More bang for your buck.

It's Labor Day weekend, a time when many fishermen close out the season with a last trip to Delaware. This year is no exception. Showing no regard for just how bad the fishing has been lately, they have dipped into their wallets and shelled out money for a guide to take them down the river. I wasn't here to count on Friday or Saturday (often the busiest float days) but today the launch and takeout sites (Shehawken, Stockport and Buckingham) were filled with cars and trailers. There were close to tewenty trailers and almost three times as many cars when I drove up the river at 5:00 PM.

Being my usual contrarian self I kept on driving (Balls Eddy had only one trailer and there were only two cars at the game lands). Thought maybe the additional cold water would start the bugs on the lower WB. It didn't. There were a few olives and I saw two isos, nothing else. The only fish that rose were yearlings eating the olives. I hooked four and lost them all. Never saw a good fish to even throw at.

Perhaps the people floating the big river knew something I didn't or perhaps they were just tired of the WB in Deposit. Unless they got into ants (I saw none) they sure didn't see any risers until after the sun went behind the hills (if then). Since my return from out west, mid August, the fishing has been dismal at best.

If you want to come up, consider hunting geese, the season is open and the bag limit 15 per day. You'll be helping cut down on the amount of fertilizer (and perhaps algae) being put into the river and you should have lots of action. (Be sure to save some shells for the mergansers.)

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