Fishing A Cold Blow From Out Of The North.

 

Jean came down and we spent the weekend watching wildlife in the backyard, driving around the area and enjoying two "nights out", one with David and Maryann, (the apprentice Troutfitter Inn cleaning lady). A shout out of thanks to her for spending four hours on the road to have dinner with us. Not sure the company or the meal was worth the drive. We drove up to Stilesville to witness the hordes of anglers, and then along the reservoir all the way up to Walton, where we usually stop and go in some of the shops. It was threatening to rain so we elected to keep going. It was raining on top of the mountains but we took route 206?? to Downsville anyway. We hit the rain part way up the mountain and then drove down the other side to Downsville in a torrential down pour. Came out of the rain at Downsville and drove down route 30 with the intention of checking  out the trout in some of the BK's thermal refuges, saw the muddy water at "Jaws" and drove back to the Lordville Estate". At no time were we aware of the micro-burst that hit the Horton/Cooks Falls area earlier in the day. The internet was out when we got back and we had no news until I returned from fishing tonight..

The fishing - Yesterday (Sunday), mid- day, there were anglers everywhere, (from barking dog up). We saw lots of both sulfurs and rising fish below Oquaga Creek but the numbers of anglers from the red barn up to Cold Springs Brook said that the sulfurs were also hatching up there, (we didn't even slow down to count the cars or anglers on our way by).

Today there was a "pesky little breeze", (I winter in Florida and they don't call it a wind 'til they give it a name). There were sulfurs hatching and fish rising when I arrived at 12:30. There was also quite a bit of room to fish,  if you were willing to soak your fly boxes. wet your elbows and, wade on tip-toes. I was. When people have asked how I catch so many fish, I tell them "I've got game". None of my fishing skills are exceptional and a number of them are eroding with age, but, I've spent over forty years casting to bone-fish on wind blown ocean flats and I can probably handle wind better than most trout fisherman. I had fun today. There were rising fish, I made some horrific casts, (landed a nice 17 inch fish with what looked like a bow knot tied in my tippet), but with the waves on the water it was hard to put the fish down, and I got the fly in front of enough of them to make it a really good afternoon. It was over by 2:45.

Drove back to the fishing camp, screwed up a Sudoku, finished almost all of a couple Wednesday crossword puzzles and shut my eyes. Woke up and was out of the door by six- thirty, and drove up the PA side stopping at all the usual look out spots. First rise I saw was above Hale Eddy, suited up and waded in with sulfurs on the water and fish rising. Unfortunately there were boats and wade fishermen where I fished. All were courteous, (even I was), but I was hemmed in. Got a refusal on the first cast, a fish on the second and then things slowed down. I had fish to cast at but they quickly became aware of my presence. Got some refusals and a lot of ignores, landed a second fish that started rising well below me and picked up a third fish on my way back to the car, but what could have been, just wasn't.

The Dorothea's are hatching, afternoon and evening, everyone knows this and will be there. The fish also know this and will be hard to fool. Your best bet, if you want to catch fish, is to seek out places that are hard to fish, If you are content just fishing to rising fish, join the crowd, but lower your fish catching expectations.