campers in the field or woods. What I don’t have is TV or a phone, so bring your cell. For members who don’t want to camp, there are several hotels in Cortland, at Exit 11 off I-81 (Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Comfort Inn, etc.) There are also dozens of B&B Inns in many of the small towns near the Farm. 

Itinerary

Friday 7/28, afternoon and evening
Setup camp at Wind Mill Farm or check into hotels in Cortland. Pond fishing for Bass and panfish and/or Trout fishing in Owasco Inlet, Fall Creek or Tioughnioga River.
Dinner at Doug’s Fish Fry, Cortland

 Saturday, 7/29 
Lake fishing in Skaneateles Lakes with Fish Tale Charter and canoes. Group lunch at Cascade Grill.
Pond fishing for Bass and panfish and/or Trout fishing in Owasco Inlet, Fall Creek and/or Tioughnioga River.
Cookout at Farm

 Sunday, 7/30
Last chance for pond or stream fishing. Strike camp or check out of hotels.
Tour local wineries, waterfalls, scenic villages, etc.
Drive back to Long Island, with possible detours to Delaware or Beaverkill rivers.

Directions to Wind Mill Farm (315 Powers Road, Locke, NY)

The ‘Fast’ route from Long Island.
1. Take the Cross Island Parkway or Clearview Expressway to the Throgs Neck Bridge.
2. Take the Cross Bronx or Bruckner/Deegan Expressway to the George Washington Bridge.
3. After crossing the GWB, take the New Jersey Turnpike to I-80 West.
4. Take I-80 West across New Jersey, through the Delaware Water Gap, into Pennsylvania, to I-380 West.
5. Take I-380 West until it merges with I-81 North in Scranton, PA.
6. Take I-81 North through Pennsylvania, back into New York.
7. See directions from Binghamton, NY.

The ‘Scenic’ route from Long Island
1. Take the Cross Island Parkway or Clearview Expressway to the Throgs Neck Bridge.
2. Take the Bruckner Expressway to the Bronx River Parkway.
3. Take the Bronx River Parkway to the Sprain Brook Parkway.
4. Take the Sprain Brook to I-287 West (Cross Westchester)
5. I-287 merges with NYS Thruway (I-87). Take Thruway North across Tappan Zee Bridge.
6. Take Thruway North to Route 17 West.
7. Take Route 17 West to I-81 North in Binghamton. 
8. See directions from Binghamton, NY.

From Binghamton, NY 
1. Take I-81 North to Exit 12, Homer. (Exits 10 and 11 are Cortland) 
2. At end of exit road, turn right onto NYS 281.
3. Take NYS 281 to NYS 90. (look for traffic light and Mobil station).
4. Turn left onto NYS 90. 
5. Take NYS 90 about nine miles. Look for Chipman Corners Road.
6. Make next left turn AFTER Chipman Corners Road, onto Powers Road. (Look for sign to Fillmore Glen Golf Club on right side of road. Road sign for Powers and Toll Gate Road are on the right, not left side of highway).
7. Take Powers Road to the end. 
8. Just before Stop sign at Booth Hill Road, turn right into Wind Mill Farm. Look for red barn. 

Note: Trip should take between 4 ½ to 5 ½ hours from Long Island, depending upon traffic getting out of the city. I usually take the ‘Fast’ route up and the ‘Scenic’ route back. The Farm is 262 miles from my home in Oceanside.

Cortland Hotels 
1. Country Inn & Suites, 3707 Route 281, Brand new. Close to Farm.
2. Hampton Inn, 28 River Street (Exit 11 off I-81), Very new, next to Holiday Inn.
3. Holiday Inn, 2 River Street (Exit 11 off I-81), Big, recently renovated. Restaurant. 
4. Quality Inn, 188 Clinton Ave (Exit 11 off I-81), Fairly new.
5. Comfort Inn, 2 ½  Locust Ave (Exit 11 off I-81), Nothing fancy, but okay.  

Fly Shops
1. Cortland Line Factory Store, Rt. 281, Cortland, NY 
2. Bass Pro Shop, Rt. 20, Finger Lakes Mall, Auburn, NY