June 21, 2022 – First Day of Summer, First Taste of Summer Fishing – Northampton County Limestoner

Pretty smalls on a summer night.

For my first outing in about ten days, I took the impromptu and lazy approach.  I have been playing catch-up with work and life since I was tied up at a retreat last week, but by about noon today I was caught up for the moment, and the cloudy skies were calling me.  I am not the average fly guy who leaves the house an hour before dusk in late spring to chase a hatch, as you can probably tell from this blog.  I like the early morning this time of year (well, early morning period) nymphing with a single bug or a dry dropper in shallow riffles, hunting those fish who stayed out until sunrise.  It was a nice change of pace to be out until dark tonight and wet wading, however.  I like this creek for the peace and quiet, but the fishing has declined this year from a high point during about 2020.  It was still a nice night, as I saw at least three bucks, and even twin fawns.  The goslings are awkward, but the baby mallards are still cute.  The fish were really small, but there are a lot of them from a certain year class, so signs this creek could be better again in the future.  I caught half a dozen of them, maybe 7 or 8, but nothing was over 9 inches long.  Honestly, I pretty much tried it all.  

One of three bucks.  This one not too scared of me.

After an enjoyable and prolonged chat with a retired landowner out on his mower, just keeping the communication (and parking) open, I guess, I nymphed up a handful of fish.  When I reached the end of this stretch, I decided that I may as well grab my dry fly rod and wait and see what develops.  No risers, even when I sat and waited during the last hour of daylight, so the hatches have petered out until tricos, maybe.  I did see some midges and very small caddis, one late sulfur, and larger caddis are in the bushes, but not enough to get anything going.  It may have just been this particular night that was dead. 

One took a stimular but no risers before dark.  Rock snot is in bloom.

Bored sitting around watching for noses, I did catch one on a stimulator in a long shallow riffle.  I even tossed a black bugger and got one or two bumps right before dark.  The water was low and warm for a limestoner, and the rock snot is in bloom, so it felt like summer.  Fish had lockjaw, though.  My gut and experience tells me they are moving to those nighttime and early morning feeding windows, at the peak of the cool period each day.  I thought with cooler temps this week, they might get active, but after one or two more trips to NEPA, I think I am mentally preparing for the summer grind.  Thankfully, I have a couple pre-planned trips in July for smallies and for flukes.  If I get out again this week or next, I will have hit an even 40 trips so far for 2022, so some kind of milestone towards 90 if not 100 trips this year.

And twins....