Posted on August 03 2020
When things fall in place like they did last week (excepting Thursday morning) you just kinda assume that it's always going to be that way. You've forgotten about the Hendrickson winds, the rains that put the rivers off color and too high to wade, boats coming by every five minutes, the hatches that didn't come off and the fish that didn't feed.
Dave and Rick from the Troutfitter tried to fish Sunday night. It's Ricks day off from the Syracuse Shop. Dave, who's only been at the Deposit Shop a little over a year, still doesn't yet get a full day off, he's done at 2:00 on Sundays. Sunday afternoon use to be the time to fish. Everyone rushed to the river Friday afternoon, fished all day Saturday, Sunday morning and then left for home. Not any more. This year Sunday is crowded all day. Dave and Rick finally found a place to fish, in near gale force winds, yes the bugs came but getting the fly to even land on the water was a challenge, never mind making a takeable presentation. I listened to their tales of woe, sympathized but knew it didn't apply to me, just look at last week.
Left home early, had to get the oil changed, rotate the tires, get the car washed, buy gas, a new fly tying lamp, lube for the garage door and groceries all by 9:30 in order to be in Deposit by 11:30 for the sulfur hatch. Obviously still on a roll, I made it with time to spare. It was cloudy but there were sulfurs hatching and fish rising so I suited up and went fishing.
Wanted to fish the pool below the bridge but when I got in the water the sulfurs had stopped and so had the fish. Waded up under the bridge to the pool above, much to my surprise it now had a fisherman in it (right in the best spot). There is plenty of room for two fishermen and we each gave the other lots of room. Both the bugs and the fish were content to wait for more sunshine and warmer water. After an hour of waiting the sun poked through and the bugs began to hatch. A drift boat came by and the guide asked how we were doing? I said the bugs are just starting and the guide said "Lets hope we don't lose the cloud cover." He rowed down under the bridge and anchored where I had planned to fish. The bugs and fish both went for a short while, about 3:30 things quieted down and I reeled it in..
Drove to camp, unloaded the car, mowed the lawn, ate lunch/dinner and about 7:00 left for Deposit. It wasn't crowded but every pool had a fisherman in the Captains Chair. Finally settled on a pool I hadn't fished in over two weeks. There were bugs, fish eating subsurface and one gentleman blocking access to most of the fish.. Did nothing until just before dark when I was able to convince a couple of 13 inchers that my fly looked good enough to eat. As they did a couple of nights last week, the bugs quit before dark and there were no spinners.
Nothing as bad as Dave and Rick's Sunday night experience but the little things just didn't fall in place I ended up catching about half as many fish as last Monday. It doesn't take much to make a difference. If the two inches of predicted rain comes tonight and tomorrow that will make a big difference. The whole game will change.
Dave and Rick from the Troutfitter tried to fish Sunday night. It's Ricks day off from the Syracuse Shop. Dave, who's only been at the Deposit Shop a little over a year, still doesn't yet get a full day off, he's done at 2:00 on Sundays. Sunday afternoon use to be the time to fish. Everyone rushed to the river Friday afternoon, fished all day Saturday, Sunday morning and then left for home. Not any more. This year Sunday is crowded all day. Dave and Rick finally found a place to fish, in near gale force winds, yes the bugs came but getting the fly to even land on the water was a challenge, never mind making a takeable presentation. I listened to their tales of woe, sympathized but knew it didn't apply to me, just look at last week.
Left home early, had to get the oil changed, rotate the tires, get the car washed, buy gas, a new fly tying lamp, lube for the garage door and groceries all by 9:30 in order to be in Deposit by 11:30 for the sulfur hatch. Obviously still on a roll, I made it with time to spare. It was cloudy but there were sulfurs hatching and fish rising so I suited up and went fishing.
Wanted to fish the pool below the bridge but when I got in the water the sulfurs had stopped and so had the fish. Waded up under the bridge to the pool above, much to my surprise it now had a fisherman in it (right in the best spot). There is plenty of room for two fishermen and we each gave the other lots of room. Both the bugs and the fish were content to wait for more sunshine and warmer water. After an hour of waiting the sun poked through and the bugs began to hatch. A drift boat came by and the guide asked how we were doing? I said the bugs are just starting and the guide said "Lets hope we don't lose the cloud cover." He rowed down under the bridge and anchored where I had planned to fish. The bugs and fish both went for a short while, about 3:30 things quieted down and I reeled it in..
Drove to camp, unloaded the car, mowed the lawn, ate lunch/dinner and about 7:00 left for Deposit. It wasn't crowded but every pool had a fisherman in the Captains Chair. Finally settled on a pool I hadn't fished in over two weeks. There were bugs, fish eating subsurface and one gentleman blocking access to most of the fish.. Did nothing until just before dark when I was able to convince a couple of 13 inchers that my fly looked good enough to eat. As they did a couple of nights last week, the bugs quit before dark and there were no spinners.
Nothing as bad as Dave and Rick's Sunday night experience but the little things just didn't fall in place I ended up catching about half as many fish as last Monday. It doesn't take much to make a difference. If the two inches of predicted rain comes tonight and tomorrow that will make a big difference. The whole game will change.
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