January 13, 2017 – Deep Thoughts #5 – Fish Live in Water not Air

Kenny trying to keep his left foot warm (or was it the right?)

Kenny and I took a tremendous skunk yesterday fishing the Bushkill Creek.  We both hooked a fish or two that we didn’t come close to landing, and I saw a couple make a move for my Rapala CD 5 and refuse (one was a 16 inch wild brown that nipped the back hooks!), but that was it for at least 4 hours of fishing and another hour of walking and driving to another spot and so on.  On the way home, the air temperature hit 67 degrees, balmy on a mid-January day, but when I took a water temperature reading late in the afternoon, it read 42.  The Bushkill has some limestone influence that modulates the temps, so this is cold for fish who get accustomed to 50 to 65 degrees year-round.  Anyway, it occurred to me and Kenny on the ride home that 1) that was a lot of work for nothing but a nice walk in the woods and 2) fish live in water.

 

I have been fishing for a long time, but it is good to remember one of the most basic facts.  Fish live in water.  It is easy to get high expectations on a 70 degree day in the winter, and I fall into that trap every time, but the reality is that the water temperature is the key.  A couple more clicks yesterday, and it could have been game on, but with rapid snow melt and teens earlier in the week, the mild day (with no sun, mind you) did not do much to turn on the finicky, cold-blooded fish.  I wanted to walk and hunt with the plug like it was spring, but we both should have sat in a deep hole with midges and grinded it out.  Even then, we may have caught the skunk if the fish didn’t want to play.  Fish live in water.  Next time it snows, gets frigid, hits 100 degrees, cranks 30 knots, remember the fish may not even care.  Carry a thermometer, treat the fish with care (too hot or too cold, then keep them wet) dress well, bring extra clothes, don’t fall in (Peter), tell someone where you are fishing, enjoy the skunks when you can.  Fish live in water and probably take pride in humbling us every chance they get, especially when we air-dwellers think it’s a perfect day to fish.

Fish live in water not air.