The Sulfurs Are Back In the Zone !!!


Biggest accomplishment this morning was the finishing of both the sulfur and steno fly box renovation projects. Tied some new pink ladies as well as a few olives, put water shed on them, then took them out to the car in a little plastic box and set them on the dash to cure. That done, I read about the upcoming debate, Caitlan Clark's most recent heroics, and the failure to include Alex Morgan on the US Soccer team for the Olympics, ( IMO, at almost 35, she just isn't as good as the younger players and shouldn't be on the team ((and she was my favorite player)) , but then, no one asked). After a late lunch, it was time to go fishing.

Decided to break my rule about fishing the same place two times in a week, and went back to where I fished yesterday. The red barn pool was wall to wall fishermen, (sans Adrian?) but the Stilesville lot had just two cars and magically no one in the water, ( they probably walked down to the red barn pool). I walked up the road as far as you could go, and fished my way back to the car, met a Troutfitter regular who recognized me by the Panama Jack hat. He had come in below me and had promptly hooked and landed a nice fish. Said he had my book and would I sign it if he dropped it off at the Troutfitter? Told him I would, as I walked behind him in my journey down river. It took me almost three hours longer to do exactly what I did yesterday, fish catching wise. There was wind, lots fewer bugs and just not as many fish up. 

Had a nice chat with another Troutfitter regular, and his landlord, who said the summer sulfurs had arrived in Deposit and that last night in the pouring rain every fish in the river was up eating sulfur duns. What he didn't say was that they were only eating sulfurs that didn't have hooks in them. I  fished the pool and amassed an impressive number of refusals, as did the Troutfitter regular, mostly all from fish eating duns off the surface, with mouths agape,and if I'm not mistaken, smiles on their faces.

It's early days, but if you want to try your luck in the "Sulfur Zone" bring your "A" game and join the crowd. Just remember, refusals make for a very watery fish chowder. 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK HOME AGAIN!

 It's Wednesday night, a fire is going in the fire place, an empty Perfect Manhattan glass is washed and back up on the shelf, 30 shrimp netted from Zane Gray Creek ((did you know that Zane Gray (famous fly fisherman and writer of westerns) was a dentist and that his office is now a museum that you can visit on the Delaware River?)), have been consumed by Jean and me, prior to the three pieces of venison backstrap that traveled from home to Florida and back, an early spring snowstorm is raging outside and most importantly, we're glad to be back home again! With that season opening sentence, Mrs. Haskins has no doubt thrown in the towel and disavowed all responsibility for my literary malfunctions. Run on sentences she could handle, but my never before attempted "double aside" was apparently beyond the pall. I sent her a "Go Duke" banner with apologies and hopefully she will cool off before the fishing heats up. Our trip back home was uneventful. Started at 2
Read more

All my life's a circle.

  Headed down to the Lordville Estate about nine this morning after watching a nice buck decide  not to tend the scrape I was perched above. Drove through Deposit where the Troutfitter Shop was dark and closed for the season. My fishing equipment did not make the trip. Had far too many things to do in the few hours of daylight we are currently being allotted. The doe with two fawns was in the backyard when I arrived and was joined by the orphaned button buck who spends his time either bedded down in my flower garden or walking around under the peach trees looking for the peaches he grew so fond of in September. Arrived with a trailer full of wood hitched to Jean's car (it has the trailer hitch) and spent the first hour replenishing the wood I burned this season. As if by magic both wood piles topped out just below the garage windows. Was interrupted by the button buck who walked up between the house and the garage and stood watching the wood stacking operation. A river friend and f
Read more

Don't let that that rain come down.

 My South Holston river friend, (one of only two people who will fish with me), (the other is currently on injured reserve), is up for a visit (he brought his boat) and today we floated. There might have been some question about where we chose to float (no one else launched where we did), but we enjoyed the fact that we never saw another fisherman, let alone another boat, on the river all day. The weatherman might well have gilded the lily a bit when he predicted a chance of showers and a high temp of sixty degrees. It rained all day, and the temperature peaked at fifty three degrees. When I read the forecast for the rest of Mark's stay (rain for the next four days) I was thankful that we got in the day that we did today.  How was our day? We sucked it up, paid an extra $5.00 to launch (didn't have the proper change), parked in the wrong place (got a note from the owner where we put in), never made it to the predetermined takeout place, and had a delightful day counting bugs (t
Read more