Back in the "game".
It's no secret that August has not been a friend to Delaware River fishermen. Torrential rains, high muddy water and reservoir spills have kept us off the water. I normally fish about 20 days a month. Yesterday was only my fourth day fished and first since the 6th of the month. On none of those days did I catch 10 fish.
Each day I fish I have a contest with the fish. The rules are pretty simple. If I catch 10 fish, I win. If I don't, the fish win. On a normal five day week "we" play a five game series. This year the trout built up an early lead with the late hatches and cold weather in April and early May. I kicked butt in late May and all of June. The trout won a hotly contested July and have pitched a shutout in August.
Left camp at about 2:00 drove up the PA side and stopped for a look at Buckingham. Five trailers in the lot and a few bugs sailing by on 4,000 CFS of water. Drove up to the middle section of the WB where I could at least get around a little with the water at 2,000 CFS. There was the same mix of stenos and olives as yesterday with mostly 1.5 year old fish up. Managed to cross over to the far side to fish a side channel which proved to be not worth the effort. In all, over 20 assorted boats went by, none of them directly impacting my fishing but just maybe they have played a roll in keeping the fish on their "game" during the high water. By 7:00, with the sun off the water, the hatching and feeding had stopped and I reeled it in and headed for the car with but five fish.
On the way back to the camp I decided to take a look at the big river at a place where I could at least get into the water. Saw no rises, no boats or fishermen and was attacked by a hoard of mosquitoes while standing on the bank. For absolutely no reason that makes any sense, I donned my vest and hat, grabbed my rod, slid down the muddy bank on my keister and waded out into the river. In the hour and fifteen minutes I was there I saw six fish rise within casting distance. One refused my fly. The other five ate. The last (and 10th) fish rose while I was walking back upstream to the car with the line reeled in and the fly in the hook keeper.
As the water continues to drop the wading opportunities are increasing. The BK is now at a good level. The others will soon be wadeable in spots. If you can get here next weekend it should be worth your while.
Each day I fish I have a contest with the fish. The rules are pretty simple. If I catch 10 fish, I win. If I don't, the fish win. On a normal five day week "we" play a five game series. This year the trout built up an early lead with the late hatches and cold weather in April and early May. I kicked butt in late May and all of June. The trout won a hotly contested July and have pitched a shutout in August.
Left camp at about 2:00 drove up the PA side and stopped for a look at Buckingham. Five trailers in the lot and a few bugs sailing by on 4,000 CFS of water. Drove up to the middle section of the WB where I could at least get around a little with the water at 2,000 CFS. There was the same mix of stenos and olives as yesterday with mostly 1.5 year old fish up. Managed to cross over to the far side to fish a side channel which proved to be not worth the effort. In all, over 20 assorted boats went by, none of them directly impacting my fishing but just maybe they have played a roll in keeping the fish on their "game" during the high water. By 7:00, with the sun off the water, the hatching and feeding had stopped and I reeled it in and headed for the car with but five fish.
On the way back to the camp I decided to take a look at the big river at a place where I could at least get into the water. Saw no rises, no boats or fishermen and was attacked by a hoard of mosquitoes while standing on the bank. For absolutely no reason that makes any sense, I donned my vest and hat, grabbed my rod, slid down the muddy bank on my keister and waded out into the river. In the hour and fifteen minutes I was there I saw six fish rise within casting distance. One refused my fly. The other five ate. The last (and 10th) fish rose while I was walking back upstream to the car with the line reeled in and the fly in the hook keeper.
As the water continues to drop the wading opportunities are increasing. The BK is now at a good level. The others will soon be wadeable in spots. If you can get here next weekend it should be worth your while.
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