Fall fishing is beginning to look like a washout.

Headed for home about 2:00 this afternoon when it had become clear that the the rivers would be blown out once again. It's 10:00 pm and all of the USGS  flow charts are still going straight up. The rivers will be high and muddy for several days and there is a strong probability that NYDEP will again max out the releases from both reservoirs in an attempt to create a flood mitigation void behind the dams. I may be in a tree stand bow hunting before I'm able to fish again.

With regard to the question raised by Dennis, and Craig's comments about tippet - Have talked with a guide that uses 4x exclusively and catches fish.  5x is probably the most commonly used tippet. I'm a dry fly guy and  use  the Trouthunter 12 foot finesse leaders tapered to 5x and add three or four feet of 6x Cortland ultra premium fluorocarbon as a tippet. The Cortland tippet is pricy, a little bit stiffer than some, has good abrasion resistance and doesn't get a curl in it when you tie on a fly, however, every once in a while your fly magically disappears when you are casting.

Dennis - I'm not sure what you are asking and what the knot problem is. Sometimes if you don't wet the knot before pulling it tight or pull it tight too fast it will overheat and break.  Wet the knot and tighten it slowly.

Greg - Not counting a couple days ago when I left 4 flies in fish and had two flies just vanish while casting, I have very little trouble fishing with 6x. It is what I use almost all of the time and I am generally able to land fish quite quickly with it. I believe the finer tippet lets me make better presentations of the fly.  Actually put on 7x for the first time this year while fishing some tiny flies on the BK during a pseudo hatch earlier this week but don't usually use it for the same reason you steer clear of the 6x (takes too long to land the bigger fish). 

There are a bunch of different brands of tippet out there and they all have plusses and minuses. Try 'em all. It's the best way to find out which one works best for you. 

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