I Like It Like That.

 

With a family of skunks following me around after my two one fish days, I got out of bed this morning  resolved to do better. Had breakfast, checked the temperature, (62), and left for the UEB hoping to find tricos. It was 65 when I headed up route 30 past the Sunoco station. Saw a car parked just upstream of the Sunoco station at the "crusher pool" that may or may not have been a fisherman. The only for sure trico fisherman was in the five star spot. Saw neither waxwings nor tricos over the riffs but there were fish rising in a pool I passed up because it's hard to get good drifts over the fish there. The spot I chose came with a decent walk and required faith that when you got there there would be fish rising. There were. It was my first trico trip of the year and to be kind, I didn't start out very well. Added 7x to a long piece of 6x already part of the leader and it just didn't turn over and lay out. When I finally got a fish to eat he effortlessly broke the 7x. I then broke the 7x with my hands, (it's probably been in my vest since before covid). Cut off the 7x, paid attention to what casts got a look and got both more looks and more tooks. Don't know what time I started but I finished up at 12:00. Two of the last three fish were 18 inch rainbows, drove back to the Lordville Estate much less concerned about the erosion of my fishing skills.

Had lunch, did an hours worth of work in the yard, took a shower and rested up for the evening fishing.

Left at 6:30, took a leisurely drive up the PA side of the BR, stopping at both Buckingham and  Shehawken. Saw a red pickup at Buckingham, and one trailer and seven cars at Shehawken. Kept going. The Balls Eddy lot had two pickup trucks and no trailers. With no trailers at Balls Eddy and but one at Shehawken I could fish almost anywhere from "Barking Dog " down in solitude. Chose a spot and not ten minutes later a pontoon boat came by that appeared to be rowing out, they gave me lots of room. It was my only encounter with other fishermen while on the water all day, kinda like it like that. There were no fish rising upon my arrival but there were little olives hatching. A fish ate my olive on a blind cast, and then I saw a few rises. A fish I saw rise ate my olive and I gave him my olive as a souvenir when I struck just a tad bit too hard. Got another fish to eat a blind cast, then things went quiet. The olives continued to hatch but the fish weren't rising. Finally after I'd changed to a fly I could see, the fish started to rise and they weren't fussy about what they ate. Not saying I was in a frenzy but I hooked four fish, and landed two. The fly came out of the fish's mouth in the net on both fish I landed. Cut off both flies, tied on new ones and both times failed to see that the leader was wrapped around the rod, (many times), with no one else on the river I just might have let the world know what I thought of the situation.

Waded out with the flashlight on, laughing at my self while thinking how much how much fun it is to get to do what I get to do. Thanks Jean! 

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