What skunk?

 Just six days ago I got skunked.  Threw at the only riser I saw and was refused.  Yesterday the skunk left quietly, hopefully not to return again this year.  But it's still spring and it's the Delaware so you never know.

 Unfortunately I'm home again.  Annual eye doctors appointment was today and my semiannual trip to the internist is tomorrow morning.  Was sorely temped to call and cancel the eye appointment but didn't. I showed up for the appointment only to learn that they hadn't written my appointment into the schedule and that the doctor was out due to an illness in the family.  If all goes well I'll be down in time for the Hendrickson hatch tomorrow.

In looking at the weather forecast for the next week it seemed like a good time to touch on the importance of water temp when choosing when and where to fish.  This spring has been a warm one and has speeded up the maturation of the early bugs. When the bugs (paraleps, olives and Hendricksons) are ready to hatch (and they all are), water temp is the most important consideration. 

Once the paraleps and olives get going nothing much stops them.  They will hatch in water down to 44 degrees. Look for them to start around 1:00 and continue for at least a couple of hours. Trout prefer the olives over the paraleps so keep a close eye on the hatch and try an olive first if both bugs are on the water.  

The Hendricksons, by comparison, are wusses.  They refuse to come out of their warm, insulated nymphal husk until the water temp gets up to at least 48.  Hendrickson hatches usually occur later in the day (around 3:00). There is no doubt trout prefer to eat the larger and tastier Hendricksons and when the trout are sure they are on the menu they will often ignore the earlier hatching paraleps.

Check the water temperature on the USGS stream flow graphs and fish where you feel you are most likely to get a hatch.  Remember that the water heats up much faster when the sun is shining. A warm but cloudy day doesn't do nearly as good a job raising the water temperature.  

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