Ain't No Cure For The Summertime Blues

 In the nineties the DEC did some surveys of fishermen on the Delaware River System, it was all wade fishermen back then. Got to know Scott and Mark who did the survey work because I was on the river a lot and they made a point of finding me. They said they knew where practically everyone parked and where they would be fishing, except me. It wasn't until the summer heat made much of the system unfishable and I became acquainted with the Stilesville sulfurs that they could easily track me down.

You can call them the good old days if you want, but the tiny releases, ( 45cfs from Cannonsville except  June 15th to August 15th when they ran 325), warm water in all the freestones and a BR fish population that was limited to a fraction of what it is today by the small amount of cold water refuge available to the fish.

Today the cold water releases are more than ten times what they were in the 90's. The volume of cold water has created a habitat that supports many many times the fish that were in the river system back then. BUT, with the increased air temperatures from global warming we still end up with everyone fishing from Stilesville to Barking Dog from July 1st until the sulfurs peter out sometime in late August. Why? It's the only game in town. It's a consistent every day hatch that gets the fish up and feeding in the daylight. True there is fishing in the UEB, the WB and the BR down to Stockport, but it's only for the last hour of light in the evening. 

Went back to the Lordville Estate after the sulfur hatch today by driving down the PA side of the river. Upper Game Lands had 6 cars, Lower Game Lands had 1 car, Balls Eddy had no cars or trailers, Shehawken had 3 trailers and two cars, (drove back up at 7:30 and the PA fish shocking crew was there with ten cars and all their gear), Stockport nothing, Buckingham nothing. It gave me an "empty" feeling.

Why? I hate fishing the same places over and over, and don't fish above Barking Dog until I have to. The fish learn quickly to eat almost nothing off the surface, they are tired from fighting for their life every time they eat something they shouldn't. It's crowded, just finding a parking place is a win. Solitude? It's hard for an old man to even find a secluded spot to take a pee. It kinda makes me a little sad knowing what lies ahead for the next six weeks.

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