January 31, 2020 – One in the First Hour and One in the Final Hour – Northampton County Limestoner

Limestone green and moving today.

Good fortune, like mild winter weather, is finite.  Therefore, I am not surprised that today was both challenging and a bit chillier than I expected.  I was dressed for the weather, but it was a tad cold to be wading waist deep in bigger water that was still flowing slightly higher from recent rains.  It is one of my favorites, but I have not been to this creek in a while, and it has always been a winter challenge for me.  I guess I try a couple times each winter just to try and crack the code.  I did not get skunked today, but I have at this time of year, so the report today is not all bad.  It can be a challenge at almost any time of year if I am being totally honest.  The wild fish on this creek can be prima donnas, for sure.  I would swear some days that the Class A designation is a myth, and then the next time I visit I land a 19 inch brown and three different year classes of fish.  That is why I come back, of course.  I like a good challenge and a work-out once in a while.  The spring hold-over rainbows, some of them multi-year porkers, are a bit more reliable.  I avoided the skunk with two of them today.  I landed one in the first hour of fishing that was a fat 17 incher, and then I fished for 2 more hours with maybe one hit.  I finally landed one more bright 12-incher with white-tipped fins and a bad attitude before I had to go home.  Or allowed myself to go home?

Someone's been around a while, and that tail.

To make it even more challenging, I fished some of the biggest, deepest water on the creek.  I was hoping to scare up another good fish this week, I suppose, and I guess one could argue that I did.  With very little bug life active and the water cold, higher, and stained, it became clear rather early that I was going to have to commit to tougher wading and deeper nymphing.  I did not get wet, which is nice, but I did get a chill a few times wading higher than waist deep to navigate my way around.  It was lot of work for two fish.  I also lost far too many bugs for my liking!  The recent rains brought down some trees, but they in turn also deposited a ton of smaller branches, so there were new snags to contend with everywhere.  I almost quit after I landed the first bigger fish because I was unsure whether or not I wanted to really do this today.  The first little piggy took the caddis grub on the dropper in a deep back eddy around some bridge pilings.  She stayed deep while she fought, so I almost thought I had stuck one of those aforementioned wild browns that show themselves from time to time.  No dice, but this was a gorgeous hold-over rainbow, so I am not complaining.

Grubby caddis, pink tag jig.

I spent some time after that working a long, exceptionally deep hole, even swinging a streamer and one of Kenny’s eight-ounce hair jigs without a touch.  Geese were a bit crazy, and there were many of them.  They usually don’t bother the fish too much, but they were annoying and loud, so I eventually left this spot for more peaceful surroundings upstream.  Tired of hazardous wading, I skirted one deep hole on the steep bank and actually spooked a 15 inch wild brown taking refuge under a log near the bank.  I did try to fish the near side as much as possible, knowing fish would be close to the banks on both sides with higher flows, but I certainly missed a shot at this one….  A tree was smack in the middle of some pocket water I often try, but the flows were a bit high and the bugs and fish a bit too inactive today to be that hopeful.  The new obstruction forced me to keep moving and I spent my last fishing time working a deep hole below a waterfall, which is often a reliable wintering spot.  There were new snags here too, of course, but I did manage to land the second rainbow, who fought really hard when he got into some heavier water.

Pretty fish, minus the leaf under the eye?

It was a fun way to end an otherwise tough day, at least.  The weather is supposed to be crazy warm on Monday, so I am motivated to get my work done this weekend and give it a shot somewhere.  That may be wishful thinking, though.  This weekend is too busy with personal business and the boy’s activities, maybe even some time with my wife, and then there is football on Sunday.  Honestly, I may not get out again until Wednesday, but I am hoping that the weird warm up has some lasting effects on water temps into the more appropriately mild upcoming week.  I have not really dived into rain totals, but from a distance it certainly looks like potential streamer weather.  My luck of last week is bound to dry up at some point, but that usually does not stop me from swinging for the fences.  On a similar note, January has been an active fishing month, so I am steeling myself for when life gets busier or weather less cooperative.  In the meantime, tight lines, right?