Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve had a “happy place” down by the bridge of Irondequoit Creek, in Penfield NY. The first year that I lived there, it was stocked with TONS of monster brown trout! I caught some as large as 18″! Almost every cast I made I was able to hook up with a fish… it was literally like shooting fish in a barrel. I’ve fished just about every portion of the creek. I’ve canoed the rapids by the rock quarry in Penfield. I’ve even baptized myself, in the name of Jesus-only, in Irondequoit Creek.

Speaking of which, there is a Pentecostal movement in the Christian Church following something called the “Oneness doctrine.” This is where Jesus is the only deity, no God the Father, no Holy Spirit. It’s all Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. While I’ve backed off that theology and have since been baptized… in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus taught us, when we pray, to speak to the Father in Heaven. Not to a priest, not to an Angel, not to the Virgin Mary. However, he did say that what we ask for in his name will be given to us. I believe it to be most fundamentally correct to pray to the Father in Heaven, but in the name of Jesus.

While it’s been a while since I’ve caught any 16″ brown trout, I’d like to catch at least one this season. Perhaps in Powder Mills Park, where I caught my first trout using salmon eggs in the middle of a winter storm. Hopefully I’ll also be able to get some photos of my fishing trips to post here soon.

There is something very serene about being in this creek. As soon as I touch the water, it feels like I’ve become One with God. Any time I feel stressed out, I can just close my eyes and think of my vivid memories of fishing in Irondequoit Creek. When I do, the stress just melts away! This is a gift I want to share with other people. So, I’ve started a guide service for Fly Fishing in Rochester, NY. For $50, I will take you to hotspots and teach you how to fly fish for trout.