If you like to double-haul - -

With my fly boxes and camera layed out to dry on the kitchen table, one thing is clear. If you are a wade fisherman on the Delaware this year and you want to catch fish - you better be able to cast. Found bugs and rising fish, got wet fly boxes, threw tailing loops, hooked knotweed on the back cast, froze my tail and every once in a while hooked a fish (a couple of which were good ones).

The fishing wasn't great,especially for May, but when you have bugs and rising fish the game is on. Managed to string two "decent" days in a row for the first time this year. Most of the boats have gone to the WB leaving a handful of scouts on the EB, UE and BR. The doldrums are soon to end and the boats will again cover all of the waters. In the meantime if you are willing to fish less productive water,under difficult circumstances, you can do so in relative solitude (a boat never crossed my path today).

At days end I chatted with another "over the hill" angler who had spent the day up to his elbows in 45 degree water trying to reach rising fish that seemed to know just how far he could cast. "That's fishin", he said and neither of us would have had it any other way. With thunder and lightning closing in we both headed for our cars.

Forgot to mention that on Monday and Tuesday the toads were singing (and fornicating) everywhere, in broad daylight, several right in front of me, with no apparent shame. Yesterday and today not a sound, Are they done? I'll try to remember to let you know.

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