I Just Wasn't Up To The Task.

 

Again opted out of the afternoon sulfur fishing in favor of mundane chores around the camp. When I looked at the clock it was just three and I waivered for a minute, then sat down and tied some of the sulfurs that worked so well Tuesday night. I needn't have bothered. 

Left the camp at 4:30 and drove up to Deposit and circled the "Sulfur Zone". The busiest part was up around Stilesville although the river from Deposit down was much busier than Tuesday. Saw lots of wade anglers, and a marked increase in the boat traffic down to the Barking Dog takeout. There were still a few bugs at Stilesville and I did see a rising fish along the far bank. Saw neither bugs nor risers from Deposit to Hale Eddy. To be fair, 5:00 to 7:00 is the dead period between the hatches. Talked with anglers at Stilesville who said their were bugs and risers but very few fish hooked. Downriver at Barking Dog the report wasn't as rosy.

The fishing - It started promptly at 7:00 when the sun went behind the hill. Sulfurs came in the best numbers I've seen this season and the fish fed, lots of the big ones were up, some taking duns and some feeding sub surface. Had rising fish for two hours, and got my a-- kicked. Hooked three fish, all good sized. I was in a crotch deep fast paced run and I couldn't get the first fish back up to me as the combined weight of the algae that built up on the line and the fish were too heavy for my tippet. The hooked pulled out when the fish twisted in the water. Hooked and landed a 19 and a 16 incher, both of which I was able to work into slower water along the shore. BUT - maybe you don't understand, for the last half hour there were fish rising everywhere, eating everything that came by them - except my fly. I fished as well as I can. The fish were easy casts. The fly floated over fish countless times. Got six or eight refusals with all the rest of my casts seemingly ignored. It was exciting, frustrating and some of the most difficult dry fly fishing anyone could ask for.

 Know this - the evening fishing is the only sure thing. If you fish the "A" pools in the afternoon  you may or may not see sulfurs and rising fish. Just don't count on catching them. In the evening, you will see sulfurs and rising fish, some nights they will eat your fly and some nights they just won't.   

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