October 29, 2021 – Went for Broke After a Long, Unplanned Break – Northampton County Limestoner

Oink!

I will spare you the photos, but I actually had to go to urgent care on Tuesday morning this week because I had a cut on my right index finger that got angry. A pretty minor cut, probably suffered while climbing around the Brodhead on Wednesday, October 20 was really infected by Saturday.  The pain actually woke me up and was spreading through my hand that night.  Of course, I waited until Tuesday to seek medical attention—just in disbelief, as it was just a frigging cut, you know?  I even cut my grass that weekend.  Anyway, after only a day of antibiotics and Epsom salt soaks, it was quickly improving.  I probably could have fished Thursday if I had the time, but I had a couple meetings and work to catch up on before an evening class.  I finish the antibacterial on Saturday and have been soaking the wound twice a day.  Good times!  Retracing my steps, I can only assume that I had a cut on my finger on Wednesday and came in contact with some not so clean water on the creek.  One of the spots I fished Wednesday is within a mile of some “trade effluent,” so yeah potentially pretty gross, although part of the Brodhead’s charm, I suppose.  I did not have that kind of trip in me today after a long Thursday and a long week, but I had to get out, so I stayed within an hour of home in the Lehigh Valley.

Gray, mid-fall afternoon.

I did not leave the house until after 9 AM, just moving slowly this morning, but I stuck with the plan I hatched last night.  It should have been a low expectations day, but it was not.  It was more like, I may catch nothing, but if I do catch something, it might just be memorable.  I was hoping to beat the wind and the rain and take advantage of the high flows and cloudy conditions on a favorite creek.  Specifically, I was hoping to stick one of the three pigs I moved with a jigged streamer here a few weeks ago.  I would have been here Wednesday with the same plan in mind and higher flows (and more stain) had I not been benched.  Well, I beat the rain because I wanted to be home before three when the boy gets off the bus, but I certainly did not beat the wind.  I was fishing by 10:30 AM after a long talk with another fly guy just out to prospect and shoot the breeze.  He was a good dude and as knowledgeable about this creek as me, so it was no chore to humor him for a while.  By the time I hiked into the spot, it was already blowing.  I was fishing a mono rig and heavier bugs and managing line like it was my job, but the conditions were still frustrating.  I hooked many a leaf, big old kites that first caught water and then caught air, spinning two flies up nicely.  Fishing heavier, I lost more bugs than I normally would, so I even fished a bobber in a couple spots.  

The insurance photos.

The fishing was just plain tough.  Even re-tying in these windy conditions is an added joy. I waded aggressively and fished the big bugs as best I could in the best spots for a better fish.  The water was moving too much for it to be a numbers day.  There may have been better chances for smaller fish pushed to the banks earlier in the morning, and I may have fooled them with small bugs in lighter winds at that time, but I fished the window I gave myself.  Two and a half hours and only one hit that could have been a leaf, so I switched up and vowed to fish a jigged bugger from the last thirty to forty-five minutes.  I walked back to the first couple of holes where I had originally hoped to stick a good fish.  The wind was blowing even steadier now, so the creek was even more full of leaves, but I did not lose faith.  That was wise because I was mentally prepared when I finally interested a beautiful wild brown with Sam’s Roberdeau bugger.  With time running out, I fished the streamer in the deep sweet spots of two runs.  The first spot produced leaves, but the second spot was the one.  I landed a 20 and a 16 in the same day here at the end of the summer, and another morning I lost a 20 and saw two more fish in that range in the same 100 yards of creek.  This was not the one I caught last time, so I can confirm at least two in that 20 inch range, but I believe there is at least one more.  To be honest, this one hand-measured at 19 inches.  Just a thick pre-spawn beauty, though!  I counted myself lucky or fortunate or blessed, especially after ten days out of the game, did the required fight, land, and photograph, and then headed for home to resume the Epsom salt and antibiotics regimen….

Flotsam and jetsam, rubs and scrapes, one lone piggy.