August 3, 2022 – A Brief Communiqué from the Dog Days – Northampton County Limestoner

The early shift in August.  Bows never quit moving.

I did get out during another cooler window early this young month, but with no rain to help, it was pretty beat.  The water temp below a spring was 64 F, so a very short window.  I was dressed and wet wading by 5:45 AM, however.  I think I landed 3 rainbows, and I messed with 3 more fish before I quit at 10 AM.  After nymphing some riffles and pocket water with small bugs, I actually had the most action, if not success, with a small, jigged streamer.  This was one of Eric’s that I have shown before: hardly any paint on the head, getting ratty, good mojo, and apparently now a dull hook.  I believe I sharpened the hook once or twice since its debut months ago, but my half-hearted digging around for a hook hone today came too late.  When I lost a bow and an average wild brown after one leap, I rationalized it as user error or dickish fish—as they can be in these dog days.  But when a much bigger fish rolled on the jig with anger, and it came off, and then another fish that I stuck while fishing upstream on a tight line also came off after one jump, I finally admitted that this little bugger needed some attention.  It is possible that the hook had even bent out a hair, and I did not notice, because it felt sharp enough to hold the last 2 fish at least!  Oh, well….  Nothing would move for a larger bugger with brand new hooks that I tied on when I couldn’t find the hone, but I did nymph and land the 3 rainbows before I quit—one on the swing, which did not develop into a pattern, sadly.  Not great, but it was fishing in August.