At least I got the lawn mowed.

 To be fair my heart just wasn't in it today.  At 5:30 I hadn't fished and was still driving around looking in awe at the number of fishermen crowded into the WB from the barking dog take out up to Butler Brook. Didn't even drive past the red barn, maybe no one was there. Saw very few bugs, almost no risers and never saw an angler with a fish on.

Was driving back down river when I saw a friends car parked at his camp.  Hadn't seen him there for over a month so I stopped and we had a nice chat. A tad before seven we decided to give the river a try. In forty-five minutes I had seen one rise, one medium sized red ant on the water and  had one refusal from a fish on a blind cast.  A rubber boat came by and I asked where were the bugs? They said there was a good olive hatch with fish up that ended about 5:00 and they hadn't seen a rise since. I reeled it in and walked back to the car. My friend decided to stick it out, hope something happened before dark.

Left my waders on and found an unoccupied run further down river. Waded in and ( found fish rising everywhere, you think I'm gonna say),  had a fish rise 20 feet downstream from me. A sixteen inch rainbow ate my fly and saved me from having to sit on that G.D. Bench at the Troutfitter.  For the record I didn't see another rise or any bugs.

It has been by far my worst week of the season. The cut back in the flow, hot days with bright sun, fish that have had enough of flies with hooks in them and just maybe an angler that has had it a bit too good all season long. My granddaughter is playing in a volleyball tournament starting tomorrow at seven and if I fish at all it will be in the morning. 

The fishing - If you are here or thinking of coming know this - sulfurs are about over although some fishermen have reportedly seen good hatches. Olives have been the fly and they have hatched anywhere from early afternoon until dark, probably depending on the water temp where you are fishing. Yesterday I had olives and rising fish in the WB middle section from 5:00 'till dark. Tonight above Hale Eddy and in the lower river I had neither (which really makes no sense at all). Know that if the River Master does his job and gets the flow at Montague back up to 1,750 cfs where it belongs, everything could change for the better.

Note to Brian W. -  Your wife obviously doesn't understand the problem, your house like ours (and the fishing camp) is undoubtedly  infested with gremlins. What they do is watch where you put something and when your mind is elsewhere they quickly either move it to a place where you would never put it or simply cover it up with a newspaper, dirty shirt or pizza box. They breed like rabbits and I do not know of a cure. 

Making the Cast 7/11, The Magic Fly 7/17 (I  included them both in case someone else has the same problem).   

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