The Fish Have Upped Their Game!

Old Business - Before moving on to today's fishing, we have some items from last weeks Wind Knots page to clear up.

 A tip of the cap to Jim Dygert who not only thought the title "Gone, Gone ---" was a song, but dug out the original by the Ripchords. After over 60 years, I hope I can be excused for forgetting some of the words. I failed to find the song on You Tube.

Dennis - I'll admit it, it was a dirty trick using "You're so sweet". It was a Neil Diamond country western spoof song. Look it up and play it on You Tube, maybe you can "hook up" with Mary Lou Jane.

Keith -  When you mentioned Lefty Frizzell I thought of 'Since You've Gone", and it's been a long time since I heard that one. Looked it up and the title is just "Gone", that one's worth remembering.

Andy G - I don't want to get into a pissing contest, but I catch a lot of rainbows each year in the Delaware River System and there has only been one fish in over thirty-four years that I felt suspicious about. It was the 19 incher from the BK just a week or so ago, and I took a picture of it because the markings and shape of the fish seemed different to me. My comments are about the river system above Callicoon and perhaps the major rivers you speak of are downstream from there. While I'm sure it's possible for some hatchery rainbows to appear in any stream, I don't believe the wild  rainbow population is compromised like the brown trout population is by what goes on every year with dropdown hatchery fish from Oquaga.Would be happy to hear opinions from others on the subject. 

The fishing - Drove down this morning after giving blood (and urine) at the lab in order to complete my physical. Left the fishing camp about 2:45 on an overcast, chilly day. Thought there would be bugs on the BR and stopped there first. In two hours I saw one good fish rise once, and it wasn't to my fly. If the bugs came, it was after I left. There were lots of trailers at both Buckingham and Stockport, hope they got better bugs and more feeding fish than I did.

Second and third stops were on the lower WB, where the colder water had bugs hatching. There were sulfurs, cahills, olives of several different sizes, and isos. First stop had some bugs and rising trout. Two boats went by while I was just watching and one boat when I was fishing. Had more refusals than takes but hooked some good solid fish in a productive hour of fishing. Second stop had lots of bugs, boats, and yearling fish rising. My hour there produced no "counter" fish. 

Drove over to the BK and fished a run that I haven't fished in several weeks. Fish were on iso nymphs and would have nothing to do with my iso. Did fairly well getting them to swing at knuckleballs, changeups, and sliders. In an hour of fishing there I got my total of fish caught for the day up to nine, (one short of a winning score in the A-119 vs trout game.

 It was eight o'clock when I entered the second BK pool. There was no doubt in my mind that I would catch a  fish and "win the day". Alas, I didn't. There were no bugs, to speak of, the fish didn't rise at all until almost nine, and when they did, their indignant refusals of my fly left no doubt that I was not going to land another fish.

The easy days are gone, you have to work for every fish.