Silhouettes On the Shade.

 Had a busy morning in Syracuse. Stopped at the Dermatologists where Rachael took, (in my opinion), a little too much pleasure in applying the liquid nitrogen to what she referred to as Actinic Keratoses on the top of my head. Second stop was to pick up supplies to refurbish the larder at the Lordville Estate. Was too early for my dentist appointment, so stopped at my old grammar school friend's house for a cup of coffee and a recap of his horse's most recent race. At 11:30 I was in the dentist chair saying aah. Learned that I would need a new crown on old #29 but probably not a root canal. Buoyed by the news, I called the car dealer and was able to move up my appointment to pick up the new car from 1:30 to noon. It took an hour and a half to sign the papers and get me familiar enough with the car to get it off the dealers lot. By the time I got home and loaded up the food and fishing gear it was evident that I'd missed the afternoon fishing. Arrived at the fishing camp about 5:30, stowed the food and at 6:00 headed out to see if I might find a riser or two to throw at.

On the trip down to Lordville I saw wade fishermen and boats on the upper WB, but nothing to compare to the numbers of both waders and boats from Balls Eddy down. Took 97 straight into Hancock and then 17 up to Hale Eddy. With the sun still well above the hills the river offered little in the way of hatching bugs and virtually no risers. Drove up the PA side, (you know what I mean), without seeing a rising fish, suited up anyway and waded in. Between 7:00 and 8:00 there were both Hendricksons and Invaria  hatching in modest numbers, (saw quite a few Hendrickson nymph husks in a backwater). Saw but one rise which I covered with several cast to no avail. With the sun still shining on the top of the hills at 8:00 I reeled it in and headed downstream. The 191 bridge was crowded with wade anglers and boats, so I drove over to Junction Pool. There were three cars in the lot, no fish rising downstream or in front of the parking area, and two anglers fishing the riff at the tailout of the pool. I walked upstream on the path through the knotweed that just two weeks ago was waist high. Tonight it was well over my head with not a single piece of knotweed broken or bent over by anglers walking the path upstream. If people don't do their part the knotweed will close a trail almost overnight. Bend down stalks as you walk along.

The fishing - Found a few fish rising in water I could reach, they refused a small spinner, ignored a sulfur, (there were may flies duns on the water and I saw some eaten), put on a caddis, (there were caddis flying upstream in impressive numbers), and got a mix of refusals, ignores and three takes. Landed all three, a rainbow and two browns, all nice fish, (they ate the fly didn't they), with an 18 inch brown being the biggest. 

The bugs - Continue to disappoint, or, show the consequences for a stubborn angler that refuses to join the crowd. Junction Pool was covered with a smorgasbord of both mayflies and caddis, with duns and spinners of all sizes silhouetted against the western sky from my arrival at 8:30 until 9:27 when I got back to the car.

Note to Keith - Glad you're back. You say more in fewer words than anyone. Apparently you have a Chapin fixation, (Harry and Mary), each in their own way, very talented. Here's hoping you get the ship righted and back on the water in time for summer sulfurs, and please keep posting.   

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