Bring your clubs, you can get in a round before the hatch.

Got up early this morning and took care of remaining items on my at home to do list.  Drove into town, got the car washed and filled with gas, picked up supplies for the weeks stay at camp and  made it to the barber shop fifteen minutes early for my 10:30 appointment. It was good that I did because my name isn't Dan. I botched my attempt at scheduling the hair cut appointment and Dan was scheduled for my 10:30 slot.  Nicole who has both grumpy and pleasant days (this looked a lot like it was going to be one of the grumpy ones) said she could "fit me in" and I got in the chair.  Nicole was born to be a barber, she has the quickest hands I've ever seen. The first few times I went to her I was sure I would lose an ear she snips so fast. By the time Dan ambled in (right on time) the eyebrows were being trimmed (an experience those of you under 65 have to look forward to) and I was out of there by 10:35.

I was on the way to camp before 11:00 and had to have the visor down all the way to keep the sun out of my eyes. It's mid September and the sun at noon comes through the side windows. Drove out of Hancock on 97 heading for Lordville and noted that the "Cow Lick" is closed and boarded up for the season and that the roadside Sumac are showing a lot more red than they did just last Friday.

The fishing - Very good - with several disclaimers. Had my way with the fish last Thursday and again today BUT the success is fragile. Rains have filled the reservoirs and the tribs. There is too much water for good dry fly fishing at this time of year. Probably to create reservoir flood voids NYC DEP has increased the releases from both reservoirs. Usually the flows are decreased on September 1st which gets the trout up and feeding on the small stuff. Present water levels in the system reduce the trout's enthusiasm for eating on top. There are currently very good and reliable hatches of pseudos with a few isos, ants and white flies thrown in. BEWARE, the slightest increase in flows could turn the fishing from good to bad. Check flows before you go. Right now if you are looking for dry fly fishing be on the river by 3:00 on a cloudy day, 4:00 in the bright sun. The length of the hatch will be determined by the air and water temp.  The colder it is the sooner the bugs stop. Tonight they were still going after 7:00. Fish slow water pools, shaded banks and back eddy's. You have to look closely for the rises but they are there.

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