If you think you want to fish the EB or UEB, - think again.

The rain yesterday caused the Big River to rise over 900 CFS while all the other rivers in the system remained virtually unchanged.  I've enjoyed three good days on the BR this week plus yesterdays near rainout.  Decided it was time to play on another field.

The Big East has good iso hatches and most places can be waded at 1,100 CFS.  Left in time for the iso hatch and headed for a riff in the middle section of the BE.  I've seen good iso hatches there in the past and the river there is easily waded at current levels.   I wasn't there twenty minutes when the first isos started hatching. I was there forty-five minutes, however, before I saw a fish rise.  Had fun casting to fish that were nosed up into a riff eating both iso nymphs and duns.  Unfortunately the fun was short lived as there weren't more than a handful of fish in the riff.  When the BE fish population is up and the riff is fully populated with iso eating fish, I've seen 50 or more fish occupy the same space.

Decided to pull the plug and try somewhere else.  Drove to East Branch and up rte.30 along the UEB.  The farther up I went, the worse the fog got.  No boat trailers at Oxbow Campground (sometimes a good sign - sometimes not a good sign) and no cars parked anywhere along the river.  Never saw a bug or rise at my vantage points and when the fog got too dense to see, made a u turn and headed back to the BE without even getting out of the car.

Chose a place in the upper section that also has good isos.  By then it was too late for the hatch but maybe some of the fish were still hungry.  This place is better fished in lower water but I was there and nothing is ever perfect. 

How'd I do?  Not worth a dam. Got eaten alive by mosquitoes (because of the rains and high water they are every where, bring insect repellent if you plan on fishing).  Never saw a bug of any kind or a rise for that matter.  In an hour of blind casting I caught three yearling fish none of which were ten inches long.

In short, if you want to see bugs and rising fish go to the WB or BR.  Bring your isos, olives and deet.   

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