July 9, 2017 - A Fun Impromptu Outing with Team Bucci – Wissahickon Creek

Smiles all around.

Not 30 minutes after I resigned not to fish this weekend, I got a text from my buddy Bucci.  He and his son David wanted to go fishing on Sunday.  I proposed catfishing on the Skuke, he shot back a pond not far from him for bass, and I countered with wet wading the Wissy in some spots he had not seen, that way he could drop a couple pins on maps for next year’s spring trout season.  That seemed to work for all.  You see, Bucci’s son David is 13 and really loves fishing.  This is the same father/son duo that I took out this spring, while David was on crutches, and they scored their first stream trout.  We had to drag David off the creek this morning, and he was glowing after catching at least 20 different panfish on Trout Magnets.  He kicked his dad’s butt, but Bucci and Little Bucci both had fun.  Even though Lukas was tired (too many nights spent at the swim club until closing time this week) he got up at 6:30 AM and was a good sport too.  He wasn’t too interested in the fishing today, but he was a good scout, photographer, and net man.

Team Bucci working a down tree and enjoying wet wading on a warm morning.

I started out trying to “guide” the Bucci boys, letting them toss a Rapala up into a few prime runs, followed by another rod with a Magnet if nothing chased the plug, and they each hooked some fish that way.  Big Bucci even hooked a couple decent-for-the-Wissy smallmouth.  I did bring a fly rod rigged up to Czech nymph in case I got the urge (which I knew I would.)  Eventually, I just showed them spots, led by Lukas our trail guide, and they ventured off to where they thought fish would live.  They had a steady pick of bass, rock bass, bluegills, and other sunfish.  Between cheering people on, plying the boy with snacks, and taking photos, I snuck into a couple spots that looked trouty, and landed a couple little bass and two trout, including a fat 14 inch rainbow that was nearly perfect and probably 2 pounds!  Only one bass took the anchor fly, a hare’s ear or prince, while the others took a pink SJ worm with which I was hoping to coax out of hiding a larger smallmouth or two.

A good fish still left behind.  Photos by the boy.

The bigger fish gave the boys a thrill, and he was released in good shape after everyone got a look in the net and Lukas took a few artistic shots.  Performing one of his other duties, Lukas took a water temperature at the first hole around 8 AM, and it was only 66 degrees, but the third spot we hit was up above 70 at 11 AM, about when we quit.  The trout party is over, but a couple might make it this year if it stays cool, so I released both of them this morning.  We actually gave a spectator, perhaps homeless or at least a little down on his luck, a few sunnies and rock bass to eat (just another reason that fishing the Wissy in the city is “unique”) so we did some selective harvesting…

Another average bow left behind too.

By 11 AM, it was getting hot, even though the morning’s weather was perfect, breezy, and humidity free.  We let the boy lead us out of the gorge, and Dave, Lukas, and I waited at the top while young David shouted, “Just one more.”  I wish one of the boys would have caught the trout, but I really did step in as the cleanup hitter after they moved on.  I teased young David because he was like a vacuum with the sunnies, so how could he miss the trout after catching 7 other fish from the same run!  He really loves it, so that was a treat to watch.