At a loss for ways to say "The fishing is still great".
For perhaps the first time since I started writing this blog I sat in front of the computer and found myself at a loss for words. Each night, while sipping my libation, I try to think of something different and interesting to write about. Tonight the words just didn't come. Writers block? Or am I just tired of tired of telling people how good the fishing is.
If you want to catch fish on a dry fly on the Delaware River (the hardest place I know of to do so) you have to do more than hire a guide and have him row you down the river. You need to be able to cast. You need to know something about fishing equipment, fly hatches and fly patterns. You need to learn and appreciate how trout have adapted to the threat posed by fly fishermen. All of the information is readily available on line, in books if you prefer, but you have to be willing to enjoy putting in the time "you know it don't come easy".
Today:
Morning - It was chilly (48 degrees) at camp and there was no need to hurry. Left camp with temp approaching 60. Should have gone sooner. Picked a place on the lower WB and upon arrival found olive spinners in the air and on the water with fish on them. Fish ate my spinners but disdained my olive duns (which were hatching). Ended the "morning" at 1:50pm.
Afternoon - Sulfur Zone time. No thanks. Mowed the lawn, tied some flies and dozed off for an hour. There are lots of bugs, boats, fishermen and yes fish in the "Sulfur Zone", BUT they are the hardest fish in the river to catch. The SZ is crowded and the fish are physically beat up. The fish take core samples of every bug that floats past them and wait for lab results before eating it. If you are happy standing in line and casting at the fish in front of you, go for it. If you want to catch fish, opt out.
Evening- Evening varies greatly on the river. If you happen to fish a stretch of the WB that runs east and west the sun never sets this time of year. If you find a spot on the UEB where there is a hill to the west evening may start as early as 5:00pm. I picked the former, arriving about 6:00 to find bugs on the water but no fish rising in the bright sun. Was able to get fish to rise to an iso emerger even in the sun. When the sun finally went behind the hill there were lots of bugs (olives both big and small, isos, lots of the summer sulfurs and a variety of stenos. With fish rising in front of me and boats passing behind me (thank you all for your courtesy and understanding) it was an exciting evening of fishing.
Misc.- Four boats went by me each rowed by a skillful guide, all did their best to not disturb the rising fish. Caught the same number of trout in the morning as the evening. Trout in the evening averged bigger but fish of the day was a 20 incher caught late in the morning (about 1:00). Saw one wade fisherman in the AM (about a quarter mile away) and no boats. Saw no wade fishermen in the evening and the aforementioned four boats.
If you want to catch fish on a dry fly on the Delaware River (the hardest place I know of to do so) you have to do more than hire a guide and have him row you down the river. You need to be able to cast. You need to know something about fishing equipment, fly hatches and fly patterns. You need to learn and appreciate how trout have adapted to the threat posed by fly fishermen. All of the information is readily available on line, in books if you prefer, but you have to be willing to enjoy putting in the time "you know it don't come easy".
Today:
Morning - It was chilly (48 degrees) at camp and there was no need to hurry. Left camp with temp approaching 60. Should have gone sooner. Picked a place on the lower WB and upon arrival found olive spinners in the air and on the water with fish on them. Fish ate my spinners but disdained my olive duns (which were hatching). Ended the "morning" at 1:50pm.
Afternoon - Sulfur Zone time. No thanks. Mowed the lawn, tied some flies and dozed off for an hour. There are lots of bugs, boats, fishermen and yes fish in the "Sulfur Zone", BUT they are the hardest fish in the river to catch. The SZ is crowded and the fish are physically beat up. The fish take core samples of every bug that floats past them and wait for lab results before eating it. If you are happy standing in line and casting at the fish in front of you, go for it. If you want to catch fish, opt out.
Evening- Evening varies greatly on the river. If you happen to fish a stretch of the WB that runs east and west the sun never sets this time of year. If you find a spot on the UEB where there is a hill to the west evening may start as early as 5:00pm. I picked the former, arriving about 6:00 to find bugs on the water but no fish rising in the bright sun. Was able to get fish to rise to an iso emerger even in the sun. When the sun finally went behind the hill there were lots of bugs (olives both big and small, isos, lots of the summer sulfurs and a variety of stenos. With fish rising in front of me and boats passing behind me (thank you all for your courtesy and understanding) it was an exciting evening of fishing.
Misc.- Four boats went by me each rowed by a skillful guide, all did their best to not disturb the rising fish. Caught the same number of trout in the morning as the evening. Trout in the evening averged bigger but fish of the day was a 20 incher caught late in the morning (about 1:00). Saw one wade fisherman in the AM (about a quarter mile away) and no boats. Saw no wade fishermen in the evening and the aforementioned four boats.
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