April 27, 2016 – Camera Shy Trout on a Muddy Wissahickon

A lot of these guys, probably 15, and this one didn't mind having his picture taken.

I took a walk down the street and fished for about 3 hours today with decent results.  It was slow but steady.  Fish were not active at all, but they would take a half-hearted swipe at a caddis larvae or a midge.  Even the sunnies just pecked at it.  I tried waking them up with a streamer when I arrived, and I only managed one fish, and a little one at that.  I took a couple pictures of the first rainbow and first brown, but I didn’t realize the lens was fogged.  After that it was just a friggin’ joke trying to capture one on camera.  After about 3 more mishaps, I had to laugh, and I quit trying.  I think my buddy Tom jinxed me talking about how he couldn’t get fish to cooperate for the camera last night (thanks Tom!).

He had no problem staying still....

I was using barbless and no net, so there’s that, but I brought plenty to hand that still dropped into the water as the camera fired or wiggled free before I could even snap a shot.   I took pictures of a bass and a sunny just before I left, so I would have fish pictures in the post.  I thought with the stained water from yesterday and last night’s rains, the fish might be moving around and feeding, but they are sluggish on this stretch and have been since opening day.  Perhaps they were coming off so easily because they were sluggish and my hookset became sluggish to match their enthusiasm.

A little chocolaty and getting warm.

Once I resigned myself to nymphing, I got a few fish to bite.  I got 7 trout on the caddis or the zebra midge.  I also had a little fun with the sunnies while swinging a wet fly.  One decent trout took the swinging pheasant tail soft hackle while I was on the phone with my boss!  Classic.  At least it wasn’t FaceTime.  That fish got away before a picture of course… Trust me, you've seen them—they are stocked bows and browns that haven’t been taken home and eaten yet.  Despite the problems with photos, it was a decent stolen trip on a Wednesday morning.