Wind Knots And Tailing Loops.

Home watching t-boomers pass by while awaiting my dentist appointment on Monday, (possible new crown or root canal then new crown). Not many questions in the past month but found a few things to comment on.

Rich T. - Jean and I winter on the original Zane Grey Creek on Long Key down in the Florida Keys where both ZG, and I have tangled with many bonefish. FWIW there is a Zane Grey museum on the Delaware in Lackawaxen Pa where he practiced dentistry in his spare time. Small world.

Steve L. -Haven't seen but a single rattle snake so far this year. The surges/pulses are well worth putting up with as they maintain a huge thermal refuge for trout, ( perhaps as far down the BR as Buckingham). The two problems they create are both in the sulfur zone. They usually shut down the evening hatch and if you are not paying attention they can make crossing the stream to get back to your car a challenge. The trout just hunker down and enjoy the cold water.

James - Invaria, (aka Spring Sulfurs) are the larger sulfurs that appear in the WB sometime in June, the last of which are departing this week.

Steve ? - I have done a couple of pages on blind casting and someone is usually able to find one and provide a place you can click on to read it, ("the how to" is above my pay grade).

Harry Luke - I use a very old Winston IM6 8 foot rod with a double taper four weight line and a Trout Hunter 12 foot leader tapered to 5x on which I add a 3 foot piece of Cortland's way to expensive fluorocarbon tippet and a fly, tied by a mediocre tyer, designed to imitate the fly hatching as closely as possible. 

John H - Asked the correct distance to land a fly above the fish. I know all of the wrong answers. Never behind the fish, or on top of his head, or to one side or the other. When I'm feeding fish in the pond I've seen them lock in on a pellet as much as four of five feet away. The key is how far you can float it without drag. If things don't go as planned, (that little zephyr of downstream wind), remember to let the cast float way past the fish before picking it up and just maybe he'll give you another chance.

Several have asked about ticks - They are well established all along the Delaware. I put my waders on right after getting out of the car and usually don't take them off until I'm done for the day, also wear long sleeve shirts. Get a couple on me every year and usually feel them on my hands or neck before they attach. Dr. said they have to be on you for over 24 hours to cause problems. Had tests for Lyme disease every year until I got a positive test back five years ago, (no symptoms of the disease). When one is attached I call the Dr. and he prescribes a one time dose of antibiotics. If you get one imbedded and it is engorged or you develop symptoms there is a much longer course of antibiotics which requires you to stay out of the sun. My sister-in-law who lived up in Maine died from a rare tick disease. 

Just to be clear - My page on rise forms was not a signal to throw out your sulfur dries and order a bunch of nymphs and bobbers from Cabela's. I'm a dry fly only guy. Was trying to explain why it is sometimes a little difficult to get the bastards to look up.   

Brian - If memory serves me, last year you, (or someone else), mentioned catching lots of two year old browns at the game lands, this year you commentated that those two year olds were now the hefty mid teen, (15/16) inchers you were catching. I went to the game lands last fall and did catch some two year old browns, also caught some below Balls Eddy, but the percentage of two year old browns in my total years catch last year was the lowest in the 35 years I've been keeping records. As to the mid teens browns, I agree they are abundant and are making up a significant portion of my daily catch, however, I believe that brown trout of 15/16 inches in the Delaware River system are 4 years old. The 3 year old browns should be somewhere between 13 and 14 inches long and they along with this year two year old brown trout are virtually nonexistent. The top heavy population of big browns is making this year's fishing exciting but they are major contributors to the void that is being created in the one, two, and three year old age classes. In the not too distant future the piper will have to be paid.