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I Take My Chances, (I don't mind fishin' without a net)

 Make no mistake about it, the river system needs rain and cooler temps RIGHT NOW. Unfortunately, the forecast for the next ten days shows temps 10 to 20 degrees above the 70 degree high, 50 degree low which is normal for this time of year. The BE water was into the mid 70s today, and is both too low to float and too warm to fish. The BK went above 70 briefly today and will hit 70 on a regular basis in the coming ten days. The WB is getting the 500 cfs release but the tribs have all but dried up. With the big bugs all but done on the BR, and the UEB and the EB too low to float, the number of boats attempting to get down the WB at less than 600cfs will be a sight NOT TO BEHOLD. At 600cfs the WB is easily wadeable and there are also sure to be hoards of wade fishermen adding to the problem. What to do? Fishermen leave your weapons at home, if you are coming bring your quaaludes. If you can come anytime, (retirees, trust babies and the super rich), wait for rain and cooler temps. Guid...
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I Feel Lucky.

 Tried a triple header today and am not likely to try one again. Morning trip was to the EB in town. It proved to be just as barren of bugs and rising fish as was the trip to the top of the EB last night.  Came back to the fishing camp, had lunch, and fell asleep in the recliner making me an hour late for the afternoon shift which took place on the WB just upstream from where I fished yesterday. Fished 3:00  to 5:00 but all but one of the fish were caught in the first hour. As was the case yesterday, there were modest hatches of caddis, Invaria and Hendricksons and as is the case almost always, the fish preferred the Hendricksons. Ate my second sandwich in the car and rested a bit before heading out for the nightcap at 6:30. Found Invaria on the water in sufficient quantities to justify a bit of feeding, but the trout felt otherwise. Caught two fish blind casting an Invaria emerger and when the bugs stopped hatching, I left. Drove downstream and spent the last 30 minutes ...
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Sometimes Being Alone In The Pool, Means You're In The Wrong Place

 It was an interesting day. There were no drift boats or wade fishermen above Balls Eddy except for those addicted to the river between Cold Springs Brook and Butler Brook, (AKA the Red Barn area). Stepped into the river above Hale Eddy about 3:00 and was surprised to find bugs and rising fish. Had a place to myself with caddis, Invaria and even a few Hendricksons hatching and rising fish to throw at. There weren't a lot of any of the bugs but the fish were hungry and were more than willing to come up and pass judgement on what you were throwing. Got half a dozen fish to the net with a non counter, a 13 inch brown and four rainbows all between 17 and 18 inches. Surprised the buttons on my shirt didn't pop off I was so full of my self. And then - At six- thirty, in the bright 84 degree sun, I descended a steep rocky trail into the BE a short ways below Jaws, which is much farther upstream than I was last night. Was hoping to catch up with the Green Drake upstream march, find egg...
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It's Got To Be The Going, Not The Getting There That'Good.

 After spending Sunday cutting up and removing three dead Ash trees that had fallen last winter and were either on mowed areas or were blocking access roads, I spent Monday dealing with car salesmen. Love my wife and enjoy spending time with her, but boy, was I glad to get out of town. Got to the Lordville Estate shortly before eleven, unpacked the car, stowed the food and clothes, did a little yard work, came in, ate lunch, turned on the lap top and fell asleep in the recliner. Awoke at 2:20 and hit the road. My drive-by of the Red Barn showed only three anglers, with a big gap between angler two and three in which I saw fish rising. Had three 20s and two ones in my wallet. Drove to the Troutfitter and arranged a loan of five dollars from Dave. Found $15 dollars in the little tin box, left one of my 20s and took the change. Remarkably there were still only three people in the pool and rising fish. The fishing - Was really good. Took my Hendrickson box out of my vest last week and ...
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This, That, And The Other Thing.

 Said good-by to Mark this morning, spent an hour or so lending order to the Lordville Estate, packed the dirty clothes and two bags of trash in the car and headed for home. It was a good, but not great, week of fishing. Long time readers know I try to find rising fish away from the armada of drift boats that congregate where the bug hatch is at its peak. This year I've struggled a bit finding good hatches on the BK for sure, and to some extent the BR  and EB. Some of the problem has been high water that made wade fishing the BR and EB impossible until the last ten days. My inability to find good hatches this year on the BK is concerning. Whenever I've found a good hatch of flies, there have been large fish up eating them. There seems to be a disproportionately small number of two year old browns, so the average fish size is bigger than normal. Either it takes me longer to land the bigger fish or the hatches are of short duration, because they seem to be over almost before I...
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You Earn Every Fish You Catch On The Delaware.

 With a cold north wind predicted to blow in the twenties, my first priority as guide/host was to get us out of the wind. In this endeavor I did fairly well. Started out on the BK, (which was crowded with weekend warriors), at a place that had two pools, about a quarter mile apart, that were somewhat sheltered from the wind and had no other anglers in attendance.  There was a prolific hatch of miniscule mayflies that had a dozen or more large fish, (maybe trout, maybe fallfish), feeding just off the current on the far side of a deep run with an upstream "draft". We got several refusals but never actually hooked any of them. We did hook two trout midstream, landing one rainbow. Tucked into a spot on the UEB that was out of the wind, but after clambering down a steep slope we saw two anglers were already in the pool we wanted to fish and we retreated. Spent an hour or so buying mayonnaise, filling the tank, (with gas, not mayo), and checking out places to make the "last st...
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boom, Boom, BOOM !!!

 Resolved to stop driving up the price of gas by spending several hours each day going from stream to stream just to look at water with neither bugs, nor rising fish. Did take a short trip up to East Branch to see if there was anything happening in 200cfs of water in the UEB, (there wasn't). Also took a drive over to Deposit to buy floatant and line cleaners, (I get 5% off at the Troutfitter). At 3:15, sensing the angst in my guest, (created at least in part by my refusal to stop at rest rooms), I pulled over at one of my secret spots and we fished. There were a plethora of bugs, (caddis, olives, and Invaria), with quite a few fish rising. We quickly chalked up enough refusals to give Denny a run for his money, landed a few small fish, and when the boats started to arrive, we reeled it in and left. Moved to a place that was above the boat traffic but lacked both good bug activity and rising fish, we managed to land a couple more fish. At 6:30 it was time to fish or cut bait. We fis...
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