May 8, 2017 – Casting it Forward – Wissahickon Creek

A few chasing emergers in a sticky spot.  I did this for Eric, I swear.

Eric is going to think I am full of it, but I did this for him…  I fished right down the street today, in a section of the Wissy that has not been stocked since April 18^th, and landed 5 in about 90 minutes.  I only fished two likely hold-over worthy holes too, and I probably dropped 3 or 4 others while swinging wet flies, which we have established is fun but not as effective on the landing of fish scale as a nymph in the top of the jaw...  Like I said, I didn’t do this for me; I was casting it forward…  Why?  Because the young man just became a father again this week, his second daughter, and he’s been trying to be a good husband and be home.  Before that, he was afraid to be too far from home when the time came, and I don’t blame him.  That is a hard one to live down, although an old buddy Archie was apparently 20 miles at sea when one of his sons was about to be born, and he was lucky a radio relay worked and the captain humored him and sailed to another boat that took him home quickly, so where there is a will there is a way.

A couple browns on the swinging wets.

I worked in the morning and went to late breakfast with my wife, who was home nursing a dancing injury from a night on the town on Saturday.  You know you are getting older when you injure yourself dancing, but we had fun, so some things are worth it; otherwise, you really do get old, mentally and physically.  I will be out in NEPA tomorrow somewhere, but while she napped, I took a walk down the street, not expecting much but honestly expecting a few for the effort.  The water is only 59 degrees now after the cold nights and rain.  Fish were rising to caddis too, but I couldn’t coax one to take a dry.  I did, however, land two and hooked a few more swinging a tandem set up of wet flies, which was a good time, especially one that went right up into the air after being hooked.

Translucent fins, colors...  They are still doing okay now that it's cooled off.

Bow in similar good shape.

As I mentioned above, I scoped out only two good holes that Eric might be able to sneak into for an hour and scratch an itch this week.  I will still torture him by sending him pics of wild browns tomorrow if I am so lucky, but I really did have him in mind when I fished this particular stretch this afternoon.  There are plenty of healthy fish left, and I even caught a few bass on a caddis emerger, so the creek is alive.  I hope he appreciates my selflessness.

Bass rising to caddis emergers too.

It's like I am drawing Eric a map, you know?