August 16, 2024 – Just Cashing in on the Very Tail End of that Debby-induced August Bonus Round – Northampton County Limestoner

Pretty girl.

Well, things are about back to normal in the waters I fish now that we are nearly two weeks post-Hurricane Debby.  There was still a lot of new wood to snag in this particular creek this morning, but with flows almost back to normal, it was not a chore to get those bugs unstuck.  I started fishing about 6:15 AM this morning, probably 15 minutes later than intended because I hit highway construction that I should have planned for in advance.  Some days I just want to drive and not use navigation, and today that sort of bit me in the arse.  No worries, since fishing was pretty terrible early.  I don’t know if the cooler nights have had an effect, or if the fish really wait for the tricos to emerge before waking up, or what.  It’s not like I saw risers taking tricos, but their increased activity and the warming morning seemed to coincide with more fish activity.  When the swarm was very close to the water, I picked up a couple bows and a nice wild brown on a small, buggy dropper tag, so a few were off the bottom and actively taking bugs in pocket water between 9:30 and 10 AM.  It was a grind there for a while, however.  I fished 3 hours for one small brown and one missed hit from a mystery fish that would not hit again.  And then the last 90 minutes of fishing were really solid.  Not only did I land two nice brown trout, but a handful of rainbows also started eating. 

A bit more battle worn (and in the shade).

I am pretty sure the biggest brown was a battle-worn male based on the anal fin and the sheer girth, but the prettiest by far was the hen I stuck in six inches of pocket water.  I was in deep shade with the first one, so the pics were all dark, while the second nice fish was nearly in full sun at 10 AM.  The fights were night and day too.  The bigger fish took a walts under a bobber that I used for more control and reach in a big, deep, dark hole.  He buried the tiny indicator, but the fight was just some bulldogging and some hole wandering, enough hole wandering to blow up all but the head of the run for any other fish opportunities.  By contrast, the female jumped twice, once almost landing in my net.  I tried to keep her ahead of me in the riffles, hoping to use speed to land her, even if she was still very green.  That almost worked, but I did eventually have to backtrack a couple yards in order to subdue this one in a softer side pocket.  I took a water temperature, and it was 63 degrees, not 58 or something, but this fish and the bows that came from different lines within the same run were hot fish.  The fact that I got two of the rainbows to stop moving and pose for a photo is a triumph in itself.

A couple bows stayed still.

After having that hour and a half of good action, I was tempted to move to another spot or even re-fish some early spots that I knew held fish who were just being difficult earlier in the morning.  When I got out from under the mature trees, it was feeling pretty hot and sunny, so in the end I decided against that plan.  I don’t like to be a glutton, anyway.  Oh, I will do it, catch 50 trouts, especially if the temps are cool and the fish are cooperative or if I have driven 3 hours to fish and need to make a day of it to justify the drive.  That was not the case this morning.  I was just happy to take an hour ride, catch some fish, including a couple good ones, and still be home before lunch.  I actually took the boy out for a pre-birthday burger and finally found a present we’d been searching for online (and even in a specialty shop in downtown Philly) in a Dick’s Sporting Goods of all places.  No one else was working today either, as it was bumper to bumper with bikes and walkers at the creek, on most of the drive home, and in all the retail parking lots this afternoon too.  I guess this is the time of year where camps end and school has not yet started, so parents with young kids are off because they have to be.  I remember those days all too well.

Right up in that stuff and fully oxygenated battles as a result.

My boy is going to be 17 this weekend and will be going off to college this time next year, but he spent a lot of time playing Nintendo Switch in my office(s) at a couple colleges and universities over the years.  I guess he’s a pro at the college thing already, at least the cafeterias!  He and I are on the call list for a Susquehanna bass trip this week if things line up for Glenn, the dude Kenny and I fished with earlier this year.  He sent me some pics of good fish that he caught before Debby while out on scouting trips.  Usually, the main branch is even too low for a jet this time of year, but 7 inches of rain may have changed that this August.  I hope it works out.  This has been an odd weather summer, and the fluke trip was not that fun for him, so some smallies on topwater would be a nice final hurrah before he starts senior year of high school.  I certainly made the most of this rain and look forward to the next round this weekend.  

Bonus shots.  Even boosting the exposure, I did not get a good one of the this good one.