Sometimes It's Best To Join The Crowd.

 If anyone thought the Hendricksons were in trouble, think again. I spent the last 10 days of April looking for them on the freestones and didn't find them. The apple caddis that are supposed to appear about the middle of the Hendrickson hatch, came and went, and still no Hendricksons.  When reports of good Hendrickson hatches on the UEB started to be heard, I was relieved. When I fished a Hendrickson hatch on the lower WB, I was thankful. One morning last week, I walked out on the back porch in Lordville and saw two to three dozen Hendrickson spinners on my screens, a good 10 days after they should have been done hatching.. Talked with a guide, (of questionable character and veracity), who said he's been seeing both Hendricksons and March Browns hatching on the BR below Lordville. Talked with a fisherman on the 97 bridge in Hancock, (a much more reliable source), and he said he caught six fish in a mixed hatch of, (you probably already know the answer), Hendricksons and March Browns. I'm an octogenarian and only once have I seen bugs hatch more than two weeks outside of their normal hatch time. Never have I seen March Browns and Hendricksons on the water together.

For over a week the Hendricksons have been hatching in profusion on the lower and middle sections of the WB. If you want to know exactly where they're hatching, drive along 17 and look for the picket fence of anglers on the "too high to wade" WB. Yesterday I sought solitude over joining the chorus line. Caught six fish and was happy. Today I took the same approach, but despite a modest hatch of Hendricksons, the fish refused to play. Was lucky enough to hook the lone fish that rose in front of me and bailed.

Decided to bite the bullet and join the troops trying to fight off both the fish and the bugs in the "it's happenin' zone". Ended up in an area I haven't fished for over ten years in order to give ace path pruner JF room to fish, never saw a third wade fisherman. Got there about 2:00 to find the water covered with apple caddis but not a single riser, and then the Hendricksons came.

The fishing - Anyone who thinks the apple caddis taste good should ask the fish. Never saw one eaten. The Hendricksons were devoured. There were multiple pods gulping them, but, there was no landing a second fish out of a pod. Did much better avoiding the pods, (it's where all the guides stop), and concentrating on fish off the beaten track. Someone said yesterday that it was better both before and after the apex of the hatch, and I certainly agree on the after part. As has been the case most nights, when the hatch wanes, reel it in and call it a night.

How'd I do? I'm resigned to never catching ten fish in a day again, (at least until there is evening fishing anyway), but I did hook ten and landed 7. Biggest was 19.    

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