September 6, 2020 – …and We’re Back to Typical Late Summer Fishing – Northampton County Limestoner

Back to normal morning

I saved this creek for the weekend when I made a detour on Friday.  It was a good detour, for sure, but I may have missed the window on this one.  As expected, the flush of water took longer to leave this creek, but it was only 10 CFS or fewer over normal and running pretty clear when Eric and I rolled up around 6:15 this morning.  I was already packed up and ready to go solo around 8 PM last night, when I got the text from Eric about fishing.  When we talked during the week, the first week of our kids back to virtual school, he was interested but worried he might have family obligations on Sunday.  When I texted him back that I would be happy to have a buddy along, I also added the caveat that there are two places that I need to have first shot at, that I have a vendetta or two with a couple fish here.  Those vendettas were not settled this morning, but Eric was happy to play along with my grandiose ideas of what might have been. 

That far seam, maybe?

The conditions this morning were much too challenging for the settling of scores with wily small stream pigs.  All that positive self-talk would not change the conditions on the field.  We were lucky to land ten small to average fish between us, and even they barely ate.  The two I hooked before first light were a sign of things to come, as they both came off—often a sign that the eats are half-hearted at best.  In contrast, fish were choking worms and soft hackles on Friday.  Besides the water getting back to low, the air temperature dropped nearly 15 degrees below normal.  It felt great to be in waders and long sleeves, like it was fall or something, but I am sure the high pressure and the quick change from 70 in the morning to upper 50s had the fish feeling a little off.  Like Friday, I saw some small caddis and midges hatching.  At one point, small mayflies even made an appearance, but the fish did not really notice much.

A couple decent ones in the mix.

Eric was grateful to get out and to see one of my favorite spots.  Having no prior knowledge of the size of the fish here, he was happy to see a few 8 to 11 inchers, but I was hoping for much more.  The majority of the fish we landed came from a deep plunge pool where I had them taking a CDC jig on the fall and one on a weenie the second pass through.  Eric was playing with sizes and weights to get the right fall and drift, but he figured it out eventually.  A couple of my favorite holes gave up very little.  The first spot I had in mind when I mentioned my vendettas, well that gave up nothing, not even a dink on two attempts.  The second spot produced one average fish that came off the hook on the first pass through and netted another average fish on the walk back through later in the morning.

Watch those teeth... Many bug changes.

I have mentioned not taking anyone to this spot before because of parking and because the productive stretch of water is short even for one guy working through slowly.  If we did not work through a few spots more than once, as I sometimes do while alone even, we may have been done by 8:30 AM.  I already mentioned the first couple above, but a third stop for the second time did give up one more fish for Eric.  On that note, we called it good.  It was great day to be out, and I was still on a high from Friday that a middling day could not take away, but I am less excited to fish this week without some rain.  Although sustained cooler temps, once the fish have acclimated to the change, that alone might bring me and the fish out again this week.  It is my first week back to classes (all online and 5 of them) but the semester usually starts slowly if I let it.  We shall see.  For many reasons, September is often my lightest month for trips, but I am doing well so far, and next Monday is slotted for a smallie trip with young Kenny.  That is when we’ll get the rain, of course!  Murphy's law....