December 11 and 14, 2018 – A Lot of Effort and Driving to Reach Number 74 and 75 – SEPA Limestoners

Pretty bow from private property.

Well, it’s not 125 like last year, but I am surprised and pleased that I actually reached 75 trips this year (so far).  Between my wife’s ACL and wrist surgeries and the loss of her mom on top of all that, I was not sure I would even eclipse 50, although my soul probably needed it more this year than last!  These two outings were not great, mind you.  In fact, they were both troubled and troubling.  Both involved a lot of driving for little payoff.  Tuesday was my fault, but today was out of my control, cut short after about 45 minutes on the water.  Having had a taste of some little wild fish on Valley, I decided to venture further from home this week and try a couple creeks that have wild and holdover fish and moderate limestone influence, which I was hoping might help mitigate the prematurely frigid waters.  Tuesday in Berks County was still a tad breezy, and the air temps barely hit 40 degrees.  It was not happening, but I kept pushing on, hoping to avoid a skunk before I had to rush home.  I drove an hour, fished 2 hours, caught nothing, and then hit terrible traffic on the way home, which made my life unnecessarily complicated and, well, troubled that evening.  This was also my last week of fall classes, so I was busy and will be busy grading until December 20^th, but not too busy to sneak out today.  I had greater hopes, even in heading north to a Northampton County limestoner, because the overnight temps stayed above freezing and, by the time I suited up at 10 AM, the air temperature was pushing 47 degrees.  I could not tell you if the creek fished well, but I can tell you that there was the potential of it fishing well and the potential that I may not fish this particular stretch again for a long while.

I hope this is not farewell....

In the 45 minutes I was on the water, I probably spent 10 speaking to a new landowner who has plans for a favorite stretch of this small creek that may soon limit or eliminate my access.  I did get his number and email in order to maintain some communication, so I hope I made a decent impression… I also hope I planted the seed that this stream is no Centre County Class A; it is fragile and seasonal and fickle, certainly no destination fishing experience.  The fishery is also significantly supported by the errant stocked fish that happens to be washed down into his property: Not necessarily something on which to build a fishing industry, though I wished him well.  In that short, distracted time on the water, I landed a 13 inch rainbow on a size 18 soft hackle pheasant tail and dropped 3 small browns who could not get their jaws around my big stonefly anchor fly, I guess.  It is also possible that I just sucked today and/or was low-grade miffed by the bad news (for me, perhaps not him) that a favorite hole may soon be offline.  I suppose it comes with age, this losing of spots to private property and changing values about land usage and the (further) commodification of outdoor pursuits.  Although to be fair, it sounded like this gentleman was more concerned about preserving his investment and maintaining the land and fishery for a potential bed and breakfast crowd in order to help defray the costs of owning this piece of land and water.  The morning got worse, however, as I fielded a call from Tami in the throes of pain from an abscessed tooth.  

She was scheduled for dental work on the offending tooth on the 19^th, but the damn thing could not wait.  So, no sooner had I arrived, taken part in a troubling conversation with a pleasant-enough landowner, and lost a few fish, did I have to jump in the car and try to meet my wife at the emergency room some 90 minutes away since her oral surgeon was not in the office on Friday.  I did not make it, of course, but I did arrive home soon enough to help make her day a little less terrible.  I am hoping, for my sake and young Eric’s, that antibiotics and pain meds provide her some relief, as he and I have Sunday (fishing day 76?) penciled in to do some blue-lining in, of all places, private land in SEPA to which he has some creek access!  I hope it is worth the trouble….