Musings

 Some years the Lordville riff  has bugs and rising fish every time I wade out into it.  Other times I never seem to be there when the bugs are hatching and the fish are feeding. Almost every year there are dramatic changes in the contour of the riff as the winter ice and spring high water seem to reshape much of the bottom. Perhaps the reshaping of the bottom dislodges much of the insect life and the trout go elsewhere in search of a better food supply. All I know is that this is one of those years where I've seen very few bugs and almost no fish there. 

Have been finding very good morning fishing with spinners and Cornuta providing the fish with enough food to keep them rising for at least a couple of hours. Alas, the last two mornings it was olive spinners instead of duns that got the fish up. The morning olives may well be about over on the freestones.

With a light rain coming down I suited up last night about 6:00 and headed out to fish. Hadn't gotten to Equinunk when it started to pour, should have turned around but I kept driving.  Buckingham had no trailers. At stockport two fishermen were getting into their car (one of only two parked there) when I rolled down the window and asked, Any bugs?  The guy smoking a smoldering cigar said no. Any risers? No. Should I head back home? Yes. Thanked him and then continued on to Hancock where I came to my senses and headed back 97 towards Lordville where, you guessed it, it had stopped raining. Picked a spot with a short walk to the river and fished to rising fish from 7:00 until 8:45. The rain changed in intensity from light to heavy, the fish went from eating on top to eating sulfur nymphs in the water column. Enough fish ate my fly to make it an enjoyable evening.

The Pa highway department filled  in the worst of the holes on the road from Equinunk to Lordville, it's still bad but the axle breaking holes are gone.  Drove around one of the blind spots and there was momma and her wobbly legged fawn standing in the road. Mom jumbed  the guard rail and junior ducked underneith it and followed her down the hill. 

The rain left both the BK, BE and UEB high and muddy. The WB was colored at Hancock but relatively clear at the gamelands today at 1:00 when I called a halt to what was  a poor morning of fishing.