September 27, 2017 – Waist Deep Wet Wading for Big D Bronzebacks – Delaware River

The Delaware River in Northampton County.

I can think of worse places to be than “family jewels” deep in the Delaware River on an 88 degree day in September.  I have had a new 7 weight set up just crying to be taken out for a couple months now and, with the weather over the last couple of weeks making trout fishing next to impossible, not to mention irresponsible in all but spring creeks and tailwaters, today was the day.  The lack of rain over the last two weeks or more made the river tame enough to wade in a place I have been itching to try in Northampton County.  Usually, this stretch would be float trip or jet boat territory, but today, I could effectively get into a few spots that I knew would hold bass—if I was willing to hike half a mile.

One of the better ones of the afternoon chewing a basic olive bugger.

I got a late start because I ended up spending an hour chatting to my 90 year neighbor who lost his wife last year and is in declining health himself.  What I thought would be a 10 minute conversation ended up being an hour at his dining room table covering everything from my family to lawn care and tree work to the successes of his many grandkids all over the globe.  He obviously needed to talk because I got a hug after!  I guess I carried that good karma with me to the river because I did well for a hot, sunny mid-day excursion.  I bet I landed close to a dozen, with at least 3 fish in the 15 to 16 inch range too.

River fish are mean.

The rod I used today was a bargain AND L.L. Bean, so it could be returned if it didn’t perform, but it actually did well for a 100 dollar rod.  Kenny gave me the reel a while back, an inexpensive one, but one with a solid Rulon drag, large arbor, and other upgrades that belie its price tag.  For me, it was free, so it performed even better for that price range!  Unlike trout, bass don’t run much, so it’s not like I needed more than line storage, especially throwing 2X tippet, but the drag did sing a couple times today on a few solid, leaping smallmouths using the river current to their advantage, as only river fish can.  Valley Creek and the mighty Wissy don’t require the double-haul very often, as you can imagine, but I was able to get back in the swing of things and shoot some decent casts into the river—some ugly ones too, of course.  Most fish hit an olive bugger—big, probably size 4—and a couple hit a conehead muddler in black—also big or at least long—after I hung the bugger one too many times to expect to get it back.

Borrowing from John Gierach: I like where smallmouth live too.

Besides trout fishing, and fluke fishing in the bay, my earliest fishing with my dad was chasing Delaware River smallmouth and walleye, first from a Grumman squareback canoe and then a series of different boats that may even rival his truck and car purchases over the years… maybe.  I love this kind of fishing, and I don’t do it often enough anymore.  I go in phases.  Trout is king right now, but plugging the surf for striped bass was a prior and, arguably, concurrent obsession.  Before that, back bay fluke and weakfish.  But I still love smallmouth bass!  I fish for trout because I like the places trout live, and the same goes for smallmouth.  I can’t handle too many trips in a sloppy lake chasing largemouth in one year, but give me the Suskie or the Big D, and I still get the same charge I got as a kid.  I guess what I am saying is that I had a fun day.  I did a mitzvah, took a hike, wet waded on a hot day, saw bald eagles and gorgeous rocky bluffs, and I even tangled with a bunch of fish.

One that obviously came from a deep, dark hole.

I saw my first fish of the morning chasing the bugger in the current before we connected, but most hook-ups were on a long line, out swinging in the current.  The jolt of a tightline strike, followed by an immediate jump was par for the course.  A couple fish leaped multiple times before resorting to the oldest smallmouth trick in the book, using their wide bodies to bulldog in the current.  Funny how they aren’t led by side-pressure the way big trout are.  If anything, that attempt to lead them only makes them pull harder in the opposite direction.  Did I mention I like river fish?

I fooled a few on the muddler too, once I hung the bugger one too many times.

It was hot,yo, and shade was hard to come by, so by the time I hiked back to my parking spot, it was unclear where wet wading ended and sweating began.  I packed more water than usual, but one can never have enough, so I downed a couple even before packing up my stuff to drive home.  Instead of napping, I graded papers and made a phone call before taking the boy out to dinner because Moms was working.  I am surprised I am still awake at this hour, but I know I will sleep well when I stop moving.  I have meetings on campus most of the day tomorrow, so I have to figure out how to explain my own new bronze complexion, but I still may take advantage of cooler temps on Friday.

I guess with all the trout fishing I have been doing, I have not seen this much sky in a while...