Posted on October 14 2024
It's 7:00 o'clock Sunday night and I'm in Lafayette. Had planned on coming down today and fishing until Wednesday. Have to be here early Thursday morning to get Jean to the airport. She's leaving me - again - to go out to Fargo N.D. to watch our granddaughter play volleyball. Our daughter is joining her and they will get to see six games in the 10 days they are there.
Why didn't I go down to Lordville? At 11:00 this morning the temp in Hancock was 43 degrees. Pseudos and isos like it cold and if they hatched, I might well have missed an epic fishing day, but tomorrow is supposed to be just as cold with winds from the WNW at 15 to 20 mph and I decided to sit home in front of the fire. With rain/snow in the forecast for Wednesday, and some deer finally showing up on my trail cams, my departure will probably be delayed until after dropping Jean off at the airport Thursday morning.
Took the time today to look back over the last two months of blog comments and I found that I have been remiss in answering questions. Will try to answer those that are still relevant.
Glenn wanted to know where all the tricos had gone? Probably to Delaware Bay along with many of the Isos in the Debby flood.
Chris wanted advice on when and where to fish the fall olives. It's not too late, the colder and nastier the weather the better the pseudos like it. Hatch time is similar to Hendricksons in the spring. Somewhere between 2:00 and 6:00, with the window closing from both ends as the days get shorter and colder. Where? The October 9th report gives my best advice on where to fish. The olives will be hatching in the lower WB and the BR but both are muddy. If the rain raises the Willow and BK to fishable levels they should be good, but if I'm fishing it will probably be somewhere on the EB.
Jack McD.- wanted to know how long after the flood does it take for the bugs to recover. Don't really know. The really big floods back in the early 2,000's wiped out both the green and brown drakes for quite a few years. Debby's wrath was more concentrated as it hit numerous tributaries very hard but didn't do as much damage to the river system overall. Hopefully things will be back to normal within a year or two.
Charlie and D.Von wanted to know what BR stands for. It's the big river from junction pool to Callicoon and is also often called the main stem or the Delaware.
Dick - Thanks for the advice - Many others have urged me to quit climbing trees. Bought the ropes and the harness and am ready to climb in a safer manner.
Andrew- Wanted to know when I was ever going to finish pruning the peach tree. Actually I didn't know you had to prune them until this year and spent the entire summer "thinning" the peaches to keep them from breaking all the limbs. Looked up peach trees and found out that they need to be pruned every year. I have three trees and have just started pruning the third tree.
John K.- asked for the Perfect Manhattan recipe. A bar tendresse said the ratio is 5-2-2, with 5 parts rye, 2 parts sweet vermouth and, 2 parts dry vermouth with a twist of lemon and lots of ice. Many now use bourbon instead of rye. Obviously it's not 5oz of rye etc., 2.5 oz of rye and one each of vermouth seems to work fine. If I'm celebrating, or drowning my sorrows, sometimes an extra 1/2 ounce of rye may find it's way into the glass. Always insist on a twist of lemon and never let more than two twists accumulate in the bottom of the glass. Cheers! (Jean says they taste like lacquer thinner.)
Ta for the geography clarification :)
Jim William here thank you for the valuable information. I will record that phone number and keep on hand at all time. Thank you again. Bill & Ozz tight lines
Jim William here thank you for the valuable information. I will record that phone number and keep on hand at all time. Thank you again. Bill & Ozz tight lines
Dennis- I’m coming up tomorrow, Thursday t. Plan to fish the lower WB and EB. Please give me a call if you can join me. 973-668-3410. Ed
To William in regards to the obvious poaching you witnessed..do not confront them..immediately call 1-844-332-3267..that is the DEC Tipline. It is available 24-7.I have called it to report a pollution violation and they act quickly. What you witnessed was a problem on West Canada Creek a few years ago but I would assume it is still going on in some way. An ethnic group from Utica was found to be the problem..they were night lining the river. Unfortunately there will always be people who abuse the system..just be safe.
To you you dedicated Catskills fly fisherman on Saturday October 12th. I myself and lab ozzy experience one of the most horrifying experiences of all time. At the Lordsville pool. Most of you know us. Three not gentlemen completely covered that pool from top to bottom and I mean exactly what I said. Myself not able to fish. These guys were using center pin set ups. Just rapping that pool catching at least fifty to sixty fish not releasing them improperly throwing them on the the bank and kicking them off the hook or hooks as in you know what I mean. Totally I unprofessional. It would be helpful for some feed back and what to do in the future. Dear friend Dick Ozz and I see you from time to time and you are a good man.
Angler119- No one would ever think your a wuss. You walk further to find good fishing than 99% of the fishermen and fish and hunt in the worst weather . I was planning to come up on Wednesday but need to switch to Thursday ( my granddaughter’s field hockey game was rescheduled) By coincidence the weather is better on Thursday.Maybe I’m really a wuss. Ed