Maybe Tomorrow A New - - - -

Could be wrong but I don't recall the rivers being blown out since back in April. Last night's rain was a soaker but it rained long enough and hard enough to raise Oquaga, (aka the little Mississippi) from 10cfs to 600cfs of mud laden water. The rain was traveling in a Northeasterly direction and also blew out the UEB, while missing the Beaverkill which is in dire need of water.

The only fishable water today was in the Sulfur Zone from Oquaga up to cold Springs Brook. You guys are so good I didn't even give posting an update this morning a thought. Dave at the Troutfitter said half the river was clear at the bridge at noon. I didn't arrive until 4:00 and saw Mike the cop fishing above the town bridge and a line of fishermen below the bridge that extended all the way down to Oquaga. Could see two boats and several wade fishermen above the Butler Brook sluiceway and when I drove up along the river I lost count of the boats and anglers that were strung out from the "flag pool" all the way up to Cold Springs Brook.

The fishing - Joining Mike seemed by far the best option, the pool has been a disappointment this year but misery loves company and Mike and I have shared many a pool over the past 30 years. When I got into my gear and walked out to the river there was no Mike. He was sitting down on the bank and said that he had only caught yearlings but that the fish were rising. Asked him where he wanted to fish and he said the dinner table, (he was done for the day and heading home). Waded in and was refused by eleven straight fish before one ate my fly. There was more activity in the pool than I've seen all year, (probably because the fish don't like the mud and were concentrated over in the clear release water). The strange thing, (and I've seen this in several places in the sulfur zone in the past three weeks), was the number of rainbows. Got seven fish to eat my flies and six were rainbows, that has never come close to happening in what has always been a brown trout pool. In two hours it was over, went back to the car, ate my sandwich and drove around looking for a place to fish the evening sulfurs.

Full of misgivings and anguish I drove up to the little Stilesville lot, parked and walked upstream only to find that the fog over the water had hidden two anglers that were where I had planned to fish. Picked the widest space between fishermen and waded in. I had rising fish, two big browns ate my wonder fly and I lost them both, (neither broke the 7x, they just came unstuck). Hooked and landed two browns 12 and 16, and had no choice but to cast at the half dozen fish rising steadily in front of me for the rest of the evening with nothing but refusals to show for my efforts, (there's a lesson there if you care to ferret it out).

If we get no additional rain the entire sulfur zone should be available for fishing. Oquaga is already down to 200cfs and the mud from the upstream tribs is also abating.     

Question for Ithacaster - did you buy Seger's place on Peas Eddy Road? I meant to ask you in the most recent Wind Knots page but forgot. Asked yesterday, but it was mysteriously edited out at the Troutfitter, (we have hired an outside consulting firm to look into the matter to ensure that it doesn't happen again).