 |
| They are pretty in Valley. |
I ran out of prime fishing time before an area closer to
the headwaters of Valley cleared up enough this afternoon. The TP bridge gage was still showing over 100 CFS,
and it was still raining when I left, so I focused on the skinny water farther upstream. I hiked and fished from about 12:30 to 4 PM, with one stop back at the car because I forgot gloves, but the
only dependable action was in two slow wintering holes with small bugs under an indicator.
I was hoping that the fish would be
feeding in falling and clearing water, but the water temperature was probably
too cold to get them to commit to a bugger like I had hoped. I had two average fish follow a small hot
bead black bugger, but only one even tried to nip at the back. After retooling to nymph (on an 8-foot 6 weight,
but you gotta do what you gotta do) I believe I landed four Valley average fish
and at least two YOY. One fish took a
black beaded peeking caddis in a deep run right towards the end of the prime winter
fishing hours. That was on a
tightline. The others simply ate a small
caddis larva in size 18 or a 16 duracell.
I knew the weather was fronty and odd, so I half-expected the tight-lipped
fishes, and for an hour and change throwing the bugger, I was wondering if I would be
registering a solid skunk today. In the end, fish
were caught and a walk in the woods was had, and I did not even get rained on. I suppose I will take it over sitting home!
 |
| Fishable flows towards the end, but past prime time and with air temps dropping. |
Had a similar experience yesterday! My job recently relocated to Devon so I've been doing lunchtime fishing on Valley when conditions look good. Was there yesterday for 45 mins from around 1245-130. Got skunked playing with a streamer. Was non-jigged, that must've been the problem, lol!!.
ReplyDeleteHaha! I think it stayed too muddy through that 10 to 2 prime window. Almost all of them were in that long muddy hole that formed after the last hurricane. Kind of a mess back there still!
DeleteHey, not a bad afternoon close to home during the holiday season. Pretty, but pale compared to what you had last trip.
ReplyDeleteRR
Thanks, bud. Pretty sandy in this stretch these days, mostly from storm damage, so they are def more pale. I think the spawning adults move upstream even further and into a couple tributaries. I would hope they are still much more colorful!
DeleteBiggest question - did you hit 100 days on the water? :-) My idol!
ReplyDeleteNot this year with the hot summer (only 3 trips all of August) and how fast the weather turned on the striped bass. I should hit 75 by year-end, however.
DeleteWell 75 is a great number! I estimate I had 31, 19 of which were OBX. I just want to thank you for sharing your excitement for the sport for others to enjoy, I know I did.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you, your family and your fishing blogger buddies!
RR
Thanks, as always, RR! I will have a couple more posts for the year, as I caught some stockies today and Eric and I are going to finish out the year somewhere on Saturday.
Delete