Posted on October 10 2024
Worked on my camp closedown list, and pruned one limb and several branches off the peach tree nearest the road while waiting for the grass to dry, then mowed the lawn. Finished up by 12:30, too early to go fishing, so I cleaned up, ate lunch, did a crossword and a sudoku, and at 2:00 I got in the car and went fishing.
The options are limited. The WB, if possible, is getting muddier every day, to call it anything but muddy is a lie. The big river at Junction Pool has two sides, brown and black. Brown is of course the WB water and the black water is the gin clear EB water. With the sun so low in the sky the clear water looks black. The Willow and the BK are so low that only Ed S. can catch fish there. The UEB release is at 700cfs, the water is in the 40's, the wading is difficult, it's a brown trout stream, (and they are about to spawn), pseudos will be hatching, and fish will probably be up eating them, but I won't be there. Why? The fish will mostly be 1.5 year old browns, which in the UEB, will be about 8.5 inches long. The BR is colored, at a good wade able level, and I have heard a few reports of people finding fish up eating isos. To be blunt, I'm not one of those persons. Love the BR, but when I've fished it recently, I've seen neither bugs nor rising fish.
So what's left? The EB. Because of the 700cfs release from Pepacton the flow below jaws is about 800cfs, which requires care in wading some places. Because of the release, the water is cold, the bugs are hatching and the fish are up top feeding. I have been finding both bugs and feeding fish there and so have the guides.
The fishing - More of the same. Isos, and olives of all sizes, now mid-to-late afternoon, (say 3:00 until 6:00). Look for risers, cast carefully and you have a good chance for a hook-up. Finally won the day today after losing three of the first four fish I hooked. Fished what was for me, mostly new water and found fish in it willing to eat my flies.
Had to stop on Lordville Road on the way out for a six point buck, (no brow tines), who stood in the road looking at me, and had to stop again on the way home, this time on 97 for a flock of six turkeys that wouldn't move even when I honked the horn, (not all road kills are the fault of the driver).
Note - Heading home tomorrow morning, (social obligation), return to be dependent on results of trail cam photos.
Angler119,Dennis and JimN- Fished the EB and lower WB yesterday. It was cold and very windy. No bugs or risers on the EB. May have left to early? Got to the WB around 2:30.Adecent ISO hatch and rising fish. The wind(20 mph? ) made it difficult to get an accurate cast.That’s my excuse. Landed two fish, a 13”, which kept me off the bench , and 10”er(stretched a 9 1/2. “er to 10-) .Hit the Willow on the way home, no water, no fish. Ed
Didn’t make it up either Dennis.
Feeling kind of frustrated with conditions.
Can’t believe the WB is brown (not green like the DRC says) and it’s a long long drive for 3hrs of fishing.
Maybe next week I’ll shake off the funk. Fish hard everyone (unless you are deer hunting…,obviously).
How big is your peach tree?! You’ve been pruning that thing all summer!
To Ed and Jim I am not going to be able to fish today. I wish you both the best of luck and let me know how you did.
A119 good luck with the deer hunting they are moving good down here